One in 4 inmates at youth ‘prison’ held in virtual solitary confinement, say inspectors – The Independent

‘Boys as young as 15 are being held in virtual solitary confinement in a youth prison plagued by gang violence, inspectors warn today.’

Full story

The Independent, 13th January 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Call for publication of review into man who killed himself after benefits cut – The Guardian

Posted January 12th, 2015 in benefits, disabled persons, disclosure, inquiries, mental health, news, reports, suicide by sally

‘The sister of a partially sighted man who killed himself after his benefits were cut is calling on the UK government to publish details of its review into his case, one of 60 internal investigations of suicides linked to benefit changes it has carried out since 2012.’

Full story

The Guardian, 11th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Publication of Chilcot report delayed over criticisms of Blair government – The Guardian

Posted January 7th, 2015 in news, reports, war, war crimes by sally

‘The long-awaited Chilcot report on the 2003 invasion of Iraq is being held up by rows over criticisms of leading figures in the Blair government and will almost certainly not be published until after the general election, the Guardian has learned. That scenario emerged on Tuesday after former Conservative foreign secretary Lord Hurd described the way the inquiry had dragged on went beyond questions of mere negligence and forgiveable delay. “It is becoming a scandal”, he told peers. He added: “This is not something of trivial importance. It is something of which a large number of people in this country look anxiously for truth.” ‘

Full story

The Guardian, 6th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Leslie Gadsby, paranoid schizophrenic who murdered his parents, was ‘failed’ by mental health services – The Independent

Posted December 17th, 2014 in families, homicide, mental health, news, reports by sally

‘A man with paranoid schizophrenia who killed both his parents in separate attacks was let down by mental health services in Liverpool, a report has concluded.’

Full story

The Independent, 16th December 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Probation reforms ‘moving too quickly’, inspector warns – BBC News

Posted December 17th, 2014 in news, probation, public private partnerships, reports, trade unions by sally

‘Changes to probation services in England and Wales are being pushed through too quickly, the service’s chief inspector has warned.’

Full story

BBC News, 15th December 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Domestic CCTV users may face tougher rules – The Guardian

‘Homeowners who use a domestic surveillance camera system on their properties but fail to take their neighbours’ privacy into account could face tougher rules in future, a Home Office watchdog has said.’

Full story

The Guardian, 16th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

LCJ: why is the cost of legal services increasing, despite more competition? – Legal Futures

Posted December 16th, 2014 in arbitration, competition, costs, legal services, litigants in person, news, reports by sally

‘“Steps must be taken” to find out why the cost of legal services is increasing, despite the changed market and “great number of providers”, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas, has said.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 16th December 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

CIA torture report: Theresa May insists she did not demand redactions – Daily Telegraph

‘Theresa May, the Home Secretary, has insisted she did not request any redactions to the American report which exposed graphic details of CIA torture.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 15th December 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Murdered mum Natasha Trevis ‘not listened to’, report finds – BBC News

Posted December 15th, 2014 in complaints, domestic violence, murder, news, police, reports, sentencing, social services by sally

‘A mother of three murdered by her “controlling” partner was “not listened to or heard” by the authorities, a report has found.’

Full story

BBC News, 15th December 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The Lord Chief Justice’s Report 2014 – Judiciary of England and Wales

‘The Lord Chief Justice has today laid his annual report before Parliament. His report looks back at the past 12 months and explains how the judiciary have administered justice across all jurisdictions by focusing on key priorities.’

Full report

Judiciary of England and Wales, 15th December 2014

Source: www.judiciary.gov.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 than nothing… helpful… mad as a bag of frogs’: judges on McKenzie Friends –

Posted December 5th, 2014 in family courts, litigants in person, McKenzie friends, news, reports by sally

‘A new report on litigants in person in private family law cases has added to concerns over the value and legitimacy of McKenzie Friends in the legal services market. The report, commissioned and published by the Ministry of Justice, into litigants in person in the family courts (here) found the Legal Services Consumer Panel’s recommendation that professional McKenzie Friends be recognised as a legitimate part of the market (reported here) ‘somewhat surprising’.’

Full story

LegalVoice, 4th December 2014

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

NAO questions whether legal aid reforms have delivered better value for money – Free Movement

Posted December 5th, 2014 in budgets, legal aid, news, reports by sally

‘On 20 November 2014, the National Audit Office – the independent Parliamentary body responsible for scrutinising the way in which the government spends public money – published a report on the implementation of the post-2010 civil legal aid reforms. Its central conclusion is an unsurprising one: while spending on civil legal aid has been reduced significantly, the Ministry of Justice failed properly to consider the wider impact of the reforms before implementing them.’

Full story

Free Movement, 5th December 2014

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Rights to light – making the law more transparent – Law Commission

Posted December 4th, 2014 in human rights, Law Commission, news, planning, reports by sally

‘In a report published today, the Law Commission is recommending reforms to the law governing rights to light that will strike a balance between the interests of landowners and the law’s recognition of the need for appropriate development.’

Full story

Law Commission, 4th December 2014

Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk

Child abduction changes – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 4th, 2014 in child abduction, detention, false imprisonment, kidnapping, news, reports, sentencing by sally

‘Proposed amendments to child abduction legislation will have a far-reaching impact on family law, write Joanna Farrands and Helen Habershon.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 1st December 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Lawyers and their Regulators: What Next? – Nicholas Lavender QC, Chairman of the Bar Council

Lawyers and their Regulators: What Next? (PDF)

Nicholas Lavender QC, Chairman of the Bar Council

The Bar Council, 24th November 2014

Source: www.barcouncil.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 sally

‘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

Implementation of Bar Tribunal arrangements “progressing well” – Bar Standards Board

Posted December 1st, 2014 in barristers, press releases, reports, tribunals by sally

‘A Bar Standards Board (BSB) annual report into the arrangements relating to the operation of the independent Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service (BTAS) has found no significant issues to report and improvements in the service being sustained.’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 28th November 2014

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

High Court judge rejects challenge to 400-home planning consent, despite planning officer’s mistaken advice – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 27th, 2014 in judicial review, local government, news, planning, reports by sally

‘A High Court judge has refused to quash a decision to grant planning consent for 400 homes within the Surrey countryside, after deciding that a council was not misled by a planning officer’s mistaken advice.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 26th November 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Inquiry into paedophile William Vahey finds serious failures at school – The Guardian

Posted November 27th, 2014 in complaints, education, inquiries, news, reports, sexual offences, teachers by sally

‘The headmaster of an elite London school where the US paedophile William Vahey abused more than 60 boys dismissed a complaint about his worrying conduct on a field trip as “unfair pressure” by “vindictive parents”, an independent report in to his criminality has revealed.’

Full story

The Guardian, 26th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk