‘The locations of 10 emergency “Nightingale courts” created by the Ministry of Justice for socially distanced trials to tackle the massive backlog in cases in England and Wales have been announced.’
The Guardian, 19th July 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Ten temporary courts are being set up to help clear a backlog of hearings caused by the coronavirus pandemic.’
BBC News, 19th July 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Charles and Emma Villiers married in 1994. They moved to Scotland the following year and lived there throughout their married life. The couple separated in 2012, when the wife and the parties’ daughter left the former matrimonial home and moved to England, where the wife continues to reside. Mrs Villiers issued a divorce petition in July 2013 on the basis of her habitual residence for 12 months preceding the presentation of the petition.’
Parklane Plowden Chambers, 1st July 2020
Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk
‘The Secretary of State for Justice recently confirmed that the government is considering whether to introduce primary legislation to suspend jury trials for offences triable either way as a way to address the backlog of criminal cases arising from the public health crisis. This development has caused alarm amongst practitioners who might be hoping that Humphreys J was right when he said: “I cannot bring myself to believe that there are any persons other than the inmates of a lunatic asylum who would vote in favour of the abolition of trial by jury in serious criminal cases” (Do We Need a Jury? [1954] Crim LR 457).’
6 KBW College Hill, 30th June 2020
Source: blog.6kbw.com
‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is considering whether to allow the High Court as well as the Court of Appeal to depart from European Union case law from next year.’
Litigation Futures, 9th July 2020
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘The Divisional Court handed down its decision on 6th May 2020, in a renewed permission hearing, ruling that German local courts were competent to issue European Arrest Warrants: Shirnakhy & Hosseinali v Weiden Local Court, Germany, [2020] EWHC 1103 (Admin), Nicola Davies LJ and Lewis J presiding.’
5SAH, 2nd July 2020
Source: www.5sah.co.uk
‘According to a report in the Nottinghamshire Law Society Civil Court User Bulletin No 5. HHJ Godsmark QC, on an application to vacate a trial on account of the Defendant’s witnesses being “furloughed”, stated that, “attending a court to give evidence for the employer is not ‘work’ and certainly not work within the meaning of the furlough scheme”.’
3PB, 3rd July 2020
Source: www.3pb.co.uk
‘So reports Owen Bowcott, the legal affairs correspondent for The Guardian today. “Nightingale” courts being venues which have been identified as suitable for trials utilising public spaces such a civic centres or university moot halls; apparently to be renamed Blackstone Courts.’
Thomas More Chambers, 3rd July 2020
Source: www.thomasmore.co.uk
‘A “tsunami of litigation” powered by the Covid-19 pandemic could leave the civil justice system “overwhelmed” by the end of the year, a well-known solicitor and ADR specialist has predicted.’
Litigation Futures, 8th July 2020
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘The Ministry of Justice is seeking lawyers’ views on which British courts should have the power to depart from retained EU case law after the Brexit transition period ends.’
Law Society's Gazette, 2nd July 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘The new video platform enabling more remote cases to be heard in the criminal courts will rolled out to the civil courts over the coming months, the Ministry of Justice confirmed yesterday.’
Litigation Futures, 2nd July 2020
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘Detainees, including children, are still being routinely handcuffed in custody in a practice described as “inappropriate and very concerning”.’
BBC News, 1st July 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Virtual trials with physical jury hubs could be an effective way of clearing the significant Crown court backlog caused by Covid-19, academics evaluating the latest experiment from a legal thinktank have said.’
Law Society's Gazette, 19th June 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘High Court activity has already recovered to pre-Covid-19 levels following a sharp slump during the height of the outbreak, new research has found.’
Litigation Futures, 15th June 2020
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘Courts across the jurisdiction have struggled for years to run small claim and fast track lists efficiently in order to reduce the backlog. Coronavirus lockdown has brought this to a head, as cases are adjourned and the huge backlog is set to rise. Waiting several months, if not years, to have a case of modest value heard is contrary to the interests of justice. Memories fade, individuals cannot enforce their rights until the issue is litigated, the deserving go uncompensated, and the pressure to under-settle increases.’
No. 5 Chambers, 1st June 2020
Source: www.no5.com
‘British courts are preparing to fast-track prosecutions for the Black Lives Matter protests, as justice secretary Robert Buckland has told magistrates to model the process along the lines of the response to rioting in London in 2011, The Times reported.’
Daily Telegraph, 12th June 2020
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘For seven weeks Covid-19 shut the doors of jury trials in England and Wales. On 11th May 2020, the Lord Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor announced the resumption of new jury trials in “certain courtrooms under certain conditions” from 18th May 2020. In the interim, two guinea pig trials resumed at the Old Bailey.’
Doughty Street Chambers, 18th May 2020
Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk
‘The time litigants have to wait to reach trial in civil claims reached record lengths even before the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic hit, new government figures have revealed.’
Litigation Futures, 4th June 2020
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘The Master of the Rolls, Sir Terence Etherton, the chair of the independent Civil Justice Council and Head of Civil Justice, has welcomed the Civil Justice Council’s rapid review of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the civil justice system, particularly the swift expansion of the use of remote hearings. The review, conducted with the support of the Legal Education Foundation, launched on 1 May 2020 and concluded on 15 May 2020. It was particularly aimed at court users whose hearings took place between 1 May and 7 May 2020.’
Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 5th June 2020
Source: www.judiciary.uk
‘ “Mob justice” could increase in England and Walesunless more money is made available to clear the backlog of court cases swollen by coronavirus, the government has been warned.’
BBC News, 29th May 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
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