“The senior presiding judge for England and Wales has said he cannot back the closure of 18 of the 103 magistrates’ courts earmarked for closure.”
BBC News, 21st October 2010
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“A justice minister has played down plans to use town halls as courtrooms because many magistrates are ‘middle aged women’ who were worried about their security.”
Daily Telegraph, 19th October 2010
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“Magistrates ordered a pregnant Muslim woman to remove her veil while she gave evidence against her violent ex-partner.”
Daily Telegraph, 8th October 2010
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“A magistrate has been removed from office after he fell asleep on the bench, causing an assault trial to collapse, the Office for Judicial Complaints said yesterday.”
The Independent, 28th September 2010
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“Courts could be set up in shopping centres with the public able to watch through glass panes under plans to speed up the justice system, the Magistrates’ Association said on Tuesday.”
Daily Telegraph, 18th August 2010
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“A magistrate was disciplined after rebuking a foreign defendant for ‘coming to our shores and abusing our hospitality’.”
The Independent, 22nd July 2010
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“Lawyers have warned that government proposals to close nearly a third of the courts in England and Wales could threaten access to justice and increase pressure on legal aid practitioners.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 1st July 2010
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
“Proposals that could enable ‘associate prosecutors’ with no legal qualifications to conduct magistrates’ court trials amount to ‘justice on the cheap’ and herald the ‘de-lawyering’ of the magistrates’ court, solicitors have warned.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 18th March 2010
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
“New legislation that could strip magistrates of their power to issue arrest warrants for foreign dignitaries on visits to the UK has been attacked by MPs and campaigners.”
Full story
The Guardian, 15th January 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“A black magistrate who won a victimisation case against the Ministry of Justice has been sacked for misconduct.”
Daily Telegraph, 9th January 2010
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“The Criminal Procedure Rules and witness attendance for magistrates’ – speech to the Magistrates’ Association Council, London on 26 November 2009.”
Judiciary of England and Wales, 1st December 2009
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
“A government policy to fine drunken troublemakers up to £2,500 under a new system of ‘alcohol asbos’ introduced today has been rubbished by magistrates whose job it is to impose them.”
The Guardian, 31st August 2009
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“A black magistrate who alleged she witnessed ‘hostile treatment’ of black defendants in court was victimised after reporting her concerns, a tribunal ruled.”
Daily Telegraph, 21st August 2009
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“Magistrates are angry that they are being made to carry the brunt of cuts because their workload is being diverted away from the courts.”
The Times, 10th July 2009
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, was in court yesterday — to defend his plans for ‘virtual courts’, under which thousands of defendants will lose their right to have a courtroom hearing.”
The Times, 28th May 2009
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“A magistrate has resigned from the bench following a complaint about his use of the Twitter network.”
BBC News, 25th April 2009
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“A magistrate has resigned after making derogatory comments about homosexuals in a BBC television documentary.”
Daily Telegraph, 20th April 2009
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“A black magistrate claimed yesterday that a culture of courtroom racism routinely saw innocent ethnic minority defendants found guilty before being handed the harshest possible jail sentence.”
The Times, 9th April 2009
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“A magistrate, John Harrison, is under investigation after reportedly falling asleep during a teenager’s trial for an alleged assault.”
Daily Telegraph, 26th March 2009
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
R (Longato) v Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court [2009] WLR (D) 104
“The statutory procedure for an application to extend a closure order, set out in s 5(3) of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, which provided that within a reasonable time before the hearing of an application a summons might be issued by a justice of the peace to the former occupier of the premises, did not oust or modify the general procedural requirements of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 or r 99 of the Magistrates’ Courts Rules 1981; if the court failed to issue and serve the summons in the manner prescribed, its ability to hear the complaint was fettered.”
WLR Daily, 23rd March 2009
Source: www.lawreports.co.uk
Please note once a case has been fully reported in once of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.
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