Fairness in the courts: the best we can do – Speech by Lord Neuberger

Fairness in the courts: the best we can do (PDF)

Speech by Lord Neuberger

Supreme Court, 10th April 2015

Source: www.supremecourt.uk

News focus: law and justice pledges – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The general election manifestos are in – here’s our quick-fire summary of their headline pledges on law and justice.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 20th April 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Theresa May admits justice system fails families over deaths in police custody – The Guardian

‘The criminal justice system makes is too hard for families whose loved ones have died in police custody to get answers, according to a candid letter written by the home secretary to two families affected by such deaths.’

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The Guardian, 19th April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Satellite litigation warning as new fundamental dishonesty rule comes into force – Litigation Futures

‘The new rule on fundamental dishonesty in personal injury actions, which comes into force today under section 57 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, brings with it “a lot of potential for satellite litigation”, a leading defence lawyer has warned.’

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Litigation Futures, 13th April 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

McKenzie friends could drive ‘bulldozer’ through Legal Services Act – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 2nd, 2015 in criminal justice, fees, legal services, McKenzie friends, news, reports by sally

‘Giving McKenzie friends permission to speak in court would drive a bulldozer through the Legal Services Act, which was intended to regulate reserved activities, criminal barristers have said.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 1st April 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Tackling trafficking: beyond criminalisation – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘The Modern Slavery Act 2015 has rightly drawn attention to the issue of trafficking, its role in the modern world and its prevalence in the United Kingdom. It ties together previously piecemeal legislation and creates specific criminal offences of slavery and human trafficking. Yet, to make a practical difference the legislation must go beyond criminalisation. Does the Modern Slavery Act do enough?’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 31st March 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Criminal Justice, Advocacy and the Bar – The Bar Council

Posted March 31st, 2015 in barristers, criminal justice, news, reports by sally

‘A new report by His Honour Geoffrey Rivlin QC, chair of the Criminal Justice Reform Group, commissioned by the Bar Council, sets out key recommendations for sustaining the criminal justice system in England & Wales.’

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The Bar Council, 31st March 2015

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Regina v Quillan and others – WLR Daily

Regina v Quillan and others [2015] EWCA Crim 538; [2015] WLR (D) 144

‘If it was likely that a judge would need to make a ruling on a question of law relating to a criminal trial, it would usually be better to order a preparatory hearing before the start of the trial rather than having to make such a ruling after the jury had been sworn and the trial commenced, when any appeal against such a ruling by the Crown would require an undertaking that the defendant was entitled to be acquitted if the appeal failed.’

WLR Daily, 25th March

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Society outrage at ‘back door’ criminal court fees – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 31st, 2015 in courts, criminal courts charge, criminal justice, fees, news, trials by sally

‘Suspects pleading not guilty in the Crown court will risk paying a court fee of £1,200 if convicted under guidelines slipped into legislation without debate in the final days of the current parliament.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 27th March 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

New sentencing measures to take effect next month – Ministry of Justice

‘A series of tougher sentencing measures, new criminal offences and a more balanced judicial review system will come into force when the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 takes effect on 13 April.’

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Ministry of Justice, 20th March 2015

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

Barristers’ regulator asks QCA to consider QC re-accreditation – Bar Standards Board

Posted March 24th, 2015 in barristers, criminal justice, news, quality assurance, queen's counsel by sally

‘The barristers’ regulator, the Bar Standards Board (BSB), has today formally asked that Queen’s Counsel Appointments (QCA) considers developing a system of re-accrediting criminal silks.’

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Bar Standards Board, 23rd March 2015

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Barristers’ regulator lobbies for QC re-accreditation – Legal Futures

Posted March 24th, 2015 in barristers, criminal justice, news, quality assurance, queen's counsel by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has issued a formal request to Queen’s Counsel Appointments (QCA) – the body which runs the annual silk round – to consider developing a system of re-accrediting criminal QCs as “it is not in the public interest to exempt QCs from quality assurance”.’

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Legal Futures, 24th March 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Paedophile cases may need to be streamlined, warns top officer – Daily Telegraph

‘National Crime Agency chief hints at possible updates to the way child pornography offences are prosecuted, as it emerges more than 260 people have been charged in new investigation.’

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Daily Telegraph, 20th March 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Last minute adjournment in criminal legal aid appeal – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 20th, 2015 in adjournment, appeals, criminal justice, judicial review, legal aid, news by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal has adjourned delivering judgment on the lord chancellor’s criminal legal aid reforms until Wednesday. The case had originally been listed for this morning.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 19th March 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

What were this decade’s most significant advances in law? – OUP Blog

‘The past decade has seen a number of advances in the field of law. As part of our exclusive Oxford law event, Unlock Oxford Law, we have asked some of our expert authors to identify what developments they thought were most significant. With constant changes and developments occurring across all the different areas of law, this is a subject that is very much up for debate. Read on to see what our authors said, and to see if you agree.’

Full story

OUP Blog, 18th March 2015

Source: www.blog.oup.com

Tougher standards for UK senior bankers will come into force from March 2016 – OUT-LAW.com

‘A new regulatory regime, designed to make it easier for senior managers of UK banks and building societies to be held accountable for failings in their area of responsibility will come into force in one year’s time, the government has confirmed.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 6th March 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Regina v Boardman – WLR Daily

Posted March 4th, 2015 in appeals, case management, criminal justice, delay, evidence, law reports, trials by sally

Regina v Boardman [2015] EWCA Crim 175; [2015] WLR (D) 92

‘A judge was fully entitled to refuse to allow the prosecution to adduce evidence of telephone data records where they had failed to progress the case properly or in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Rules or other direction even though such refusal effectively brought the prosecution to an end. The Court of Appeal would support trial judges in the exercise of their discretion in discharging their case management responsibilities.’

WLR Daily, 26th February 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Regina (London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association and others) v Lord Chancellor; Regina (Law Society) v Lord Chancellor – WLR Daily

Posted February 23rd, 2015 in criminal justice, judicial review, law reports, legal aid, lord chancellor by sally

Regina (London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association and others) v Lord Chancellor; Regina (Law Society) v Lord Chancellor [2015] EWHC 295 (Admin) ; [2015] WLR (D) 78

‘The conventional Wednesbury standard of judicial supervision applied to a decision, taken by the Lord Chancellor in the exercise of his discretion under section 2(1) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, which involved changes to the provision of criminal legal aid services by solicitors.’

WLR Daily, 18th February 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Legal aid reforms: Solicitors lose duty contracts challenge – BBC News

Posted February 19th, 2015 in appeals, criminal justice, Law Society, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

‘Solicitors have lost a legal challenge against government plans to cut by more than half the number of duty lawyers attending magistrates’ courts and police stations in England and Wales.’

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BBC News, 18th February 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Regina (Campbell-Brown) v Central Criminal Court – WLR Daily

Posted February 11th, 2015 in criminal justice, detention, law reports, murder, time limits, trials by sally

Regina (Campbell-Brown) v Central Criminal Court [2015] EWHC 202 (Admin); [2015] WLR (D) 48

‘Trials involving defendants remanded in custody were not to be listed for trial after the expiry of the custody time limits without proper and rigorous judicial consideration first having been given to the statutory questions posed by section 22(3) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 in relation to the extension of custody time limits.’

WLR Daily, 3rd February 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk