The dissenting voices in Rahmatullah: no time for political sensitivities – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 5th, 2012 in appeals, detention, habeas corpus, judgments, judiciary, news, Supreme Court by sally

“Only a few weeks after giving the Birkenhead lecture entitled ‘Dissenting judgments – self indulgence or self sacrifice?’ (See David Hart QC’s previous post), Lord Kerr delivered the leading judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Rahmatullah. Given that the issue of a man’s liberty was at stake, it could be no real surprise for Lord Kerr or anyone else that there were two dissenting judgments in the cross-appeal provided by Lord Carnwath and Lady Hale. They made clear that in their view the UK should have done more to secure the release of detainee Yunis Rahmatullah and in doing so raised questions as to the proper limits of judicial intervention into the ‘forbidden area’ of foreign policy.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 3rd November 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Why we allow dissent – by our judges – Legal Week

Posted November 2nd, 2012 in EC law, freedom of expression, judiciary, news by sally

“Why do judges disagree and publish their disagreements when cases get decided? After all, the Cabinet does not do so (openly at least), and our FTSE 100 companies do not generally do so, when their executives propose a merger or launch a new product. Surely, judicial dissent is a recipe for diminishing the authority of the majority answer, and an invitation to self-indulgence on the part of the minority to re-fight lost and irrelevant battles.”

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Legal Week, 1st November 2012

Source: www.legalweek.com

Parliament and the judiciary – Speech by the Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC MP

Posted October 29th, 2012 in human rights, judiciary, parliament, parliamentary privilege, speeches by sally

Parliament and the judiciary

Speech by the Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC MP

BPP Law School, 25th October 2012

Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

Ken Clarke hits back over secret courts – The Guardian

“Clarke insists that under the justice and security bill nothing currently heard in open court would be moved to closed court.”

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The Guardian, 26th October 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Why we allow dissent – by our judges – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 15th, 2012 in freedom of expression, human rights, judgments, judiciary, news by tracey

“Why do judges disagree and publish their disagreements when cases get decided? After all, the Cabinet does not do so (openly at least), and our FTSE-100 companies do not generally do so, when their executives propose a merger or launch a new product. Surely, judicial dissent is a recipe for diminishing the authority of the majority answer, and an invitation to self-indulgence on the part of the minority to re-fight lost and irrelevant battles.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 14th October 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Facebook and Twitter sentences: Are judges out of touch with social media? – BBC News

“A 12-week prison sentence given to a man who posted offensive comments on Facebook about missing April Jones and Madeleine McCann has been criticised by legal commentators as disproportionate. But are judges and magistrates out of touch when it comes to social media?”

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BBC News, 10th October 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Calling media lawyers: the bench needs you – The Guardian

Posted October 3rd, 2012 in freedom of expression, judiciary, media, news, privacy, speeches by sally

“Senior high court judge Michael Tugendhat says media lawyers have a duty to seek judicial appointments.”

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The Guardian, 2nd October 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

5RB Conference: Keynote address – Speech by Mr Justice Tugendhat

5RB Conference: Keynote address (PDF)

Speech by Mr Justice Tugendhat

5RB Conference, 27th September 2012

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Free press is ‘essential ingredient’ for society, says Lord Chief Justice – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 1st, 2012 in freedom of expression, inquiries, interception, judiciary, media, news by sally

“A free press is just as important as an independent judiciary, the Lord Chief Justice has declared.”

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Daily Telegraph, 27th September 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Judicial pensions: will judges take Chris Grayling to court? – The Guardian

Posted October 1st, 2012 in judicial review, judiciary, news, pensions by sally

“Judicial appointments will only go to second-rate lawyers if the lord chancellor fails to do a deal that satisfies judges.”

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The Guardian, 28th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Transcript of the Lord Chief Justice’s Annual Press Conference 2012 – Judiciary of England and Wales

“The Lord Chief Justice held his annual press conference on Thursday 27th September 2012 at the Royal Courts of Justice.”

Full transcript

Judiciary of England and Wales, 27th September 2012

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Supreme Court president calls for more partners to serve as part-time judges – Legal Week

Posted September 24th, 2012 in judiciary, news, solicitors by sally

“Outgoing Supreme Court president Lord Phillips has called for leading law firms to encourage more partners to sit as part-time judges, in a bid to increase the number of solicitors in the judiciary.”

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Legal Week, 21st September 2012

Source: www.legalweek.com

UK among worst in Europe for employing female judges – The Guardian

Posted September 20th, 2012 in bills, diversity, equality, judiciary, news, remuneration by sally

“The United Kingdom’s record of slowly improving judicial diversity has been dealt a severe blow by a comparative European report revealing that only Azerbaijan and Armenia employ fewer female professional judges. Despite what the study describes as a gradual ‘feminisation of the judiciary resulting in a near gender equality’ across the continent and its eastern borders, only 23% of judges in England and Wales and 21% of judges in Scotland are women.”

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The Guardian, 20th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid in England five times as generous as rest of Europe – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 20th, 2012 in budgets, diversity, equality, judiciary, legal aid, news, remuneration by sally

“Legal aid in England and Wales is five times as generous as the average in Europe, figures show.”

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Daily Telegraph, 20th September 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Female QC among trio of new High Court judge appointments – Legal Week

Posted September 11th, 2012 in judiciary, news, women by tracey

“The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced the latest round of High Court judges, with the appointment of 3 Stone Buildings’ Sarah Asplin QC set to double the number of women sitting in the Chancery Division.”

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Legal Week, 11th September 2012

Source: www.legalweek.com

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

Let the judges blog – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted August 16th, 2012 in internet, judiciary, news by sally

“The legal blogosphere has been aflame this week with the news, first published on a magistrate’s blog, that the Senior Presiding Judge has sent new guidance to judges banning them from blogging in their judicial capacity. The SPJ has also threatened disciplinary action unless they remove existing content with breaches the new rules.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 15th August 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Judges and professors – Ships passing in the night? – Speech by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Master of the Rolls

Posted August 15th, 2012 in judiciary, legal education, speeches by sally

Judges and professors – Ships passing in the night? (PDF)

Speech by Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Master of the Rolls

Max Planck Institute, 9th July 2012

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Judiciary silenced out of court – The Guardian

Posted August 15th, 2012 in internet, judiciary, legal profession, magistrates, news by sally

“Judges and magistrates have been banned from blogging about their jobs. This is not helpful.”

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The Guardian, 14th August 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Magistrates banned from standing in police commissioner elections – The Guardian

Posted August 9th, 2012 in elections, judiciary, magistrates, news, police by sally

“Plans for the first police commissioner elections this autumn have been thrown into fresh disarray with the disclosure that magistrates – who make up a significant number of the candidates – have been banned from standing.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th August 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk