Racism in UK military: only six people found guilty at court martial in past five years – The Guardian

‘Just over 17% of racially aggravated crimes investigated by military police over the past five years resulted in guilty verdicts at court martial, it has emerged, as the armed forces faces new pressure over claims it is failing black and Asian service personnel.’

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The Guardian, 7th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Government accused of ignoring ‘calamitous failings’ caused by its own budget cuts with justice review – The Independent

‘Legal campaigners have attacked the government’s announcement of a royal commission on the criminal justice system for “ignoring” the impact of its own budget cuts.’

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The Independent, 19th December 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Police deployment of tasers doubles in two years in face of rising violence by suspects – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 20th, 2019 in firearms, news, police, statistics, violence, weapons by tracey

‘Police deployed tasers a record 23,000 times last year in face of increasingly violent suspects, double the number just two years ago, Home Office figures show.’

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Daily Telegraph, 20th December 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Crown court disposals fall despite growing caseload – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 16th, 2019 in budgets, Crown Court, news, statistics by tracey

‘The Crown court faces a growing backlog of work, as the number of criminal cases reaching court rises but the number of disposals falls.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 16th December 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Stop and search: the controversial police power – BBC News

‘Stop and search is a controversial police power to stop, question and search a person who is suspected of doing something illegal, including carrying drugs.’

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BBC News, 7th December 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘National disgrace’: Hundreds of disabled people detained in UK hospitals for more than 10 years – The Independent

‘More than 350 people with special needs have been detained in hospitals for more than 10 years, analysis has revealed.’

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The Independent, 8th December 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

“Over-lawyered” witness statements set for limited reform – Litigation Futures

Posted December 9th, 2019 in consultations, evidence, legal profession, news, statistics, witnesses by sally

‘Witness statements are “over-lawyered” and too long and argumentative, a Commercial Court working group has found, but it has shied away from recommending radical reform.’

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Litigation Futures, 9th December 2019

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

A Bar for all–with fair work distribution – Counsel

Posted December 5th, 2019 in barristers, diversity, equality, legal profession, news, statistics by sally

‘Disputes do arise. Between states, in businesses, within different sectors and in small knit groups, disagreements can happen, and they can have many unwelcome consequences.’

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Counsel, December 2019

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

BSB publishes research into barristers’ attitudes to the revised CPD scheme – Bar Standards Board

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today published a report on the impact of its revised approach to regulating barristers’ Continuing Professional Development (CPD). It finds that most barristers welcome the revised scheme’s greater flexibility but lack understanding about the role of reflection in maintaining professional standards.’

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Bar Standards Board, 3rd December 2019

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

‘Scandal brewing’ as thousands of suspects released – BBC News

Posted December 4th, 2019 in bail, news, police, statistics, time limits by tracey

‘More than 93,000 suspected violent criminals and sex offenders have been released without restrictions by police in England and Wales since 2017, figures obtained by BBC Newsnight show. People suspected of offences including rape and murder have been among those “Released Under Investigation” (RUI). Richard Miller of the Law Society said a “major scandal” was brewing over the way RUIs are being used.’

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BBC News, 3rd December 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Disabled workers paid 12% less, ‘damning’ UK official figures show – The Guardian

‘Disabled people continue to face prejudice in the workplace campaigners have said, after latest government figures showed they were paid on average 12.2% less than those without impairments, equivalent to £1.48 an hour.’

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The Guardian, 2nd December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Divorce rate falls for heterosexual couples in England and Wales – The Guardian

Posted December 2nd, 2019 in divorce, news, statistics by sally

‘The divorce rate for opposite sex couples in England and Wales has plunged to its lowest level for almost half a century – partly due to problems in processing applications.’

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The Guardian, 29th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Fall in domestic abuse files sent to prosecutors despite rise in recorded crimes – The Guardian

Posted November 26th, 2019 in domestic violence, news, prosecutions, statistics by tracey

‘Domestic-abuse related cases referred to prosecutors for consideration for charge have fallen 11% in a year despite a surge in the number of crimes recorded by police.’

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The Guardian, 25th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Coercive control incidents double in a year, as campaigners warn domestic abuse “remains at epidemic levels” – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 26th, 2019 in coercive & controlling behaviour, domestic violence, news, statistics by tracey

‘Coercive control reports to police have doubled within a year, new figures reveal, as campaigners warn that the true extent of the crime is only just starting to be recognised.’

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Daily Telegraph, 25th November 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Lady Hale predicts gender parity in judiciary by 2033 – The Guardian

Posted November 25th, 2019 in diversity, equality, judges, judiciary, news, remuneration, statistics by sally

‘Gender equality in the number of judges in England and Wales should be achieved by 2033 at the current rates of progress, according to Lady Hale, the president of the supreme court.’

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The Guardian, 23rd November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

What is coercive control and why is it so difficult to recognize? – OUP Blog

‘Engaging in controlling and/or coercive behaviour in intimate or familial relationships became a new criminal offence in England and Wales in December 2015. Coercive Control involves a pattern of abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten the victim. Example behaviours included in this legislation are isolation from friends and family, deprivation of basic needs, monitoring behaviour and time, controlling a victim’s life and/or finances, and may include physical violence. The introduction of this offence was welcomed for recognising the cumulative impact of various forms of domestic abuse and for encouraging police and other criminal justice agencies to move beyond an incident-led and physical violence-based understanding of domestic abuse. However, four years on since the legislation was enacted and with no compulsory national level training or support, what has actually changed?’

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OUP Blog, 25th November 2019

Source: blog.oup.com

Jump in unrepresented defendants as legal aid cuts continue to bite – The Guardian

‘The number of unrepresented defendants in crown courts is rising sharply, the head of the Criminal Bar Association has warned, as cuts to legal aid increasingly affect the criminal justice system.’

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The Guardian, 24th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Good practice for lawyers towards litigants in person – Family Law

‘Despite there being a variety of reasons why someone may choose to represent themselves in the family courts – this decision isn’t an anomaly. Now only 20% of family court cases have both parties represented. It’s a trend we’ve seen grow in recent years.’

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Family Law, 19th November 2019

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Local authorities detect 22% more council tax fraud cases in last year, CIPFA research finds – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 20th, 2019 in council tax, fraud, local government, news, statistics by sally

‘Local authorities in the UK have detected 22% more cases of council tax fraud compared to last year, research by CIPFA has found.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 19th November 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Free Internet Access ‘Should Be A Human Right’ – Professor – Rights Info

Posted November 18th, 2019 in equality, human rights, internet, news, statistics by sally

‘Many of us take for granted our ability to tap in to Twitter or spend longer than we would care to admit tumbling down a YouTube rabbit hole. But this luxury is not afforded to an estimated 1.94 million UK households lacking internet access in 2019.’

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Rights Info, 15th November 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org