Category: criminal justice

Bar Council reaction to Lord Chancellor’s AGFS announcement – The Bar Council

Posted November 27th, 2018 in barristers, consultations, criminal justice, fees, pilot schemes, press releases by tracey

‘Responding to the Lord Chancellor’s announcement during Saturday’s Bar Council Annual Conference of more funding for the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS) Andrew Walker QC, Chair of the Bar, said: “The Lord Chancellor’s announcement that there will be further funding for the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS), following the recent consultation, is welcome. So too are his comments about the future – about the scope to improve the way in which criminal defence advocates are paid, and his commitment to working together with the professions to make criminal advocacy sustainable.”

Full press release

The Bar Council, 26th November 2018

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Scrapping juries in rape trials risks rise in miscarriages of justice – The Guardian

Posted November 23rd, 2018 in budgets, criminal justice, juries, miscarriage of justice, news, rape, sexual offences, statistics by sally

‘There is no evidence juries are failing their duty. Abolishing them could increase pressure on judges to boost conviction rates.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 22nd November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Criminals may escape conviction due to lack of resources for forensics, says Lord Chief Justice – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 21st, 2018 in budgets, criminal justice, disclosure, diversity, forensic science, judges, judiciary, news, remuneration, retirement by tracey

‘Criminals may be escaping conviction because of a lack of resources for forensic investigations, the Lord Chief Justice warned yesterday.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 20th November 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Scrap juries in rape trials, labour MP suggests – The Guardian

Posted November 21st, 2018 in criminal justice, inquiries, juries, news, rape, statistics, trials, victims by tracey

‘Juries may need to be scrapped in rape trials because of the dominance of rape myths in society and “shockingly low” charging and conviction rates, the House of Commons will hear.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 21st November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Prosecutor wants more convictions for crimes against elderly – BBC News

Posted November 19th, 2018 in burglary, criminal justice, Crown Prosecution Service, elderly, fraud, news, sentencing, statistics, victims by sally

‘The head of the Crown Prosecution Service in Wales says he wants to see more prosecutions of people who commit crimes against older people.’

Full Story

BBC News, 19th November 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Speech by Sir Ernest Ryder, Senior President of Tribunals: Diversity and Judgecraft – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted November 15th, 2018 in criminal justice, diversity, equality, judges, judiciary, police, race discrimination, speeches by tracey

‘Speech by Sir Ernest Ryder, Senior President of Tribunals: Diversity and Judgecraft.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 14th November 2018

Source: www.judiciary.gov

Creating a ‘zero tolerance’ culture for disclosure failings across the criminal justice system – Attorney General’s Office

Posted November 15th, 2018 in attorney general, criminal justice, disclosure, news by tracey

‘The Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox QC MP, has today published the Government’s Review of the efficiency and effectiveness of disclosure in the criminal justice system.’

Full review

Attorney General’s Office, 15th November 2018

Source: www.gov.uk/ago

Give victims right to challenge police and parole decisions, say MPs and Lords – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 13th, 2018 in compensation, consultations, criminal justice, disclosure, news, parole, police, victims by sally

‘Crime victims must get new legal rights to challenge parole and police decisions, a new all party group of MPs and Lords will demand today (Tues).’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 13th November 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

New research questions link between austerity and legal aid cuts – The Bar Council

Posted November 8th, 2018 in budgets, criminal justice, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, press releases, statistics by tracey

‘New research commissioned by the Bar Council reveals the full scale of a decade of dis-investment in justice and argues that decisions to make wholesale budget cuts cannot be blamed on austerity measures alone.’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 1st November 2018

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Prisons are new frontline in fighting crime, says Gauke – The Guardian

Posted November 2nd, 2018 in crime, criminal justice, news, police, prisons by sally

‘Jails have emerged as a new frontline in fighting crime because advances in technology mean prison walls alone are no longer effective in stopping criminals, the justice secretary has told police chiefs.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 1st November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Justice campaign’ needs new approach, say experts – Legal Futures

Posted November 2nd, 2018 in civil justice, criminal justice, legal profession, media, news, rule of law by sally

‘Lawyers have been urged to look at radical new approaches to ‘rebrand’ justice so as to build public and political understanding of its value.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 30th October 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Criminal law not keeping pace with digital world – report – The Guardian

Posted November 1st, 2018 in communicating false information, criminal justice, harassment, internet, Law Commission, news, pornography, privacy, statistics, telecommunications by sally

‘Online communications law is incoherent and fails to protect victims of abuse from harassment such as “deepfake” pornography, according to a report by the Law Commission.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 1st November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Bar Council: LASPO has failed – The Bar Council

Posted October 26th, 2018 in barristers, budgets, civil justice, criminal justice, legal aid, litigants in person, press releases by tracey

‘Legislation passed five years ago has failed to meet its aims and has created an unfair and inefficient justice system, says the Bar Council as new research shows the true impact of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO).’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 25th October 2018

Short Cuts – London Review of Books

Posted October 18th, 2018 in appeals, budgets, criminal justice, legal aid, magistrates, news, sentencing by sally

‘If you want to appeal against a guilty verdict given by a crown court jury you first have to seek permission from the Court of Appeal. For permission to be granted, a judge has to be satisfied there is an ‘arguable case’ that the conviction was ‘unsafe’. If so, the appeal is heard in full by a panel of three judges. The latest figures show that in 2016-17 the court received 1305 applications for permission to appeal, and dealt with 850, refusing permission to 695 (82 per cent). It heard 215 appeals, and allowed 78 – 36 per cent of those heard.’

Full Story

London Review of Books, 11th October 2018

Source: www.lrb.co.uk

Data gathering ‘may deny rape victims access to justice – The Guardian

Posted October 17th, 2018 in consent, criminal justice, data protection, disclosure, evidence, news, police, privacy, rape, victims by sally

The intrusive gathering of data about possible rape victims is unlawful and risks preventing them coming forward, according to London’s victims’ commissioner.

Full Story

The Guardian, 17th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

What does the Proposal to Introduce Trial-by-Video Link Mean for Justice? – Rights Info

Posted October 12th, 2018 in civil justice, courts, criminal justice, equality, human rights, internet, learning difficulties, live link evidence, mental health, news by sally

‘The government’s plans for court modernisation, under Her Majesty’s Courts, Tribunals Service Reform Programme (HMCTS), include the development of fully-video hearings, where all parties join via electronic links and no one is in a courtroom.’

Full Story

Rights Info, 9th October 2018

Source: rightsinfo.org

Failure to disclose vital evidence in criminal cases growing, says watchdog – The Guardian

Posted October 11th, 2018 in criminal justice, criminal procedure, disclosure, evidence, miscarriage of justice, news, prosecutions by sally

‘Failure to disclose vital evidence is the biggest single cause of miscarriages of justice and the problem is getting worse, the outgoing chairman of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has said.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 11th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Exeter prison condemned by inspectors for violence and drug use – The Guardian

Posted October 9th, 2018 in criminal justice, drug abuse, news, prisons, violence by tracey

‘The crisis-struck HMP Exeter prison, one of only four to have been subjected to special emergency action, is “very violent” and has overt drug use that is not regarded as exceptional by staff, according to inspectors.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 9th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

MI5 provides immunity for agents’ criminal acts, tribunal told – The Guardian

Posted October 5th, 2018 in criminal justice, human rights, immunity, intelligence services, investigatory powers, news by tracey

‘MI5 grants its informants legal cover to participate in crimes that may extend to murder, torture and sexual assaults, a tribunal has heard.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 4th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Brecon Beacons SAS deaths: Call for MoD to face courts – BBC News

Posted September 20th, 2018 in armed forces, courts martial, criminal justice, immunity, negligence, news, prosecutions by tracey

‘The Ministry of Defence has not learned lessons from the deaths of three men on an SAS march and should lose its immunity from prosecution, an MP says.’

Full Story

BBC News, 19th September 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk