Category: criminal justice

The implications for access to justice of the Government’s proposed legal aid reforms – Joint Committee on Human Rights

Posted July 25th, 2013 in civil justice, criminal justice, human rights, inquiries, legal aid, press releases, select committees by tracey

“The Joint Committee on Human Rights, chaired by Dr Hywel Francis MP, is today launching an inquiry into the implications for access to justice of certain of the Government’s proposals to reform legal aid, as set out in its Consultation Paper Transforming Legal Aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system.”

Full press release

Joint Committee on Human Rights, 18th July 2013

Source: www.parliament.uk

Bar Council: Parliament must have chance to scrutinise EU justice opt out – The Bar Council

Posted July 16th, 2013 in criminal justice, EC law, news, parliament, treaties by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has called on the Government to allow Parliament to scrutinise its intention to opt-out of more than 130 EU criminal justice measures properly. This comes as a Motion to Approve the opt-out has been scheduled for Monday 15 July, rather than full parliamentary scrutiny.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 12th July 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Roundtable report – LegalVoice

Posted July 11th, 2013 in criminal justice, legal aid, news, parliament by sally

“A roundtable meeting took place yesterday at the House of Commons, speakers included Andy Slaughter MP, Sadiq Khan MP, Emily Thornberry MP, Lord Willy Bach and Jeremy Beecham. Gemma Blythe reports.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 10th July 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Criminal solicitors “losing moral compass” – and not just because of falling legal aid pay – Legal Futures

Posted July 10th, 2013 in criminal justice, legal aid, legal education, miscarriage of justice, negligence, news, solicitors by sally

“Defence lawyers bear partial responsibility for miscarriages of justice, and better ethics training and spending time with ordinary people are as likely to reverse ‘moral decline’ as boosting pay, according to new research.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 10th July 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Treatment of women in British courts varies widely – The Guardian

Posted July 9th, 2013 in bills, criminal justice, detention, magistrates, news, sentencing, women by sally

“Some magistrates’ courts are four times more likely to send women to prison than others, according to figures obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Grayling promises second consultation on legal aid – but sets red lines – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 5th, 2013 in competition, consultations, criminal justice, law firms, legal aid, news, select committees, solicitors, tenders by tracey

“The Ministry of Justice will publish a second ‘short’ consultation on its ‘finalised’ legal aid proposals in September before ‘pressing on’, the justice secretary announced this morning.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd July 2013

Source: www.lawgazete.co.uk

Miscarriages of justice body to receive increased funds after applications rise – The Guardian

Posted July 4th, 2013 in Criminal Cases Review Commission, criminal justice, legal representation, miscarriage of justice, news by sally

“The 10% increase comes amid cuts to criminal legal aid, leading lawyers to ask whether a better funded CCRC will address the problem of lack of legal representation.”

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bar Council Chairman: We will not facilitate a scheme which will wreck the criminal justice system – The Bar Council

Posted July 3rd, 2013 in barristers, budgets, competition, criminal justice, legal aid, news, tenders by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today stated that it has no plans to develop a quality system to facilitate price competitive tendering (PCT) for criminal legal aid. The Bar Council believes that real quality is based on choice of service providers, not price alone, on which the Government’s model is based. The Bar Council’s response to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation clearly sets out its position on this issue.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 5th June 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Justice Secretary updates on competitive tendering for criminal legal aid – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 2nd, 2013 in competition, criminal justice, legal aid, news, select committees, solicitors, tenders by sally

“Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has written to the Chair of the Justice Select Committee on competitive tendering for criminal legal aid.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 1st July 2013

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

Cuts Will “Destroy” Legal Aid System – Criminal Law and Justice Weekly

Posted July 2nd, 2013 in competition, consultations, criminal justice, legal aid, news, tenders by sally

“Jon Robins surveys the responses to the Government’s legal aid consultation paper.”

Full story

Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 29th June 2013

Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling in U-turn: Defendants on legal aid will still be able to choose their solicitor – The Independent

Posted July 2nd, 2013 in competition, criminal justice, legal aid, news, solicitors, tenders by sally

“Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, made a surprise U-turn on Monday night over his controversial plan to deny defendants on legal aid the right to choose their solicitor.”

Full story

The Independent, 1st July 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Legal aid cuts will drive out the best lawyers, supreme court president warns – The Guardian

Posted June 19th, 2013 in budgets, criminal justice, judicial review, legal aid, legal profession, news, oral hearings, speeches, tenders by sally

“Reforms may not produce significant savings as it would result in more unrepresented litigants and longer hearings, says Lord Neuberger.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

A gray new world – LegalVoice

Posted June 18th, 2013 in criminal justice, law firms, legal aid, legal profession, news, select committees, solicitors by sally

“‘This is a derisory document’. Thus, Professor Roger Smith described the MoJ’s paper on Transforming Legal Aid, when he gave evidence to the Select Committee for Justice last Tuesday. The most senior members of the legal profession gave evidence about the potential impact of the proposals. The President of the Law Society, and the chairs of the Bar Council, Criminal Bar Association, and Criminal Law Solicitors Association all agreed that, if the Minister has his way, the criminal justice system will be irreparably harmed. The MoJ plans to introduce these changes by secondary legislation, although more than 90,000 signatories to an e-petition (Save UK Justice) have now called for a full debate in Parliament.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 17th June 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Child sex abuse victims’ vulnerability must not be barrier to justice, says DPP – The Guardian

Posted June 11th, 2013 in child abuse, children, criminal justice, news, victims by tracey

“Vulnerability among child sex abuse victims should no longer be a barrier to justice, the director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, has declared as he unveiled new guidelines for handling cases.”

Full story

The Guardian, 11th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lord Chief Justice calls for children to have evidence video recorded – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 10th, 2013 in children, criminal justice, cross-examination, evidence, news, video recordings by sally

“Senior judges have called for children to be spared from the ‘damage’ of appearing in criminal trials, and instead have their evidence video recorded.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 10th June 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

PCT: incredible alternatives – LegalVoice

Posted June 7th, 2013 in competition, criminal justice, law firms, legal aid, news, solicitors, tenders by tracey

“Otterburn Consulting recently completed a survey to inform the Law Society’s response to the government’s consultation ‘Transforming legal aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system on price competitive tendering (PCT).’ The aim was to find out what the impact on firms would be, based on hard evidence and to evaluate whether the proposed system was likely to work in practice.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 7th June 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Met crackdown on foreign suspects raises fears justice will be denied – The Guardian

Posted June 7th, 2013 in crime, criminal justice, deportation, immigration, London, news, police, tribunals by tracey

“Lawyers say police could ‘circumvent criminal justice’ by using intelligence in civil immigration courts to increase deportations.”

Full story

The Guardian, 6th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lawyers block road outside Ministry of Justice in protest against legal aid cuts – The Guardian

Posted June 6th, 2013 in consultations, criminal justice, demonstrations, legal aid, legal profession, news by sally

“Lawyers waving placards and chanting blocked the road outside the Ministry of Justice on Tuesday evening in protest over proposals to slice a further £220m out of criminal legal aid and remove defendants’ ability to choose a solicitor.”

Full story

The Guardian, 4th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Secret Courts – BBC Unreliable Evidence

Posted June 6th, 2013 in anonymity, civil justice, closed material, Court of Protection, criminal justice, news, private hearings by sally

“Leading human rights barrister Dinah Rose challenges cabinet minister Ken Clarke over the Government’s extension of the use of secret courts.”

Listen

BBC Unreliable Evidence, 5th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bar Council Chairman: We will not facilitate a scheme which will wreck the criminal justice system – The Bar Council

Posted June 5th, 2013 in barristers, competition, criminal justice, diversity, fees, legal aid, legal representation, news, solicitors by sally

The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today stated that it has no plans to develop a quality system to facilitate price competitive tendering (PCT) for criminal legal aid. The Bar Council believes that real quality is based on choice of service providers, not price alone, on which the Government’s model is based. The Bar Council’s response to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation clearly sets out its position on this issue.

Full story

The Bar Council, 5th June 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk