Reform or revolution? – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 17th, 2021 in courts, local government, news, practice directions, trials, witnesses by michael

‘How is Practice Direction 57AC bedding down? Marion Smith QC, Joe-han Ho, Ruth Keating and Philippe Kuhn look at its impact.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th December 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

HMCTS: Public prefers remote hearings but professionals see declining respect – Legal Futures

Posted December 13th, 2021 in coronavirus, courts, HM Courts Service, news, remote hearings, statistics, trials by tracey

‘Public users of the courts generally prefer remote to in-person hearings, but they have led to declining levels of respect, formality and concentration, according to government research.’

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Legal Futures, 13th December 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Remand inmates in England and Wales ‘facing second Christmas behind bars’ – The Guardian

‘Some defendants will be facing “a second Christmas behind bars without the opportunity to prove their innocence”, a legal charity has warned, as the number of remand prisoners in England and Wales detained longer than the legal custody limit continues to rise.’

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The Guardian, 1st December 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Lord Justice Haddon-Cave pens article for the Australian Law Journal – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted November 12th, 2021 in courts, judges, news, terrorism, trials by tracey

‘Lord Justice Haddon-Cave has written an article about the conduct of terrorism trials in England and Wales for a special edition of the Australian Law Journal on “National Security and the Law”.’

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Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 11th November 2021

Source: www.judiciary.uk

More rape trials to allow pre-recorded evidence – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Victims of alleged sexual violence in London and the north east will be spared live cross-examination from today, as part of a pilot scheme to make trials less traumatic for complainants.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 30th September 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

The killing of Dalian Atkinson: trial focused on a minute of violence – The Guardian

Posted June 24th, 2021 in homicide, mental health, news, police, trials by sally

‘On his final day alive, Dalian Atkinson felt trapped. Draining physical challenges, from hypertension and kidney disease, had left him weakened and his mental health was crumbling, the jury heard.’

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The Guardian, 23rd June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Rape cases in England and Wales will be hit hard by backlog, says police chief – The Guardian

‘Rape and domestic violence cases in England and Wales will be among the worst hit from the growing backlog in the judicial system, and trials could soon start collapsing because of severe delays, the new crime commissioner for England’s second biggest force has warned.’

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The Guardian, 6th June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge criticises solicitors for sending him letter during trial – Litigation Futures

‘A High Court judge has criticised solicitors who sent him a letter during a trial trying to explain points that had arisen during cross-examination.’

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Litigation Futures, 6th May 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Court case delays left assault victim waiting over a year – BBC News

Posted April 23rd, 2021 in assault, budgets, coronavirus, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, news, trials, victims by sally

‘The government has announced emergency funding to help tackle huge delays in court trials.’

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BBC News, 23rd April 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Call for vulnerable victims to give video evidence amid courts backlog – The Guardian

‘Up to 10,000 vulnerable victims facing long delays for trials should be allowed to give evidence by video in an attempt to stop them falling out of the system, according to the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales.’

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The Guardian, 5th March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Professionally embarrassed’ lawyers wrong to withdraw during murder trial – Legal Futures

Posted January 22nd, 2021 in appeals, barristers, evidence, firearms, forensic science, murder, news, trials by sally

‘The legal team of a man accused of murder was wrong to withdraw during the trial citing “professional embarrassment” but the move did not render his subsequent conviction unsafe, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 22nd January 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Courts backlog ‘tipping point’ for justice system – BBC News

Posted October 30th, 2020 in coronavirus, county courts, criminal justice, delay, news, trials by sally

‘The number of criminal cases waiting to be dealt with by Crown Courts threatens to overwhelm the justice system in England and Wales, a study suggests.’

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BBC News, 30th October 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Justice must be for all’: why court intermediaries are vital for vulnerable people – The Guardian

‘Concerns are growing that a service to help people follow court proceedings in England and Wales is to be privatised and deregulated.’

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The Guardian, 28th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

John Leslie trial: Ex-Blue Peter presenter cleared of sex assault – BBC News

Posted October 20th, 2020 in assault, media, news, sexual offences, trials by sally

‘Former TV presenter John Leslie has been found not guilty of sexual assault.’

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BBC News, 19th October 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Hillsborough trial of three men delayed again – BBC News

‘The trial of two former police officers and a police solicitor accused of altering police statements after the Hillsborough disaster has been delayed.’

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BBC News, 8th October 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lord Sumption: justice faces digital trade-off – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The court system faces a trade-off between the quality of justice and the cost of delivering it, former Supreme Court justice Lord Sumption has said in a biting assessment of virtual hearings. Speaking at the Commercial Litigators’ Forum, Lord Sumption (Jonathan Sumption QC) said if quality of justice was the only concern “we would go back to ordinary oral hearings.” ‘

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Law Society's Gazette, 5th October 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Courtroom drama: Salford’s Lowry Theatre to become Nightingale court – The Guardian

Posted September 23rd, 2020 in coronavirus, courts, Crown Court, delay, Ministry of Justice, news, statistics, theatre, trials by sally

‘There are many barristers who like to imagine they could have succeeded on the stage, hamming it up in their wigs and gowns and addressing the jury like Laurence Olivier doing Richard III.’

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The Guardian, 23rd September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge refuses to stand aside amid row over UK Covid trial delays – The Guardian

‘A senior judge has refused to step down from a case involving custody time limits after she replaced another judge who criticised the government over delays in delivering justice.’

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The Guardian, 18th September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge makes formal complaint over Covid custody waits – BBC News

‘A judge has claimed he was put under “improper and undue influence” to keep a defendant in custody.’

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BBC News, 11th September 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Virtual hearings deny young lawyers “huge amount” of training – Litigation Futures

‘A High Court judge has voiced concerns that young solicitors and barristers are missing out on a “huge amount” of training because of virtual hearings.’

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Litigation Futures, 8th September 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com