When Can Judges Change Their Minds? The Supreme Court’s judgment in L and B (Children) – Family Law Week

Posted February 22nd, 2013 in appeals, child abuse, judgments, judiciary, jurisdiction, news, Supreme Court by sally

“Martha Gray, Pupil at 1 Garden Court, considers whether and in what circumstances a judge who has announced her decision is entitled to change her mind, particularly in the context of fact-finding hearings in care proceedings, in the light of the Supreme Court’s recent judgment.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 22nd February 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Equality in the Judiciary – Speech by Lady Hale

Posted February 22nd, 2013 in diversity, equality, judges, judiciary, speeches, women by sally

Equality in the Judiciary (PDF)

Speech by Lady Hale

Kuttan Menon Memorial Lecture, 21st February 2013

Source: www.supremecourt.gov.uk

Sub-£2m cases “will be subject to costs management” amid criticism of big-case exemption – Litigation Futures

Posted February 22nd, 2013 in costs, judiciary, news, personal injuries by sally

“Cases before the Chancery Division, Technology and Construction Court (TCC), and Mercantile Courts that are worth less than £2m will be subject to costs management, it was confirmed yesterday.”

Full story

Litigation Futures, 22nd February 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

UK’s most senior female judge calls for more diversity at the top – The Guardian

Posted February 22nd, 2013 in diversity, equality, judges, judiciary, news, women by sally

“Positive discrimination may be needed to redress the gender imbalance among senior judges, the only woman in Britain’s highest court has proposed.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

A human rights reality check for the Home Secretary – UK Human Rights Blog

“The Home Secretary, Theresa May, is no stranger to ill-founded outbursts concerning the evils of human rights. Against that background, her recent article in the Mail on Sunday (to which Adam Wager has already drawn attention) does not disappoint. May’s ire is drawn by certain recent judicial decisions in which the deportation of foreign criminals has been ruled unlawful on the ground that it would breach their right to respect for private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Some of these judgments, May contends, flout instructions issued to judges by Parliament about how such cases should be decided.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 18th February 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Theresa May attacks judges over deportation rules – The Guardian

Posted February 18th, 2013 in deportation, extradition, families, human rights, immigration, judiciary, news by sally

“The home secretary, Theresa May, has accused judges of ‘subverting’ British democracy and making the streets of Britain more dangerous by ignoring rules aimed at deporting more foreign criminals.”

Full story

The Guardian,

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Part-time judges to get up to £2 billion in public pensions – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 18th, 2013 in judiciary, news, part-time work, pensions by sally

“Thousands of part-time judges will be entitled to a public-sector pension for the first time at a cost of up to £2 billion following a ruling by fellow judges in the highest court in the land.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 17th February 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Supreme court denies government pressure to select a woman – The Guardian

Posted February 15th, 2013 in judiciary, news, Supreme Court, women by sally

“The UK supreme court has denied rumours that it has come under pressure from the government to select a woman for appointment to one of three current vacancies.”

Full story

The Guardian, 15th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

In the public interest – Speech by Mr Justice Foskett

In the public interest (PDF)

Speech by Mr Justice Foskett

The ‘Disciplinary Conference’, 8th February 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Ministry of Justice (formerly Department of Constitutional Affairs) v O’Brien – WLR Daily

Posted February 11th, 2013 in EC law, judiciary, law reports, news, part-time work, pensions by sally

Ministry of Justice (formerly Department of Constitutional Affairs) v O’Brien [2013] UKSC 6; [2013] WLR (D) 47

“A part-time fee-paid judge was a worker under European Union law and had a right not to be treated in a less favourable manner than comparable full-time workers. The denial of retirement pensions to part-judges when full-time judges were granted pensions was less favourable treatment for which there was no objective justification. Accordingly, on the basic principle of remunerating part-time workers pro rata temporis, a recorder was entitled to a pension on terms equivalent to those applicable to a circuit judge.”

WLR Daily, 6th February 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Judges ‘should talk to children before making care decisions’ – The Guardian

“Many children who end up in care are never interviewed by the judge who makes the decision to remove them from their families, according to a report by an influential group of MPs and child protection experts.”

Full story

The Guardian, 10th February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

O’Brien (Appellant) v Ministry of Justice (Formerly the Department for Constitutional Affairs) (Respondents) – Supreme Court

O’Brien (Appellant) v Ministry of Justice (Formerly the Department for Constitutional Affairs) (Respondents) [2013] UKSC 6 | UKSC 2012/0168 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 6th February 2013

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Public sector cuts hit judges’ pensions – The Guardian

Posted February 6th, 2013 in bills, budgets, contribution, diversity, judiciary, news, pensions by sally

“Judges have been given figures showing how much they will lose when their tax-free pension allowances are cut in line with government reforms of public sector pay.”

Full story

The Guardian, 6th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lord chief justice: changes to judiciary ‘eroding something important’ – The Guardian

Posted January 31st, 2013 in constitutional reform, judges, judiciary, ministers' powers and duties, news by sally

“Constitutional reforms that have taken effect over the past seven years ‘may be eroding something rather important’, the lord chief justice of England and Wales told peers on Wednesday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judges given final say on secret justice – Daily Telegraph

“Judges will decide whether civil cases involving national security can be heard in secret in a climbdown by the Government.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 29th January 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Tomorrow’s Lawyers: a virtual judiciary – extract – The Guardian

Posted January 29th, 2013 in courts, judiciary, news by sally

“Is court a service or a place? And what is the scope for the ‘decomposing and multi-sourcing’ of judicial work?”

Full story

The Guardian, 29th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Barristers fear QASA boycott will lead to loss of right to practise – Legal Futures

Posted January 22nd, 2013 in barristers, judiciary, news, quality assurance by sally

“Some barristers are worried that boycotting the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) will lead to their committing a criminal offence by practising without authorisation, the chairman of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has revealed.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 22nd January 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

“Do Judges use Gavels?”: The Modern Judge in Myth and Reality – Lord Carnwath of Notting Hill JSC

Posted January 21st, 2013 in judiciary, speeches by sally

“Do Judges use Gavels?”: The Modern Judge in Myth and Reality (PDF)

Lord Carnwath of Notting Hill JSC

Judicial College, 16th January 2013

Source: www.supremecourt.gov.uk

Judiciary publishes guide for self-represented litigants – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted January 14th, 2013 in judiciary, litigants in person, press releases by tracey

“A guide for self-represented litigants making applications to the Interim Applications Court of the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court has been published by the judiciary today (Friday 11 January).”

Full press release

Judiciary of England and Wales, 11th January 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Keep new police commissioners at arm’s length, magistrates warned – The Guardian

Posted January 7th, 2013 in codes of practice, judges, judiciary, magistrates, news, police by sally

“A senior judge has warned magistrates to maintain their distance from police and crime commissioners (PCCs), in the latest demonstration of unease about the recently elected new posts.”

Full story

The Guardian, 5th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk