Parole system preparing for overload as Supreme Court ruling gives prisoners right to ‘hopeless’ hearings – The Independent

Posted July 14th, 2014 in budgets, news, oral hearings, parole, statistics, Supreme Court by sally

‘The parole system is preparing for overload after a ruling gave prisoners the right to have hearings even when there is no hope of release.’

Full story

The Independent, 12th July 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Power of attorney: how flawed system cost one family £30,000 – Daily Telegraph

‘Rules granting other people control over your money when you are elderly or infirm are open to abuse. We highlight one sobering case.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 12th July 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Domestic violence convictions at record high – The Guardian

‘The conviction rate for domestic violence cases has reached its highest ever level, with cases now making up 10.7% of the Crown Prosecution Service’s workload, the director of public prosecutions will announce on Wednesday.’

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

More than 1,000 children under 10 stopped and searched in five years – The Guardian

Posted July 1st, 2014 in children, inquiries, news, reports, statistics, stop and search by sally

‘More than 1,000 children under the age of 10 – and some as young as four – have been stopped and searched by the police in England and Wales over the past five years, according to official figures.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Project pits women’s success stories against “negative narrative of diversity debate” – Legal Futures

Posted June 30th, 2014 in barristers, diversity, equality, legal profession, news, solicitors, statistics, women by sally

‘A five-year project to celebrate the achievements of women lawyers has been launched, culminating at the centenary of the Act of Parliament which abolished the bar on their entry into the profession.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 27th June 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Sham marriages ‘double in four years’, Home Office figures show – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 24th, 2014 in fraud, immigration, marriage, news, sentencing, statistics by sally

‘The number of suspected sham marriages being reported by registrars has doubled in four years, official Home Office figures show.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 23rd June 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Fall in number of offenders barred from working with children – The Guardian

Posted June 24th, 2014 in cautions, criminal records, freedom of information, news, statistics, vetting by sally

‘The number of people who have committed child sex offences and have been barred from working with children has fallen by nearly 10,000 over the past three years, according to freedom of information disclosures.’

Full story

The Guardian, 24th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Thousands of mothers have multiple babies removed – BBC News

‘Thousands of mothers over the past seven years have had successive children removed by family courts in England, the BBC has learned.’

Full story

BBC News, 23rd June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bar Council and Bar Standards Board Release Barristers’ Working Lives Survey Results – The Bar Council

Posted June 20th, 2014 in barristers, employment, press releases, remuneration, statistics by sally

‘The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, and the Bar Standards Board (BSB), the regulator of barristers in England and Wales, today released the report Barristers’ Working Lives, which reveals results from the second biennial survey of the Bar.’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 18th June 2014

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Barristers move towards ABS, survey says – Legal Futures

Posted June 19th, 2014 in alternative business structures, barristers, news, statistics by sally

‘Nearly one in five criminal and family barristers are considering joining alternative business structures (ABS) with non-lawyer owners, while four out of 10 of all barristers plan to apply, or are thinking of applying, for authorisation to conduct litigation, according to a major survey.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 19th June 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

How many people will get £10,000 fines for speeding? – The Guardian

Posted June 16th, 2014 in fines, news, road traffic offences, sentencing, statistics by sally

‘The maximum financial penalty that magistrates courts can impose has been increased fourfold, although the data shows that only a few will have to pay much more.’

Full story

The Guardian, 12th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prisons face overcrowding due to policy failure, says watchdog – The Guardian

Posted June 16th, 2014 in budgets, news, ombudsmen, prisons, sexual offences, standards, statistics, suicide by sally

‘The public is being put at risk by a “political and policy failure” in jails which risks boiling over this summer, the prisons’ inspectorate has warned as the government admitted more inmates would have to share cells to cope with an unexpected rise in numbers.’

Full story

The Guardian, 14th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BSB bids to improve barristers’ reporting of certain diversity data – from abysmal to awful – Legal Futures

Posted June 13th, 2014 in barristers, diversity, news, statistics by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board has set itself a minimum target of 30% for diversity data collection from barristers on sexuality, religion and disability.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 13th June 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Court crisis warning as legal aid cuts trigger surge in parents fighting for child custody without lawyer – Daily Telegraph

‘Lawyers warn of ‘huge delays’ in family court cases as number of parents facing prospect of representing themselves jumps 48 per cent’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 7th June 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Poll finds law students backing legal profession to resist forces of change – Legal Week

Posted June 6th, 2014 in legal education, legal services, news, statistics by sally

‘Most law students believe the legal profession will be resistant to change during their careers, according to research that suggests the next generation of lawyers may be significantly more conservative than many commentators are predicting.’

Full story

Legal Week, 6th June 2014

Source: www.legalweek.com

Measures aimed at addressing drop in rape convictions launched – BBC News

Posted June 6th, 2014 in Crown Prosecution Service, news, prosecutions, rape, statistics by sally

‘Measures aimed at improving the conviction rate for rape in courts in England and Wales have been launched by the Director of Public Prosecutions.’

Full story

BBC News, 6th June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

How people resolve ‘legal’ problems – Legal Services Board

Posted May 28th, 2014 in legal services, Legal Services Board, news, statistics by sally

‘The Legal Services Board commissioned Professor Pascoe Pleasence and Dr Nigel Balmer to produce a statistical analysis of existing legal needs survey data to understand how consumers demographics, attitudes, capabilities and beliefs impact on their response to legal problems. How people resolve legal problems presents the findings of this analysis.’

Full story

Legal Services Board, 22nd May 2014

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Fewer than one in ten people with legal problems see a lawyer, major study finds – Legal Futures

Posted May 23rd, 2014 in legal services, news, statistics by sally

‘There is a huge unmet need for legal services among individual consumers, the most detailed ever study of the issue has revealed, with fewer than one in 10 people experiencing a legal problem seeking advice from a lawyer.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 23rd May 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The Serial Removal of Children from Young Mothers – is this right? – Family Law Week

‘Maureen N Obi-Ezekpazu, FRSA, Barrister and Mediator, Family Matters, asks what can be done to help the plight of young mothers who have had several children permanently removed.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 18th May 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Finance and Divorce Update – Family Law Week

‘Jessica Craigs, senior solicitor, and David Salter, Joint Head of Family Law, both of Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the financial remedies and divorce news and cases published in April.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 17th May 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk