Veils in court – should they be allowed? – Legal Week

Posted September 20th, 2013 in courts, evidence, freedom of expression, Islam, news, women by sally

“The media have been riveted in recent days by a drama in Blackfriars Crown Court, where a defendant charged with intimidating a witness refused to remove her full-face veil or ‘niqab’.”

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Legal Week, 19th September 2013

Source: www.legalweek.com

Doctors and nurses’ regulators asked to clarify guidance on face veils – The Guardian

Posted September 20th, 2013 in codes of practice, doctors, freedom of expression, Islam, news, nurses, women by sally

“A government minister has asked the regulatory bodies for doctors and nurses to clarify their guidance on the wearing of veils after concerns that patients may be denied face-to-face contact with the person treating them.”

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The Guardian, 19th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Veils and ignorance: defendant not allowed to wear niqaab when giving evidence – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted September 19th, 2013 in courts, evidence, freedom of expression, human rights, identification, Islam, news, trials, women by sally

“The ruling by HHJ Murphy in Blackfriars Crown Court this Monday that a defendant in a criminal trial should not be allowed to wear a niqaab (face veil) whilst giving her evidence has prompted calls for a public debate about the wearing of face veils in public more generally. Adam Wagner has already commented on the case here. A summary and analysis of the decision follows below.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 18th September 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Minister orders review of guidelines for health workers wearing full-face veils – The Guardian

Posted September 19th, 2013 in doctors, employment, freedom of expression, health, Islam, news, nurses, women by sally

“A review is being launched into health service guidelines on full-face veils to ensure that patients always have ‘appropriate face-to-face contact’, it has emerged.”

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The Guardian, 19th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Niqaab issue is too important to be left to liberal instinct – UK Human Rights Blog

“Yesterday, before His Honour Judge Peter Murphy ruled that a female Muslim defendant in a criminal trial must remove her face-covering veil (niqaab) whilst giving evidence, Home Office Minister Jeremy Brown said he was ‘instinctively uneasy’ about restricting religious freedoms, but that there should be a national debate over banning the burka.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 17th September 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Wearing veil should be the woman’s choice, says Theresa May – The Guardian

Posted September 18th, 2013 in courts, evidence, freedom of expression, Islam, news, religious discrimination, women by sally

“The government should not tell women what to wear, the home secretary has said, amid ongoing debate over the use of full-face veils.”

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The Guardian, 17th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.com

Conman ‘addicted’ to taking money from women he met on dating sites – The Independent

Posted September 18th, 2013 in fraud, internet, news, sentencing, theft, women by sally

“A conman with an ‘addiction’ to swindling money from vulnerable women on dating websites has been jailed for four years.”

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The Independent, 17th September 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Analysis: The niqab judgement explained – BBC News

Posted September 17th, 2013 in courts, identification, Islam, news, witnesses, women by sally

“Last week I blogged on a very modern multicultural dilemma at Blackfriars Crown Court – where a judge had to rule on whether a defendant could appear in the dock wearing a niqab, a type of Muslim veil that conceals the whole face, other than the eyes.”

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BBC News, 16th September 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Veil exposes courtroom quandary – BBC News

Posted September 13th, 2013 in courts, identification, Islam, news, pleadings, precedent, women by tracey

“Sitting in Blackfriars Crown Court in south London, I watched a very modern, multicultural dilemma. Back in August, a Muslim woman was due to appear, accused of intimidating a witness. The woman, whom the BBC isn’t naming for legal reasons, was expected to enter a plea. But Judge Peter Murphy said he could not hear that plea because he could not identify her: she was wearing a niqab, the type of black face covering worn by some Muslim women that only leaves their eyes visible.”

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BBC News, 12th September 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Fall in solicitor applications to bench ‘matter of concern’ says Judge – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 2nd, 2013 in diversity, judiciary, minorities, news, solicitors, women by sally

“The outgoing lord chief justice has called for action to reverse a decline in the number of solicitors applying for judicial posts. In his last annual report, published today, Lord Judge says ‘it is a matter of concern’ that there has been a decrease in the proportion of successful candidates with a professional background of solicitor.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 30th August 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Muslim woman must remove burka in court, judge insists – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 23rd, 2013 in courts, identification, Islam, news, women by sally

“A judge has refused to let a Muslim woman in a full-length burka enter a plea until she shows her face to the court.”

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Daily Telegraph, 23rd August 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Helping Female Offenders Keep Their Home – Criminal Law and Justice Weekly

Posted July 29th, 2013 in charities, community service, homelessness, housing, news, women by sally

“Harriet Stranks on one charity’s work to tackle re-offending and homelessness among women released from prison.”

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Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 20th July 2013

Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk

Renault’s YouTube ad banned for ‘portraying women as sexual objects’ – The Guardian

Posted July 17th, 2013 in advertising, complaints, news, ombudsmen, women by sally

“The advertising watchdog has banned a Renault advert featuring scantily-clad dancers, ruling that it objectified women.”

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The Guardian, 17th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Choice of Sir John Thomas as lord chief justice sees tradition prevail – The Guardian

Posted July 16th, 2013 in judges, judicial appointments commission, judiciary, news, women by sally

“Non-selection of Lady Justice Hallett shows panel was not swayed by idea that it would be good to have a woman at the top.”

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The Guardian, 15th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Women offenders ‘afterthought’ in rehabilitation plans – BBC News

“Women offenders are being ignored in plans to overhaul rehabilitation services, a committee of MPs has said.”

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BBC News, 15th July 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Too many women prisoners, MPs say – The Independent

“The Government is ignoring the needs of women offenders with its probation reforms, a group of MPs has warned.”

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The Independent, 15th July 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Women being imprisoned unnecessarily, reformers say – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 10th, 2013 in imprisonment, magistrates, news, sentencing, women by sally

“Magistrates’ courts are sending fewer women to prison than in previous years but some courts are four times more likely to jail women than others, according to figures obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 9th July 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Treatment of women in British courts varies widely – The Guardian

Posted July 9th, 2013 in bills, criminal justice, detention, magistrates, news, sentencing, women by sally

“Some magistrates’ courts are four times more likely to send women to prison than others, according to figures obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform.”

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The Guardian, 9th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judicial Appointments Commission performance in improving judicial diversity regarding women and BAME candidates: evidence pack – Judicial Appointments Commission

“This evidence-pack reports on the diversity of recommendations made by the JAC along gender and ethnicity for the court and tribunal judiciary. It compares this diversity against different standards, including the eligible pool and recommendations made prior to the formation of the JAC. It also looks at the change in diversity among the sitting judiciary since the formation of the JAC and shows how much work there is left to do before we have a truly representative judiciary.”

Evidence pack (Powerpoint)

Judicial Appointments Commission, 13th June 2013

Source: www.jac.judiciary.gov.uk

The sexual behaviour of undercover police fits the definition of rape – The Guardian

Posted June 28th, 2013 in consent, deceit, investigatory powers, news, police, rape, women by tracey

“The case law shows that undercover police officers who slept with protesters are on dangerous legal ground.”

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The Guardian, 28th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk