‘The number of convicted criminals who are sent straight to jail is at its lowest level for a decade, despite crime rising steadily over the same period, the latest figures have revealed.’
Daily Telegraph, 14th November 2019
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘The Ministry of Justice is to be sued by the mother of a five-year-old boy who was murdered by her boyfriend after an inquest concluded that defects in the probation system contributed to his death.’
The Guardian, 9th November 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘More than 200 offenders under probation supervision have been convicted of murder since the system was overhauled in 2014 by the then Justice Secretary Chris Grayling.’
Daily Telegraph, 31st October 2019
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is continuing to work towards April 2020 to implement the whiplash reforms despite the upcoming election, it has confirmed.’
Legal Futures, 1st November 2019
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘Vulnerable migrant children who have been separated from their parents will get quicker and simpler access to legal aid, after new government legislation came into force today (25 October 2019). The Legal Aid for Separated Children Order 2019 will bring non-asylum immigration and citizenship matters into the scope of legal aid for under 18s who are not in the care of a parent, guardian or legal authority.’
Ministry of Justice, 25th October 2019
Source: www.gov.www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
‘Survivors of childhood sexual abuse are forced to come face-to-face with their tormentors in court buildings while waiting for cases to be heard, a report has revealed.
Such shocks are among a host of failings by authorities and advisers that are regularly leaving people “at risk of being traumatised all over again” and feeling “discarded” by the justice system.’
The Independent, 23rd October 2019
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘On 17 October 2019, the Daily Mail carried the snappily-titled, but detailed headline Remains of Captain Matthew Flinders – the man credited with naming Australia – will be reburied in his home village after being found in London during HS2 dig. The story concerns the remains of Captain Flinders which were discovered during the excavation of St James’s burial ground for the new High Speed rail project; the article explains:
“Following a request by descendants of the Flinders family and the local community that he be returned to his home village of Donington, Lincolnshire, HS2 Ltd’s chief executive Mark Thurston has written to the family to say he can be buried there.”
Well, not quite, for although under secular legislation, as the “nominated undertaker” under the Act, HS2 has the authority for the exhumation of Flinders’ remains and their subsequent retention, re-interment in the Donington churchyard is governed by ecclesiastical law.’
Law & Religion UK, 19th October 2019
Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com
‘The government needs to be sure that allowing hybrid damages-based agreements (DBAs) will not encourage abuse by lawyers, such as speculative litigation, the civil servant in charge of civil litigation reform has warned.’
Litigation Futures, 18th October 2019
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘Many court closures in the past have not been based on the real travelling times it would take people to get to an alternative building, the chief executive of HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has admitted.’
Legal Futures, 17th October 2019
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘A scheme giving vulnerable ex-offenders stable accommodation to help them rebuild their lives and stay away from crime is now up and running, Prisons Minister Lucy Frazer announced today (10 October 2019).’
Ministry of Justice, 10th october 2019
Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
‘In 2017, the government’s flagship treatment scheme for people convicted in England and Wales of rape or child sexual abuse was scrapped after it was shown to raise the risk of reoffending. Two sex offenders have told BBC Radio 4’s File on 4 programme what it was like to take part in the rehabilitation programme.’
BBC News, 8th October 2019
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The average time it takes to conclude care proceedings remains significantly high, according to latest quarterly statistics published today. Figures released by the Ministry of Justice, covering April to June, show that the average time for a care and supervision case to reach first disposal remained the same as it did for January to March – 33 weeks. This is the longest average time since the last quarter of 2013.’
Law Society's Gazette, 26th September 2019
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘A scandal-hit police force has become the first to be branded “failing” in all areas after inspectors found it was not preventing crime or protecting vulnerable people.’
The Independent, 27th September 2019
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Under plans confirmed by ministers today (17 September 2019), the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme will be extended to 14 new offences.’
Ministry of Justice, 17th September 2019
Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
‘A prominent judge has told an employment tribunal that race discrimination is a “significant problem” in the judiciary that it is causing “deep distress” to black and minority ethnic lawyers. Peter Herbert, the chair of the Society of Black Lawyers who sits as a crown court recorder and an immigration judge, is suing the Ministry of Justice for race discrimination after he was disciplined for a speech he gave in 2015.’
The Guardian, 12th September 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The number of prisoners in England and Wales is projected to fall in the short term due to fewer people being charged with criminal offences.’
The Guardian, 29th August 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The former lord chancellor Chris Grayling “never believed access to social justice” was important while Liz Truss was a “disaster” in the same role, according to a highly revealing memoir by one of the country’s most senior, recently retired judges.’
The Guardian, 21st August 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The number of people prosecuted or handed penalties for crimes in England and Wales has fallen to a record low as offences rise. Statistics released by the Ministry of Justice showed the figure dropped by 2 per cent to 1.59 million people in the year to March.’
The Independent, 15th August 2019
Source: www.independent.co.uk
© Inner Temple Library 2019