Courts reform to see quicker justice for victims and keeps streets safe – Ministry of Justice

‘Victims of crimes will see the perpetrators face justice more quickly under a once-in-a-generation review of criminal courts, the Lord Chancellor announced today (12 December).’

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Ministry of Justice, 12th December 2024

Source: www.gov.uk

Defendants could be ‘diverted’ from criminal justice system amid record backlog – The Guardian

Posted December 16th, 2024 in criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, juries, Ministry of Justice, news, statistics, witnesses by tracey

‘People scheduled to stand trial could be “diverted” from the criminal justice system in efforts to tackle the “unsustainable” backlog of court cases, the head of a major justice review has said.’

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The Guardian, 14th December 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Some jury trials may be scrapped in England and Wales as court backlog hits record high – The Guardian

Posted December 13th, 2024 in courts, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, judges, juries, news, statistics, trials by sally

‘Jury trials could be abandoned for some criminal cases in England and Wales under a radical overhaul proposed by ministers as the crown courts backlog hit a record high.’

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The Guardian, 12th December 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Abandon some jury trials or fund crisis-hit system, former chief justice says – The Guardian

Posted December 10th, 2024 in budgets, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, juries, news by tracey

‘Ministers should consider abandoning jury trials for some crown court cases unless they properly fund a justice system “in serious crisis”, the former lord chief justice has said.’

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The Guardian, 10th December 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ammanford school stabbing trial collapses as ‘compromised’ jury discharged – The Guardian

‘A jury that has been hearing the trial of a girl accused of stabbing two teachers and a fellow pupil at a school in south Wales has been discharged because of “a great irregularity”.’

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The Guardian, 9th October 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Government drops appeal over climate activist who held sign outside UK court – The Guardian

‘The government has dropped an appeal against a judge’s decision to throw out a contempt case against a woman who stood outside a climate activist trial holding a placard about jury rights.’

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The Guardian, 15th August 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Juror swears oath on river in legal first – BBC News

Posted August 2nd, 2024 in environmental health, environmental protection, juries, news, water by michael

‘Paul Powlesland was not far off quoting Shakespeare when he became probably the first juror in history to swear a legal oath on a river.’

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BBC News, 2nd August 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Slapping therapist guilty of manslaughter – BBC News

Posted July 29th, 2024 in homicide, juries, medical treatment, medicines, news by sally

‘An alternative healer has been found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter following the death of a woman at one of his workshops.’

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BBC News, 26th July 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Just Stop Oil protesters jailed after M25 blocked – BBC News

‘Five environmental activists who organised protests that brought part of the M25 to a standstill over four days have been jailed.’

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BBC News, 18th July 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon found guilty of two charges – The Guardian

‘Constance Marten and her partner, Mark Gordon, have been found guilty of concealing the birth of a child and perverting the course of justice after the body of their baby daughter was found following a high-profile search, it can now be reported.’

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The Guardian, 26th June 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Illegal abortion trial collapses as jury discharged for legal reasons – The Independent

Posted May 21st, 2024 in abortion, juries, news, poisoning, trials by sally

‘The jury in the trial of a teenager charged with arranging her own illegal abortion has been discharged for legal reasons.’

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The Independent, 20th May 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Solicitor general to appeal over case of climate activist who held sign on jurors’ rights – The Guardian

Posted May 16th, 2024 in appeals, climate change, contempt of court, juries, news by sally

‘The government’s most senior law officer is to appeal against a decision not to allow a contempt of court action against climate campaigner Trudi Warner for holding a placard on the rights of jurors outside a British court, the Guardian can reveal.’

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The Guardian, 15th May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Juror who researched law on child neglect gets suspended sentence – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A juror who researched the law on child neglect to hold her own amid “personality clashes” in the jury room has been spared prison.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 10th May 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

End majority jury verdicts to prevent more justice ‘horror’, says Malkinson – The Guardian

‘Andrew Malkinson says he could have been spared “20 years of darkness and despair” if the jury system had not been changed to allow majority verdicts.’

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The Guardian, 9th May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Majority verdicts facilitated 56 miscarriages of justice in England and Wales, charity says – The Guardian

Posted May 7th, 2024 in juries, miscarriage of justice, news by tracey

‘At least 56 miscarriages of justice have occurred in cases in England and Wales where the jury was split, according to a charity, which says jury unanimity should be reintroduced to safeguard against wrongful criminal convictions.’

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The Guardian, 7th May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Jurors behaving badly – Mountford Chambers

Posted May 3rd, 2024 in chambers articles, criminal justice, evidence, juries, news by sally

‘A group of campaigners recently called for the suspension of a circuit judge in a letter to the Lady Chief Justice. The letter alleged that the Judge had warned the Jury they could face criminal prosecution for returning a verdict based on their conscience and not the evidence. Charles Hannaford explores the current legislation governing jurors conduct in England and Wales.’

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Mountford Chambers, 24th April 2024

Source: www.mountfordchambers.com

Schrodinger’s Verdict – 25 Bedford Row

Posted April 24th, 2024 in chambers articles, homicide, judicial review, juries, murder, news by sally

‘When can a jury be agreed and, at the same time, hung? This intriguing question is posed (and answered) by R (Yusuff) [2024] EWHC 692.’

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25 Bedford Row, 28th March 2024

Source: www.25bedfordrow.com

Killer nurse Lucy Letby in final bid to appeal convictions – The Independent

Posted February 23rd, 2024 in appeals, attempted murder, children, imprisonment, juries, murder, news, nurses, retrials by michael

‘Lawyers for Letby will ask senior judges for permission to bring an appeal against all her convictions at the hearing in London provisionally listed for April 25, a judiciary spokeswoman confirmed on Friday [23rd February]’

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The Independent, 23rd February 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Removing UK climate protesters’ defence ‘could erode right to trial by jury’ – The Guardian

‘A UK government attempt to remove one of the last remaining defences for climate protesters would be a slippery slope to the erosion of the constitutional right to trial by jury, the court of appeal was told on Wednesday.’

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The Guardian, 21st February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

UN expert condemns UK crackdown on environmental protest – The Guardian

‘A severe crackdown on environmental protest in Britain with “draconian” new laws, excessive restrictions on courtroom evidence and the use of civil injunctions is having a chilling impact on fundamental freedoms, the United Nations special rapporteur has said.’

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The Guardian, 23rd January 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com