Miscarriage of justice review body is dismissed as the Court of Appeal’s ‘lap dog’ in hard-hitting report – The Independent

‘Innocent victims of miscarriages of justice are “languishing in jail” due to delays and faults in the case review system, according to MPs behind a hard-hitting report to be published this week.’

Full story

The Independent, 22nd March 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Blow for MoJ as regulations on judicial review and legal aid ruled unlawful – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Government’s introduction through regulations of a “no permission, no fee” arrangement for making a legally aided application for judicial review was unlawful, the Divisional Court has ruled.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 4th March 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Presumed guilty? Ministry of Justice is forced to withdraw advice leaflet – The Guardian

‘Red-faced Ministry of Justice (MoJ) officials have been forced to deny claims that they had dismantled a centuries-old cornerstone of British law in advice that the ministry gave to people facing criminal trials.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Enhanced court fees: the government response to part 2 of the consultation on reform of court fees – Ministry of Justice

‘The government response to part 2 of the consultation on reform of court fees and further proposals for consultation.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 16th January 2015

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

Government set to hike general civil application fees – Litigation Futures

Posted January 19th, 2015 in budgets, civil justice, consultations, costs, courts, fees, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘The government has dropped plans for “enhanced” court fees specifically for commercial cases, but is now targeting increased fees for the hundreds of thousands of general civil applications made each year.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 19th January 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Court fees: Proposals for reform – Judicial responses – Judiciary of England and Wales

‘Responses of the Lord Chief Justice, senior judiciary and the Civil Justice Council to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Consultation on Court fees – enhanced charging.’

Full text

Judiciary of England and Wales, 16th January 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Judge orders MoJ to pay for LiP’s lawyer – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The High Court has ordered the government to pay for a litigant in person to be represented at a hearing despite his lack of eligibility for legal aid.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 5th January 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

MoJ commissions new report into accessibility of legal services – LegalVoice

Posted December 11th, 2014 in legal aid, legal services, Ministry of Justice, news, reports by sally

‘Following the recent publication of a report on litigants in person in private family law (reported here), the Lord Chancellor has commissioned a review of accessibility and affordability of legal services.’

Full story

LegalVoice, 10th December 2014

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Better late than never: MoJ finally publishes report on litigants in person – Legal Futures

Posted December 1st, 2014 in litigants in person, Ministry of Justice, news, reports by tracey

‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has finally published a report it commissioned on litigants in person (LiPs) – more than a year after it was submitted. The report examined the experiences of LiPs in private law family cases before the legal aid cuts in April 2013, to assess their impact and help shape future policy.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 28th November 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Prison numbers could push 100,000 by end of decade – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 28th, 2014 in Ministry of Justice, news, prisons, sexual offences, statistics, violent offenders by sally

‘Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, defends revised figures showing an expected surge in the number behind bars.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 27th November 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Legal aid contracts for on-call criminal solicitors to be slashed by two-thirds – The Guardian

‘On-call, duty contracts for criminal solicitors to attend police stations and courts will be slashed from 1,600 to 527 in England and Wales, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed.’

Full story

The Guardian, 27th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Backlash on whiplash – New Law Journal

Posted November 18th, 2014 in compensation, expert witnesses, fees, Ministry of Justice, news, personal injuries by sally

‘Chris Pamplin looks at recent moves by the Ministry of Justice to control the whiplash claims industry & MROs.’

Full story

New Law Journal, 14th November 2014

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

JR looms as MoJ admits: new whiplash rules “could lead to misunderstanding” – Litigation Futures

‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has admitted that the new rules for whiplash claims, introduced on 1 October this year, “could in practice lead to some misunderstanding” and may have to be amended.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 14th November 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Judge attacks Chris Grayling for failing to provide prisoners with healthy sex courses – Daily Telegraph

‘High Court judge says the Justice Secretary is failing in his duty to provide the course high-risk prisoners need to take before they are considered for release.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 3rd November 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Grayling ‘has no understanding of his role’ – Falconer – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Former lord chancellor Lord Falconer has attacked successor Chris Grayling for failing to view his commitment to the rule of law as different to that of any other government minister.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 22nd October 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Show us your evidence, Society tells MoJ consultation – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Law Society has urged the Ministry of Justice to release for formal consultation a report on the criminal legal aid market which casts doubt on its controversial reform proposals.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th October 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Open Consultation – Transforming legal aid: crime duty contracts – Ministry of Justice

Posted September 29th, 2014 in consultations, contracts, Law Society, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, solicitors by tracey

‘A consultation on reports undertaken by Otterburn Legal Consulting and KPMG in relation to the proposed duty work contracts for criminal legal aid services.’

Full consultation

Ministry of Justice, 24th September

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

Child offender tagging system ‘not working’ – BBC News

‘A tagging programme for child offenders is not working and results in excessive punishment, a charity has warned.’

Full story

BBC News, 29th September 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prison book restriction ‘harms studying’ – BBC News

Posted September 24th, 2014 in education, libraries, Ministry of Justice, news, prison officers, prisons by sally

‘Restrictions on the number of books prisoners in England and Wales can have in their cells is inhibiting inmates’ ability to learn, a charity warns.’

Full story

BBC News, 24th September 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ministry of Justice fined over prison data loss – BBC News

Posted August 26th, 2014 in data protection, fines, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons by tracey

‘The Ministry of Justice has been fined £180,000 for “serious failings” in the handling of confidential data.’

Full story

BBC News, 26th August 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk