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.”

Full story

Litigation Futures, 3rd October 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Top female judge attacks failure to appoint women to Supreme Court – The Independent

Posted October 3rd, 2013 in diversity, judges, judiciary, news, Supreme Court by sally

“Britain’s most senior female judge has expressed disappointment at the failure of her male colleagues to promote another woman to the top of the judiciary.”

Full story

The Independent, 2nd October 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judges ‘on side of foreign criminals’ says Theresa May as Tories repeat threat to quit human rights convention – The Independent

“Home Secretary said she would end ‘abuse’ of article 8, which protects right to family life.”

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The Independent, 30th September 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judiciary launches review of unimplemented Jackson recommendations – Litigation Futures

Posted September 23rd, 2013 in budgets, costs, delay, judiciary, news by sally

“The judiciary is undertaking a review of those recommendations made by Lord Justice Jackson that have not yet been implemented, it has emerged.”

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Litigation Futures, 23rd September 2013

Source: www.litigation.com

The Niqaab issue is too important to be left to liberal instinct – UK Human Rights Blog

“Yesterday, before His Honour Judge Peter Murphy ruled that a female Muslim defendant in a criminal trial must remove her face-covering veil (niqaab) whilst giving evidence, Home Office Minister Jeremy Brown said he was ‘instinctively uneasy’ about restricting religious freedoms, but that there should be a national debate over banning the burka.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 17th September 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Do judges really need more oversight? – The Guardian

Posted September 13th, 2013 in complaints, judiciary, news, professional conduct, regulations by tracey

“New regulations are about to speed up complaints against judges, but Lord Carlile is calling for a new inspectorate.”

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The Guardian, 11th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Improving Judicial Diversity – Judicial Diversity Taskforce Annual Report 2013 – Ministry of Justice

Posted September 13th, 2013 in diversity, judiciary, reports by tracey

“The Judicial Diversity Taskforce has published its third report, which outlines the progress achieved since the previous report.”

Full report

Ministry of Justice, 13th September 2013

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

Time to judge the judges, says leading peer – Litigation Futures

Posted September 9th, 2013 in complaints, judiciary, news, ombudsmen, quality assurance by tracey

“The time has arrived to create a ‘small’ inspectorate – led by a High Court judge – that will evaluate judges’ courtroom performance, Lord Carlile QC has argued.”

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Litigation Futures, 9th September 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

UK judges have breathed new life into Human Rights Convention, says former court president – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted September 5th, 2013 in human rights, judiciary, media, news, political parties, speeches, treaties by sally

“Yesterday Sir Nicolas Bratza spoke candidly about the responsibility of certain UK politicians and media outlets in tarnishing this countries human rights legacy. He called on lawyers and NGOs to help rekindle the fire for human rights at home.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 4th September 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Fall in solicitor applications to bench ‘matter of concern’ says Judge – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 2nd, 2013 in diversity, judiciary, minorities, news, solicitors, women by sally

“The outgoing lord chief justice has called for action to reverse a decline in the number of solicitors applying for judicial posts. In his last annual report, published today, Lord Judge says ‘it is a matter of concern’ that there has been a decrease in the proportion of successful candidates with a professional background of solicitor.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 30th August 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Mengiste and another v Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray and others – WLR Daily

Posted August 19th, 2013 in appeals, bias, costs, expert witnesses, judiciary, law reports, recusal, solicitors by tracey

Mengiste and another v Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray and others:[2013] EWCA Civ 1003;   [2013] WLR (D)  337

“The judge who had heard a substantive application would almost always be the right judge to deal with consequential issues as to costs, even if he had made findings adverse to a party in the course of reaching his conclusion. However, exceptional circumstances might arise where there was apparent bias stemming from the facts of the case which meant that the judge should have recused himself from dealing with the issue of costs.”

WLR Daily, 14th August 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Child abuse victims to get specialist trial judges – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 7th, 2013 in child abuse, cross-examination, judiciary, news, sexual offences, victims, witnesses by sally

“Child victims of sexual abuse will have their cases tried by a hand picked panel of specialist judges to give them more protection in criminal trials, the Lord Chief Justice is expected to announce.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 7th August 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Leicester Crown Court is ‘in crisis’ according to lawyers – BBC News

Posted July 26th, 2013 in courts, Crown Court, delay, judiciary, law firms, news by sally

“Victims of crime are being put through unnecessary extra stress because of a ‘crisis’ caused by a lack of judges at Leicester Crown Court, lawyers claim.”

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BBC News, 26th July 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State’s Directions for Advisory Committees on Justices of the Peace – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted July 23rd, 2013 in judiciary, magistrates, press releases by tracey

“The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State’s Directions for Advisory Committees on Justices of the Peace.”

Full directions

Judiciary of England and Wales, 18th July 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Sir John Thomas named as next lord chief justice – The Guardian

Posted July 17th, 2013 in judges, judicial appointments commission, judiciary, news by sally

“Sir John Thomas, president of the queen’s bench division, is to become the next lord chief justice of England and Wales, Downing Street has confirmed.”

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The Guardian, 16th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Choice of Sir John Thomas as lord chief justice sees tradition prevail – The Guardian

Posted July 16th, 2013 in judges, judicial appointments commission, judiciary, news, women by sally

“Non-selection of Lady Justice Hallett shows panel was not swayed by idea that it would be good to have a woman at the top.”

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The Guardian, 15th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judicial Appointments Commission performance in improving judicial diversity regarding women and BAME candidates: evidence pack – Judicial Appointments Commission

“This evidence-pack reports on the diversity of recommendations made by the JAC along gender and ethnicity for the court and tribunal judiciary. It compares this diversity against different standards, including the eligible pool and recommendations made prior to the formation of the JAC. It also looks at the change in diversity among the sitting judiciary since the formation of the JAC and shows how much work there is left to do before we have a truly representative judiciary.”

Evidence pack (Powerpoint)

Judicial Appointments Commission, 13th June 2013

Source: www.jac.judiciary.gov.uk

Judges call for urgent overhaul to cope with surge of LIPs – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 8th, 2013 in judiciary, legal aid, legal education, litigants in person, news by sally

“The government and judicial office must overhaul training, advice to litigants and the nature of the court process itself to deal with thousands more litigants in person (LIPs), a judicial working group has concluded.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 5th July 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP – Judges Dinner 2013 – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 5th, 2013 in judges, judiciary, lord chancellor, rule of law, speeches by tracey

“Speech given by Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP. Originally given at Judges Dinner 2013.This is the text of the speech as drafted, which may differ slightly from the delivered version.”

Full speech

Ministry of Justice, 4th July 2013

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

The Judicial Working Group on Litigants in Person – Judiciary of England and Wales

“The Judicial Working Group on Litigants in Person – Report, July 2013.”

Full report

Judiciary of England and Wales, 5th July 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk