“British courts have been slavishly following the jurisprudence of the European court of human rights and misinterpreting the Human Rights Act (HRA), according to the architect of the legislation.”
The Guardian, 14th December 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Solicitors outperformed barristers in two selection exercises for the judiciary completed earlier this year, the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) has revealed.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 8th December 2011
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
“A lot of headlines begin with “Top judge…” at the moment. Top Judge has variously attacked MPs who reveal injunctions, expressed fears over cameras in court, warned legal aid in family cases may disappear, protested over legal aid reforms, urged murder law reforms and said Britain can ignore Europe on human rights (he didn’t, but that’s another story).”
UK Human Rights Blog, 8th December 2011
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
“Mandatory life sentences erode the judiciary’s independence and fail to take account of the individual circumstances of a case.”
The Guardian, 7th December 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Transcript of the Lord Chief Justice’s Annual Press Conference 2011 (PDF)
Judiciary of England and Wales, 6th December 2011
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
“Judges are straying too far in the world of politics and should stay within their ‘proper function’, the head of the judiciary, Lord Judge, has said.”
Daily Telegraph, 6th December 2011
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“Ministers have been forced to hire more than 80 new judges in a multi-million pound effort to address appeals by welfare claimants who dispute the loss of their benefits.”
Daily Telegraph, 28th November 2011
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“I had intended to entitle this post ‘Bratza goes ballistic’ which would, for reasons I will explain, have been unfair. However, as reported by guardian.co.uk, the new British president of the European Court of Human Rights has pushed back strongly against ‘vitriolic and – I am afraid to say, xenophobic – fury’ of the reaction to recent rulings by the UK government and press, which he says is ‘unprecedented in my experience, as someone who has been involved with the Convention system for over 40 years.'”
UK Human Rights Blog, 25th November 2011
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
“It’s far from clear the government’s proposed new panel will succeed in appointing more women and BAME judges.”
The Guardian, 22nd November 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Sweeping new proposals that will reform, modernise and improve the diversity of judicial appointments were announced by the Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke, today.”
Ministry of Justice, 21st November 2011
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
“More part-timers should be put on the bench and fewer judges allowed to chair selection panels in order to improve judicial diversity, the Ministry of Justice has proposed.”
The Guardian, 21st November 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“This research assessed the strengths and skills of magistrates and District Judges to inform better deployment of the judiciary in magistrates’ courts.”
Ministry of Justice, 15th November 2011
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
“A Ministry of Justice report suggests the difference is less than some imagine.”
The Guardian, 17th November 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Judges need to be given ‘appraisals’ to point out where they are talking too much or jumping to conclusions, one of Britain’s top law chiefs has said.”
Daily Telegraph, 16th November 2011
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“Custodial sentences are more likely to be given in cases heard by a district judge than lay magistrates, according to research commissioned by the Ministry of Justice. The study, published this week and carried out by Ipsos MORI, shows that district judges gave custodial sentences in 7% of cases, while lay benches used custody in 4% of cases.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 16th November 2011
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
“UK courts are following European court of human rights rulings too strictly and should adopt a more critical approach towards Strasbourg, according to Britain’s two most senior judges.”
The Guardian, 15th November 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“… is at the core of Jonathan Sumption QC’s FA Mann lecture. His central point is not human rights as such, but our misconception of Parliament and the perceived need for judicial constraints on the action of the state.”
Uk Human Rights Blog, 15th November 2011
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
“A senior judge has backed what critics regard as positive discrimination in an effort to change the domination of white men at the top of the judiciary.”
Daily Telegraph, 14th November 2011
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“The supreme court’s newest recruit worries that judges are making policy. But parliament always has the last word.”
The Guardian, 9th November 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Jonathan Sumption QC believes that UK judiciary is too closely involved in making decisions best left for parliament.”
F.A. Mann Lecture, Lincoln’s Inn, 8th November 2011
The Guardian, 9th November 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
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