Category: civil justice

Legal aid crackdown to protect troops from being sued – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 18th, 2016 in Afghanistan, armed forces, budgets, civil justice, compensation, human rights, inquiries, Iraq, judicial review, law firms, legal aid, news, war crimes by tracey

‘ Human rights lawyers who have brought thousands of war crimes cases against British troops will see their taxpayer-funded legal aid cut, in a new assault on “ambulance chasing” law firms. David Cameron has ordered a crackdown after becoming “very concerned” at the boom in compensation claims and investigations against soldiers over incidents in Iraq and Afghanistan.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 16th January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Top judge says justice system is now unaffordable to most – The Guardian

Posted January 14th, 2016 in civil justice, courts, criminal justice, fees, judges, judiciary, litigants in person, news, reports by sally

‘Civil justice is unaffordable for most people, more people are being forced to represent themselves, and judges – whose pensions have been cut – feel underappreciated, according to the lord chief justice.’

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The Guardian, 13th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Interim review of civil courts proposes online court for claims up to £25,000 – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 14th, 2016 in civil justice, consultations, courts, internet, news, reports, small claims by sally

‘There is a clear and pressing need to create an online court for claims up to £25,000, a senior judge has said in his interim review of the civil courts structure in England and Wales.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 13th January 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

MoJ considers specialist courts for issues such as domestic abuse – The Guardian

Posted December 7th, 2015 in civil justice, courts, criminal justice, domestic violence, judiciary, jurisdiction, Ministry of Justice, news, rehabilitation by sally

‘The potential for developing more US-style specialist tribunals – including courts dedicated to tackling the surge in domestic abuse cases – is being examined by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).’

Full story

The Guardian, 7th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Survey: Public want justice system to modernise faster to improve access – Legal Futures

Posted December 3rd, 2015 in civil justice, courts, internet, legal profession, news, reports by tracey

‘The public believes that the legal system should be modernised faster than is happening at present, with many feeling “the justice system has retained tradition at the expense of efficiency”, new research has found.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd December 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Speech by Lord Dyson: Is Judicial Review a Threat to Democracy? – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted December 3rd, 2015 in civil justice, judicial review, proportionality, speeches by tracey

‘Speech by Rt Hon Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls at The Sultan Azlan Shah Lecture.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 2nd December 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Appeal judges back legal aid residence test – Legal Voice

Posted December 1st, 2015 in appeals, civil justice, domicile, human rights, legal aid, news, ultra vires by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal has unanimously ruled that the government’s proposed residence test for civil legal aid is lawful, overturning a judgment by the High Court last year which found the measure to be discriminatory and unlawful. The test, if implemented, will restrict public funding for legal representation in civil cases to individuals who can prove that they are lawfully resident in the UK and have been so for a 12 month period at some time in the past.’

Full story

Legal Voice, 1st December 2015

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Spending Review 2015 – Bar Council response – The Bar Council

Posted November 26th, 2015 in barristers, budgets, civil justice, courts, criminal justice, fees, press releases by tracey

‘Chairman of the Bar Council Alistair MacDonald QC said: “Investment to modernise courts and tribunals is vital to the successful reform of our criminal justice system and today’s Ministry of Justice settlement safeguards the £700 million announced earlier this year.”‘

Full press release

The Bar Council, 26th November 2015

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Polling shows public lack confidence in justice system – The Bar Council

Posted November 26th, 2015 in citizens advice bureaux, civil justice, legal representation, press releases, pro bono work, reports by tracey

‘Polling results in the Citizens Advice report, Responsive justice: How citizens experience the justice system, show that voters lack confidence in our legal system and have concerns over access to justice.’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 24th November 2015

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Public plead for free legal advice before deciding whether to go to court – Legal Futures

Posted November 24th, 2015 in citizens advice bureaux, civil justice, dispute resolution, law centres, legal aid, legal representation, legal services, news by sally

‘Any person thinking about taking their case to court should be able to see a lawyer without cost at least once, according to an opinion poll conducted as part of work on the public perception of justice.’

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Legal Futures, 24th November 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Transcript of the Lord Chief Justice’s Annual Press Conference 2015 – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted November 18th, 2015 in bail, barristers, bills, budgets, civil justice, closed material, costs, Court of Protection, criminal courts charge, criminal justice, diversity, DNA, expert witnesses, family courts, fees, forensic science, human rights, investigatory powers, judges, judiciary, law firms, legal aid, legal profession, legal representation, pilot schemes, sexual offences, solicitors, speeches by tracey

‘The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, held his annual press conference on Tuesday, 17 November, 2015, at the Royal Courts of Justice.’

Full transcript

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 17th November 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Tribunals president urges web-based “expansion of justice” and rationalisation of judiciary – Litigation Futures

Posted November 17th, 2015 in civil justice, criminal justice, internet, judges, news, tribunals by tracey

‘The courts should embrace IT and the internet in ways that improve access to justice and make scarce resources go further, if the values embodied in Magna Carta are to be realised, according to a senior judge.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 17th November 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Speech by Sir Ernest Ryder: In the Shadow of Magna Carta – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted November 17th, 2015 in civil justice, courts, criminal justice, internet, judges, magna carta, speeches, tribunals by tracey

‘The Rt Hon Sir Ernest Ryder gave a speech “In the Shadow of Magna Carta” in Washington DC on 13 November 2015.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 13th November 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Speech by the Lord Chief Justice: The Centrality of Justice – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted November 17th, 2015 in civil justice, courts, criminal justice, judges, judiciary, rule of law, speeches by tracey

‘Speech by the Lord Chief Justice, “The Centrality of Justice: Its contribution to Society, and its Delivery” The Lord Williams of Mostyn Memorial Lecture on 10 November 2015.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 16th November 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Leveson: civil courts could introduce online screening of cases – Litigation Futures

Posted November 16th, 2015 in case management, civil justice, dispute resolution, family courts, news by sally

‘Sir Brian Leveson, president of the Queen’s Bench Division, has argued that a “change in approach” is needed by the civil and family courts, including the introduction of a “screening process”.’

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Litigation Futures, 13th November 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Sir Brian Leveson: Security and Justice – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted November 13th, 2015 in civil justice, closed material, courts, criminal justice, intelligence services, lectures by tracey

‘Sir Brian Leveson, President of the Queen’s Bench Division gave the 13th Annual Isaiah Berlin Lecture in London on 12 November 2015.’

Full text

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 13th November 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

MoJ to publish impact of reforms on civil legal aid – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 12th, 2015 in civil justice, legal aid, news, reports, select committees by sally

‘Government research on the impact of its reforms on civil legal aid are expected to be published by the end of the year, the Ministry of Justice has revealed.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 11th November 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Judge calls for fast-track civil contempt procedure after application is stymied by criminal trial – Litigation Futures

Posted November 4th, 2015 in civil justice, civil procedure rules, compensation, contempt of court, damages, delay, evidence, fraud, news, personal injuries by sally

‘A claimant found to have brought a bogus personal injury claim – but then cleared of fraud in the Crown Court – can only face civil contempt proceedings if there is new evidence, the High Court has ruled.’

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Litigation Futures, 4th November 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

“Typical claimant” is male, self-employed, Asian and aged over 45, major MoJ survey finds – Litigation Futures

Posted November 3rd, 2015 in civil justice, courts, fees, news, reports, statistics by sally

‘The “typical claimant” in a civil court case is male, self-employed, Asian, healthy and aged over 45, a major survey for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has found.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 2nd November 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Jackson urges government to end insolvency litigation exemption from his reforms –

Posted October 21st, 2015 in bankruptcy, civil justice, civil procedure rules, costs, insolvency, legal aid, news, personal injuries, Supreme Court by sally

‘Lord Justice Jackson has called for the recently extended exemption for insolvency cases from the impact of his reforms to come to an end, describing recoverability as “an instrument of oppression, which is liable to crush defendants who have a good defence”.’

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Litigation Futures, 20th October 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com