Category: women

Niqabs in the witness box: yes or no? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted November 8th, 2013 in criminal justice, freedom of expression, juries, news, witnesses, women by sally

“Niqab-wearing defendants should be obliged to remove their veils before giving evidence say 90% of my colleagues in a poll conducted by the Bar Council for The Times (although personally I’d like to see what the participation rate was for that). Former justice secretary, Ken Clarke, agrees, likening wearing a full-face veil in the witness box to giving evidence ‘in a bag’. The Lord Chief Justice says that trial judges should be able to decide whether a defendant may give evidence wearing a face-veil or not, but promises to provide guidance.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 7th November 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Lord Chief Justice: public should decide if Islamic veil should be allowed in court – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 6th, 2013 in bills, consultations, court dress, courts, evidence, freedom of expression, immigration, Islam, judicial review, juries, live link evidence, news, practice directions, religious discrimination, witnesses, women by sally

“The most senior judge in England and Wales says a public consultation will open on the ‘divisive’ subject soon.”

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Daily Telegraph, 5th November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Lord Chief Justice suggests using Skype and FaceTime in courts – The Independent

Posted November 6th, 2013 in consultations, court dress, courts, freedom of expression, internet, Islam, live link evidence, news, religious discrimination, trials, women by sally

“Video-call technology such as Skype and FaceTime could be used to allow criminal defendants to take part in court hearings from home, the most senior judge in England and Wales has said. In his first press conference, the new Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas, said the use of such applications could reduce the cost of hearings held in the run up to a trial.”

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The Independent, 5th November 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Vicky Pryce: ‘Prison clearly does not work’ – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2013 in costs, families, news, prisons, women by michael

“Fresh from jail, the economist and author of Prisonomics explains why the system costs too much, locks up the wrong people and does not prevent reoffending.”

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The Guardian, 29th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ombudsman could rule on Church of England disputes – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 28th, 2013 in Church of England, clergy, complaints, equality, news, ombudsmen, women by sally

“Church of England proposes setting up an ombudsman to handle complaints arising from the introduction of women bishops.”

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Daily Telegraph, 25th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Jailed women will serve their sentences closer to home – The Independent

Posted October 25th, 2013 in imprisonment, news, prisons, rehabilitation, sentencing, women by sally

“Women prisoners will be held as close to their homes as possible and guaranteed help to return to the outside world under measures to be announced today to break the cycle of female offending.”

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The Independent, 25th October 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Richard Cornes: 11-1 gender ratio Court’s Achilles Heel: Reporting of the Supreme Court’s start of the year press briefing – UK Constitutional Law Group

Posted October 16th, 2013 in diversity, human rights, Islam, media, news, Supreme Court, women by sally

“On October 2 at 10am, the United Kingdom Supreme Court held an hour long pre-term press-briefing to mark the opening of the Court’s fifth year. This blog looks not only at what was said by the Court, and asked by the journalists on the day, but also what was then reported.”

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UK Constitutional Law Group, 16th October 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

JAC seeks first part-time High Court judge – Litigation Futures

Posted October 15th, 2013 in diversity, judicial appointments commission, judiciary, news, part-time work, women by sally

“The first part-time High Court judge could start sitting next year after the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) launched a competition that allows candidates to work under flexible arrangements.”

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Litigation Futures, 15th October 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Women sharing prison vans with men ‘exposed to abuse’ – BBC News

Posted October 15th, 2013 in news, prisons, reports, women by sally

“Private contractors exposed women prisoners at HMP Holloway to ‘intimidation and abuse’ by forcing them to travel in escort vans with male inmates, an inspection found.”

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BBC News, 15th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Nine in 10 walk free for first violent crime – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 14th, 2013 in community service, news, sentencing, statistics, violent offenders, women by sally

“The majority of people convicted for the first time of violent crime are walking free, new figures show.”

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Daily Telegraph, 12th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Robin Thicke advert ruled ‘too sexual’ for early showing – BBC News

Posted October 9th, 2013 in advertising, children, complaints, media, news, video recordings, women by sally

“An advert featuring singer Robin Thicke performing his number one hit Blurred Lines must not be shown before 19:30 as it is too sexual, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has said.”

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BBC News, 9th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Neuberger urges government caution over judicial review reform – Litigation Futures

Posted October 3rd, 2013 in diversity, judges, judicial review, judiciary, news, women by sally

“The president of the Supreme Court has urged the government to tread very carefully when considering whether to restrict the ability of people to bring judicial reviews.”

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Litigation Futures, 3rd October 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Tory ECHR Withdrawal, Prisoner Cold Turkey & Niqabs Again – The Human Rights Roundup – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 2nd, 2013 in court dress, human rights, Islam, news, prisons, smoking, women by sally

“This week the Conservative Party Conference is likely to generate human rights headlines. Meanwhile, previous controversies still bubble away. Chris Grayling, taking a break from legal aid cuts, offered his opinion on the Europe debate. Meanwhile, others considered the role of transparency, demeanour, religious freedom and niqabs in the courts, and, with the proposed smoking ban in prisons, smokers may have found another reason not to break the law.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 29th September 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Balancing the Niqab in the Courtroom on the Head of a Pin: the Case of D(R) – The Barristers’ Hub

Posted October 1st, 2013 in courts, evidence, freedom of expression, Islam, news, women by sally

“Professor Susan Edwards, following recent judicial guidance and debate on the wearing of the niqab, provides both expert and legal opinion on the issue.”

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The Barristers’ Hub, 1st October 2013

Source: www.barristershub.co.uk

Niqab court ruling: a classic exercise in reasonableness – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted September 25th, 2013 in court dress, evidence, freedom of expression, human rights, Islam, juries, news, practice directions, religious discrimination, rule of law, women by sally

“In 1894 Edward Marshall Hall KC defended the Austrian-born prostitute Marie Hermann, charged with the murder of a client whose body she hid in a trunk. The jury acquitted of murder and convicted of manslaughter after what has become his most famous jury speech ending with, ‘Look at her, gentlemen of the jury, look at her. God never gave her a chance, won’t you?’ The personalities may have changed and the language less flowery but the basic principle of a jury trial is the same – we judge our peers on the evidence and that is the evidence presented in court. This includes our assessment of other human beings, not just what they say but how they say it.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 25th September 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Inheriting aristocratic titles: what’s in a name? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted September 23rd, 2013 in equality, news, parliament, peerages & dignities, sex discrimination, women by sally

“Reforming the law on the inheritance of an aristocratic title was never really going to be a popular rallying cry, but it’s in the news again. The Earldom of Northesk is one of the great titles (albeit with no huge estate or wealth) that by a curious twist of fate has passed to a male descendent of the cadet branching of the family from 1654 rather than the 14th Earl’s daughter, Lady Carnegie. What is now more interesting about this is we now have a contrasting legal position to compare it with, s 1 of the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 which removes gender from the question of who inherits the Throne. Primogeniture, the benefit of the eldest male child for centuries, has been changed and so – ask a number of Lords and Ladies – should this not be changed for them as well?”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 20th September 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

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