Speech by Sir Geoffrey Vos, Chancellor of the High Court: Integrity and independence in the judiciary and the financial services industry – a comparative study – Courts & Tribunals Judiciary

‘Speech by Sir Geoffrey Vos, Chancellor of the High Court: Integrity and independence in the judiciary and the financial services industry – a comparative study.’

Full speech

Courts & Tribunals Judiciary, 21st March 2018

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Judge uses mobile in court to solve timetable problem in ‘unorthodox’ move – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 26th, 2018 in case management, courts, judges, news, telecommunications by sally

‘A judge broke with tradition by using a mobile phone in court to solve an administrative problem. Lawyers have praised Judge Richard Todd, a divorce court judge, who had a conversation with an office clerk in a bid to avoid a delay while overseeing a High Court case.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 25th March 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

First virtual court case held using claimant’s laptop camera – The Guardian

Posted March 26th, 2018 in appeals, courts, news, pilot schemes, taxation by sally

‘The first virtual court case has been held with a claimant appearing via a home laptop camera, while an extremely patient judge sat in a London tribunal and lawyers presented evidence from Belfast.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 26th March 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Speech by Sir Ernest Ryder, Senior President of Tribunals: Assisting Access to Justice – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘Speech by Sir Ernest Ryder, Senior President of Tribunals: Assisting Access to Justice.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 20th March 2018

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Master of the Rolls: More than four in ten of applications to Court of Appeal come from litigants in person – Legal Futures

Posted March 20th, 2018 in appeals, civil justice, costs, courts, internet, litigants in person, news, speeches by sally

‘The proportion of applications to the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal by litigants in person (LiPs) has gone up by 50% in the last 10 years, the Master of the Rolls has said.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 20th March 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Barrister blows whistle on ‘broken legal system brought to its knees by cuts’ – The Guardian

Posted March 19th, 2018 in barristers, complaints, courts, criminal justice, news, whistleblowers by sally

‘Damning book by ‘secret barrister’ tells of courts plagued by daily errors leaving them unfit for purpose.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 18th March 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

On a Housing Court and (not) making things simpler – Nearly Legal

Posted March 14th, 2018 in courts, housing, landlord & tenant, news by sally

‘A specialist Housing Court is in the air. Sajid Javid, Minister for Housing. Communities and Local Government, has repeatedly mentioned ‘discussions’ with the judiciary on a housing court, ever since the last Tory conference in October. There has been no mention of any progress – and surely progress would have to involve the MoJ, not just the judiciary.’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 12th March 2018

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Allocation: Assessment of guideline – Sentencing Council

Posted March 8th, 2018 in courts, Crown Court, magistrates, news, sentencing, trials by sally

‘The Sentencing Council has published its assessment of the impact of its Allocation Guideline, under its statutory duty to monitor the operation and effect of its sentencing guidelines and to draw conclusions from this information.’

Full text

Full Story

Sentencing Council, 6th March 2018

Source: www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk

MPs outline concerns about government’s push for digital justice – Legal Futures

Posted March 2nd, 2018 in courts, electronic filing, news, select committees, video recordings by sally

‘MPs have expressed concern about the government’s “evident preference” for virtual and online justice over traditional, court-based models without the evidence base to justify it.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 2nd March 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Family Drug and Alcohol Courts to expand across London – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 1st, 2018 in alcohol abuse, care orders, courts, drug abuse, families, family courts, London, news by sally

‘The Family Drug and Alcohol Court ( FDAC) is to expand in London after a partnership of nine boroughs, led by Merton Council, commissioned the service from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 28th February 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Why English courts are opening in the EU – BBC News

Posted February 28th, 2018 in choice of forum, courts, dispute resolution, foreign jurisdictions, news by sally

‘According to French reports, the new “international chamber” is an attempt to capitalise on Brexit and steal London’s crown as a global hub for lucrative commercial legal disputes.’

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BBC News, 28th February 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Helping child witnesses: ‘One girl gave evidence with a hamster on her lap’ – The Guardian

‘They might be victims of rape, or witnesses to murder. But can they really be relied upon to tell the truth at trial?’

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The Guardian, 17th February 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

First video courts to be used in the UK within weeks – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 16th, 2018 in courts, news, pilot schemes, video recordings by sally

‘The first video courts are to be used in the UK within weeks as a pilot scheme is launched.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 15th February 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ecclesiastical court judgments – December and January – Law & Religion UK

Posted February 1st, 2018 in courts, ecclesiastical law, judgments, news by sally

‘Review of the ecclesiastical court judgments during January 2018, & additional judgments from 2017.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 31st January 2018

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Application of Provincial Court decisions – Law & Religion UK

Posted January 30th, 2018 in Church of England, courts, ecclesiastical law, judgments, news by sally

‘On 8 February, General Synod will consider the Report of the Revision Committee, GS 2064Y, on the draft Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure, GS 2064A. An issue of relevance to ecclesiastical jurisdiction is Clause 7, which will finally resolve an on-going issue of the applicability of decisions of the Provincial Courts.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 29th January 2018

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

High Court rejects BBC’s bid to move Paradise Papers case to media list – Litigation Futures

Posted January 29th, 2018 in BBC, civil procedure rules, courts, documents, media, news by sally

‘Offshore law firm Appleby has won the first skirmish in its case against the BBC and The Guardian newspaper over the ‘Paradise Papers’ leak, after the High Court refused the defendants’ bid to move the case from the Chancery Division to the media and communications list.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 29th January 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Bar Council response to HMCTS consultation – The Bar Council

Posted January 24th, 2018 in budgets, civil justice, courts, criminal justice, press releases by sally

‘The surprise announcement of plans for yet more court closures has prompted concerns from the Bar over how much harder it may become for vulnerable people to access their local court, and whether the drive to cut costs will impact the quality of our system of justice.’

Full press release

The Bar council, 19th January 2018

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

UK courts service spending sees tenfold rise since 2010 – The Guardian

Posted January 22nd, 2018 in contracting out, costs, courts, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

‘The courts service spent £50m last year on agency and contract staff, a more than tenfold rise since 2010 when it spent less than £4m, while courts have been closing at an unprecedented rate.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 21st January 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Digital court services “already starting to deliver” – Legal Futures

Posted January 22nd, 2018 in consultations, courts, internet, news by sally

‘The courts service is already seeing benefits from the early stages of the digital delivery of justice, it said yesterday as it outlined its plans for further rationalisation of the physical court estate.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, January 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Miscarriages of justice – OUP Blog

Posted January 22nd, 2018 in appeals, constitutional reform, courts, miscarriage of justice, news by sally

‘Today we take it for granted that anyone convicted of a crime should be able to appeal to a higher court. However, this wasn’t always so. English lawyers traditionally set great store in the deterrent value of swift and final justice. Over the course of the nineteenth century, reformers pressed for the establishment of a court that could review sentencing and order retrials on points of law or new evidence. These advocates of change met with fierce resistance from the judiciary and much of the legal profession, and the cause of reform had little success until a spectacular miscarriage of justice came to light.’

Full Story

OUP Blog, 21st January 2018

Source: blog.oup.com