England

Draft legislation published today by the UK's justice secretary Dominic Raab will pave the way for the first ever "Victims Law" in England and Wales. The Victims Bill will see complainants’ views sought at regular points during their case, with greater accountability placed on agencies such as

Criminal solicitors in London are to refuse low-paid cases this week in protest at legal aid rates. More than 100 solicitors have voted to stop representing people accused of assaults and burglaries on medical workers from tomorrow.

A senior judge has found the University of Bristol liable for multiple breaches of legal duties it owed to undergraduate student Natasha Abrahart in the lead up to her suicide on 30 April 2018. Ms Abrahart's body was found in her private flat on the day she was due to give a presentation to fel

Advisers stationed at GP surgeries, council offices, libraries, and other convenient locations can help more people get more timely access to civil justice, according to a new think tank report. The Social Market Foundation said that legal support for civil justice can better reach the those in need

A barrister who sexually assaulted a younger colleague has won an appeal against his disbarment and will be allowed to return to the profession next year. Kevin Farquharson, who called to the Bar in 2011, was given a suspended six-month sentence in Cardiff Magistrates' Court last year after pleading

Volunteer police officers in England and Wales will be armed with Tasers under controversial UK government plans. In a speech to the Police Federation annual conference, home secretary Priti Patel said special constables would be authorised to carry the electric stun guns in response to calls from p

A former lawyer breached his duty of care to his client, a Kazakh mining giant, while the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) acted with "bad faith opportunism" before a major criminal investigation, the High Court has ruled. Former Dechert lawyer Neil Gerrard, who represented Eurasian Natural Resources Corp

A solicitor sitting on a criminal jury has been jailed after researching a defendant online and sharing her findings with other jurors. Caroline Elizabeth Mitchell, whose actions led to the collapse of a child sexual abuse trial, has resigned from her position as an associate solicitor with Irwin Mi

Partners at law firms in England and Wales saw their pay increase by nearly 40 per cent in the first full year of the pandemic, according to new figures. A survey conducted for the Law Society found that median net profits per equity partner increased by 39 per cent from £146,417 in 2020 to &p

Westminster's justice committee has called on the UK government to do more to tackle the lengthy backlog facing the court system in England and Wales. In a report published today, the committee warns that while innovations in the court system are welcome it will require strategic planning and long-t

Attorney General Suella Braverman QC has asked the Court of Appeal if protestors charged with causing criminal damage enjoy a defence under the Human Rights Act and what directions should be given to juries in such cases. Her “questions of law” follow the acquittals of the 'Colston Four'

Criminal trials in England and Wales could stop completely from today as barristers take industrial action over legal aid funding for defence practitioners. The Criminal Bar Association is moving ahead with its work-to-rule, with bar leaders saying they were taking action because real incomes for cr

The High Court in London has adjourned a $4.2 billion fraud trial involving a Ukrainian state-owned bank and several Ukrainian defendants on the basis that the defendants cannot properly prepare in light of Russia's invasion of their country. The case was brought by PrivatBank, the largest commercia

An English barrister who mocked and humiliated opposing counsel at a hearing has been fined £1,500 by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). Althea Sonia Brown was found to have "improperly undermined, insulted, humiliated and/or annoyed" the opposing barrister, named NC, and/or "was in the circumstan

The criminal legal aid sector in England and Wales is to receive up to an extra £135 million a year following a consultation, the UK government has announced. The move follows an announcement this week that 94 per cent of Criminal Bar Association members had voted in favour of industrial actio