Art of court stenographer faces the final sentence – The Independent
“Charlie Cooper discovers what we’ll lose when the law enters the digital age.”
The Independent, 24th March 2012
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Category: courts
Drug and Alcohol Misusing Families – BBC Law in Action
“For the last four years, London’s family drug and alcohol court has been trying to get drug and alcohol misusing families back on track. It has done so by following a different approach from the traditional, more punitive measures adopted by the mainstream courts. Joshua Rozenberg visits the court to find out how effective its pioneering work has been and what those who use it think of it. He speaks to those involved in the day-to-day work of the court – including the district judge, the principals of the main charity involved in its creation, legal representatives and others with expert knowledge of the problems which the court’s family users must tackle to put their lives back in order – and talks to observers of the court who have reservations about its approach. Law in Action discovers how far this innovative – but expensive – legal model is one which can realistically be emulated elsewhere in the UK when public funds are under such pressure.”
BBC Law in Action, 13th March 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Private court interpretation company ‘should face contempt proceedings’ – The Guardian
“The attorney general has been urged to bring contempt of court proceedings against the private contractor awarded a monopoly to provide interpreters to all courts in England and Wales.”
The Guardian, 19th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Violent clients, traumatised victims, late payment – the life of a court interpreter – The Guardian
“Very few people know what the job of a professional court interpreter involves. ALS is trying to get it done on the cheap.”
The Guardian, 15th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
The European court of human rights needs these British reforms – The Guardian
“The Strasbourg court is in a mess. It doesn’t help human rights to damn our eminently sensible reforms as reactionary.”
The Guardian, 13th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Outcry over UK plans to charge European court of human rights claimants – The Guardian
“Proposals to charge claimants for taking their cases to the European court of human rights (ECHR) have triggered an international row over the United Kingdom’s programme for reforming the Strasbourg court.”
The Guardian, 13th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
European Court of Human Rights ‘not interfering in UK’ – BBC News
“The European Court of Human Rights is not ‘interfering’ with the justice system in the UK, its president says.”
BBC News, 13th March 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Future of human rights court must not be decided by shadowy late night deals – UK Human Rights Blog
“It’s a busy week for the debate on human rights reform. Today at 2:15pm, the Joint Committee on Human Rights will question the UK judge and current President of the European Court of Human Rights, Sir Nicholas Bratza. Sir Nicholas returns to the UK in a hailstorm of UK reporting – accurate and inaccurate – on the perceived failings of the Strasbourg Court and its judges.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 13th March 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
Who should have the final word on human rights? – Dr Ed Bates – UK Human Rights Blog
“Much of the criticism directed toward the European Court of Human Rights over the last year or so, in this country at least, has been that it is too ready to overrule decisions made by the competent United Kingdom national authorities. It is said that British courts have already addressed the relevant human rights arguments under the Human Rights Act, so it is quite wrong that Strasbourg should now ‘overrule’ them.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 6th March 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
How video hearings are speeding up court cases – Ministry of Justice
“Video hearings are being extended in a number of courts across the country as part of an initiative involving police and courts staff working together. Assistant Chief Constable Ruth Purdie from Cheshire Police explains the benefits of these new ‘virtual courts’ for the justice system.”
Ministry of Justice, 27th February 2012
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
Tinkering with the powers of the human rights court could be dangerous – The Guardian
“How best to protect human rights across Europe? Governments will meet in Brighton next month to consider the future of the European court of human rights. The UK chairs the Council of Europe, and it has just published its proposals for reforming the court in a document called the Brighton Declaration.”
The Guardian, 1st March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Leaked proposals set out Britain’s tough line towards Strasbourg – The Guardian
The UK’s plans to water down the human rights convention have emerged as a key element of the Council of Europe summit that Britain is hosting at Brighton in April. Although the government has refused to publish the draft declaration it circulated last Thursday to the other 46 states that are signed up to the European court of human rights, a leaked French text makes it clear that the UK wants more cases decided at national level and fewer embarrassing rulings from Strasbourg.”
The Guardian, 28th February 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
MoJ ditches new court interpreting system in face of major backlash – The Lawyer
“The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has decided to allow courts to revert to the old system of selecting interpreters from the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) in order to avoid further hearings being adjourned as a result of interpreters from a new agency failing to turn up to court.”
The Lawyer, 23rd February 2012
Source: www.thelawyer.com
Courts given green light to hire own interpreters as ALS struggles to cope – The Guardian
“A £300m private contract providing interpreters to all courts across England and Wales has been partially abandoned two weeks after being launched.”
The Guardian, 16th February 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
What Rights, Enforced Where? – Hardwicke Chambers
“Two easy answers are offered by those who object to a rights based approach to legal decision making – repeal the Human Rights Act and remove the right of individual petition to the European Court of Human Rights. Neither of those things will happen. Therefore much effort is being expended on finding more complicated ways to satisfy their concerns.”
Hardwicke Chambers, 15th February 2012
Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk
Court chaos follows interpreter change – BBC News
“The government is hoping to save £18m a year by changing how interpreters are provided for court hearings – but it is said the new system is causing chaos and costly delays.”
BBC News, 13th February 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Keeping up with appeal procedure in the High Court (or at least trying to) – Family Law Week
“Byron James, barrister, 14 Gray’s Inn Square reviews the guidance arising from the latest case law concerning applications for leave to appeal in financial remedies orders in the High Court.”
Family Law Week, 8th February 2012
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
Broadcasters lobby party leaders to overturn ban on cameras in court – The Guardian
“The BBC, ITN and Sky have joined forces in an unprecedented letter to David Cameron and the other main party leaders calling for the ban on cameras in courtrooms to be lifted.”
The Guardian, 6th February 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
MoJ to use private debt collectors to help recover unpaid court fines – The Guardian
“Private debt collectors have been called in to help collect £420m in unpaid court fines on behalf of the Ministry of Justice under pilot schemes that may be rolled out across the country.”
The Guardian, 31st January 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Strasbourg is for all, Cameron warned – The Guardian
“Senior Council of Europe official tells Guardian that UK’s proposals for court reform could weaken ECtHR.”
The Guardian, 25th January 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
