Disabled workers can’t afford justice to deal with workplace harassment – The Guardian

‘Since the government introduced fees for employment tribunals, together with legal aid cuts, disabled people have increasingly been unable to have their cases heard.’

Full story

The Guardian, 6th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Going into legal aid work now is career suicide’ – The Guardian

‘Government cuts to legal aid means social welfare lawyers are a dying breed. So where will the next generation come from? Step up the Justice First Fellowship.’

Full story

The Guardian, 6th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Social background determines career prospects, say almost nine out of ten law students – Legal Week

Posted December 14th, 2015 in diversity, equality, law firms, legal education, legal profession, news, statistics by sally

‘Survey of law students finds strong feelings on influence of upbringing on career prospects, as law firms take new approaches to improve diversity’

Full story

Legal Week, 10th December 2015

Source: www.legalweek.com

Mother of murdered son calls for jail time for all knife crimes – BBC News

‘The mother of a young man who was stabbed to death in west London has pleaded with judges to impose jail terms on anyone caught with a knife.’

Full story

BBC News, 11th December 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

RSPCA ‘reserves right’ to prosecute hunt cases despite controversy – Daily Telegraph

‘Changes to the animal protection charity’s prosecution policy will not mean a final end to cases brought against members of fox hunts.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 13th December 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Islamists actively seek prison sentences to radicalise other convicts, say officers – The Guardian

Posted December 14th, 2015 in Islam, news, prison officers, prisons, sentencing, statistics, terrorism by sally

‘Islamist extremists are attempting to radicalise prisoners by deliberately getting custodial sentences or gaining jobs in jails, according to the Prison Officers Association (POA).’

Full story

The Guardian, 12th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Surge in prison disciplinary hearings ‘feeding vicious cycle’ – The Guardian

Posted December 14th, 2015 in disciplinary procedures, news, prisons, statistics, young offenders by sally

‘The number of punishment hearings held inside prisons has risen by 24% in the past year with almost 160,000 extra days – or 438 years – of imprisonment imposed on inmates, according to a report.’

Full story

The Guardian, 14th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Finance & Divorce Update December 2015 – Family Law Week

‘Edward Heaton, Principal Associate and Jane Booth, Associate, both of Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during November 2015.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 6th December 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Teachers and medical staff among 682 child abuse suspects arrested – The Guardian

Posted December 11th, 2015 in child abuse, news, sexual offences, statistics by tracey

‘A senior police chief has expressed fears that child abuse in Britain is on the rise as new data revealed teachers and medical staff were among hundreds of potential sex offenders arrested in the last nine months.’

Full story

The Guardian, 10th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

More offenders being punished for carrying knives, latest figures show – The Guardian

Posted December 10th, 2015 in news, offensive weapons, prosecutions, statistics, young offenders by sally

‘The number of offenders punished for carrying a knife has risen by 7% in the last year as the police and courts take a tougher approach, especially to teenage offenders, new figures show.’

Full story

The Guardian, 10th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Stopping jailed fathers seeing their children is a political gimmick – The Guardian

Posted December 7th, 2015 in charities, children, families, news, prisons, statistics by sally

‘Prisons should nurture family relationships, but the government’s IEP scheme makes it difficult for male prisoners to maintain contact. It must be changed.’

Full story

The Guardian, 4th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Stalkers to be banned from contacting victims online under plans to protect people targeted on the internet – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 7th, 2015 in consultations, harassment, internet, news, stalking, statistics, victims by sally

‘The Home Office is drawing up proposals to hit stalkers with protection orders to prevent them from contacting strangers on the internet and in person.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 5th December 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Love you to death: the British women dying at the hands of their partners – The Guardian

Posted December 7th, 2015 in domestic violence, homicide, media, murder, news, statistics by sally

‘In 2013, 86 women in Britain were killed by a husband, a boyfriend or a male ex-partner. A new documentary by Vanessa Engle tells the story of every one of them by giving voice to the traumatised families left behind.’

Full story

The Guardian, 6th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New figures highlight difficulties of finding pupillage as diversity of Bar students increases – Legal Futures

Posted December 3rd, 2015 in barristers, diversity, news, pupillage, statistics by tracey

‘There is no problem with ethnic diversity on the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), new figures have revealed, with the number of students from Asian backgrounds increasing in recent years to the point where it almost equals the number of white students.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 2nd December 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Prisons to introduce tests for legal highs in bid to reduce violence – The Guardian

‘Ministers claim the introduction of new drug tests able to detect legal highs such as spice and black mamba will prove a “gamechanger” in curbing the rising tide of violence in jails across England and Wales.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Dyson advert sucks, says watchdog – The Guardian

Posted December 2nd, 2015 in advertising, complaints, news, ombudsmen, statistics by sally

‘Advertising Standards Authority upholds complaint by Gtech over press and YouTube campaign, saying tests “did not reflect normal conditions”.’

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Divorce rate at lowest level in 40 years after cohabitation revolution – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 24th, 2015 in cohabitation, divorce, marriage, news, statistics by sally

‘Younger couples who marry now more likely to stay together past seven year itch than their parents’ generation suggesting ‘living in sin’ makes marriage stronger.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 23rd November 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Court charge creates “perverse incentive” for guilty pleas – The Bar Council

‘Criminal court charges create perverse incentives for the innocent to plead guilty, warns Bar Council chairman Alistair MacDonald QC, ahead of today’s parliamentary debate. He also points out that we still do not know if the Government is on track to raise £265 million it proposed to bring in over the course of this Parliament.’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 17th November 2015

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Rise in sex crimes not due to historical cases, says lord chief justice – The Guardian

‘Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd says better treatment of victims by criminal justice system encouraging more people to report sexual assaults.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Disciplinary tribunals halves budget for so far non-existent ABS appeals – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has halved its budget for appeals from alternative business structures (ABSs), as it has yet to receive one since the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) started licensing them in 2012.

Full story

Legal Futures, 9th November 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk