Category: trials

Grayling agrees legal aid truce with barristers over complex fraud trials – The Guardian

Posted July 8th, 2014 in barristers, costs, fees, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, trials by tracey

‘Barristers and the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, have agreed a temporary truce in a dispute that threatened to halt all complex fraud trials. Amid taunts of a government climbdown, the Ministry of Justice has enforced a 30% cut in legal aid fees for what are known as Very High Cost Cases (VHCC) but agreed to make more generous payments at an earlier stage in court proceedings.’

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The Guardian, 8th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

At £100m, phone hacking trial makes history for expense – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 25th, 2014 in conspiracy, costs, interception, news, trials by sally

‘The phone-hacking trial has been one of the most expensive cases in British criminal history, with News International bearing more than half of the expense.’

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Daily Telegraph, 24th June 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Sex abuse victim has post traumatic stress from court questioning – BBC News

Posted June 24th, 2014 in cross-examination, Jersey, news, post-traumatic stress disorder, trials, victims by sally

‘A sex abuse victim says a cross-examination in court in Jersey was so aggressive she has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).’


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BBC News, 23rd June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The secret trial controversy – how open will this newly opened justice be? – Legal Week

Posted June 17th, 2014 in appeals, closed material, media, news, private hearings, reporting restrictions, trials by sally

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Legal Week, 16th June 2014

Source: www.legalweek.com

Secret trial of terror suspects delayed until October – The Guardian

Posted June 17th, 2014 in delay, news, private hearings, reporting restrictions, terrorism, trials by sally

‘The trial of two terrorist suspects, due to be held substantially in secret, has been delayed until October.’

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The Guardian, 16th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Secret’ terror trial ruling due at Old Bailey – BBC News

Posted June 12th, 2014 in anonymity, appeals, news, private hearings, public interest, reporting restrictions, terrorism, trials by sally

‘The Court of Appeal is to rule on whether a trial of two terrorist suspects can be heard in secret.’

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BBC News, 12th June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Top family judge adjourns father’s contact case amid legal aid impasse – The Guardian

Posted June 10th, 2014 in adjournment, contact orders, criminal records, human rights, judges, legal aid, litigants in person, news, trials by sally

‘The most senior family judge in England and Wales has asked the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, to explain how a case involving a father’s contact with his son can proceed without legal aid.’

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The Guardian, 9th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The e-trials of the future: Judges take part in pilot that could revolutionise court system – The Independent

Posted June 3rd, 2014 in judges, news, pilot schemes, trials by sally

‘Scrapping paper from Britain’s courtrooms and dispensing with the need for people to be physically present in some cases could transform the way case are heard and save the legal system millions, according to the organisers of a mock “virtual trial”.’

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The Guardian, 2nd June 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Capita: lost in translation? – New Law Journal

Posted May 29th, 2014 in courts, interpreters, judges, news, trials by michael

‘A top judge has slated the performance of Capita, the providers of the court interpreting service, after a hearing had to be adjourned when interpreters failed to turn up.’

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New Law Journal, 28th May 2014

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

FCA succeeds in reversing stay in Operation Cotton trial – The Lawyer

Posted May 22nd, 2014 in appeals, financial regulation, fraud, news, stay of proceedings, trials by sally

‘The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has won its appeal against the stay in the high-cost fraud trial known as Operation Cotton, with the Court of Appeal (CoA) ruling that proceedings should resume.’

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The Lawyer, 21st May 2014

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Legal aid cuts: justice secretary’s lawyers intervene over abandoned case – The Guardian

Posted May 13th, 2014 in barristers, fraud, industrial action, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, trials by sally

‘Lawyers for the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, have intervened in an emergency appeal court hearing in an attempt to resolve a dispute over legal aid cuts that has halted all complex fraud trials.’

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The Guardian, 13th May 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Press has no direct role in welfare proceedings in Court of Protection – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 13th, 2014 in Court of Protection, human rights, media, mental health, news, public interest, third parties, trials by sally

‘Sir James Munby, President of the Court of Protection has ruled that the Daily Mail has no standing to be joined as a party in welfare proceedings in relation to a vulnerable adult who has been declared by the courts as lacking capacity under the Mental Health Act.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 12th May 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Judicial Review, Legal Aid and Operation Cotton – the Human Rights Roundup – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 6th, 2014 in human rights, judicial review, legal aid, lord chancellor, news, trials by tracey

‘Legal aid, judicial review and the role of the Lord Chancellor dominated the headlines last week – with the Operation Cotton case and the Joint Committee on Human Right’s report on judicial review putting increasing pressure on the Government’s reforms.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th May 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Fraud lawyers not underpaid despite legal aid cuts, says justice minister – The Guardian

Posted May 6th, 2014 in barristers, financial regulation, legal aid, news, remuneration, trials by tracey

‘Lawyers in complex fraud trials are not underpaid and the government is taking steps to prevent cases collapsing, the justice minister, Simon Hughes, has said. The Liberal Democrat, a critic of the legal aid cuts before entering government, said the row over very high cost cases (VHCCs) did not involve “hard-up” lawyers at the start of their careers.’

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The Guardian, 4th May 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Barristers’ legal aid rebellion ‘risks collapse’ of top fraud cases – The Guardian

Posted May 2nd, 2014 in barristers, budgets, fees, fraud, legal aid, news, trials by tracey

‘A series of high-profile fraud prosecutions are at risk of collapse after a crown court judge halted a trial because specialist barristers are refusing to represent defendants in protest at 30% cuts in legal aid fees.’

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The Guardian, 1st May 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Serious fraud trial halted amid legal row – BBC News

Posted May 1st, 2014 in barristers, fraud, legal aid, legal representation, news, trials by sally

‘A judge has halted a serious fraud trial after defendants claimed they could not get adequate representation because of cuts to legal aid.’

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BBC News, 1st May 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

First hearing not a case management conference, says High Court – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 15th, 2014 in budgets, case management, civil procedure rules, costs, news, trials by tracey

‘A claimant has failed in a High Court Mitchell bid to argue that an initial hearing amounted to a case management conference (CMC) and should be subject to budgeting rules.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 14th April 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Beyond the veil: What happened after Rebekah Dawson refused to take her niqab off in court – The Independent

Posted April 8th, 2014 in freedom of expression, intimidation, Islam, news, terrorism, trials, witnesses by sally

‘If your memory is sufficiently jogged, you may recall the recent case of a female defendant who refused to remove her full-face veil in court. It prompted a predictable outbreak of public indignation and liberal soul-searching. The question boiled down to this: could, or should, an English court accommodate a woman who hid her face, citing religious precepts, in a country where the face and facial expression are regarded as key to identity?’

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The Independent, 7th April 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Attorney general resists call to protect witnesses from court cross-examination – The Guardian

Posted April 8th, 2014 in attorney general, children, cross-examination, judiciary, news, trials, witnesses by sally

‘Dominic Grieve QC, the attorney general, has resisted calls for young and vulnerable witnesses to be cross-examined by a judge rather than several barristers to avoid aggressive courtroom questioning .’

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The Guardian, 7th April 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

A voice for victims of crime – The Guardian

Posted April 7th, 2014 in child abuse, criminal justice, criminal procedure, cross-examination, news, sexual offences, trials, victims, violence, witnesses by sally

‘Justice isn’t just about sentencing: it’s about encouraging victims to come forward in the first place. Labour’s planned law will help. By Keir Starmer.’

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The Guardian, 6th April 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk