Justice minister: we’ll stop weekend courts pilot if critics are right – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 8th, 2012 in courts, criminal justice, news, pilot schemes by sally

“New justice minister Jeremy Wright today said the government would cancel plans for weekend court hearings if the trial proves to be unsuccessful.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 8th October 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Bar Council Calls for Consultation on Government Plans to Opt Out of EU Criminal Justice Measures – The Bar Council

Posted October 8th, 2012 in barristers, consultations, criminal justice, EC law, press releases, warrants by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has called on the Government to issue a full public consultation on its proposals to opt out of more than 130 EU criminal justice measures, including the European Arrest Warrant.”

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The Bar Council, 5th October 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Jimmy Savile abuse allegations: next legal steps – The Guardian

“Police should investigate whether anyone else should be charged in relation to rape and sexual abuse allegations.”

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The Guardian, 3rd October 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Facing Up To Offending: Use of restorative justice in the criminal justice system – Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary

Posted September 19th, 2012 in criminal justice, news, rehabilitation, restorative justice, victims by sally

“The aim of this review was to identify the benefits of restorative justice practices across the criminal justice system. It was a joint inspection, carried out by HMIC, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation, Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons.”

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Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, 18th September 2012

Source: www.hmic.gov.uk

Evaluation: How can we measure access to justice for individual consumers? – Legal Services Board

Posted September 19th, 2012 in civil justice, criminal justice, legal services, Legal Services Board, news by sally

Evaluation: How can we measure access to justice for individual consumers? (PDF)

Presentation made by LSB Research Project Manager at the LSRC conference.

Legal Services Board, September 2012

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Access to transactional justice: A comparison of consumer responses to transactional and justiciable problems – Legal Services Board

Posted September 19th, 2012 in civil justice, criminal justice, legal services, Legal Services Board, news by sally

Access to transactional justice: A comparison of consumer responses to transactional and justiciable problems (PDF)

Presentation made by LSB Head of Development and Research at the LSRC conference

Legal Services Board, September 2012

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

LSB publishes a discussion paper which sets out a range of indicators that aim to baseline access to justice and monitor how it changes over time – Legal Services Board

“LSB publishes a discussion paper which sets out a range of indicators that aim to baseline access to justice and monitor how it changes over time.”

Full press release

Legal Services Board, 12th September 2012

Source: www.www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Former Met chief launches attack on justice system – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 10th, 2012 in burglary, criminal justice, news, police, victims by tracey

“The former commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has launched a strong attack on Britain’s ‘perverse’ criminal justice system.”

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Daily Telegraph, 9th September 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Chris Grayling, justice secretary: non-lawyer and ‘on the up’ politician – The Guardian

Posted September 5th, 2012 in criminal justice, judiciary, legal profession, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

“Grayling’s main qualifications for justice minister are that he is perceived to be right-wing and once shadowed prisons.”

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The Guardian, 4th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Olympic fast-track courts have dealt with more than 80 cases – The Guardian

Posted August 29th, 2012 in criminal justice, magistrates, news, sport by tracey

“Fast-track courts have dealt with more than 80 ‘Olympic crimes’ so far during the course of the 2012 Games, the Ministry of Justice has revealed.”

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The Guardian, 29th Auguest 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Justice reforms have increased burden on judiciary, says LCJ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 7th, 2012 in civil justice, criminal justice, judiciary, news, remuneration, reports by sally

“Reforms to the efficiency of the administration of justice have increased the burdens on the judiciary at a time when their pay and pension packages are being cut, according to a report from the lord chief justice, Igor Judge.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 6th August 2012

Source: www.gazette.co.uk

Victims to get right to challenge ‘no charge’ decisions – BBC News

Posted July 27th, 2012 in complaints, criminal justice, news, prosecutions, victims by sally

“Crime victims in England and Wales are to get the right to a review in cases when it has been decided that no one will be charged.”

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BBC News, 27th July 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

DPP invites responses to proposed new Code for Crown Prosecutors – Crown Prosecution Service

“Keir Starmer QC, Director of Public Prosecutions, has today launched a consultation on a proposed new edition of the Code for Crown Prosecutors (the Code). The Code is the overarching document that all prosecutors follow in deciding whether or not a suspect should be charged.”

Full press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 19th July 2012

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Criminals could avoid court in legal shake-up – Daily Telegraph

“Criminals arrested for offences such as minor assaults, theft and fraud could escape prosecution in the biggest shake-up of charging guidelines for 20 years.”

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Daily Telegraph, 19th July 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Virtual courts: more speed, less justice? – The Guardian

Posted July 18th, 2012 in courts, criminal justice, legal services, news, video recordings by tracey

“No one wants delay or waste in the criminal justice system, but the plans for virtual and flexible courts don’t look fair or efficient.”

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The Guardian, 18th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government outlines plans for better IT use in courts system – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 16th, 2012 in courts, criminal justice, guilty pleas, news by sally

“The Government has outlined plans for improving the technology used by police and the courts system to make judicial processes faster and more efficient. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said that past investments cost too much and under-performed.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 16th July 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert says justice ‘must be swift, sure and seen to be done, or it’s not done at all’ – The Independent

Posted July 16th, 2012 in courts, criminal justice, delay, news by sally

“The criminal justice system can be opaque, impenetrable, too concerned with defendants and too little concerned about victims, Nick Herbert said today (13 July).”

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The Independent, 13th July 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Government outlines plans for fast-track justice – The Guardian

“‘Flash incarceration’ of offenders who breach court orders, widespread naming online of those convicted, more witnesses giving evidence via videolink and Sunday court sittings are among measures outlined in government plans to speed up justice.”

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The Guardian, 13th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Creating a swift and sure criminal justice system – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 13th, 2012 in courts, criminal justice, delay, news by sally

“Far-reaching plans to reform the criminal justice system by reducing delays, tackling waste and overhauling unnecessarily bureaucratic systems were launched today by Criminal Justice Minister Nick Herbert.”

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Ministry of Justice, 13th July 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Lords “Reform”: The Justice and Security Bill – Angela Patrick – UK Human Rights Blog

“Last night saw the latest round of Lords debate on the Justice and Security Bill. It should be required reading for the Secretary of State. Peers from all benches challenged the Government’s case for the breadth of reform proposed in the Bill. A number of amendments have been tabled jointly in the names of members of the Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Lords Constitution Committee, both Committees having already castigated the Government’s proposals as potentially harmful to the common law principles of open, adversarial and equal justice.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 12th July 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com