How Can Respecting the Right to Religion for Prisoners Make A Real Difference? – Each Other

‘Over the past twenty years, the proportion of prisoners from religious minorities has steadily increased. EachOther asks how can listening to minority voices improve the right to religion in prisons?’

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Each Other, 8th June 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Small claims court delays continue to increase – Litigation Futures

‘Delays in cases going through the civil court continued to rise in the first quarter of 2021, throwing a potentially huge spanner in the works of the whiplash reforms which came into force last week.’

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Litigation Futures, 7th June 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Women offenders being released to homelessness – MPs – BBC News

‘Thousands of women are being released from prison each year without adequate help, a group of MPs and peers say.’

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BBC News, 8th June 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judicial review applications fell 16% in 2020: report – Local Government Lawyer

‘The number of applications for judicial review fell 16% in 2020 to 2,800, data from National Statistics has revealed.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th June 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

More than one in seven girls are sexually abused before they turn 16 – Daily Telegraph

‘Majority of the abuse is never reported, finds report, which also shows one in 20 boys are reportedly sexually abused before 16th birthday.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th June 2021

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Research shows rising number of public law cases involving newborn babies, highlights short notice given to most parents – Local Government Lawyer

Posted June 8th, 2021 in birth, care orders, children, news, notification, reports, statistics by sally

‘In the majority of public law cases involving newborn babies parents are given very little formal notice that care proceedings have been issued and the case is to be heard in court, research by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (FJO) has shown.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th June 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Newborn care report sparks judicial response – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Judges are to investigate the use of urgent hearings in proceedings involving babies, after a study found that 85% of mothers in cases involving newborns being taken into care were given less than seven days’ formal notice.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 4th June 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Overwhelming and emotionally traumatic’: 1 in 6 new mothers only given a day’s notice of care proceedings, research says – The Independent

‘One in six mothers involved in care proceedings over the last year were given just a day’s notice of a court hearing to decide whether their newborn child would be taken into care, according to research. The vast majority of such women in England and Wales receive less than one week’s notice, new analysis shows.’

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The Independent, 5th June 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Rape cases in England and Wales will be hit hard by backlog, says police chief – The Guardian

‘Rape and domestic violence cases in England and Wales will be among the worst hit from the growing backlog in the judicial system, and trials could soon start collapsing because of severe delays, the new crime commissioner for England’s second biggest force has warned.’

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The Guardian, 6th June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Postcode lottery for baby care orders – judge – BBC News

‘Care order applications are usually made when social workers decide a mother is unable to look after her child on her own. The baby will probably go into foster care and it may be adopted.’

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BBC News, 4th June 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Day to day data on remote hearings in the family courts – Transparency Project

‘HM Courts and Tribunals Service have recently published statistics about the number of hearings conducted remotely, ie by audio, video or on paper, compared with physical in-person hearings, over the course of the coronavirus lockdown. The statistics cover civil and criminal cases as well as family law cases, but it is possible to extract from them a picture of how the family justice system, in particular, has responded.’

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Transparency Project, 4th June 2021

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Number of Covid PI claims remains low “but potential for many more” – Litigation Futures

‘The number of personal injury claims relating to Covid-19 continues to be very low, despite the significant rise in infections over the winter, new figures have shown.’

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Litigation Futures, 3rd June 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Officers accused of sexual abuse must face investigation, says police chief – The Guardian

‘All serving police officers accused of domestic or sexual abuse should face misconduct hearings as well as criminal investigations, according to the most senior police officer for domestic abuse in England and Wales.’

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The Guardian, 2nd June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Lawyers must do better’: Lord Hodge criticises use of expert witnesses – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 28th, 2021 in bias, expert witnesses, judges, news, solicitors, statistics by tracey

‘Instructing solicitors must not jeopardise the impartiality of expert evidence, the deputy president of the Supreme Court said today, citing a study which suggests expert witnesses are being used as “hired guns” by lawyers.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 28th May 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Windrush compensation: £30m offered to victims so far, Home Office says – BBC News

‘Nearly £30m has been offered in compensation to victims of the Windrush scandal, it has been confirmed, amid criticism over slow payments.’

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BBC News, 27th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Black people 12 times more likely to be prosecuted for cannabis, new analysis shows – The Independent

‘Black people are 12 times more likely to be prosecuted for cannabis possession than white people, according to new analysis by the Liberal Democrats who are calling for an end to the use of Stop and Search for small amounts.’

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The Independent, 27th May 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Unjust’ six-month time limit for reporting domestic abuse to police must be extended, MPs urge – The Independent

‘The government must urgently extend the “unjust” six-month time limit for domestic abuse victims to report domestic physical violence to the police, according to MPs who are to raise the issue in parliament.’

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The Independent, 22nd May 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Family lawyers suffering from job insecurity and stress, survey finds – Legal Futures

‘Only half of family law professionals feel secure in their jobs right now, while a quarter are actively considering leaving the profession due to wellbeing concerns, major research has found.’

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Family Law, 21st May 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Windrush victims not compensated quickly enough, report finds – The Guardian

‘The Home Office has failed to compensate victims of the Windrush scandal quickly enough, a critical National Audit Office (NAO) investigation into the compensation scheme has found.’

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The Guardian, 21st May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police and prosecutors must focus on actions of alleged rapists not victims, new guidance says – The Independent

‘Police and prosecutors are to place greater focus on the actions of alleged rapists rather than their victims, after charges hit a record low. New legal guidance published by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) says investigators must use an “offender-centric” approach and look closely at the actions of suspects before, during and after reported attacks.’

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The Independent, 21st May 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk