Victims given greater access to justice through legal aid reform – Ministry of Justice

‘Innocent people who have suffered miscarriages of justice, personal harm or injury are among those who will benefit from upcoming changes to legal aid means testing coming into effect this year.’

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Ministry of Justice, 14th March 2024

Source: www.gov.uk

Plans to release prisoners early ‘endangers domestic abuse victims’ – The Independent

‘Fears have been raised that plans to release prisoners on short sentences up to two months early leave victims of domestic abuse at grave risk.’

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The Independent, 12th March 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Profession disappointed with slim Budget pickings – Legal Futures

‘The legal profession yesterday expressed disappointment at the lack of attention given to the justice system in the Spring Budget, which will see the Ministry of Justice’s expenditure fall next year by half a billion pounds.’

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Legal Futures, 7th March 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

New law to make justice more accessible for innocent people wronged by powerful companies – Ministry of Justice

‘The Lord Chancellor, Alex Chalk, will introduce a new law to make it easier for members of the public to secure the financial backing of third parties when launching complex claims against moneyed corporations with sizeable legal teams which they could otherwise ill-afford.’

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Ministry of Justice, 4th March 2024

Source: www.gov.uk

New law to stop thousands of offenders from changing their name in secret – Ministry of Justice

Posted February 26th, 2024 in bills, community service, criminal justice, Ministry of Justice, names, news, probation by tracey

‘Thousands of offenders on community and suspended sentences will no longer be able to secretly change their name as part of tough new rules to protect the public.’

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Ministry of Justice, 23rd February 2024

Source: www.gov.uk

Government urged not to resurrect fees for UK employment tribunals – The Guardian

‘Unions and workers’ rights groups are urging the government to reconsider plans to reintroduce fees for employment tribunals amid fears it will encourage exploitation.’

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The Guardian, 26th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

List of prison deaths to be published in move ‘from secrecy to openness’ – The Independent

Posted February 23rd, 2024 in death in custody, disclosure, Ministry of Justice, news, ombudsmen, prisons, statistics by michael

‘The prisons and probation ombudsman (PPO) will post weekly updates identifying those who have died, the prison where they were being held and the date of their death.’

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The Independent, 22nd February 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Tougher sentences for ‘rough sex’ killers – Ministry of Justice

‘Cowards who kill their partners with sexual violence will face longer behind bars as the government continues to clamp down on domestic abuse against women.’

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Ministry of Justice, 14th February 2024

Source: www.gov.uk

Prisoners with mental illness wait too long for beds – BBC News

Posted February 19th, 2024 in delay, hospitals, mental health, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons, statistics by tracey

‘Prisoners with severe mental illnesses are waiting too long for hospital care, says the chief inspector of prisons.’

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BBC News, 19th February 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Detention at Her Majesty’s Pleasure incompatible with young murderers’ human rights – Law Society’s Gazette

‘High Court judges have ruled that to keep a young offender convicted of murder detained indefinitely is incompatible with certain rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 12th February 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Criminals gaming the justice system as cases jammed for years in court backlog – The Independent

Posted February 12th, 2024 in courts, criminal justice, delay, Ministry of Justice, news, statistics by tracey

‘Criminals are gaming the system by pleading not guilty and relying on crippling trial delays to evade justice, The Independent has been told. Laying bare the extent of the crisis in the courts, figures obtained by this publication suggest the number of cases waiting more than three years for a verdict has skyrocketed at least sevenfold since 2019 to exceed 1,280 last June.’

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The Independent, 11th February 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

MoJ launches call for evidence on whiplash tariff – Legal Futures

‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has launched a call for evidence on the whiplash tariff to inform the statutory review of the figures that it is required to carry out.’

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Legal Futures, 7th February 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

MoJ Finds Public Engagement Crucial In Shaping Sentencing Policies – Each Other

Posted February 7th, 2024 in Ministry of Justice, news, select committees, sentencing by sally

‘In a significant step towards fostering transparency and inclusivity within the criminal justice system, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has acknowledged the pivotal role public opinion plays in shaping sentencing policy. This revelation comes in response to a landmark report titled “Public Opinion and Understanding of Sentencing”, published by the justice committee in November 2023.’

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Each Other, 5th February 2024

Source: eachother.org.uk

MoJ to press ahead with fixed costs changes amid JR threat – Legal Futures

‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is pressing ahead with reforms to the fixed recoverable costs (FRC) regime that came into force in October, opening the door to a possible court challenge.’

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Legal Futures, 2nd February 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Criminal legal aid “coming apart at the seams”, High Court says – Legal Futures

‘Two High Court judges have described the system of criminal legal aid as “slowly coming apart at the seams” and reliant on solicitors’ goodwill and sense of public duty.’

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Legal Futures, 1st February 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Children’s wellbeing at the heart of family court reforms – Ministry of Justice

Posted January 30th, 2024 in children, dispute resolution, family courts, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘Children will be better protected from the impact of lengthy courtroom battles thanks to pioneering measures to help families resolve disputes as swiftly as easily possible.’

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Ministry of Justice, 26th January 2024

Source: www.gov.uk

Government announces early legal advice pilot for separating couples – Legal Futures

‘The government is to launch a pilot of early legal advice for separating couples to judge what impact it could have to speed up a resolution.’

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Legal Furures, 26th January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Long-term sustainability of civil legal aid in doubt, MoJ research finds – Legal Futures

Posted January 22nd, 2024 in civil justice, legal aid, legal profession, Ministry of Justice, news, statistics by tracey

‘There is “notable cause for concern” over the long-term sustainability of the civil legal aid sector, research commissioned by the Ministry of Justice has concluded.’

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Legal Futures, 22nd January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Around 100 courtrooms closing every week due to ‘endemic’ dilapidation, warns Lady Chief Justice – The Independent

‘Dilapidation is “endemic” in Britain’s crumbling court system, with around 100 unplanned courtroom closures every week exacerbating trial delays, the head of the judiciary has warned.’

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The Independent, 18th January 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

MoJ changes to indefinite jail sentences do not go far enough, says UN expert – The Guardian

‘A UN torture expert has said changes to the imprisonment for public protection (IPP) scheme in England and Wales do not go far enough and repeated her call for prisoners jailed under the indefinite sentencing regime to be granted release dates.’

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The Guardian, 19th January 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com