MoJ plans to cut “hopeless” Upper Tribunal appeals – Litigation Futures

‘The current test for appeals from the Upper Tribunal to the Court of Appeal is “not strict enough to prevent misuse” of the system by those wanting to benefit from delays caused by “hopeless challenges”, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 7th December 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Indefinite sentences ‘the greatest single stain on justice system’ – The Guardian

Posted December 4th, 2020 in criminal justice, imprisonment, judges, Ministry of Justice, news, sentencing by sally

‘A former supreme court justice has called for urgent action in dealing with prisoners languishing under indefinite sentences, branding the now defunct scheme “the greatest single stain on our criminal justice system”.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 3rd December 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Criminal justice system is ‘on its knees’, says top English lawyer – The Guardian

‘Crown court cases are being delayed until 2023, the innocent penalised more than the guilty, and the under-funded, criminal justice system brought “on its knees”, according to the chair of the Criminal Bar Association in England and Wales.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 19th November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judicial review challenge to end after Government uses emergency procedure to formalise requirement for bailiffs not to enforce warrants and writs – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Government has issued a statutory instrument under emergency procedures to prevent, except in specified circumstances, bailiffs and High Court Enforcement Officers (HCEOs) attending at a dwelling house to execute a writ or warrant of possession, execute a writ or warrant of restitution or deliver a notice of eviction.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 17th November 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Judicial review challenge to end after Government uses emergency procedure to formalise requirement for bailiffs not to enforce warrants and writs – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Government has issued a statutory instrument under emergency procedures to prevent, except in specified circumstances, bailiffs and High Court Enforcement Officers (HCEOs) attending at a dwelling house to execute a writ or warrant of possession, execute a writ or warrant of restitution or deliver a notice of eviction.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 17th November 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ministry of Justice faces judicial review over requirement on bailiffs not to enforce evictions – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Ministry of Justice has been hit with a judicial review challenge over the ongoing refusal to enforce warrants and writs by bailiffs and High Court Enforcement Officers (HCEOs).’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 16th November 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

New Judgment: R (on the application of Maughan) v Her Majesty’s Senior Coroner for Oxfordshire [2020] UKSC 46 – UKSC Blog

‘By a majority the Supreme Court has dismissed this appeal concerning the standard of proof, or degree of conclusivity, required for the determination of the result of an inquest into a death where the question is whether the deceased committed suicide.’

Full Story

UKSC Blog, 13th November 2020

Source: ukscblog.com

Ex-prisoner challenges MoJ policy after alleged sexual assault by trans woman – The Guardian

‘A prisoner who was allegedly sexually assaulted behind bars by another inmate has challenged the Ministry of Justice over its policy on placing transgender women in women’s prisons.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 28th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Legal aid services are on brink of collapse, lawyers tell MPs – The Guardian

‘Legal aid services are on the brink of collapse due to successive cuts and the disruption wreaked by Covid-19, say lawyers.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 29th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Justice must be for all’: why court intermediaries are vital for vulnerable people – The Guardian

‘Concerns are growing that a service to help people follow court proceedings in England and Wales is to be privatised and deregulated.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 28th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Extending custody time limit will hit BAME people hardest, MoJ told – The Guardian

‘Extending the amount of time unconvicted defendants can await trial in prison will have a disproportionate impact on people who are black, Asian or from other ethnic minorities, according to official advice handed to ministers.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 16th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Court of Appeal to have power to depart from EU law – Litigation Futures

Posted October 19th, 2020 in appeals, brexit, courts, EC law, Ministry of Justice, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is to allow the Court of Appeal as well as the Supreme Court to depart from European Union case law from next year, despite the opposition of a majority of respondents to a consultation.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 19th October 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

David Greene: Condemning lawyers for doing their jobs is inherently dangerous – The Guardian

‘The new president of the Law Society on why it’s crucial to defend the rule of law in these febrile times.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 14th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Government paying junior barristers less than national minimum wage – The Bar Council

‘Some barristers are being paid the equivalent of £6.25 per hour by the government, less than the National Minimum Wage, despite their central role in clearing the 500,000-plus backlog of cases in the criminal courts, says the Bar Council in its Spending Review submission to the Treasury.’

Full Story

The Bar Council, 1st October 2020

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Lord Chancellor’s Speech: Opening of the Legal Year Service – Ministry of Justice

‘Speech delivered by the Lord Chancellor at Temple Church for the Opening of the Legal Year Service.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 2nd October 2020

Society alarmed by Covid-19 exemption for lawyers – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Law Society has raised concerns about latest coronavirus regulations which allow lawyers to break self-isolation rules.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 2nd October 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Courtroom drama: Salford’s Lowry Theatre to become Nightingale court – The Guardian

Posted September 23rd, 2020 in coronavirus, courts, Crown Court, delay, Ministry of Justice, news, statistics, theatre, trials by sally

‘There are many barristers who like to imagine they could have succeeded on the stage, hamming it up in their wigs and gowns and addressing the jury like Laurence Olivier doing Richard III.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 23rd September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Terrorist prisoners hit record high in British jails amid warnings of radicalisation – The Independent

Posted September 18th, 2020 in bills, Ministry of Justice, news, prison officers, prisons, recidivists, statistics, terrorism by tracey

‘A record number of terrorists are being held in British prisons, new figures show amid warnings over radicalisation inside “chaotic” jails. Statistics released by the Home Office on Thursday indicate there were 243 people in custody for terror-related offences, up 24 on the previous year.’

Full Story

The Independent, 17th September 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

More deferred sentences in shake-up of criminal justice in England and Wales – The Guardian

‘Ministers are to encourage courts to make more use of deferred sentences – when judges give offenders a chance to turn themselves around before being punished – as part of a £500m shake-up of criminal justice in England and Wales.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 16th September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

A Smarter Approach to Sentencing – Ministry of Justice

‘This White Paper sets out the government’s proposals for important changes to the sentencing and release framework in England and Wales.’

Full Story

Ministry of Justice, 16th September 2020

Source: www.gov.uk