Specialist courts under microscope on costs budgeting – Law Society’s Gazette

“Exempting mandatory costs budgeting for claims in excess of £2m may be ‘unnecessary and inappropriate’, a newly established sub-group of the Civil Procedure Rule committee has suggested.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 1st July 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Television cameras may be allowed to film in crown courts – The Guardian

Posted July 2nd, 2013 in consent, courts, Crown Court, judiciary, media, news, sentencing, witnesses by sally

“The government is risking a fresh row with the judiciary by raising the prospect that television cameras could be allowed to film within crown courts.”

Full story

The Guardian, 1st July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The mechanics of Deferred Prosecution Agreements in the UK – Speech by Oliver Heald QC MP

“Speech to the C5 7th Advanced Forum on Anti Corruption on the role of prosecutors and the court.”

Full speech

Attorney-Geberal’s Office, 28th June 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/ago

Damian Green: ‘Digital Courtrooms’ to be rolled out nationally – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 28th, 2013 in case management, courts, documents, electronic filing, press releases by tracey

“Courtrooms will be fully digital by 2016 ending the court service’s ‘outdated’ reliance on paper, Justice Minister Damian Green said today.”

Full press release

Ministry of Jutice, 28th June 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Courtrooms to be fully digital by 2016 – BBC News

Posted June 28th, 2013 in case management, courts, documents, electronic filing, news by tracey

“Courtrooms in England and Wales will be fully digital by 2016, the government
says, ending what it described as ‘an outdated reliance on paper. ‘ ”

Full story

BBC News, 28th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lord Judge’s correspondence with Chris Grayling on court privatisation – the full text – The Guardian

Posted June 26th, 2013 in budgets, courts, judiciary, legal profession, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

“Read a copy of the letter that the lord chief justice sent to the justice secretary warning him not to undermine judicial independence.”

Full story

The Guardian, 25th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Privatising the courts: if anyone needs advice, it’s the judiciary – The Guardian

Posted June 25th, 2013 in constitutional reform, contracting out, courts, judiciary, news, tribunals by sally

“The judges have nothing to gain and everything to lose by negotiating with Chris Grayling in private.”

Full story

The Guardian, 25th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lord chief justice warns Chris Grayling on courts privatisation plans – The Guardian

Posted June 25th, 2013 in constitutional reform, contracting out, courts, judges, judiciary, news, tribunals by sally

“The justice secretary, Chris Grayling, has been warned by the lord chief justice, Lord Judge, not to undermine the independence of the judiciary through plans to privatise parts of the court service or make it self-financing.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Justice ministry outsourcing could lead to ‘train crash’, says watchdog – The Guardian

Posted June 21st, 2013 in contracting out, courts, interpreters, news, select committees by tracey

“The contracting out of key services by the Ministry of Justice could end in a ‘multiple train crash’ because the department displays naivety and lacks the capacity to understand what it is doing, according to a parliamentary watchdog.”

Full story

The Guardian, 20th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK government proposes “streamlining” regulatory and competition appeals – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted June 20th, 2013 in appeals, competition, consultations, courts, news, tribunals by sally

“The UK government on Wednesday published a consultation on streamlining regulatory and competition appeals. The press spin was that the proposals are all about preventing ‘armies of lawyers’ from blocking consumer-friendly measures. In reality, although it is true that the proposals are designed in part to put a lid on litigation, the consultation contains a series of thoughtful suggestions – many of which are likely to attract widespread support.”

Full story

Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 20th June 2013

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

High Court warns parties not to try their luck with stricter approach to compliance – Litigation Futures

Posted June 14th, 2013 in costs, courts, news, proportionality, time limits by sally

“It would be ‘unfortunate’ if the stricter post-Jackson approach to compliance with orders should encourage parties to refuse reasonable requests for time extensions in the hope that the court might refuse any extension at all, the High Court has said.”

Full story

Litigation Futures, 14th June 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Ministry of Justice plans to cut court services trigger strikes – The Guardian

“Court staff are being called out on strike on Monday amid growing opposition to the Ministry of Justice’s proposals to contract out services, cut legal aid and limit the use of judicial review.”

Full story

The Guardian, 13th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Family courts risk ‘collapse’ as surge in custody cases follows legal aid cuts – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 11th, 2013 in courts, custody, family courts, legal aid, litigants in person, news by tracey

“The family court system is in danger of ‘collapsing in on itself’ after a surge in the number of warring parents turning up in person to launch child custody cases because of legal aid cuts, leading lawyers are warning.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 11th June 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Five centuries of crime and punishment leave the Old Bailey in need of repairs – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 10th, 2013 in courts, historic buildings, news by sally

“For nearly 500 years the Old Bailey has been one of the world’s most famous criminal courts, hosting the trials of notorious killers like Dr Crippen, Ruth Ellis, Peter Sutcliffe and Ian Huntley.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 9th June 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Helen Fenwick: Article 8 ECHR, the ‘Feminist Article’, Women and a Conservative Bill of Rights – UK Constitutional Law Group

Posted June 6th, 2013 in bills, courts, families, human rights, news, reports, women by sally

“There has been a lot of commentary on the Report of the Bill of Rights’ Commission, and the ‘damp squib’ analysis of the Report (see Mark Elliott) as a whole is one most commentators appear to assent to (see eg Joshua Rozenberg for the Guardian here). My view in general is that the squib could reignite post-2015 if a Conservative government is elected, not in relation to the very hesitant ideas as to the possible future content of a Bill of Rights that the Report put forward, but in relation to its majority recommendation that there should be one (see further my previous post on the Commission Report here). If a BoR was to emerge under a Conservative government post-2015 I suggest that it would reflect the ideas of the Conservative nominees on the Commission which assumed a far more concrete form in the Report than the majority recommendations did (eg see here at p 192). This blog post due to its length is not intended to examine the probable nature of such a BoR based on those ideas in general, but to focus only on two aspects: the idea of curtailing the effects of an equivalent to Article 8 ECHR (right to respect for private and family life), and of requiring domestic courts to disapply Strasbourg jurisprudence under a BoR in a wider range of situations than at present under s2HRA (see Roger Masterman’s post on s2 on this blog here). In respect of the latter issue the potential impact of so doing will only be linked to selected aspects of Article 8 jurisprudence of especial actual and potential benefit to women.”

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Group, 5th June 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Lawyers warn privatisation of courts could damage City’s status as disputes centre – Legal Week

Posted May 31st, 2013 in courts, dispute resolution, legal profession, London, news by sally

“City lawyers have warned that London’s status as an international litigation centre will come under threat should the Government push ahead with proposals to privatise the courts service.”

Full story

Legal Week, 31st May 2013

Source: www.legalweek.com

Parties that fail to comply with court rules will be likely to face ‘severe sanctions’, says judge – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 31st, 2013 in civil procedure rules, courts, news, sanctions by sally

“Courts are taking an increasingly tough stance on non-compliance with the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), an expert has said, following comments by a High Court judge that parties that do not comply with court rules and practice directions will be likely to face ‘severe sanctions’.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 31st May 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Faster justice as unneccessary committal hearings are abolished – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 29th, 2013 in committals, courts, delay, news by sally

“Serious criminals will face justice as soon as possible with the abolition of committal hearings Justice Minister Damian Green said today.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 28th May 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Courts may be privatised to save Ministry of Justice £1bn – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 28th, 2013 in charters, courts, government departments, news by sally

“The courts may be privatised in a justice shake-up that could save the Ministry of Justice £1 billion a year.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 28th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Flaws in fraud case show worrying lapses by judges and lawyers – The Guardian

Posted May 23rd, 2013 in appeals, courts, fraud, mortgages, news, theft by sally

“Anthony White admitted fraud over mortgages, but analysis seems to show problems that senior judges failed to spot.”

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk