Justice Secretary says it would be wrong for him to push for more rape prosecutions – The Independent

‘Labour accuses Robert Buckland of U-turn after he says he will not use his political position to urge more prosecutions and convictions.’

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The Independent, 20th June 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland ‘sorry’ for failing rape victims – BBC News

‘Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has apologised to rape victims for low conviction rates in England and Wales and promised to “do a lot better”.’

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BBC News 18th June 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Rape cases in England and Wales will be hit hard by backlog, says police chief – The Guardian

‘Rape and domestic violence cases in England and Wales will be among the worst hit from the growing backlog in the judicial system, and trials could soon start collapsing because of severe delays, the new crime commissioner for England’s second biggest force has warned.’

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The Guardian, 6th June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

£200 million investment in rehab services to cut crime – Ministry of Justice

‘Charities and companies which help rehabilitate offenders have been awarded around £200 million of Government funding to help cut crime in the new probation system.’

Ministry of Justice, 21st May 2021

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Bar: ‘no end to justice emergency’ – Law Society’s Gazette

‘In April 2020, the Bar Council predicted that 80% of chambers would collapse within a year without urgent financial aid. More than a year on, the pandemic persists – as do the vast majority of chambers. Were the early warnings overblown, or is the future of the bar still at risk?’

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Law Society's Gazette, 24th May 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Significant development’ need not be specific for budget revision – Litigation Futures

Posted May 17th, 2021 in budgets, case management, compensation, damages, news, personal injuries by sally

A ‘significant development’ in litigation requiring a budget to be revised need not be a specific event at a specific time, a Queen’s Bench master has ruled.

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Litigation Futures, 14th May 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

NHS to put stronger focus on learning from litigation claims – Litigation Futures

Posted May 10th, 2021 in budgets, compensation, hospitals, negligence, news, statistics by sally

‘A new best practice guide urging board-level attention at NHS trusts so they can learn more from clinical negligence cases has been issued in a bid to improve patient safety and reduce claims.’

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Litigation Futures, 10th May 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Court case delays left assault victim waiting over a year – BBC News

Posted April 23rd, 2021 in assault, budgets, coronavirus, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, news, trials, victims by sally

‘The government has announced emergency funding to help tackle huge delays in court trials.’

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BBC News, 23rd April 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Budget variation application failed promptness test, master rules – Litigation Futures

Posted April 15th, 2021 in budgets, civil procedure rules, costs, drafting, negligence, news by sally

‘A High Court master has sent out a strong message on the need to seek budget variations promptly after refusing a bid to increase two claimants’ budgets by £1.3m.’

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Litigation Futures, 13th April 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

I’ve seen how the UK justice system is crumbling. Why doesn’t the government take action? – Dominic Grieve – The Guardian

Posted April 6th, 2021 in budgets, civil justice, courts, criminal justice, legal aid, news, prisons by sally

‘From decrepit court buildings to legal aid cuts, the service has been brought to its knees. And there’s little hope of change.’

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The Guardian, 5th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Crown court backlog has reached ‘crisis levels’, report warns – The Guardian

‘The backlog of crown court cases in England and Wales has reached “crisis levels”, with the increased remand population likely to disproportionately impact children and young people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, a parliamentary committee has warned.’

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The Guardian, 30th March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

£1 million voucher scheme to help families resolve disputes outside of court – Ministry of Justice

Posted March 29th, 2021 in budgets, dispute resolution, families, family courts, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

‘Separating parents will be helped to avoid stressful court battles through a new million-pound mediation scheme launched by the government today.’

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Ministry of Justice, 26th March 2021

Source: www.gov.uk

Government’s decision to cut international aid budget ‘was unlawful’ – The Independent

Posted March 22nd, 2021 in budgets, government departments, international law, news by sally

‘The government’s decision to cut the international aid budget below its legal target was unlawful, a former director of public prosecutions has said. Lord Macdonald of River Glaven said new legislation would have been required to ditch the target of spending 0.7 per cent of international income on aid.”

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The Independent, 21st March 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Bar regulator “struggling to keep pace” with rising volume of work – Legal Futures

Posted March 19th, 2021 in barristers, budgets, coronavirus, disciplinary procedures, news, statistics by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has admitted it is struggling to keep pace with a rising volume of incoming reports, authorisations and disciplinary cases.’

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Legal Futures, 19th March 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

New Acts – legislation.gov.uk

Posted March 17th, 2021 in budgets, legislation, local government, telecommunications by sally

Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2021

Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act 2021

Non-Domestic Rating (Lists) Act 2021

Contingencies Fund Act 2021

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Meet the new fraud, same as the old fraud – Carmelite Chambers

Posted March 10th, 2021 in budgets, chambers articles, fraud, loans, news, taxation by sally

‘Mark Watson considers the latest Budget and outlines concerns about the scope for abuse and the response from the Government.’

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Carmelite Chambers, 5th March 2021

Source: www.carmelitechambers.co.uk

£130.5 million to tackle serious violence, murder and knife crime – Home Office

‘Package includes £30 million for police to surge activity in serious violence hotspots and new money to steer young people away from crime.’

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Home Office, 8th March 2021

Source: www.gov.uk

Trusts, Probate and Estates: Non-Contentious Commentary – Wilberforce Chambers

‘The Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered his Budget yesterday afternoon. A number of tax measures were introduced to ease the financial burden on businesses and individuals. Some were simply extensions of short-term tax relief, including a holiday on business rates for 3 months, maintaining the £500,000 SDLT nil-rate band, and a freeze on alcohol and fuel duties. In this update, I focus on some longer-term measures designed to promote a post-Covid rebound.’

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Wilberforce Chambers, 4th March 2021

Source: www.wilberforce.co.uk

Miscarriage of justice body’s workload doubled despite severe cuts – report – The Guardian

‘The miscarriage of justice watchdog has suffered the “biggest cut” of any part of the criminal justice system since 2010 and its caseload has more than doubled over the same period, according to a parliamentary investigation.’

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The Guardian, 5th March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Forensic science rationing is putting justice at risk, says outgoing regulator – The Guardian

‘Police forces are having to ration forensic toxicology work, especially samples from suspected drug drivers, because there is not enough capacity in the system to handle the volume of work, the outgoing forensic science regulator has said.’

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The Guardian, 16th February 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com