‘It’s not like you were beaten’: The horrifying misogyny vulnerable women face from the judge’s bench – The Independent

‘Domestic abuse survivors warn that – inside the secretive family courts – they are being ‘retraumatised’ by the legal system, and say judges are the worst offenders.’

Full Story

The Independent, 17th August 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘It’s not like you were beaten’: The horrifying misogyny vulnerable women face from the judge’s bench – The Independent

‘Domestic abuse survivors warn that – inside the secretive family courts – they are being “retraumatised” by the legal system, and say judges are the worst offenders.’

Full Story

The Independent, 16th August 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Review body warns on quality of judges as it calls for 6% pay rise – Legal Futures

Posted July 31st, 2024 in judges, judicial appointments commission, judiciary, news, remuneration by sally

‘The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) has expressed its “unease” at a “long-term decline” in quality ratings for new district and circuit judges as it recommended a 6% pay rise across the bench.’

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Legal Futures, 31st July 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Being a solicitor or ethnic minority halves odds of becoming a judge – Legal Futures

‘Being a solicitor or from an ethnic minority more than halves the odds of successfully applying for the bench compared to white barristers, the latest figures on judicial diversity have revealed.’

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Legal Futures, 12th July 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Costs lawyers call for guidelines rates and judiciary recognition – Legal Futures

Posted July 9th, 2024 in costs, judiciary, legal profession, news, recruitment, remuneration by sally

‘Costs lawyers have become a fundamental part of litigation teams and this needs to be recognised in the guideline hourly rates and with the ability to apply for judicial appointment, it has been argued.’

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Legal Futures, 9th July 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Looking Beyond the Traditional: A Multi-dimensional Account of the Modern Judicial Role – Judicial Review

Posted June 27th, 2024 in constitutional history, constitutional law, judiciary, news by sally

‘This article makes quite a simple claim: that it is appropriate to conceptualise the role of judges in today’s constitution as one which is multi-dimensional. This article considers how we understand “the judicial role” within the constitution historically before mapping out notable moments in that history to document the evolution of the role from “old” to “new”. Next, the article asks us to think about who our judges are by offering a brief reflection on the state of the modern judiciary and its composition.’

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Judicial Review, 29th May 2024

Source: www.tandfonline.com

Challenge to JAC ‘secret soundings’ to go ahead – Legal Futures

‘A district judge who argues that applicants for judicial appointment should be told of negative comments about them in confidential references will get to put her case to the High Court.’

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Legal Futures, 17th June 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Stephen Tierney: The Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024: Necessary remedy or unwarranted interference with judicial independence? – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘For the first time, by way of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act (“the Act”), Parliament has legislated to quash criminal convictions. In this post I will argue that, no matter how understandable, indeed laudable, the intention behind this legislation, in its haste to offer a speedy and comprehensive correction to mass injustice, Parliament has crossed a constitutional line and ventured into territory that is properly the preserve of the courts.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association , 3rd June 2024

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Carr urges KCs to give juniors oral advocacy opportunities – Legal Futures

Posted June 10th, 2024 in advocacy, barristers, diversity, judges, judiciary, news, professional conduct by tracey

‘The Lady Chief Justice has urged senior barristers to give their junior counsel chances to speak in court, both for their own development and the future diversity of the judiciary.’

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Legal Futures, 10th June 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Letterbox contact can no longer be seen as appropriate regime for most cases, and should “certainly not be the norm”: Family President – Local Government Lawyer

‘The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has outlined the need for a “new approach” to post-adoption contact, noting that letterbox contact can “no longer be seen as the appropriate regime for most cases”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 23rd May 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Applying Laws Across Time: Disentangling the ‘Always Speaking’ Principles – Oxford Journal of Legal Studies

Posted May 17th, 2024 in judges, judiciary, legislative drafting, news, statutory interpretation by sally

‘Common-law judges frequently claim to apply the “always speaking” principle. But they recognise that they are not clear on what it means, with Lord Leggatt recently calling the metaphor “enigmatic”. In this article, I seek to clarify this by showing that the “always speaking” metaphor is associated with at least four different types of principle, each of which responds to a distinct issue (although there is a common theme: change over time). I explore the origins of the “always speaking” metaphor, distinguish the four issues and explain how they relate. I argue that it is important to disentangle the four types of “always speaking” principle, with a focus on distinguishing principles of dynamic (versus originalist) interpretation from principles that empower judges to strain or “recast” legislation to deal with new developments sensibly. In doing so, I analyse and critique the judgments in the recent UK Supreme Court case of News Corp.’

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Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, 10th May 2024

Source: academic.oup.com

Barristers turning away from government legal work over frozen fees – Legal Futures

Posted May 17th, 2024 in barristers, fees, government departments, judiciary, news, remuneration by sally

The failure to increase the rates of pay for barristers handling government work since 1997 has created a “very high level of dissatisfaction and exasperation”.

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Legal Futures, 17th May 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Speech by Mr Justice Nicklin: Transparency & Open Justice – Opportunities and challenges – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted May 13th, 2024 in courts, judges, judiciary, news by tracey

‘Speech by Mr Justice Nicklin: Transparency & Open Justice – Opportunities and challenges.’

Full Story

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 10th May 2024

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Keynote speech by the Lady Chief Justice at the Society of Editors 25th anniversary conference – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted May 7th, 2024 in courts, judiciary, media, news, speeches, tribunals by tracey

‘Keynote speech by the Lady Chief Justice at the Society of Editors 25th anniversary conference.’

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Courts and Tribunals Judiciary , 30th April 2024

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Concerns over violence and threatening behaviour sees robing pilot introduced for judges in Central Family Court – Local Government Lawyer

‘Judges sitting at the Central Family Court will wear robes during proceedings from this week (15 April 2024), in a pilot intended to explore the impact of increased formality in family courts.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th April 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High court judge removed from case in part due to his Garrick membership – The Guardian

Posted April 16th, 2024 in clubs, domestic violence, judges, judiciary, lists, news, rape, recusal by tracey

‘A high court judge has been removed from presiding over a case involving an alleged rape and domestic abuse victim, in part due to his membership of the men-only Garrick Club.’

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The Guardian, 15th April 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Keynote speech by Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb at the South Eastern Circuit: Mental Health, Diversion and Crime Speeches – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted April 2nd, 2024 in criminal justice, judiciary, mental health, news, sentencing, speeches by tracey

‘Keynote speech by Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb at the South Eastern Circuit: Mental Health, Diversion and Crime.’

Full speech

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Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 21st March 2024

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Bar Council issues warning over Garrick Club membership – Legal Futures

Posted March 28th, 2024 in barristers, clubs, diversity, equality, judiciary, news by tracey

‘The Bar Council said yesterday that membership of the men-only Garrick Club creates “the potential for unfair advantage” when it came to practitioners needing references to become judges.’

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Legal Futures, 28th March 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

At the heart of the Bar Council is a “commitment to fairness, equality and diversity” says Chair Sam Townend KC – The Bar Council

Posted March 28th, 2024 in barristers, clubs, diversity, equality, judiciary, news, women by tracey

‘In response to the media reports about membership of the Garrick Club, the Bar Council has issued the following statement:
Chair of the Bar Council, Sam Townend KC, said: “At the heart of the Bar Council’s work, as the representative body for all barristers in England and Wales, is a commitment to fairness, equality and diversity. We are proud of the work that the Bar Council does in striving to achieve an inclusive and meritocratic legal profession.”‘

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The Bar Council, 27th March 2024

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Conor Crummey : The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill and the Judicial ‘Disapplication’ of Statutes – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted March 26th, 2024 in bills, constitutional law, deportation, immigration, judiciary, news, parliament, Rwanda by tracey

‘The myriad problems with the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, as well as the policy that the Bill is supposed to facilitate, have been clearly documented. One common criticism is that the Bill would precipitate a “constitutional crisis” by provoking the courts into refusing to recognise its legal effect. Adam Tucker argues that the Bill’s most problematic sections could very well “count as a novel entry in our canon of possible limits of parliamentary sovereignty”. Jeff King argues that the House of Lords would be justified in radically amending or voting the Bill down, precisely because of the danger that it might incite a constitutional crisis. The Lords suggested sweeping amendments to the Bill, all of which were rejected by the Commons. The Bill will continue to go through a ping-pong process between each House before a final wording is settled.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 26th March 2024

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org