Judicial independence tainted by ministers, Commons inquiry finds – The Guardian

Posted June 8th, 2022 in government departments, inquiries, judges, judiciary, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘Ministers have acted improperly by questioning the legitimacy of judges when they do not get their own way, creating an impression that recent supreme court decisions favourable to the government may have been a response to political pressure, a parliamentary inquiry has found.’

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The Guardian, 8th June 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Courts send different messages to lawyers over witness statements – Legal Futures

Posted May 27th, 2022 in drafting, judges, news, practice directions, witnesses by sally

‘The strengthened rules on witness statements should not be used as a “weapon with which to fillet” essentially insignificant failures to comply, a High Court judge has said.’

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Legal Futures, 27th May 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

A judge has discretion to grant relief from sanctions without a formal application or any application at all, Court of Appeal reaffirms- Farrar’s Building

‘In Park v Hadi and Another [2022] EWCA Civ 581, the Court of Appeal (Holroyde, Stuart-Smith and Warby LJJ), reaffirmed the principle that a judge may, of her own discretion, grant relief from sanctions without formal notice or without any application at all. The Court went on to issue guidance as to how this judicial discretion ought to be exercised, observing that a judge should always act in accordance with the overriding objective and will likely only exercise her discretion to grant relief sparingly.’

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Farrar's Building, 5th May 2022

Source: www.farrarsbuilding.co.uk

Laurence Fox denied first libel jury trial for a decade – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 20th, 2022 in bias, defamation, interpretation, judges, juries, news, racism, trials by sally

‘Actor and political activist Laurence Fox has failed in his bid for the first libel trial by jury in a decade over a social media spat between him and three public figures he called “paedophiles” on Twitter.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 18th May 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Judge blasts ‘wasteful’ lawyers who filed 6,000-page bundles – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 16th, 2022 in costs, judges, law firms, news, solicitors by tracey

‘A High Court judge has issued a stern rebuke to lawyers who ran up massive costs and lumbered the court with voluminous bundles.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 16th May 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Lord Reed, London International Disputes Week – Supreme Court

‘Lord Reed, London International Disputes Week.’

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Supreme Court, 11th May 2022

Source: www.supremecourt.uk

Lady Rose, Oxford Union talk – Supreme Court

Posted May 13th, 2022 in constitutional law, judges, judiciary, speeches, Supreme Court by tracey

‘Lady Rose, Oxford Union talk.’

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Supreme Court, 12th May 2022

Source: www.supremecourt.uk

Capacity to litigate – Family Law

‘The Court of Appeal has considered the question of whether it is fair and appropriate for a Court of Protection Judge to visit the person who lacks mental capacity and about whom the Judge is being asked to make a best interest decision.’

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Family Law, 5th May 2022

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Victim’s domestic abuse allegations against her ex ‘troublingly’ downplayed by family court judge – The Independent

Posted April 21st, 2022 in children, domestic violence, family courts, judges, news by sally

‘Domestic abuse allegations were “troublingly” downplayed by a judge in a case that exposes systemic issues with the family court, a leading barrister has warned.’

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The Independent, 20th April 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judge could hand down judgment despite settlement – Legal Futures

‘A deputy master could hand down her judgment on a case that had been heard but settled the day before she was due to circulate a draft judgment striking out the claims.’

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Legal Futures, 20th April 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Treat family separations “as transactions, not litigation” – Legal Futures

Posted April 14th, 2022 in costs, dispute resolution, divorce, families, family courts, judges, news by tracey

‘Family separation cases should “operate in a transactional way, as with conveyancing, rather than under the banner of litigation”, the chair of the Family Solutions Group has argued.’

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Legal futures, 14th April 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Apocalypse now? Judge stunned at £8m divorce costs – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 13th, 2022 in costs, divorce, families, family courts, financial dispute resolution, judges, news by tracey

‘A High Court judge has called for a cap on costs in family cases after describing the “apocalyptic” state of expensive divorce proceedings.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 13th April 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Capacity to litigate – Family Law

Posted March 11th, 2022 in appeals, Court of Protection, judges, mental health, news by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal has considered the question of whether it is fair and appropriate for a Court of Protection Judge to visit the person who lacks mental capacity and about whom the Judge is being asked to make a best interest decision.’

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Family Law, 10th March 2022

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

MPs slate Ministry of Justice over Crown Court backlog and judges – Legal Futures

‘MPs today slated the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) “meagre ambition” to reduce the Crown Court case backlog and warned that efforts to recruit judges will ignore the need to improve diversity.’

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Legal Futures, 9th March 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Being gay as a judge “no longer an issue”, says CA vice-president – Legal Futures

Posted March 3rd, 2022 in barristers, homosexuality, judges, judiciary, news by sally

‘Being a judge who “happens to be gay” has “completely disappeared as an issue”, the vice-president of the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) has said.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd March 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

A Decent Death: Stephen Sedley and My Death, My Decision – Law Pod UK

Posted February 23rd, 2022 in assisted suicide, judges, news, podcasts, suicide by sally

‘Rosalind English talks to Trevor Moore of the campaign group My Death, My Decision about UK laws on assisted dying, and they reflect on a speech given by former Court of Appeal judge Sir Stephen Sedley on the subject.’

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Law Pod UK, 21st February 2022

Source: audioboom.com

Judge married to Tory grandee refuses to recuse herself in ex-MP case – Legal Futures

Posted January 24th, 2022 in families, judges, news, parliament, rape, recusal, sexual offences by tracey

‘A High Court judge married to a senior Conservative politician refused to recuse herself from dealing with a contact dispute that involved a disgraced ex-Tory MP, it has emerged.’

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Legal Futures, 24th January 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Balancing transparency and confidentiality ‘really difficult’ – McFarlane – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Greater transparency is necessary for the public to have confidence in the family justice system but balancing openness with confidentiality will be “really difficult”, the president of the Family Division told MPs today.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 11th January 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Speech by Dame Victoria Sharp DBE: The Challenges and Opportunities Created by Digital Evidence in Criminal Cases – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘Dame Victoria Sharp DBE, the President of the Queen’s Bench Division, has given a speech to the National Criminal Justice Conference.’

Full speech

Courts and tribunals Judiciary, 5th January 2022

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Judge calls for ban on drunken Royal Naval parties after jailing sailor for raping colleague – The Independent

Posted December 17th, 2021 in alcohol abuse, armed forces, imprisonment, judges, news, rape, sexual offences, victims by michael

‘A judge has said there should be a ban placed on parties involving “excessive drinking” in the Royal Navy after a sailor was jailed for raping a female colleague following a party at a hotel. ‘

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The Independent, 16th December 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk