The Neuberger Experiment – BBC Law in Action

Posted June 19th, 2013 in equality, judiciary, news, women by sally

“There are 12 judges in the Supreme Court and only one, Lady Hale, is a woman. Last March on Law in Action, Lord Neuberger – the president of the court – told us it was unfair that there are so few women in the senior judiciary. But, he wondered, do women judge differently from men?

Lord Neuberger wasn’t sure – and he set us a little challenge, one we have called the ‘Neuberger Experiment’. With the help of law students at Durham University, we attempt to discover whether male and female judges really do judge differently. Then we put our findings to Lady Hale.”

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BBC Law in Action, 18th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Part-time partners: why the legal profession is changing – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2013 in law firms, legal profession, news, part-time work, partnerships, women by sally

“Only 9.4% of equity partners in law firms are women, despite equal numbers of men and women entering the profession.”

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The Guardian, 18th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Why are vulnerable women still being jailed? – The Guardian

Posted June 17th, 2013 in inquests, mental health, news, prisons, suicide, women by sally

“Suicide case highlights dangers of unsafe prisons, say campaigners.”

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The Guardian, 16th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid cuts will deny vulnerable women justice – The Guardian

“Campaigners warn that proposals to slash the legal aid budget will price trafficked women and victims of domestic violence out of the justice system.”

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The Guardian, 10th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Helen Fenwick: Article 8 ECHR, the ‘Feminist Article’, Women and a Conservative Bill of Rights – UK Constitutional Law Group

Posted June 6th, 2013 in bills, courts, families, human rights, news, reports, women by sally

“There has been a lot of commentary on the Report of the Bill of Rights’ Commission, and the ‘damp squib’ analysis of the Report (see Mark Elliott) as a whole is one most commentators appear to assent to (see eg Joshua Rozenberg for the Guardian here). My view in general is that the squib could reignite post-2015 if a Conservative government is elected, not in relation to the very hesitant ideas as to the possible future content of a Bill of Rights that the Report put forward, but in relation to its majority recommendation that there should be one (see further my previous post on the Commission Report here). If a BoR was to emerge under a Conservative government post-2015 I suggest that it would reflect the ideas of the Conservative nominees on the Commission which assumed a far more concrete form in the Report than the majority recommendations did (eg see here at p 192). This blog post due to its length is not intended to examine the probable nature of such a BoR based on those ideas in general, but to focus only on two aspects: the idea of curtailing the effects of an equivalent to Article 8 ECHR (right to respect for private and family life), and of requiring domestic courts to disapply Strasbourg jurisprudence under a BoR in a wider range of situations than at present under s2HRA (see Roger Masterman’s post on s2 on this blog here). In respect of the latter issue the potential impact of so doing will only be linked to selected aspects of Article 8 jurisprudence of especial actual and potential benefit to women.”

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UK Constitutional Law Group, 5th June 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Pamela Anderson TV ad banned for being ‘sexist and degrading to women’ – The Guardian

Posted June 5th, 2013 in advertising, complaints, news, ombudsmen, women by sally

“A raunchy TV ad featuring ex-Baywatch star Pamela Anderson has been banned for being sexist and degrading to women.”

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The Guardian, 5th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Law firms have ‘unconscious bias’ that stops women from getting promoted, says senior City lawyer – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 28th, 2013 in employment, equality, law firms, news, sex discrimination, women by sally

“As Lady Justice Hallett, a senior woman judge, warns the ‘frenetic’ pace of life holds women back, a leading lawyer and diversity consultant to the top legal institutions says there is an ‘unconscious bias’ against women in the legal profession.”

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Daily Telegraph, 24th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Succession to the Crown Act 2013 – legislation.gov.uk

Full text of Act

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Law ending exclusively male royal succession now law – BBC News

“A bill which ends succession to the Crown based on gender has become law.”

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BBC News, 25th April 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Isn’t it time to abolish most women’s prisons? – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 25th, 2013 in drug abuse, news, prisons, victims, women by sally

“A parliamentary campaign launched today from Soroptimist and the Prison Reform Trust, suggests women and their families are disproportionately affected by a jail term. Ahead of Vicky Pryce’s expected release next month, Cathy Newman appraises the effectiveness of female imprisonement in the UK and considers the alternatives.”

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Daily Telegraph, 25th April 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Glass ceilings and the law: unconscious bias must be acknowledged – The Guardian

Posted April 17th, 2013 in employment, equality, news, race discrimination, sex discrimination, women by sally

“Employers may not realise that they’re favouring ‘people like us’ applicants but a recent tribunal case highlights how the burden is on the employer to explain a difference in treatment.”

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The Guardian, 17th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Sharia courts putting women at risk, CPS warns – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 8th, 2013 in courts, domestic violence, families, islamic law, news, women by sally

“Sharia courts are putting women at risk of violence from abusive husbands, the Crown Prosecution Service has warned.”

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Daily Telegraph, 7th April 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Targeted support for women offenders – Ministry of Justice

Posted March 26th, 2013 in news, prisons, rehabilitation, reports, women by sally

“Female offenders should receive more targeted support to break the cycle of crime and abuse many of them face, Justice Minister Helen Grant said today.”

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Ministry of Justice, 22nd March 2013

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Plight of women in jail tackled with new policy on sentencing – The Independent

Posted March 22nd, 2013 in detention, news, rehabilitation, sentencing, women by sally

“Courts will be encouraged to hand more community sentences to women offenders – backed by curfews, tagging and unpaid work – in an attempt to reduce the female prison population.”

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The Independent, 21st March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Equal pay in City law: is there a light at the end of the tunnel? – The Guardian

Posted March 20th, 2013 in equal pay, equality, legal profession, news, women by sally

“We urgently need up to date research on gender and equality pay within the legal sector, say LSB.”

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The Guardian, 20th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Supreme Court: diversity, equality and flexibility – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted March 12th, 2013 in diversity, news, solicitors, Supreme Court, women by sally

“In 2009, when asked by the then Lord Chancellor to look at judicial diversity, Baroness Neuberger said:

‘Judges drawn from a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences will bring varying perspectives to bear on critical legal issues. A judiciary which is more visibly reflective of society will enhance public confidence.'”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 11th March 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Britain’s most senior judge takes aim at gender imbalance – The Guardian

Posted March 5th, 2013 in closed material, diversity, evidence, judges, judiciary, news, women by sally

“The stereotypical image of judges as male and white may be so deeply entrenched that there could be an ‘unconscious bias’ against women, the United Kingdom’s most senior judge has suggested.”

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The Guardian, 5th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Number of female lawyers applying to be QC falls – The Guardian

Posted February 28th, 2013 in diversity, news, queen's counsel, women by sally

“There has been a significant fall in the number of female lawyers applying to acquire the elite status of Queen’s Counsel (QC).”

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The Guardian, 27th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Equality in the Judiciary – Speech by Lady Hale

Posted February 22nd, 2013 in diversity, equality, judges, judiciary, speeches, women by sally

Equality in the Judiciary (PDF)

Speech by Lady Hale

Kuttan Menon Memorial Lecture, 21st February 2013

Source: www.supremecourt.gov.uk

UK’s most senior female judge calls for more diversity at the top – The Guardian

Posted February 22nd, 2013 in diversity, equality, judges, judiciary, news, women by sally

“Positive discrimination may be needed to redress the gender imbalance among senior judges, the only woman in Britain’s highest court has proposed.”

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The Guardian, 21st February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk