Secret court case application numbers more than double in a year – The Guardian

Posted October 16th, 2015 in closed material, intelligence services, news, public interest, statistics by sally

‘The number of official applications for secret court hearings more than doubled in the past year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Justice.’

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The Guardian, 15th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Crime figures: ‘Five million’ fraud cases in past year – BBC News

Posted October 15th, 2015 in computer crime, crime, fraud, news, statistics by sally

‘There were more than five million incidents of fraud in England and Wales in the last year, estimates suggest.’

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BBC News, 15th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Anti-Muslim crimes get own category in statistics – BBC News

Posted October 13th, 2015 in crime, harassment, hate crime, news, religious discrimination, statistics by tracey

‘Anti-Muslim hate crimes will be recorded as a separate category by all police forces in England and Wales, the prime minister has said.’

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BBC News, 13th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Speech by President of the Queen’s Bench Division: Justice for the 21st Century – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘Sir Brian Leveson, President of the Queen’s Bench Division gave the Caroline Weatherill Lecture “Justice for the 21st Century” in the Isle of Man on 9 October 2015.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judicairy, 12th October 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Court estate consolidation plans based on flawed data – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 12th, 2015 in consultations, courts, delay, Law Society, local government, news, solicitors, statistics by tracey

‘Lawyers and justice campaigners have raised fresh concerns about the government’s court closure programme, alleging that the proposals are based on out-of-date travel times and other dubious data.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 12th October 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Finance & Divorce Update October 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 September 2015.’

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Family Law Week, 11th October 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

New fast-track eviction powers could breach human rights, warns watchdog – The Guardian

‘Government proposals to legally require landlords to check the immigration status of their tenants risk a serious breach of human rights, an official watchdog has warned.’

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The Guardian, 12th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Surge in number of child abuse cases involving witchcraft accusations – The Independent

Posted October 12th, 2015 in child abuse, news, statistics, witchcraft by tracey

‘An increasing number of child abuse cases involving accusations of witchcraft and exorcism are being reported to police.’

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The Independent, 11th October 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

2,331 criminal cases dropped over ill-health or age in 2014 – BBC News

‘More than 2,000 suspected criminals avoided prosecution in England and Wales last year because of their ill-health or age, figures have shown.’

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BBC News, 9th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government figures show number of contested wills rising – BBC News

Posted October 7th, 2015 in families, news, statistics, wills by sally

‘Ministry of Justice figures show there has been a steep rise in the number of wills being contested in court, and many lawyers think it is because of more complex relationships, with divorces and remarriages.’

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BBC News, 7th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Record number of complaints against police in England and Wales – The Guardian

Posted October 7th, 2015 in complaints, news, police, statistics by sally

‘The police watchdog has warned that public satisfaction with the police continues to fall as fresh figures revealed a record number of complaints against forces in England and Wales last year.’

Full story

The Guardian, 7th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Further court fee hikes “a denial of access to justice”, CJC says – Litigation Futures

Posted October 5th, 2015 in appeals, arbitration, civil justice, consultations, courts, fees, news, statistics by sally

‘A further round of court fee increases would amount to a “denial of access to justice”, the Civil Justice Council (CJC) has warned, adding its voice to the cacophony of opposition from the legal profession.’

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Litigation Futures, 5th October 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Number of female judges in UK ‘snowballing’ despite equality row – The Guardian

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in equality, judicial appointments commission, judiciary, news, statistics, women by tracey

‘The rate at which women are being appointed judges is gathering momentum in a “snowball effect”, ensuring gender equality on the bench is not that far away despite remarks by supreme court justice Jonathan Sumption – so says a female judge involved in judicial selection.’

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The Guardian, 1st October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Deport first, appeal later–the effects explained – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘Deport first, appeal later is part of the current strategy to cut net migration. As set out in the Immigration Bill 2015-16, the rule has been extended to all immigration appeals and judicial reviews, including where a so-called family life is involved, apart from asylum claims.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 30th September 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Prison smoking ban begins in 2016 despite fears of unrest – The Guardian

Posted September 30th, 2015 in health & safety, news, prison officers, prisons, smoking, statistics by sally

‘A complete ban on smoking in prisons in England and Wales is to be phased in from January, despite warnings from prison governors that it risked making jails more unstable.’

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The Guardian, 29th September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

School crime reports topped 30,000 in 2014 – BBC News

Posted September 24th, 2015 in crime, education, news, statistics, theft, violence by tracey

‘More than 30,000 alleged crimes linked to schools were reported to police in 2014, a BBC investigation has found. The figure – for England, Wales and Northern Ireland -is equivalent to 160 allegations per school day. Theft and violent crime were the most common types of offence to be reported.’

Full story

BBC News, 24th September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lord Chancellor launches review of youth justice system – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 16th, 2015 in lord chancellor, news, recidivists, rehabilitation, statistics, young offenders by tracey

‘The Lord Chancellor has announced a departmental review of the youth justice system, which will look at whether current arrangements are fit for purpose. It will be led by Charlie Taylor, former chief executive of the National College of Teaching and Leadership and an ex-head teacher.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 15th Septembr 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Police should visit burglary victims, crime minister says – BBC News

Posted September 16th, 2015 in budgets, burglary, consultations, drug offences, news, police, statistics, victims by tracey

‘Police officers should always attend the homes of burglary victims, the crime minister has said. Mike Penning said he disagreed with comments by the head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, who said the public should not expect to see an officer after a break-in.’

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BBC News, 15th September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Syria drone strikes: UK attorney general refuses to disclose advice – The Guardian

‘The attorney general has refused to disclose his advice about the legality of RAF drone strikes in Syria, citing collective cabinet responsibility and the need for law officers to give “full and frank” opinions.’

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The Guardian, 16th September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Broadmoor Hospital inspection reveals ‘urgent’ changes required – BBC News

‘Broadmoor Hospital has been told to make urgent changes after a report which highlighted the “overuse” of face-down restraints on patients. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the high-security hospital in Berkshire “inadequate” after an inspection.’

Full story

BBC News, 16th September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk