Senior judges lay bare hostility to government’s court fee rises – Litigation Futures

Posted March 6th, 2014 in consultations, courts, fees, judiciary, news by sally

‘The senior judiciary has dismantled the government’s proposals to raise court fees, questioning the underlying policy, highlighting the “clearly inadequate” evidence and warning that introducing enhanced fees in commercial cases is “unworkable”.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 5th March 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Senior judges attack government’s planned court cost rise – BBC News

Posted March 4th, 2014 in civil justice, courts, fees, judges, news by sally

‘Government plans to increase the cost of going to court in England and Wales would undermine the civil and family justice system, top judges have said.’

Full story

BBC News, 4th March 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Commercial barristers and Law Society join chorus of opposition to court fee changes – Litigation Futures

Posted March 4th, 2014 in barristers, consultations, courts, fees, Law Society, news by sally

‘The Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) proposals to increase court fees for litigants above cost price have been roundly condemned once again, with the Law Society and commercial barristers adding their voices to what has become a chorus of disapproval.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 4th March 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Magistrates should sit in police stations, report says – BBC News

Posted February 21st, 2014 in courts, magistrates, news, police, reports by sally

‘The government should allow magistrates to dispense on-the-spot justice inside police stations at peak times, a report by a right-leaning think tank has said.’

Full story

BBC News, 21st February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The High Court’s new Planning Court – Thirty Nine Essex Street

Posted February 14th, 2014 in bills, courts, judicial review, news, planning by sally

‘The High Court is now to include a formally designated Planning Court and permission to apply will be required for section 288 applications against planning decisions in the latest government reforms to judicial review and related proceedings. Ministers have just published their response to the latest reform proposals and the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill 2014 proposing changes to judicial review.’

Full story

Thirty Nine Essex Street, February 2014

Source: www.39essex.com

Civil Justice Council slams government’s court fee reforms – Litigation Futures

Posted February 13th, 2014 in consultations, courts, fees, news by sally

‘The Civil Justice Council has become the latest and one of the most influential bodies to lay into the government’s proposed increases in court fees, warning that they could have a “chilling effect” on people who want to bring claims.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 13th February 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Grayling’s proposals for environmental and planning judicial review – UK Human Rights Blog

‘At first sight, proposals full of sound and fury, and signifying not a great deal for planning and environmental challenges. There are some slippery costs changes which we need to look at, but some of the potentially more concerning proposals do not fully apply to this area, as I shall explain. There are also some perfectly sensible proposals about harmonising planning challenges which lawyers have been advocating for years.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 9th February 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Criminals to pay towards cost of running courts – Ministry of Justice

Posted February 7th, 2014 in bills, costs, courts, criminal justice, press releases by sally

‘Criminals will be made to pay towards the cost of their court case under legislation introduced to Parliament today by Justice Secretary Chris Grayling.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 5th February 2014

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

New planning court gets go ahead to support UK growth – Ministry of Justice

Posted February 6th, 2014 in courts, judicial review, news, planning by sally

‘Key building projects which generate thousands of jobs in communities across the UK will benefit from changes to tackle costly and unnecessary legal delays under plans to speed up and reform the Judicial Review system announced today by Justice Secretary Chris Grayling.’

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 5th February 2014

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

Court fees could exceed legal costs under government plans, lawyers warn – Litigation Futures

Posted February 5th, 2014 in costs, courts, fees, news by sally

‘The government’s proposals to increase court fees for commercial cases could lead to claimants facing a fee demand greater than their legal costs, litigators have warned.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 5th February 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Company barred from giving evidence in court due to “substantial delay” in providing witness statements – OUT-LAW.com

‘Civil court litigants must comply with court orders or “face the consequences”, an expert has said, after the High Court barred a company from giving evidence about a particular issue at trial after it failed to exchange witness statements within a reasonable time.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 28th January 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Law and Democracy – Six Pump Court

Posted January 22nd, 2014 in courts, criminal justice, news by sally

‘The basis of the English criminal law is to protect property. An illustration of this fundamental principle of English jurisprudence was enshrined most notoriously in the Black Act of the eighteenth century which was introduced in an atmosphere of considerable social disquiet by the ruling classes in order to quell the unrest directed at the chattels and property of the ruling classes and which was perceived at that time as a challenge to the then social order.’

Full story (Word)

Six Pump Court, 16th January 2014

Source: www.6pumpcourt.co.uk

Court’s permission needed to extend time for service of witness statements – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted January 22nd, 2014 in agreements, civil procedure rules, courts, news, service, time limits, witnesses by sally

‘In almost every litigated case the parties usually find themselves needing to vary the dates of some directions. This can be done by way of written agreement between the parties and is allowed by CPR 2.11.’

Full story

Hardwicke Chambers, 22nd January 2014

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Watchdog slams MoJ for inadequate assessment of ‘enhanced’ court fees impact – Litigation Futures

Posted January 22nd, 2014 in courts, fees, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

‘The impact assessment (IA) accompanying the Ministry of Justice’s plans to charge some court users fees in excess of cost price is not fit for purpose, a government watchdog has declared.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 22nd January 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Court interpreting firm Capita fined thousands – BBC News

Posted January 22nd, 2014 in courts, interpreters, news, penalties by sally

‘A private company which provides court interpreters in England and Wales has lost thousands of pounds in penalties for its poor performance.’

Full story

BBC News, 22nd January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ministers respond to ruling on ‘life means life’ sentences – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 9th, 2014 in courts, human rights, news, sentencing by sally

‘Government will send Europe initial response to controversial Strasbourg ruling which said “whole life” tariffs are a breach of human rights.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 9th January 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Chancery Modernisation Review: Final Report Published – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted December 18th, 2013 in consultations, courts, news, reports by sally

‘A review of the Chancery Division of the High Court by Lord Justice Briggs is published today. Based in the Rolls Building in London and in the seven principal regional trial centres, the Chancery Division is now the largest unit for handling business and property cases in the country.’

Full story

Judiciary of England and Wales, 17th December 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

BSB publishes guidance on deliberately failing to attend court – Bar Standards Board

‘The Bar Standards Board has today published guidance on deliberately failing to attend court.’

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 18th December 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

‘Let reformed drug addicts become magistrates’, suggests think tank – The Independent

Posted December 17th, 2013 in courts, drug abuse, magistrates, news, rehabilitation by sally

‘Ex-offenders who’ve turned away from crime would be ideally suited to help deal with low-level offenders.’

Full story

The Independent, 17th December 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Traffic courts up and running in 29 areas – Ministry of Justice

Posted December 16th, 2013 in courts, news, road traffic offences by sally

‘All areas should have a dedicated traffic court within the next 6 months Justice Minister Damian Green said today (13 December 2013).’

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 13th December 2013

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