Category: select committees

The implications for access to justice of the Government’s proposed legal aid reforms – Joint Committee on Human Rights

Posted July 25th, 2013 in civil justice, criminal justice, human rights, inquiries, legal aid, press releases, select committees by tracey

“The Joint Committee on Human Rights, chaired by Dr Hywel Francis MP, is today launching an inquiry into the implications for access to justice of certain of the Government’s proposals to reform legal aid, as set out in its Consultation Paper Transforming Legal Aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system.”

Full press release

Joint Committee on Human Rights, 18th July 2013

Source: www.parliament.uk

How far should our courts venture onto the battlefield? – The Guardian

Posted July 25th, 2013 in armed forces, constitutional reform, news, parliament, select committees, war by tracey

“If you think there are clear rules governing the UK’s use of armed force, you would be wrong.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Forensics upheaval ‘threat to justice’, MPs warn – BBC News

Posted July 25th, 2013 in crime, forensic science, news, reports, select committees by tracey

“Major crimes could go unsolved unless the government does more to support forensic science, MPs have warned.”

Full story

BBC News, 25th July 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inquiry into snooping laws as committee clears GCHQ – The Guardian

Posted July 18th, 2013 in inquiries, intelligence services, news, select committees by tracey

“Parliament’s intelligence and security committee (ISC) is to mount an inquiry into whether the laws on ‘state snooping’ on private communications are adequate to regulate Britain’s spy agencies in the internet age.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Only one in every 100 reports of illegal immigration results in deportation – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 17th, 2013 in appeals, bills, deportation, immigration, news, select committees, statistics by sally

“Only one in every 100 reports of illegal immigration has resulted in someone being removed from the country, the Home Office has admitted.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 16th July 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Theresa May considers ‘second-tier’ banning orders – The Guardian

Posted July 17th, 2013 in freedom of expression, incitement, Islam, news, proscribed organisations, select committees, terrorism, universities by sally

“Ministers are ‘actively considering’ a second-tier banning order that would outlaw groups that are not outright terrorist organisations but promote extremism and hatred on the streets, the home secretary, Theresa May, has confirmed.”

Full story

The Guardian, 16th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Women offenders ‘afterthought’ in rehabilitation plans – BBC News

Posted July 15th, 2013 in community service, consultations, mental health, news, prisons, probation, recidivists, rehabilitation, select committees, sentencing, statistics, suicide, women by sally

“Women offenders are being ignored in plans to overhaul rehabilitation services, a committee of MPs has said.”

Full story

BBC News, 15th July 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Immigration backlog of 500,000 cases will take 37 years to clear, say MPs – The Guardian

Posted July 15th, 2013 in asylum, government departments, immigration, news, ombudsmen, select committees by sally

“The Home Office’s backlog of 500,000 unresolved immigration and asylum cases will not be cleared for another 37 years at current rates of progress, according to a parliamentary watchdog.”

Full story

The Guardian, 13th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Too many women prisoners, MPs say – The Independent

Posted July 15th, 2013 in community service, mental health, news, prisons, probation, rehabilitation, select committees, sentencing, statistics, suicide, women by sally

“The Government is ignoring the needs of women offenders with its probation reforms, a group of MPs has warned.”

Full story

The Independent, 15th July 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Grayling promises second consultation on legal aid – but sets red lines – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 5th, 2013 in competition, consultations, criminal justice, law firms, legal aid, news, select committees, solicitors, tenders by tracey

“The Ministry of Justice will publish a second ‘short’ consultation on its ‘finalised’ legal aid proposals in September before ‘pressing on’, the justice secretary announced this morning.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd July 2013

Source: www.lawgazete.co.uk

Small law firms may be forced to merge under legal aid plans – The Guardian

Posted July 4th, 2013 in law firms, legal aid, legal representation, mergers, news, select committees by sally

“Small law firms reliant upon legal aid will be forced to amalgamate under plans being examined by the Ministry of Justice to save £220m a year.”

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Justice Secretary updates on competitive tendering for criminal legal aid – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 2nd, 2013 in competition, criminal justice, legal aid, news, select committees, solicitors, tenders by sally

“Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has written to the Chair of the Justice Select Committee on competitive tendering for criminal legal aid.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 1st July 2013

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

Lord Justice Leveson to be invited to give evidence to MPs – The Guardian

Posted June 25th, 2013 in evidence, judges, media, news, select committees by sally

“Lord Justice Leveson is to be invited to give evidence for the first time to MPs about his report on the future of press regulation and the resulting impasse over setting up a new industry watchdog.”

Full story

The Guardian, 25th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Soca alleged to have suppressed report of hacking by companies and law firms – The Guardian

Posted June 24th, 2013 in insurance, interception, law firms, news, private investigators, select committees, telecommunications by sally

“The Serious and Organised Crime Agency (Soca) has withheld from MPs information about the criminal activity of large British firms, it has been alleged.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Justice ministry outsourcing could lead to ‘train crash’, says watchdog – The Guardian

Posted June 21st, 2013 in contracting out, courts, interpreters, news, select committees by tracey

“The contracting out of key services by the Ministry of Justice could end in a ‘multiple train crash’ because the department displays naivety and lacks the capacity to understand what it is doing, according to a parliamentary watchdog.”

Full story

The Guardian, 20th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

A gray new world – LegalVoice

Posted June 18th, 2013 in criminal justice, law firms, legal aid, legal profession, news, select committees, solicitors by sally

“‘This is a derisory document’. Thus, Professor Roger Smith described the MoJ’s paper on Transforming Legal Aid, when he gave evidence to the Select Committee for Justice last Tuesday. The most senior members of the legal profession gave evidence about the potential impact of the proposals. The President of the Law Society, and the chairs of the Bar Council, Criminal Bar Association, and Criminal Law Solicitors Association all agreed that, if the Minister has his way, the criminal justice system will be irreparably harmed. The MoJ plans to introduce these changes by secondary legislation, although more than 90,000 signatories to an e-petition (Save UK Justice) have now called for a full debate in Parliament.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 17th June 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Case for legal clampdown on ‘chuggers’ compelling, say MPs – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 6th, 2013 in charities, education, news, public interest, reports, select committees by sally

“Charities should be forced to rein in the use of High Street fund-raisers known as ‘chuggers’ or face state regulation, a cross-party committee of MPs has concluded.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 6th June 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Review into Bribery Act would be ‘premature’, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 30th, 2013 in bribery, legislation, news, select committees by sally

“Any review of the UK bribery laws which came into force in July 2011 would be ‘premature’, an expert has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 29th May 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Older prisoners are fastest-growing part of jail population, says chief inspector – The Guardian

Posted April 23rd, 2013 in elderly, news, prisons, select committees by sally

“Prisoners aged over 60 are now the fastest-growing part of the jail population in England and Wales, the chief inspector of prisons has told MPs.”

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Fast-track legislation preventing proper scrutiny, says rights committee – The Guardian

Posted April 17th, 2013 in bills, human rights, legislation, legislative drafting, news, parliament, reports, select committees by sally

“The increasing use emergency legislation, lack of adequate debating time and insertion of last-minute amendments are preventing effective parliamentary scrutiny of new laws, a committee has said.”

Full story

The Guardian, 15th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk