Category: judiciary

The latest prisoner votes judgment may be our Marbury v Madison – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 21st, 2013 in elections, human rights, judicial review, judiciary, news, prisons, Supreme Court by sally

“At first glance, prisoner voting proponents may interpret the Supreme Court’s R (Chester) v Justice Secretary decision (see Adam Wagner’s previous post) as a defeat for advancing prisoner voting rights in the UK. This blog post offers a different perspective. By comparing Chester to the seminal US Supreme Court case of Marbury v. Madison, we summarise that such proponents should take a step back and see the wood, rather than merely the trees. This is because Lord Mance’s Chester judgment offers human rights advocates, and therefore supporters of prisoner voting rights, an unequivocal foundation from which to defend future human rights claims.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 20th October 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

JAC seeks first part-time High Court judge – Litigation Futures

Posted October 15th, 2013 in diversity, judicial appointments commission, judiciary, news, part-time work, women by sally

“The first part-time High Court judge could start sitting next year after the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) launched a competition that allows candidates to work under flexible arrangements.”

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Litigation Futures, 15th October 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Human rights attacked again – the thorny issue of ‘just satisfaction’ – Legal Week

Posted October 11th, 2013 in human rights, judiciary, news, treaties by sally

The attack on human rights protection is relentless. The Daily Mail and The Telegraph this week reported that judges in Strasbourg have handed criminals taxpayer-funded payouts of £4.4m – an average of £22,000 a head. Recipients since 1998 include the traitor George Blake, extremist cleric Abu Qatada and the IRA killer dubbed Mrs Doubtfire.

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Legal Week, 10th October 2013

Source: www.legalweek.com

Paedophile who received suspended jail term after prosecution branded 13-year-old victim ‘predatory’ to have sentence reviewed – The Independent

Posted October 8th, 2013 in appeals, complaints, indecent photographs of children, judiciary, news, pornography, sentencing, sexual offences, suspended sentences by sally

“A paedophile who received a suspended jail term after the prosecution branded his 13-year-old victim ‘predatory’ is having his sentence reviewed.”

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The Independent, 8th October 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Anthony Bradley: A Review of Jack Straw’s Hamlyn Lectures: Aspects of Law Reform: An Insider’s Perspective – UK Constitutional Law Group

Posted October 7th, 2013 in Crown Prosecution Service, diversity, human rights, judiciary, legal profession, news, parliament, police by sally

“As the lecturer disarmingly tells us at the outset of the Hamlyn Lectures for 2012, the illustrious procession of Hamlyn lecturers since 1949 (Lord Denning) through to 2011 (Jeremy Waldron) has ‘without exception’ comprised ‘lawyers distinguished by their practice, their academic study or both’. Jack Straw is an exception. Since an LLB at Leeds and two years at the criminal bar, he has made his career in politics – holding glittering ministerial office, throughout the Blair-Brown years, as Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary, leader of the Commons, and Lord Chancellor.”

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UK Constitutional Law Group, 7th October 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Neuberger urges government caution over judicial review reform – Litigation Futures

Posted October 3rd, 2013 in diversity, judges, judicial review, judiciary, news, women by sally

“The president of the Supreme Court has urged the government to tread very carefully when considering whether to restrict the ability of people to bring judicial reviews.”

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Litigation Futures, 3rd October 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Top female judge attacks failure to appoint women to Supreme Court – The Independent

Posted October 3rd, 2013 in diversity, judges, judiciary, news, Supreme Court by sally

“Britain’s most senior female judge has expressed disappointment at the failure of her male colleagues to promote another woman to the top of the judiciary.”

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The Independent, 2nd October 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judges ‘on side of foreign criminals’ says Theresa May as Tories repeat threat to quit human rights convention – The Independent

Posted October 1st, 2013 in human rights, immigration, judiciary, legislation, news, political parties, speeches, treaties by sally

“Home Secretary said she would end ‘abuse’ of article 8, which protects right to family life.”

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The Independent, 30th September 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judiciary launches review of unimplemented Jackson recommendations – Litigation Futures

Posted September 23rd, 2013 in budgets, costs, delay, judiciary, news by sally

“The judiciary is undertaking a review of those recommendations made by Lord Justice Jackson that have not yet been implemented, it has emerged.”

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Litigation Futures, 23rd September 2013

Source: www.litigation.com

The Niqaab issue is too important to be left to liberal instinct – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted September 18th, 2013 in courts, evidence, freedom of expression, human rights, Islam, judgments, judiciary, juries, news, public interest, religious discrimination, women by sally

“Yesterday, before His Honour Judge Peter Murphy ruled that a female Muslim defendant in a criminal trial must remove her face-covering veil (niqaab) whilst giving evidence, Home Office Minister Jeremy Brown said he was ‘instinctively uneasy’ about restricting religious freedoms, but that there should be a national debate over banning the burka.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 17th September 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Do judges really need more oversight? – The Guardian

Posted September 13th, 2013 in complaints, judiciary, news, professional conduct, regulations by tracey

“New regulations are about to speed up complaints against judges, but Lord Carlile is calling for a new inspectorate.”

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The Guardian, 11th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Improving Judicial Diversity – Judicial Diversity Taskforce Annual Report 2013 – Ministry of Justice

Posted September 13th, 2013 in diversity, judiciary, reports by tracey

“The Judicial Diversity Taskforce has published its third report, which outlines the progress achieved since the previous report.”

Full report

Ministry of Justice, 13th September 2013

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

Time to judge the judges, says leading peer – Litigation Futures

Posted September 9th, 2013 in complaints, judiciary, news, ombudsmen, quality assurance by tracey

“The time has arrived to create a ‘small’ inspectorate – led by a High Court judge – that will evaluate judges’ courtroom performance, Lord Carlile QC has argued.”

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Litigation Futures, 9th September 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

UK judges have breathed new life into Human Rights Convention, says former court president – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted September 5th, 2013 in human rights, judiciary, media, news, political parties, speeches, treaties by sally

“Yesterday Sir Nicolas Bratza spoke candidly about the responsibility of certain UK politicians and media outlets in tarnishing this countries human rights legacy. He called on lawyers and NGOs to help rekindle the fire for human rights at home.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 4th September 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Fall in solicitor applications to bench ‘matter of concern’ says Judge – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 2nd, 2013 in diversity, judiciary, minorities, news, solicitors, women by sally

“The outgoing lord chief justice has called for action to reverse a decline in the number of solicitors applying for judicial posts. In his last annual report, published today, Lord Judge says ‘it is a matter of concern’ that there has been a decrease in the proportion of successful candidates with a professional background of solicitor.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 30th August 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Mengiste and another v Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray and others – WLR Daily

Posted August 19th, 2013 in appeals, bias, costs, expert witnesses, judiciary, law reports, recusal, solicitors by tracey

Mengiste and another v Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray and others:[2013] EWCA Civ 1003;   [2013] WLR (D)  337

“The judge who had heard a substantive application would almost always be the right judge to deal with consequential issues as to costs, even if he had made findings adverse to a party in the course of reaching his conclusion. However, exceptional circumstances might arise where there was apparent bias stemming from the facts of the case which meant that the judge should have recused himself from dealing with the issue of costs.”

WLR Daily, 14th August 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Child abuse victims to get specialist trial judges – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 7th, 2013 in child abuse, cross-examination, judiciary, news, sexual offences, victims, witnesses by sally

“Child victims of sexual abuse will have their cases tried by a hand picked panel of specialist judges to give them more protection in criminal trials, the Lord Chief Justice is expected to announce.”

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Daily Telegraph, 7th August 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Leicester Crown Court is ‘in crisis’ according to lawyers – BBC News

Posted July 26th, 2013 in courts, Crown Court, delay, judiciary, law firms, news by sally

“Victims of crime are being put through unnecessary extra stress because of a ‘crisis’ caused by a lack of judges at Leicester Crown Court, lawyers claim.”

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BBC News, 26th July 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State’s Directions for Advisory Committees on Justices of the Peace – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted July 23rd, 2013 in judiciary, magistrates, press releases by tracey

“The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State’s Directions for Advisory Committees on Justices of the Peace.”

Full directions

Judiciary of England and Wales, 18th July 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Sir John Thomas named as next lord chief justice – The Guardian

Posted July 17th, 2013 in judges, judicial appointments commission, judiciary, news by sally

“Sir John Thomas, president of the queen’s bench division, is to become the next lord chief justice of England and Wales, Downing Street has confirmed.”

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The Guardian, 16th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk