“The justice secretary has asked a senior judge to consider whether the court dealing with the affairs of mentally incapable people in England and Wales can become more open.”
BBC News, 2nd May 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Thanks to the English High Court, state policing of personal relationships in Britain is on the rise.”
Hardwicke Chambers, 22nd March 2013
Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk
“A new generation of secret courts will be established in law within weeks after a last-ditch bid to water down controversial government plans failed in the House of Lords.”
The Guardian, 27th March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Today we will see the beginning of the end of the passage of the Justice and Security Bill through Parliament: the process commonly known as parliamentary ‘ping-pong’.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 26th March 2013
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
“Peers vote on Tuesday on whether to restore extra safeguards to the justice and security bill – amendments that the government has warned will make the expansion of secret courts unworkable.”
The Guardian, 26th March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court, made the following statement in open court this afternoon:
‘Yesterday morning, having heard full argument on the issue the previous day, we decided, for reasons to be given later – and, it should be added, by a majority of six to three – that we had power to consider the closed judgment of Mr Justice Mitting (‘the closed judgment’) in this case. This would involve part of this hearing being conducted in private without Bank Mellat or its representatives being present. We also indicated that, on the basis of the arguments we had so far heard, we were not persuaded that it was necessary to take such a course.’”
Supreme Court, 21st March 2013
Source: www.supremecourt.gov.uk
“Extraordinary developments in the Supreme Court today as the court, for the first time in its history, conducted a secret hearing during which one of the parties, an Iranian Bank, was not allowed to take part. Full background to the case, Bank Mellat (Appellant) v HM Treasury (Respondent) is here.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 21st March 2013
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
“The highest court in the land controversially sat in secret for the first time in its history today but insisted it had reached the decision with ‘great reluctance’.”
The Independent, 21st March 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“Peers intend to change justice and security bill as it shuttles between houses of parliament, government is warned.”
The Guardian, 21st March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The supreme court has ruled for the first time in its history that it can examine secret judgments given by lower courts.”
The Guardian, 19th March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The prominent international lawyer Prof Philippe Sands QC has resigned from the Liberal Democrats in protest at the leadership’s support for expanding the use of secret courts.”
The Guardian, 11th March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Related link: I’m leaving the Liberal Democrats too
“As Parliament prepares to vote on the Justice and Security Bill today, Terry McGuinness outlines why Closed Material Procedures (CMP) are an affront to open justice.”
Garden Court Chambers Blog, 4th March 2013
Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com
“The government pushed through its plans for secret court hearings on Monday night, defeating amendments tabled by the Labour frontbench with significant majorities.”
The Guardian, 4th March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Controversial government plans to introduce a new generation of secret courts have been dealt a major blow after hundreds of lawyers attacked them as ‘contrary to the rule of law’.”
The Guardian, 28th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Judges should be given the ‘maximum amount of discretion’ in deciding whether or not to order a secret court hearing under the justice and security bill, Ken Clarke has told MPs and peers.”
The Guardian, 12th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Key amendments to government plans to expand secret courts may have reassured many Liberal Democrats MPs but do not give enough ground to satisfy civil liberties groups.”
The Guardian, 29th January 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Judges will decide whether civil cases involving national security can be heard in secret in a climbdown by the Government.”
Daily Telegraph, 29th January 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“Extending secret courts to ordinary civil justice cases would see the UK ‘stoop to the level of repressive regimes’, the Law Society warns today.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 24th January 2013
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
“Women who say they were tricked into sexual relationships with undercover police
officers will have their cases heard in secret, a judge has ruled.”
BBC News, 17th January 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
