Violent offenders: Fears over management after release – BBC News

‘Is the system in place to manage dangerous offenders when they are released from prison keeping people safe?’

Full story

BBC News, 25th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Former Serbian general awarded £50,000 over Wakefield prison attack – The Guardian

‘A former Serbian general convicted of genocide for his part in the Srebrenica massacre has been awarded more than £50,000 in compensation from the Ministry of Justice after his throat was cut in a British prison.’

Full story

the Guardian, 16th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MoJ tells noise-induced hearing loss working group to focus on fixed fees – Litigation Futures

Posted September 28th, 2015 in costs, fees, Ministry of Justice, news, noise, personal injuries by sally

‘The Civil Justice Council (CJC) group asked by the Ministry of Justice to investigate noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) claims is to look at how a fixed-costs regime might work, it has been announced.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 28th September 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Court fee hikes will tip justice balance towards rich – bar – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 16th, 2015 in barristers, civil justice, consultations, courts, equality, fees, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘The Bar Council has warned that government plans to increase court fees for a second time would unbalance civil justice, giving rich people and big businesses an unfair advantage.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th September 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Review of prison education: terms of reference – Ministry of Justice

‘A review of prison education to examine how it supports rehabilitation of different types of prison learners.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 11th September 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Pressure grows to scrap controversial new financial penalties for anyone convicted of a crime -The Independent

‘The outcry over the new financial penalties for anyone convicted of a crime presents Michael Gove with a crucial test of his willingness to jettison flawed policies inherited from Chris Grayling, his predecessor as Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor.’

Full story

The Independent, 11th September 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Government ‘selling justice like a commodity’ with fee rises – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 27th, 2015 in fees, Law Society, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

‘Government plans for a new round of court fee rises are “tantamount to selling justice like a commodity”, the Law Society has said, as the Ministry of Justice acknowledged its plans would be unpopular.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 27th July 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

No damage caused by civil legal aid reforms, says defiant MoJ – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Cuts to civil legal aid have reduced the amount of “unnecessary and adversarial” litigation while ensuring funding is targeted at those who need it most, the government has said in response to a devastating report on changes to civil legal aid.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th July 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

High court challenge to government over services to Saudi prisons – The Guardian

Posted June 29th, 2015 in judicial review, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons, tenders by sally

‘The legality of a bid by the commercial arm of the Ministry of Justice to provide services for Saudi Arabia’s prisons is to be challenged in the high court.’

Full story

The Guardian, 29th June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Gove is right on our two-tier justice system – but cuts caused this crisis – The Guardian

‘We must modernise our courts but that won’t address the fact that those who need it most are failed by the system. Only investment can redress the balance.’

Full story

The Guardian, 24th June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Conditions at Pentonville Prison so bad that staff can’t be bothered to mop up blood stains, report finds – The Independent

Posted June 24th, 2015 in drug abuse, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons, violence by sally

‘Conditions at Pentonville Prison have been criticised in a damning reports cataloguing blood stained cells, habitual violence and prisoners claiming to have easy access to drugs.

Full story

The Independent, 23rd June 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Why is the MoJ so scared of allowing journalists into jails? – The Guardian

Posted June 24th, 2015 in media, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons, reports by sally

‘Of course prisons are by their nature closed institutions, but we know what goes on in our schools and hospitals. The media shouldn’t be shut out.’

Full story

The Guardian, 24th June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MoJ hit with further £249m of cuts – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 5th, 2015 in budgets, government departments, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘The Ministry of Justice will have to find a further £249m of savings this year, as part of a fresh round of spending reductions following Whitehall’s in-year budget review announced today.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 4th June 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Access to justice a greater concern than free healthcare – poll – The Guardian

‘The public is more concerned about access to justice than free healthcare, according to a poll commissioned by lawyers campaigning to reverse cuts to legal aid.’

Full story

The Guardian, 13th April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Tom Hickman and Maurice Sunkin: Success in Judicial Review: The Current Position – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘Avid readers of the legal press may have spotted the eye-catching statistic that in 2014 a meagre 1% of claims for judicial review were successful.’

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 20th March 2015

Source: www.constitutionallaw.org

Miscarriage of justice review body is dismissed as the Court of Appeal’s ‘lap dog’ in hard-hitting report – The Independent

‘Innocent victims of miscarriages of justice are “languishing in jail” due to delays and faults in the case review system, according to MPs behind a hard-hitting report to be published this week.’

Full story

The Independent, 22nd March 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Blow for MoJ as regulations on judicial review and legal aid ruled unlawful – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Government’s introduction through regulations of a “no permission, no fee” arrangement for making a legally aided application for judicial review was unlawful, the Divisional Court has ruled.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 4th March 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Presumed guilty? Ministry of Justice is forced to withdraw advice leaflet – The Guardian

‘Red-faced Ministry of Justice (MoJ) officials have been forced to deny claims that they had dismantled a centuries-old cornerstone of British law in advice that the ministry gave to people facing criminal trials.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Enhanced court fees: the government response to part 2 of the consultation on reform of court fees – Ministry of Justice

‘The government response to part 2 of the consultation on reform of court fees and further proposals for consultation.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 16th January 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Government set to hike general civil application fees – Litigation Futures

Posted January 19th, 2015 in budgets, civil justice, consultations, costs, courts, fees, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘The government has dropped plans for “enhanced” court fees specifically for commercial cases, but is now targeting increased fees for the hundreds of thousands of general civil applications made each year.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 19th January 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com