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

‘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.’

Full story

The Guardian, 12th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Should national security ever trump the right to a fair trial? – The Guardian

‘A ruling on whether ‘secret’ evidence from convicted murderer Wang Yam can be heard at the European court of human rights has far wider significance.’

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge withdraws from BA case after airline loses his luggage – The Guardian

Posted September 22nd, 2015 in airlines, judges, news, professional conduct, recusal, trials by sally

‘A judiciary watchdog is investigating a high court judge who complained about his luggage going astray on a flight booked with British Airways while he was overseeing a case involving the airline.’

Full story

The Guardian, 21st September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge who fell asleep in rape trial guilty of ‘serious misconduct’ but keeps job – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 22nd, 2015 in complaints, judges, news, professional conduct, trials by sally

‘Barristers confronted Recorder Cattan with their suspicion that he had fallen asleep while an under-age victim was being cross-examined.’
Full story

Daily Telegraph, 21st September 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

High Court expedites hearing of contract dispute between Cornwall and BT – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 3rd, 2015 in contracting out, contracts, local government, news, telecommunications, trials by sally

The High Court will in December hold an expedited hearing of a dispute between Cornwall Council and BT over whether the local authority was entitled to terminate a major contract for material breach.

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 2nd September 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Date fixed for Lord Janner hearing – BBC News

‘A judge will decide at a hearing on 7 December whether Lord Janner, who is facing child sex abuse charges spanning three decades, is fit to plead.’

Full story

BBC News, 1st September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Preacher Anjem Choudary to face trial on terror charge – The Guardian

Posted September 1st, 2015 in news, terrorism, trials by sally

‘Anjem Choudary, the radical Muslim preacher, is to go on trial in January accused of inviting support for Islamic State.’

Full story

The Guardian, 28th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Law books aren’t dull – they’re crammed with jaw-dropping tales – The Guardian

Posted August 21st, 2015 in judges, judgments, legal education, news, trials by sally

‘Studying law doesn’t mean burying your nose in huge dusty tomes. Case law shows how theory applies directly to real life.’
Full story

The Guardian, 21st August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lord Janner not at court to face child sex abuse charges – BBC News

Posted August 14th, 2015 in child abuse, elderly, mental health, news, sexual offences, trials by tracey

‘Lord Janner has failed to appear at court to face child sex abuse charges, despite the High Court ruling he must attend a hearing.’

Full story

BBC News, 14th August 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lord Janner child sex abuse charges: Former Labour MP expected to appear in court – The Independent

‘Lord Janner is expected to appear in court to face child abuse charges after his lawyers lost a High Court bid to prevent him having to attend.’

Full story

The Independent, 14th August 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Lord Janner lawyers challenge court attendance ruling – The Guardian

Posted August 11th, 2015 in child abuse, elderly, human rights, news, trials by sally

‘A high court judge will consider whether it was unlawful to order dementia sufferer Lord Janner to appear in court in person to face child sexual abuse charges.’

Full story

The Guardian, 11th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Max Clifford to stand trial on indecent assault charge – BBC News

Posted August 11th, 2015 in news, sexual offences, trials by sally

‘Former celebrity publicist Max Clifford is to stand trial in February accused of indecently assaulting a 17-year-old girl.’

Full story

BBC News, 10th August 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lord Janner abuse proceedings to start in court – BBC News

Posted August 7th, 2015 in child abuse, elderly, evidence, mental health, news, trials by tracey

‘Criminal proceedings against Lord Janner over allegations of child sexual abuse in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s are to begin later. The Westminster Magistrates’ Court case comes after a review overturned a Crown Prosecution Service decision not to bring charges because of his dementia.’

Full story

BBC News, 7th August 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Regina v Brown (Edward) – WLR Daily

Posted August 4th, 2015 in appeals, crime, law reports, mental health, privilege, restraint, trials by sally

Regina v Brown (Edward) [2015] EWCA Crim 1328; [2015] WLR (D) 344

‘By way of an additional common law qualification or exception to the inviolable nature of legal professional privilege, and in what was likely to be an extremely narrow band of cases, it was appropriate to impose a requirement that particular individuals could be present at discussions between an individual and his lawyers if there was a real possibility that the meeting would be misused for a purpose, or in a manner, that involved impropriety amounting to an abuse of the privilege that justified interference.’

WLR Daily, 29th July 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Kiani v Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily

Kiani v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] EWCA Civ 776; [2015] WLR (D) 325

‘The requirements of the right to a fair trial in article 6 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms depended on the context and all the circumstances of the case. In a security case an individual was not entitled to full article 6 rights if to accord him such rights would jeopardise the efficacy of the vetting regime itself. The same approach was taken under European Union law.’

WLR Daily, 21st July 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Review of possible miscarriages of justice – Attorney General’s Office

‘Mark Ellison QC and Alison Morgan’s review on the impact of undisclosed undercover police activity on the safety of convictions.’

Full review

Attorney General’s Office, 16th July 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/ago

Criminal trials could take place in town halls to save money, says Michael Gove -Daily Telegraph

Posted July 16th, 2015 in courts, criminal procedure, electronic monitoring, magistrates, news, trials by tracey

‘Magistrates’ courts could meet in town halls or even hotel suites in a bid to save money, the Justice Secretary has said. Michael Gove confirmed there will be a new programme of court closures but the minister stressed he was keen to retain the way justice is dispensed at a local level.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 15th July 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Legal aid restrictions for domestic abuse loosened – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 9th, 2015 in domestic violence, evidence, legal aid, news, regulations, trials, victims by sally

‘The government has loosened a controversial restriction preventing some victims of domestic abuse from accessing legal aid.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 8th July 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Lynette White: Civil action after failed police corruption trial – BBC News

Posted June 24th, 2015 in corruption, DNA, evidence, murder, news, police, trials by sally

‘A date has been set for High Court civil action following the collapse of the UK’s biggest police corruption trial.’

Full story

BBC News, 23rd June 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Murderer seeks to overturn ban on secret evidence going to Strasbourg – The Guardian

Posted June 23rd, 2015 in evidence, human rights, intelligence services, media, news, Supreme Court, trials by tracey

‘A convicted murderer who claims he is the victim of a miscarriage of justice is seeking to overturn a ban on secret evidence about the security services being disclosed to European judges. The supreme court’s hearing of the unprecedented case of Wang Yam could add to the strain on the UK’s relationship with the European court of human rights (ECHR).’

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk