Category: rule of law

Reassessing the role of parliament in law and human rights – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 16th, 2015 in human rights, news, parliament, rule of law by sally

‘What is the role of parliament in the protection and realisation of the rule of law and human rights? Should there be a set of internationally agreed principles and guidelines on this issue to help parliaments develop their role? If so, what should be the content of any internationally agreed principles and guidelines? And how do we get international agreement on them? These were some of the questions posed and addressed at a recent high-level international conference held last month at Westminster. ‘

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UK Human Rights Blog, 14th October 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Lord chief justice: security services cannot be above the law – The Guardian

Posted October 13th, 2015 in appeals, Crown Prosecution Service, intelligence services, media, news, private hearings, reporting restrictions, rule of law, terrorism, trials by tracey

‘The accountability of MI5 and MI6 and the question of whether they are fully subject to the rule of law lie at the heart of attempts by the media to sweep away the secrecy surrounding a major terrorism trial, the lord chief justice said on Monday. In a series of remarks that disclosed publicly for the first time the role that the UK’s security and intelligence agencies played in imposing secrecy on the trial of Erol Incedal, a London law student, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd told the court of appeal that public confidence in the way they do their work was a key issue in the case.’

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The Guardian, 12th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Climate Change & Rule of Law: Lecture by Philippe Sands QC chaired by Lord Carnwath – Supreme Court

Posted October 6th, 2015 in environmental protection, international law, news, rule of law, speeches by sally

‘In the run up to the climate change negotiations in Paris this December, Professor Philippe Sands QC delivered a public lecture at the UK Supreme Court focusing on the role of international law and judges in addressing legal issues relating to climate change.’

YouTube

Supreme Court, 18th September 2015

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Climate Change & the Rule of Law – Supreme Court

Posted September 22nd, 2015 in environmental protection, news, rule of law by sally

‘Some of the world’s leading judges, lawyers and legal academics met in London last week (17-19 September) for a special three-day symposium on climate change and adjudication, hosted by the Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College London, with the support of The UK Supreme Court, HM Government, the Journal of Environmental Law, the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme.’
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Supreme Court, 21st September 2015

Source: www.supremecourt.uk

LSB Chief Executive speaks at Westminster Legal Policy Forum event on innovation in legal services – Legal Services Board

Posted July 10th, 2015 in alternative business structures, legal services, Legal Services Board, regulations, rule of law, Solicitors Regulation Authority, speeches, standards, statistics by tracey

‘The Legal Services Board Chief Executive Richard Moriarty spoke at the Westminster Legal Policy Forum event: Innovation in legal services market – growth, skills and new business models.’

Full speech

Legal Services Board, 9th July 2015

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Speech by Lord Chief Justice: Dinner for Her Majesty’s Judges – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted July 10th, 2015 in criminal justice, fraud, judiciary, legal history, legal profession, magna carta, rule of law, speeches by tracey

‘Speech by The Right Hon. The Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 9th July 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

What does a one nation justice policy look like? – Speech by Michael Gove

Posted June 23rd, 2015 in civil justice, criminal justice, pro bono work, rule of law, speeches by tracey

‘Speech given at the Legatum Institute.’

Full speech

Ministry of Justice, 23rd June 2015

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

Magna Carta: The troubled journey to an independent judiciary – The Independent

Posted June 8th, 2015 in constitutional history, judiciary, legal history, magna carta, news, rule of law by sally

‘In popular perception the Middle Ages was a time of lawlessness and cruelty. And to a degree, that characterisation holds true. Crusades abroad, ill-disciplined governance at home, England in the early thirteenth century was not exactly enlightened.’

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The Independent, 7th June 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Treason! Magna Carta barons face trial 800 years on – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 18th, 2015 in magna carta, news, royal family, rule of law, treason, trials by sally

‘The Barons and Bishops who forced King John to sign Magna Carta, enshrining key rights such as rule of law and protection of property, are to face “charges of treason” – 800 years after the historic document was written.’

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Daily Telegraph, 17th May 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Liberties, Customs and the Free Flow of Trade – Speech by the Master of the Rolls

Posted April 30th, 2015 in costs, customs and excise, dispute resolution, freedom of movement, judicial review, news, rule of law, speeches by sally

Liberties, Customs and the Free Flow of Trade (PDF)

Speech by the Master of the Rolls

4th Annual British Irish Commercial Law Forum, 23rd April 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

JUSTICE proposes lawyer-free dispute resolution model – Legal Voice

Posted April 29th, 2015 in dispute resolution, human rights, legal aid, legal representation, news, rule of law by sally

‘A new dispute resolution model ‘minimising the need for lawyers’ for a justice system ‘reeling from the impact of ongoing state retrenchment’, has been proposed by the Human rights group JUSTICE. In a new report (Delivering Justice in an Age of Austerity) the human rights group argues that the assumption that people will be legally represented post-LASPO is redundant.’

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Legal Voice, 28th April 2015

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Fairness in the courts: the best we can do – Speech by Lord Neuberger

Posted April 20th, 2015 in barristers, courts, criminal justice, judges, judiciary, juries, legal profession, news, rule of law, solicitors by sally

Fairness in the courts: the best we can do (PDF)

Speech by Lord Neuberger

Supreme Court, 10th April 2015

Source: www.supremecourt.uk

Alison Young: R (Evans) v Attorney General [2015] UKSC 21 – the Anisminic of the 21st Century? – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted April 2nd, 2015 in appeals, attorney general, constitutional law, disclosure, documents, freedom of information, judicial review, news, royal family, rule of law, Supreme Court, veto by sally

‘On Thursday 26th March the Supreme Court concluded, to the delight of The Guardian and the dismay of the Prime Minister, that communications between Prince Charles and government Ministers – the so-called ‘black spider memos’ – should be released. This has been a long saga, involving issues of freedom of information, discussion of constitutional conventions surrounding the behaviour of a Monarch in training, which now also includes the principle of legality and the nature of the relationship between parliamentary sovereignty and the rule of law. Such a cornucopia of delights for constitutional lawyers guarantees that the case has earned its place in the ‘Constitutional law Case list Hall of Fame’, with the promise of further delight as the memos, once released and savoured, cast an insight into the relationship between the Crown and the Government.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 31st March 2015

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Attorney General defends government’s record on rule of law, including JR reform – Litigation Futures

Posted February 26th, 2015 in attorney general, judicial review, news, rule of law, speeches by sally

The government has “stood up for the rule of law” and should be proud of its record, the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC, has argued, in a strongly-worded speech on the last day of the Global Law Summit.

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Litigation Futures, 26th February 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Britain is leading the charge against basic human rights, Amnesty claims – The Independent

Posted February 25th, 2015 in data protection, EC law, freedom of expression, genocide, human rights, investigatory powers, legal aid, news, privacy, rule of law by sally

‘Increased surveillance in Britain, along with the reduction of access to justice, have contributed to one of the worst assaults on human rights in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall, according to a damning assessment by Amnesty International.’

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The Independent, 25th February 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Law chief marks Magna Carta with fierce attack on Cameron – The Independent

Posted February 23rd, 2015 in barristers, budgets, industrial action, legal aid, legal profession, legal services, lord chancellor, magna carta, news, rule of law, solicitors by sally

‘Britain’s chief criminal barrister will tear into David Cameron and past governments for treating public law “with contempt”, at a lavish £1,750-a-ticket government-backed conference tomorrow marking the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.’

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The Independent, 22nd February 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal and the rule of law – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 17th, 2015 in data protection, human rights, intelligence services, investigatory powers, news, privacy, rule of law, tribunals by sally

‘Despite being hailed as an ‘historic victory in the age-old battle for the right to privacy and free expression’, closer examination of a recent ruling by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (‘IPT’) reveals it to have been a hollow victory.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 16th February 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

The Supreme Court in the United Kingdom Constitution – Lecture by Lady Hale

Posted February 16th, 2015 in agriculture, appeals, asbestos, bills, constitutional law, damages, devolution, EC law, human rights, insurance, lectures, news, Northern Ireland, parliament, Privy Council, rule of law, Scotland, Supreme Court, Wales by sally

The Supreme Court in the United Kingdom Constitution (PDF)

Lecture by Lady Hale

The Bryce Lecture, 5th February 2015

Source: www.supremecourt.uk

The Magna Carta explained – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in human rights, legal history, magna carta, news, rule of law by sally

‘As the four original surviving copies of the Magna Carta are brought together under the same roof for the first time, here is a Q&A about the document.’

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Daily Telegraph, 2nd February 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Access To Justice Effective Remedy And Rule Of Law: The Adequacy Of Judicial Review – No. 5 Chambers

Posted December 18th, 2014 in appeals, civil justice, courts, criminal justice, human rights, judicial review, news, rule of law by sally

‘The ideal judge is a supremely intelligent woman. She is especially empathetic. She has limitless expertise in every field and infinite patience. We can trust her to do right. She is perfect justice. Lets place her on a pedestal.’

Full story (PDF)

No. 5 Chambers, 16th December 2014

Source: www.no5.com