Thousands of children “fallen victim” to record backlogs in family courts, Law Society President warns – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Law Society President, Nick Emmerson, has called on the next government to protect children “trapped” in a family court crisis due to record backlogs.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 2nd July 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Trials and tribulation – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 4th, 2024 in criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, legal profession, news, prisons by sally

‘Crown courts are in crisis, reports Catherine Baksi. The backlog continues to climb, the estate is crumbling and there aren’t enough lawyers. So what’s the plan?’

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Law Society's Gazette, 2nd July 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Inequity’ in prison mental health care – coroner – BBC News

Posted June 10th, 2024 in coroners, delay, hospitals, inquests, mental health, news, prisons, suicide by tracey

‘Prisoners with mental health emergencies face “inequity” in the way they are treated, a coroner has said.’

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BBC News, 9th June 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The struggle for justice in one English town – BBC News

‘The backlog of Crown Court cases in England and Wales is close to a record high – more than a quarter have now been open for over a year. In West Mercia, which covers a large part of the West Midlands and the counties bordering Wales, on average nearly 18 months pass between an incident occurring and a jury reaching a verdict. But many people have been waiting a lot longer for justice.’

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BBC news, 10th June 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

More trauma for rape victims as court backlog doubles in two years due to lawyer shortage – The Independent

‘Court backlogs for rape prosecutions have soared to a record high, with the number of cases doubling in two years and victims facing “devastating” waits for justice.’

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The Independent, 2nd June 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Crime and punishment: how 14 years of Tory rule have changed Britain – in charts – The Guardian

‘“Justice delayed is justice denied” goes the old legal maxim – one that has captured the state of the court system in England and Wales in recent years.’

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The Guardian, 2nd June 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Washed-up: Angus McCullough KC comments on the long-awaited HMG response to Ouseley on Closed Proceedings – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted June 3rd, 2024 in closed material, delay, government departments, news, reports by sally

‘The Government’s response to the delayed Ouseley report was finally published on 29 May 2024, the last day before the dissolution of Parliament. In this piece a leading Special Advocate describes that response as underwhelming, especially after so long.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 30th May 2024

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Court backlog target in England and Wales no longer achievable, says NAO – The Guardian

Posted May 24th, 2024 in criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, Ministry of Justice, news, statistics by sally

‘The Ministry of Justice’s ambition to reduce the backlog in crown courts in England and Wales to 53,000 by March next year is no longer achievable, a parliamentary watchdog has said.’

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The Guardian, 24th May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Grenfell bereaved and survivors must wait until 2027 for suspects to face trial – The Guardian

‘The bereaved and survivors of Grenfell Tower must wait until at least 2027 – a decade after the blaze that killed 72 people – before those suspected of being responsible for the disaster could face criminal trials, it has emerged.’

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The Guardian, 22nd May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police chiefs say prison crisis in England and Wales is ‘unsustainable’ – The Guardian

‘Police chiefs have told ministers they fear that the crisis gripping the Prison Service in England and Wales is “unsustainable” and risks public safety, the Guardian has learned.’

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The Guardian, 21st May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Court delays imposed after pressure on prison places – BBC News

Posted May 15th, 2024 in courts, criminal justice, delay, early release, imprisonment, news, prisons by sally

‘Some court appearances will be delayed as part of an emergency measure because of prison overcrowding.’

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BBC News, 15th May 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Child refugees using people smugglers to reach family in UK, report warns – The Guardian

‘Child refugees are using people smugglers to cross the Channel in small boats to reunite with parents and other close relatives because delays in government family reunion processes are leaving them stranded in danger, according to a report.’

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The Guardian, 13th May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Beyond the boundaries of time – Haden, Luxton and section 14 of POCA – Mountford Chambers

Posted May 7th, 2024 in chambers articles, confiscation, delay, limitations, news by sally

‘Grace Khaile considers the Court of Appeal’s latest judgments on delay in confiscation proceedings. The two-year limit in section 14(5) of the Proceeds of Crime Act after conviction for the determination of confiscation proceedings appears to be no more than notional.’

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Mountford Chambers, 23rd April 2024

Source: www.mountfordchambers.com

Digitising probate without new rules “an expensive mistake” – Legal Futures

Posted May 1st, 2024 in delay, HM Courts Service, inquiries, news, probate, wills by sally

‘Digitising the Probate Service without modernising the rules was “an expensive mistake”, the former chair of the Law Society’s wills and equity committee has told MPs.’

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Legal Futures, 1st May 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

JCT D&B contract 2024 clarifies treatment of liquidated damages at termination – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 29th, 2024 in construction industry, contracts, damages, delay, news by tracey

‘The recently published update by the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) clarifies treatment of liquidated damages at termination and brings the new design and build form in line with other contract types used within the UK construction sector, an expert has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 26th April 2024

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Rwanda bill: what does the latest delay mean? – The Guardian

‘Rishi Sunak’s plan to fly people seeking asylum to Rwanda this spring appears to have been put back to the summer after House of Lords insisted on changes to the scheme.’

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The Guardian, 19th April 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Report calls for major overhaul of BSB enforcement processes – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has the right approach to dealing with complaints about barristers’ conduct but there are “a large number of areas” for improvement, a major review has concluded.’

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Legal Futures, 12th April 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Met Police refers itself to watchdog after woman fatally stabbed in Westminster home – The Independent

Posted April 10th, 2024 in delay, missing persons, murder, news, ombudsmen, police, professional conduct by sally

‘Scotland Yard has referred itself to the police watchdog after officers waited until the next morning to respond to calls and then found a woman stabbed to death.’

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The Independent, 9th April 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Albanians willing to be repatriated detained for weeks in UK, watchdog finds – The Guardian

Posted April 9th, 2024 in delay, deportation, detention, immigration, news by tracey

‘Albanians volunteering to be repatriated under a fast-track deportation deal are being detained unnecessarily for several weeks at taxpayers’ expense, the prisons watchdog has found.’

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The Guardian, 8th April 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Firm avoids wasted costs order despite ‘reprehensible’ mistakes – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 28th, 2024 in case management, delay, law firms, news, personal injuries, wasted costs orders by tracey

‘The High Court has rejected a client’s bid for a wasted costs order against his former solicitors – despite being heavily critical of repeated failings in running the case.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 27th March 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk