‘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.’
The Guardian, 1st October 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Many of you will have heard about the government’s recent decision to set up a taskforce to tackle violence against women on campus. (See the government press release here.) This move is timeous or long overdue (depending on your viewpoint) in the light of the accumulating momentum of campaigns by various individuals and organisations to highlight the high incidence of sexual violence/harassment on campus.’
Education Law Blog, 23rd September 2015
Source: www.education11kbw.com
‘Lord Sumption claims rushing to achieve equality could damage the judiciary.’
Full story
Daily Telegraph, 21st September 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘Billions of pounds would be saved and crime would fall if the prison population were slashed by more than half, a penal reform charity claims.’
The Independent, 7th September 2015
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘London’s Muslims have faced a 70% increase in Islamophobic attacks over the past year, according to figures from the Metropolitan Police.’
The Independent, 7th September 2015
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Jessica Smeaton looks at the government’s new consultation paper and the impact on large employers.’
Full story
No. 5 Chambers, 25th August 2015
Source: www.no5.com
‘The journey of Mary Prince from the salt ponds of Bermuda to a cause célèbre in early 19th-century Britain came at unbearable personal cost. Torn from her family in a slave auction and routinely beaten while naked, she was brought to England by her owners after years of brutality on Caribbean plantations.’
The Independent, 23rd August 2015
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘The number of recorded sexual offences on trains and at stations has risen 25% to a record level, British Transport Police figures suggest.’
BBC News, 19th August 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A woman who was serving an eight-week prison sentence for shoplifting has been found dead in her cell.’
The Guardian, 14th August 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Conditions at a privately run immigration removal centre have “deteriorated” over the past year to the extent that almost half of the women held there fear for their safety, according to a damning report published by the Chief Inspector of Prisons.’
The Independent, 12th August 2015
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘The chief prisons inspector has called for time limits on the detention of migrants without trial after fresh warnings of a significant deterioration in conditions at an immigration removal centre for women.’
The Guardian, 12th August 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Transforming Reahabilitation (TR) has been offered as a way in which women in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) “will have increased access to support services”. Prior to the many women who were incarcerated pre-TR and would be released from prison without supervision, will now – regardless of whether they have served one day or 12 months – be required to have some form of supervision. Previously, all people leaving custody serving less than 12 months were released without supervision.’
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 6th August 2015
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
‘New figures show there are more judges under 40 than ever in Britain – and more than half of them are women. Here, Marilyn Mornington, who became a judge at 40, explains what it’s like being a woman at the top of the law.’
Daily Telegraph, 4th August 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘What percentage of court of appeal and high court judges would you guess are women? What about the proportion of black and minority ethnic (BME) members of the judiciary?’
The Guardian, 5th August 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
It is plain that across the board there is a desire for change in relation to women and criminal justice. Many examples exists of wonderful, creative, worthwhile and even evidently successful projects in relation to diverting women away from custody and improving conditions for women who lose their liberty. Research related to women and criminal justice is ongoing from a range of respected and vociferous advocates such as Women’s Breakout, The Prison Reform Trust, Women in Prison and Halsbury’s Law Exchange to name but a few – many working together to effect change. There is no doubt that evidence and recommendations from each of these respected bodies – and more alongside them – will call for real change, offering genuine educated and reasonable arguments for doing so. However arguably (at least for now), the real “power” lies with the Courts, ergo it is the Courts who need to be at the vanguard of change.
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 3rd August 2015
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
‘Research surrounding the imprisonment of women, indeed even the imprisonment of mothers, is not new. A plethora of researchers and scholars have explored the issues surrounding women and criminal justice with passion and tenacity, arguably all of whom have contributed to the evidence-laden pathway culminating in the inspirational and influential 2006 Corston Report.’
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 31st July 2015
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
‘Sophie Toms is a deputy district judge who made it on her first attempt. She says shortage of women in the judiciary could be down to confidence issues.’
The Guardian, 30th July 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘More than 80 per cent of female prisoners have been locked up for non-violent offences such as shoplifting, new figures show, as a drive is launched to clear jails of women who pose no danger to the public.’
The Independent, 29th July 2015
Source: www.independent.co.uk
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