‘Rape and domestic violence cases in England and Wales will be among the worst hit from the growing backlog in the judicial system, and trials could soon start collapsing because of severe delays, the new crime commissioner for England’s second biggest force has warned.’
The Guardian, 6th June 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘HM Courts and Tribunals Service have recently published statistics about the number of hearings conducted remotely, ie by audio, video or on paper, compared with physical in-person hearings, over the course of the coronavirus lockdown. The statistics cover civil and criminal cases as well as family law cases, but it is possible to extract from them a picture of how the family justice system, in particular, has responded.’
Transparency Project, 4th June 2021
Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk
‘People or organisations who are not a party to a piece of litigation (non-parties) in England and wales can obtain copies of some documents relating to civil proceedings that are held at court. Depending on the type of document requested, the permission of the court may be required. Until fairly recently, the matter had received only limited consideration in Scotland, however, the position there appears to be similar although there are fewer court rules covering the situation and much will depend on the nature of the document sought and the identity of the party seeking it.’
OUt-LAW.com, 20th May 2021
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
‘Plans to create the first single comprehensive repository of England and Wales court judgments are being considered by the government, the Gazette understands. Such a service, run by the National Archives, would publish almost every decision made by courts and tribunals, unlike the current selective system run by the British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII).’
Law Society's Gazette, 10th May 2021
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Talk is cheap. Governments, particularly wealthy, western ones, have been quick to make promises on climate change. They swear blind that they understand the threat the world faces, and that they will implement a policy response commensurate with it. Few nations have adopted this rhetoric as determinedly as the UK, with the British government promising to transform the UK into a net-zero country by 2050, an oath enshrined in law through the passing of the Climate Change Act 2008 (Order 2019) by Parliament in the summer of 2019.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 27th April 2021
Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org
‘In a report published at the end of last month the House of Lords Constitution Committee made a number of criticisms of the way the courts have responded to the coronavirus pandemic and the suspension of live hearings necessitated by the lockdown, and made various recommendations as to the need for more resources to reduce the backlog of cases and create a better justice system for the future.’
Transparency Project, 11th April 2021
Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk
‘It is well established in international commercial arbitration that the courts at the seat of arbitration will have supervisory jurisdiction over the arbitral proceedings, including hearing any challenges to the validity of the arbitral award. In the recent case of Minister of Finance (Incorporated) and 1 Malaysia Development Berhad v International Petroleum Investment Company and Aabar Investments PJS [2019] EWCA Civ 2080, the Court of Appeal (Sir Geoffrey Vos, chancellor of the High Court, Newey and Males LLJ) considered the issue of the courts’ powers in section 67 (challenging the award: substantive jurisdiction) and section 68 (challenging the award: serious irregularity) of the Arbitration Act 1996. This article focuses on the Court of Appeal’s important discussion of the role and functions of the court at the seat of arbitration and the impact this has on the law and practice of international commercial arbitration.’
Law Society's Gazette, 12th April 2021
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘From decrepit court buildings to legal aid cuts, the service has been brought to its knees. And there’s little hope of change.’
The Guardian, 5th April 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The Ministry of Justice “faces significant risks across the full range of its services, without a clear sense of prioritisation” and huge backlogs that have built up are causing “unacceptably long waiting times for people to access justice”, the Public Accounts Committee has said.’
Local Government Lawyer, 24th March 2021
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) will from this week offer voluntary on-site rapid testing at four courts to people who attend scheduled hearings and are not showing symptoms of COVID-19.’
Local Government Lawyer, 23rd March 2021
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Delays in cases going through the civil court continue to spiral upwards, with the whiplash reforms set to increase pressure on the small claims court even further in the coming months.’
Litigation Futures, 23rd March 2021
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘The Ministry of Justice has launched a consultation on giving the courts the power to suspend quashing orders, removing so-called “Cart judgments”, and introducing a series of changes to civil procedure rules, following recommendations by the Independent Review of Administrative Law (IRAL) led by Lord Faulks QC.’
Local Government Lawyer, 19th March 2021
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Plans to change how government decisions are challenged in the courts have been announced by the justice secretary.’
BBC News, 18th March 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Over the next few weeks and months as the number of people who have been vaccinated against Covid increases and restrictions begin to ease across England and Wales, it will be “possible and desirable” to increase attendance in person in the courts where it is safe and in the interests of justice, the Lord Chief Justice has said.’
Local Government Lawyer, 17th March 2021
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The court has the power to require a solicitor to attend court for cross-examination in respect of a wasted costs application, a High Court judge has ruled.’
Litigation Futures, 11th March 2021
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is to press ahead with increasing online court fees in money and possession claims to bring them into line with paper claims in the face of opposition from the legal and credit sectors.’
Litigation Futures, 9th March 2021
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘Court backlogs are having “major consequences for victims and witnesses”, a watchdog has found, as criminal trials are being scheduled for 2023.’
The Independent, 9th March 2021
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Up to 10,000 vulnerable victims facing long delays for trials should be allowed to give evidence by video in an attempt to stop them falling out of the system, according to the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales.’
The Guardian, 5th March 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The UK’s 12th Family, Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) – covering the Birmingham and Solihull areas – will hold its first hearings early this month.’
Local Government Lawyer, 3rd March 2021
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The legal profession claimed victory last night in the fight against extended operating hours (EOH) in the criminal courts.’
Legal Futures, 4th February 2021
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
© Inner Temple Library 2025