The City of London Solicitors’ Company – Speech by The Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, Lord Chief Justice

Posted April 9th, 2014 in courts, diversity, judiciary, law firms, London, news, speeches by sally

The City of London Solicitors’ Company (PDF)

Speech by The Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, Lord Chief Justice

Judiciary of England and Wales, 31st March 2014

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Bar Council and BSB publish statistics and trends about the Bar – The Bar Council

Posted April 2nd, 2014 in barristers, diversity, equality, legal education, news, statistics by sally

‘The Bar Council and the Bar Standards Board have published the third edition of the ‘Bar Barometer’ – an annual research report providing statistics and trends in the barristers’ profession of England and Wales.’

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The Bar Council, 1st April 2014

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Released short term prisoner face another two weeks behind bars if they ignore new supervision – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 26th, 2014 in bills, diversity, magistrates, news, rehabilitation, supervision orders by sally

‘Damian Green, Justice minister, announces new powers for magistrates to ensure new supervision orders are met.’

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Daily Telegraph, 25th March 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

A ton of new QCs hit the courts – Litigation Futures

Posted February 19th, 2014 in barristers, diversity, news, queen's counsel, solicitor advocates, statistics by sally

‘Exactly 100 advocates – made up of 95 barristers and five solicitors – were today named in the annual silk round.’

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Litigation Futures, 19th February 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.co.uk

No more getting your clerk to do it – BSB bids to improve barristers’ diversity reporting – Legal Futures

Posted February 4th, 2014 in barristers, diversity, news by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is set to introduce a series of measures to improve diversity reporting among barristers after the vast majority refused to answer many of the questions posed about their backgrounds.’

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Legal Futures, 4th February 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Prohibiting positive action – clarification, but little practical impact – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted January 17th, 2014 in bills, diversity, equality, news, recruitment by sally

‘The Equality and Diversity (Reform) Bill is currently making its way through Parliament. The private members’ bill will prohibit the use of affirmative and positive action in recruitment and appointment processes.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 16th January 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Diversity League Table: minorities still under-represented at the top of the profession – The Lawyer

Posted November 13th, 2013 in diversity, minorities, news, solicitors by tracey

“The latest Diversity League Table from the Black Solicitors Network suggests that despite improved access to the profession minority groups remain under-represented at the top.”

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The Lawyer, 12th November 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Equal Treatment Bench Book – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted November 8th, 2013 in diversity, documents, equality, judiciary, news by tracey

“The Equal Treatment Bench Book, a guide for judges, magistrates and all other judicial office-holders, has been revised and updated.”

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Judiciary of England and Wales, 6th November 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

The Bar in society: A vital force for good – Speech by Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

The Bar in society: A vital force for good (PDF)

Speech by Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

Annual Bar Conference, 2nd November 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Young Legal Aid Lawyers: Social Mobility – Speech by Lady Hale

Posted November 1st, 2013 in diversity, judges, legal profession, news, speeches by sally

Young Legal Aid Lawyers: Social Mobility (PDF)

Speech by Lady Hale

London South Bank University, 30th October 2013

Source: www.supremecourt.gov.uk

Senior judge warns of leap in Oxbridge lawyers – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 1st, 2013 in diversity, judges, legal profession, news, speeches by sally

“A ‘startling leap’ in the proportion of lawyers from Oxbridge and professional backgrounds threatens the diversity of the profession, Baroness Hale, Britain’s most senior female judge, warns.”

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Daily Telegraph, 1st November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The courts are secular, says top family judge – Law Society’s Gazette

“The law has a neutral view of religious belief, the president of the Family Division said today, stressing the secular nature of the judges’ job.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 29th October 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Social mobility – is law leading the way? – Legal Week

Posted October 25th, 2013 in diversity, equality, legal profession, news, reports by sally

“The latest Alan Milburn report on social mobility has produced a little backslapping in legal circles, primarily because of this judgment: “Professions are undertaking more activity in order to improve but results are mixed: law leads medicine, media, politics and finance.”

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Legal Week, 24th October 2013

Source: www.legalweek.com

Richard Cornes: 11-1 gender ratio Court’s Achilles Heel: Reporting of the Supreme Court’s start of the year press briefing – UK Constitutional Law Group

Posted October 16th, 2013 in diversity, human rights, Islam, media, news, Supreme Court, women by sally

“On October 2 at 10am, the United Kingdom Supreme Court held an hour long pre-term press-briefing to mark the opening of the Court’s fifth year. This blog looks not only at what was said by the Court, and asked by the journalists on the day, but also what was then reported.”

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UK Constitutional Law Group, 16th October 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

JAC seeks first part-time High Court judge – Litigation Futures

“The first part-time High Court judge could start sitting next year after the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) launched a competition that allows candidates to work under flexible arrangements.”

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Litigation Futures, 15th October 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

New reforms to increase diversity of coroners – Ministry of Justice

Posted October 14th, 2013 in barristers, coroners, diversity, legal executives, news, solicitors by sally

“Changes designed to increase the diversity of coroners and competition for positions, have been announced by new Justice Minister Shailesh Vara.”

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Ministry of Justice, 14th October 2013

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

Grayling: legal market needs to be more diverse and innovative – Legal Futures

Posted October 14th, 2013 in diversity, legal services, Legal Services Board, news by sally

“The new chairman of the Legal Services Board (LSB) needs to help develop ‘a more diverse and innovative legal services market that attracts new providers’, justice secretary Chris Grayling has said.”

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Legal Futures, 14th October 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Female lawyers earn a third less than males – The Lawyer

Posted October 11th, 2013 in diversity, equal pay, equality, legal profession, news by sally

“Female lawyers receive just 68 per cent of male lawyers’ total remuneration, while the average bonus given to a woman equals just half that of men’s bonuses, research by recruiter Laurence Simons has revealed.”

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The Lawyer, 10th October 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Anthony Bradley: A Review of Jack Straw’s Hamlyn Lectures: Aspects of Law Reform: An Insider’s Perspective – UK Constitutional Law Group

“As the lecturer disarmingly tells us at the outset of the Hamlyn Lectures for 2012, the illustrious procession of Hamlyn lecturers since 1949 (Lord Denning) through to 2011 (Jeremy Waldron) has ‘without exception’ comprised ‘lawyers distinguished by their practice, their academic study or both’. Jack Straw is an exception. Since an LLB at Leeds and two years at the criminal bar, he has made his career in politics – holding glittering ministerial office, throughout the Blair-Brown years, as Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary, leader of the Commons, and Lord Chancellor.”

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UK Constitutional Law Group, 7th October 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Neuberger urges government caution over judicial review reform – Litigation Futures

Posted October 3rd, 2013 in diversity, judges, judicial review, judiciary, news, women by sally

“The president of the Supreme Court has urged the government to tread very carefully when considering whether to restrict the ability of people to bring judicial reviews.”

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Litigation Futures, 3rd October 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com