Tag

Partner content

21 Apr Home affairs

Raab resignation: This has to be a fresh start for the justice system – Bar Council

Commenting on the resignation of Dominic Raab as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Chair of the Bar Nick Vineall KC said:

Partner content

23 Feb Home affairs

NAO report: Court reform programme must not come at the cost of access to justice, says Bar Council

Court reform programme must not come at the cost of access to justice

Partner content

17 Feb Home affairs

Bar Council reacts to courts and justice announcements

Today the Bar Council has reacted to both the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announcement on Nightingale courts and the speech by Shadow Secretary of State for Justice Steven Reed MP outlining his party’s proposals and priorities for the justice sector.

18 Jan Brexit

It’s not too late to drop Retained EU Law Bill before it wreaks chaos in our workplaces and courts

The new year has just begun, but the countdown has already started on a swathe of workplace law and environmental protections.

30 Sep 2022 Home affairs

The draft Victims Bill fails to deliver for victims

The government’s draft Victims Bill is intended to amplify victims’ voices and put their needs and rights at the heart of the criminal justice system.

Partner content

21 Jul 2022 Home affairs

Bar Council hails new measures helping domestic abuse victims in family and civil courts

The Bar Council welcomes a new measure banning alleged perpetrators of domestic abuse from cross-examining their alleged victims in family and civil courts.

29 Jun 2022 Home affairs

Victims of sexual violence must not be deterred from seeking counselling

Reporting sexual violence to the police can be an utterly terrifying experience, and the process of going through the criminal justice system often re-traumatises many victims and survivors.

Court closures have weakened access to justice in England and Wales – a solution must be found fast

Partner content

24 Jun 2022 Home affairs

Court closures have weakened access to justice in England and Wales – a solution must be found fast

To mark Justice Week 2022, the Bar Council of England and Wales has highlighted the number of court closures and is calling for greater investment to help solve the problem.

29 Dec 2021 Coronavirus

All The Major Covid Backlogs Government Must “Get A Grip” Of In 2022

The government faces a daunting list of Covid-induced backlogs in 2022 across a wide range of departments.

Partner content

09 Dec 2021 Home affairs

Barristers in England & Wales triple overseas income

Following the publication of TheCityUK’s report into the value of UK legal services, the Bar Council has analysed income data from Bar Mutual, the profession’s insurer, and found a further increase in barristers’ income from overseas work, even in 2020. From 2005-2020, overseas income for barristers in England & Wales has tripled.

Partner content

07 Dec 2021 Culture

Bar Council: Mark Fenhalls QC inaugural speech

Mark Fenhalls QC, Chair-Elect of the Bar Council, inaugural speech.

03 Dec 2021 Home affairs

Let’s embrace a child-focused approach to separation

The Divorce Act will overhaul divorce law and is due in Spring 2022. I believe this is a real opportunity to reset the agenda for separating families, keep them out of court where safe to do so and focus on children.

02 Dec 2021 Home affairs

It’s shameful that victims feel demeaned and degraded instead of seeing justice delivered

“You’re safer staying in that abusive relationship than you are trying to get out. The aftermath is 100 per cent worse.” Harrowing words that you’d never think a survivor of attempted murder, rape and domestic abuse would utter. But that’s the harsh reality Rachel (pseudonym) and many other survivors face because of the ugly truth behind our broken criminal justice system.

23 Nov 2021 Health

The Health and Care Bill must support parents of critically ill children

The government is moving once in a generation health and social care reforms through Parliament. It is essential that the rights of parents are not forgotten, and there is legislation to support them and clinicians when deciding about treatment options for their critically ill children. The amendment I tabled, widely known as Charlie’s Law, aims to achieve just that.

15 Nov 2021 Home affairs

It is high time we increased the minimum age of criminal responsibility

We treat our young people appallingly, from schools forced to become exam factories to breath-taking rates of child poverty.

23 Oct 2021 Home affairs

Conservatives take aim at Human Rights Act - again

The Conservative government has publicly renewed its ambition to make potentially sweeping changes to the Human Rights Act (HRA), ahead of the publication of an independent review in the coming weeks.

20 Oct 2021 Home affairs

The government is failing in its fundamental duty to protect women and girls and uphold the law

“Traumatised, forgotten, abandoned.” These are words spoken by victims of domestic abuse, rape and serious sexual assault who are being let down by the criminal justice system - suffering in isolation, scared and often completely unaware of their rights as victims.

Partner content

30 Sep 2021 Home affairs

Crown Court backlog increases again to over 60,000 cases

Partner content

28 Sep 2021 Home affairs

Bar Council survey shows rising reports of harassment and discrimination in barristers’ profession

Partner content

20 Aug 2021 Home affairs

Bar Council warns against rising use of 'get out of jail free cards' to avoid courts

Partner content

27 Jul 2021 Home affairs

Bar Council slams "short term fix" on courts

The Bar Council has responded to new measures announced by the Government today regarding courts.

05 Jul 2021 Home affairs

Smarter sentencing is not harsher sentencing

The Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill will see people convicted of more serious offences spending a lot longer in prison, but there is no evidence to support this. Instead, government should improve education and other rehabilitative opportunities in prisons.

Partner content

24 Jun 2021 Home affairs

New figures show court backlog going the wrong way, says Bar Council

25 May 2021 Home affairs

Covid hit our over-stretched courts hard: the current system can not become the new normal

Whilst there are opportunities for new ways of working, there are also difficulties for some cases and some litigants which could affect the delivery of justice.