“Thanks either to coalition politics or press pressure, proposals for ‘secret’ inquests were last week ceremoniously ditched from the justice and security bill.”
The Guardian, 6th June 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Publishing the Justice and Security Bill this morning, the Secretary of State for Justice said ‘I have used the last few months to listen to the concerns of … civil liberties campaigners with whom I usually agree.’ There are many people who today would sorely like to agree that Ken has listened and has taken their concerns on board. Unfortunately, the Government’s analysis remains fundamentally flawed. The Green Paper was clearly a ‘big ask’. There have undoubtedly been significant changes made from the proposals in the Green Paper. However, the secret justice proposals in the Justice and Security Bill remain fundamentally unfair, unnecessary and unjustified.”
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
Improving Judicial Diversity (PDF)
Speech by Lord Justice Goldring, Senior Presiding Judge
Westminster Legal Policy Forum, 23rd May 2012
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
“Today I am talking with Professor Gary Slapper, Director of NYU. We have a wide ranging discussion on the fabric of law in society, the College of Law sale, the proposed new ‘practice oriented’ degrees and their value, if any, and consider the quality of judges. Gary also introduces a few unusual cases towards the end.”
Charon QC, 22nd May 2012
Source: www.charonqc.wordpress.com
“Charon QC” is the blogging pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot, editor of insitelaw newswire.
“It appears that the Government has climbed down, in part, from some of its controversial secret justice proposals. According to the Telegraph, the Justice and Security Bill, which will be published this week, will include a provision whereby judges, not the Government, has the final say on whether a Closed Material Procedure (CMP) is used. Moreover, CMPs will be restricted to ‘national security cases’ rather than any case ‘in the public interest’.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 21st May 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
“Judges will decide whether national security evidence can be heard in secret in a partial climbdown on plans to be unveiled by Kenneth Clarke this week.”
Daily Telegraph, 20th May 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“The recent standoff between two leading judicial lights, Jonathan Sumption and Stephen Sedley, may make for entertaining reading, but don’t be fooled.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 20th May 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
“More women and people from minority backgrounds will be encouraged to become judges under plans announced today by Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke.”
Ministry of Justice, 11th May 2012
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
“The newly-appointed solicitor commissioner to the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) has expressed scepticism about targets and quotas for diversity as well as the ‘tipping point’ method of favouring under-represented groups.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd May 2012
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
“Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke has announced that the UK has negotiated a landmark agreement on reform of the European Court of Human Rights.”
Full story
Ministry of Justice, 20th April 2012
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
“The Brighton Declaration is the latest Declaration (see previously the Interlaken and Izmir Declarations) on the future (and reform) of the European Court of Human Rights made on behalf of the 47 member States to the Council of Europe, the parent organisation for the ECHR. Brighton was the venue, the United Kingdom having taken up the six month Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe late last year.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 22nd April 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
“Ken Clarke has said changes to the European Court of Human Rights will reduce ‘frustration’ over cases such as the proposed deportation of Abu Qatada.”
BBC News, 22nd April 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Report shows most criticism of judgments from European court of human rights is fact-specific.”
The Guardian, 20th April 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Unelected judges do not take the views of politicians seriously enough in the increasingly ‘ferocious’ debate about human rights, an academic report suggests today.”
Daily Telegraph, 17th April 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Related link: Parliaments and Human Rights (PDF)
Reforming The Civil Justice System – The Role of IT (PDF)
Speech by by Lord Justice Jackson
Society for Computers and Law, 26th March 2012
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
“Setting targets to appoint more judges from among women and members of the ethnic minorities should be considered if the judiciary does not make itself more diverse within the next five years, peers recommend.”
The Guardian, 28th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Are judges all white and male? Nearly – see exactly how the judiciary has changed.”
The Guardian, 28th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“New arrangements for appointing senior judges are needed to ensure a more diverse judiciary, according to a report published on Monday. It calls for the concept of ‘merit’ to be redefined and raises concerns that one branch of government risks becoming a self-perpetuating oligarchy.”
The Guardian, 26th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Twice as many judges are needed to handle the high volume of appeals under the Government’s controversial new welfare regime, at a cost of at least £1million a year.”
Daily Telegraph, 26th March 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Independence Under Threat (PDF)
Speech by Dame Heather Hallett DBE
Bentham Association Presidential Address, 21st March 2012
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
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