Articles tagged with: Justice

27 Feb Home affairs

Too many women in prison should not be there at all

Self-harm in women’s prisons has reached shocking new heights, according to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

03 Feb Communities

The outdated practice of magistrates hearing private law children’s cases must be abolished

Magistrates have formed an integral part of the England and Wales legal system since the 12th century and the reign of Richard I, who appointed the first keepers of peace. Almost 200 years later, pursuant to the Justice of the Peace Act 1361, the term ‘Justice of the Peace’ was formally introduced. It is not lightly, therefore, that I propose reforming magistrates’ roles, but there is an overwhelming policy argument for doing so.

13 Jan Social affairs

Justice Minister Says “Bold Reform” Is Coming As Government Reviews Right To Jury Trials

Justice minister Sarah Sackman has said that “nothing short of bold reform will do” while discussing the government-commissioned review that will look at whether there should be new limits on the right to a jury trial.

25 Sep 2024 Home affairs

Facing justice should mean just that – criminals must be present when sentenced

Losing a child is the greatest agony a parent can endure. The scale of that pain defies comprehension, and when a child is murdered, it becomes even more harrowing. Yet, under our current justice system, convicted criminals, including murderers, can opt out of attending their own sentencing.

12 Sep 2024 Home affairs

Michael Gove Says Keir Starmer Could Go "Further" Than Tories Ever Did On Justice Reform

Former Conservative secretary of state Michael Gove has said that Prime Minister Keir Starmer might be able to go "further than we ever did" on prison and justice reform.

11 Sep 2024 Social affairs

The Probation Service is "In Meltdown", Say Staff

Every probation service in the UK is failing to meet minimum standards as the service buckles under the weight of record staff shortages and huge caseloads, an investigation by The House magazine has revealed.

05 Sep 2024 Communities

Grenfell MP To Raise Concerns Over Court Backlog With Justice Secretary

Labour MP for Kensington and Bayswater Joe Powell has said he will raise concerns with Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood over the court backlog potentially slowing down the criminal investigations into the Grenfell fire tragedy.

27 Aug 2024 Economy

Keir Starmer Warns Autumn Budget Will Be "Painful"

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that the Autumn Budget will be "painful" as the country will have to "accept short term pain for long term good".

12 Jul 2024 Home affairs

Prisoners To Be Released Early Under Government Plans To Tackle Prisons Capacity Crisis

Some prisoners could be released early in measures announced by the Justice Secretary to avoid “the collapse of the criminal justice system”.

21 May 2024 Foreign affairs

The Trump trial has been vaudeville but its outcome could yet decide the US election

The last few weeks have seen the revival of a dying art form: the courtroom sketch. In America, every state makes its own courtroom rules; so, back in the 1990s, live TV coverage of the California-based OJ Simpson trial gripped the American nation.

10 May 2024 Home affairs

Sex Offenders Will Be Blocked From Changing Their Name With New Law

A new restriction on sex offenders legally changing their names is set to become law after years of campaigning by survivors groups, with the Labour MP who proposed it crediting the benefits of cross-party cooperation.

05 Dec 2023 Communities

The Laura Farris interview: ‘My politics were a little more left leaning when I was young’

Following her father as Conservative MP for Newbury, new minister Laura Farris tells Tali Fraser she won’t let tribal loyalty – or anything else – stop her from working to help victims of crime. Photography by Louise Haywood-Schiefer

24 Oct 2023 Home affairs

"Unprecedented" Rates Of Prison Building Still Failing To Keep Up With Rising Demand

Prison capacity has been failing to meet rising demand and government policy has not been “joined up” despite an “unprecedented” level of prison building, according to the Minister for Prisons.

22 Sep 2023 Home affairs

The rule of law is under threat

The United Kingdom’s constitution relies heavily on the ability of Parliament to scrutinise and legislate effectively.

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08 Sep 2023 Home affairs

Fixed recoverable costs: Bar Council insists on pay for work done

The Bar Council has submitted a strong response to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) consultation on fixed recoverable costs calling for the system to be reformed to help reduce the backlog and ensure pay for work done.

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06 Sep 2023 Home affairs

Reforming the Arbitration Act 1996 - Bar Council comment

Responding to the Law Commission's recommendations to improve the Arbitration Act 1996, Nick Vineall KC, Chair of the Bar Council, said:

16 Aug 2023 Home affairs

Do we really want to be the only democratic nation to ever leave the ECHR?

The small boats issue continues to dominate the summer headlines. The movement of large numbers across the Channel in dangerous and often overcrowded vessels is a genuine point of concern for the public when it comes to the effectiveness of our border controls.

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11 Aug 2023 Home affairs

Tackling court backlogs will need commitment to significant additional funding – Bar Council

The Ministry of Justice has announced plans to tackle the crown court backlogs, including a decision not to replace the cap on judicial sitting days and confirmation of £220 million investment in the courts and tribunals estate over the next two years.

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09 Aug 2023 Home affairs

Legal community gravely concerned: joint statement from the Bar Council and the Law Society

In today's Guardian, immigration solicitor Jacqueline McKenzie has written about her experience earlier this week when Conservative Central headquarters shared a dossier of information about her with the national media.

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13 Jul 2023 Home affairs

Bar Council responds to latest judicial diversity data

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30 Jun 2023 Home affairs

Culture shift needed to deliver court reform programme – Bar Council

The Public Accounts Committee has published its report into the Court Reform Programme expressing serious concerns that HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has underestimated the scale and complexity of reforms leading to stress amongst staff.

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13 Jun 2023 Home affairs

Bar Council reacts to Government's SLAPPs amendments

The Government has tabled new amendments to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill to seek to tackle Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).

06 Jun 2023 Home affairs

Prisons are a festering wound in our public services – they need urgent reform

I became an MP in June 1983 after practising criminal law for 12 years. Much of the parliamentary ambition I had was focused on the criminal justice system. I was troubled by the rising prison population and the increasingly ineffective role of prisons in reforming and improving the lives of young men and women to prepare them for leaving jail.

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25 May 2023 Home affairs

Slow steps of progress on widening access to legal aid – Bar Council

The Bar Council has welcomed the expansion of legal aid eligibility but expressed concern at the slow pace of change in the face of high inflation, meaning many people are still unable to access justice.