EVENT: JUSTICE fundraiser 12 Angry Men at the ICA. ‘Jury service enlarges one’s sense of self,’ argued Baroness Helena Kennedy QC on Monday night, following a fundraising screening for JUSTICE more…

The state has a responsibility to enshrine the principles of justice in legislation as well as establishing and maintaining the means of its implementation. This government and its predecessors have more…

Last month there were two important and successful judicial review challenges to the systems used by police authorities to disclose and retain personal data and information. In response to the more…

Instead of closing the gap, a huge chasm has just opened up right at the top of the system, writes Michael Mansfield QC. It is a shocking and disgraceful manoeuvre more…

Amidst the drama of Monday’s late night Parliamentary debate on the government’s response to the Leveson Report in the Courts and Crime Bill, few noticed the fate of an amendment more…

When a Home Secretary starts accusing the judiciary of subverting democracy, we should get nervous, writes Kate Blagojevic. But when new legislation designed to bypass human rights law is announced, more…

Barry George, wrongly convicted of the murder of BBC TV presenter Jill Dando, has lost a bid for compensation, ruled the High Court today. Three other people whose convictions had more…

Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights grants citizens freedom of thought, conscience and religion, writes Mhairi Aylott. This includes freedom to change religion or belief, and freedom, more…

Quite right, Valerie Vaz MP. There are questions that must be answered about Abu Qatada’s outrageous legal aid bill of over £500,000. They are, however, more for ministers, largely in more…

This is the question now facing the Divisional Court following Mr Justice Hickingbottom giving permission to bring a challenge to the government over the new provisions which came into force more…

Yesterday’s long-awaited report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons and the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigrations confirms what most involved already know: long-term detention is a mess. The question more…

The Joint Committee on the Draft Communications Data Bill produced its report yesterday (available here) and it’s a devastating piece of work, writes Paul Bernal. It rips the bill, and more…

David Cameron has announced plans to clamp down on ‘completely pointless’ judicial reviews.  The court system apparently allows ‘hopeless cases’ to clog up the court system.  The ‘smart people in more…

Two Newcastle fans in their late teens are watching their team play, writes Amanda Jacks. An equalising goal is scored and thanks to a surge of jubilant supporters – they more…

ANALYSIS: The degree of British Government complicity in atrocities in Kenya during its Mau Mau rebellion against colonial rule only came to light in the spring of 2011, writes Brian more…

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) ruled in Abu Qatada’s favour on one point only: if he is deported to Jordan, where he faces trial for terrorist offences, there is more…

This week an independent tribunal in The Hague will examine the massacre by the Ayatollah Khomeini’s regime of some 20 to 30,000 political prisoners, men and women, in Iran in more…

A 2011 study by the Children’s Commissioner for England raised concerns about both the quality and variation in standards of care for young offenders with mental health issues, writes Kim more…

There is a pressing need for accessible, high quality immigration advice in prisons and immigration removal centres (IRCs), a need which is recognised in official policy and specialist guidance, writes more…

REPORT: Detention Advice Service’s (DAS) 20th anniversary conference, which took place last week, went ahead under the title of ‘Foreign national prisoners: Meeting the challenges ahead’, writes Gemma Lousley. From more…

The recent implementation of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act, section 144, creating a new offence of squatting, prompted many to ask whether a change in the more…

New research released today by social policy think tank IARS shows that procedures for assessing and dealing with young women’s mental health issues in police custody need to be improved more…

In July this year Judge David Harvey of the North Shore District Court in New Zealand stepped down from the Megaupload extradition case after his comments suggesting that ‘the US more…

FEATURE: There are over 6,000 people in prison who arguably shouldn’t be there and have no release date, writes Sophie Barnes. Of this number about half have already served their more…

An interesting video surfaced this week from the place where all interesting videos surface – Youtube from last Friday’s Critical Mass demonstration in London, writes Mike Etienne. Photo by biggerbyfar more…

Announced barely a month ago, new immigration rules on family migration have come into effect. Alongside changes including a new income requirement of £18,600 for people wanting to sponsor a more…

In July last year, the Government published a consultation document on family migration, aimed in Home Office and UKBA parlance, at reducing the ‘burden on the taxpayer, promote integration and more…

After arriving at Gatwick Airport at midnight, I spent an hour queuing at passport control. It was inconvenient but hardly life-threatening. For the many young children, and for the elderly more…

Last month the deputy coroner for West Yorkshire, Professor Paul Marks, announced the outcome of an inquest into the death of Gareth Oates. Gareth died on March 2nd 2010, less more…

TICKETS AVAILABLE: As part of the Justice Gap, series we are teaming up for a second year with the Prisoners Advice Service to host their annual debate. You can read more…

ANALYSIS: Felicity Gerry considers how courts treat vulnerable defendants. Since the trial of Venables and Thompson where two children were tried in an adult court for the murder of James more…

Ministers backed down on controversial plans to make it harder for victims of domestic violence to claim legal aid; but otherwise refused to bow to all but three of the more…

As Billy Mills stood on the steps of the Edinburgh Court of Criminal Appeal in March 2009, he was overcome with relief as the words of Lord Gill echoed in more…

It is more than 20 years ago since the Birmingham 6 were released as innocent men, but the stark reality is that if their appeals has not been successful they more…

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) recently announced that – in conjunction with Croydon Council and Professor Graham Roberts of Kings College Hospital – the start of a 3 month trial more…

ANALYSIS: Here’s a paradox, writes Francis FitzGibbon: in the same week, the government says it wants more powers to scrutinize your phone calls and online communications, it insists on less more…

The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Bill, which received another bashing in the House of Lords this week, is not a particularly friendly piece of legislation if more…

ANALYSIS: In the very same week that the BBC announced it was to axe Rough Justice, three Appeal Court judges quashed the murder conviction of a young man, whose wrongful more…

LATEST IN THE JUSTICE GAP SERIES OUT NOW: ‘Our system of criminal justice is not perfect,’ writes Mr Justice Sweeney in his introduction to a new collection of essays about more…

At 9.30am on Friday this week Christopher Tappin must report to Heathrow’s police station. Tappin (it was noted in this Saturday’s Times) makes ‘an improbable criminal’. Christopher Tappin is a more…

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the rights of foreign criminals are routinely privileged over those of the individuals they have offended against, as well as the wider public more…

In 1996 Gambian asylum seeker Ibrahima Sey died at Ilford police station after being restrained by a number of policemen for a prolonged period of time. An inquest, held a more…

Judges this week retired to mull over whether a Twitter message threatening to blow up a snowbound airport ‘sky high’ was a ‘a menace to society’. Illustration by Sehb Hundal. more…

How many of us when posting messages to twitter or Facebook ever stop to think where those messages may end up, or who they might be seen by? Paul Chambers more…

Ken Clarke, the justice secretary, told MPs that changes were needed to make the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB) scheme economically sustainable.  The changes to the compensation scheme form part more…

Criminals are to be banned from making claims for injuries from a special fund set up to help victims of crime, according to the Guardian. Ken Clarke, the  justice secretary, more…

David Cameron yesterday called for reform of the European Court of Human Rights to prevent it turning into ‘a small claims court’ that was  ‘swamped’ by ‘spurious’ cases. The Prime more…

Concerns are mounting over the closure of the Forensic Science Service scheduled for March 2012. In a letter to the justice secretary Ken Clarke, the Law Society predicted ‘a contraction more…

According to The Sun – Human Rights judges will be put in the dock today by David Cameron – for presiding over a ‘small claims court’ for ‘terrorists and chancers’. more…

Media and public reaction to the publication of the report of the Commons Justice Committee on 17 January 2012 on the joint enterprise law has been extensive. Those of us more…

A recent report in the Independent has highlighted government plans to ban ‘convicted criminals’ from ‘claiming compensation for injuries sustained in attacks, in prison or after release’.  The policy relates more…

The law on joint enterprise was ‘so confusing for juries and courts alike’ that legislation was necessary to ensure justice for both victims and defendants and end the high number more…

Earlier this month the BBC screened a three-part drama series, Public Enemies. It starred Anna Friel as Paula, a probation officer supervising Daniel Mays’ Eddie, a released murderer, and focused more…

INTERVIEW: Michael Mansfield QC on Stephen Lawrence. Michael Mansfield’s CV serves as a reasonably exhaustive list of left wing causes célèbres spanning  three decades: miners’ strike, Birmingham Six, Jean Charles more…

Three years ago almost to the day, Kay Gilderdale helped her daughter to die. She didn’t want to, but her daughter had finally tired of her suffering, and so this more…

There is renewed concern about the government’s intention to return children to Afghanistan when their asylum claims have been rejected. The Refugee Council issued a statement urging the government to more…

Pressure is mounting on the government to reconsider plans to start returning child asylum seekers to Afghanistan. The current situation is that unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from the war zone are more…

On Saturday 29th October I returned to Dale Farm as one of a small team of legal observers, writes legal observer Susannah Mengesha. There’s an ever-growing list of required safety more…

As a volunteer legal observer at Dale Farm my role has been to monitor police and bailiff misconduct against residents and their supporters. There are many reasons why people have more…

Report from Dale Farm: Susannah Mengesha, a volunteer legal observer for the Dale Farm Solidarity campaign, reports on what’s going on to the residents and their supporters at the controversial travellers’ site, why it isn’t being reported by the press and why it’s important for legal observers to shine a light on what’s really happening.

Up to £1 million a year will be taken from prisoners’ wages to support victims of crime, ministers have said. The Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke, as part of his rehabilitation more…

Prisoners should pay some of the money they earn in jail to victims (on top of the existing criminal injuries’ scheme) in order to recompense for their sins and as more…

Lord Judge, the Lord Chief Justice and most senior judge in England and Wales, has said that courts need only ‘take account’ of the decisions of the European Court of more…

COMMENT: Eamonn O’Neill, lecturer in journalism at University of Strathclyde and award winning  investigative journalist on why the CCRC needs to be overhauled and why the media has played its more…

‘A SELF EVIDENT INJUSTICE’. Ralph Barrington, former head of Essex CID and up until March this year investigations adviser to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, goes through the controversial evidence more…

Tony Stock was convicted of robbery at Leeds Assizes in July 1970. He was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. Stock says he is completely innocent and for more than forty more…

My son Andy was part one of a group of 100 children who received a substantial amount of legal aid – £3.25million in total – to sue the pharmaceutical company more…

The forgotten thalidomide: Karl Murphy’s long fight for justice against the drug company that he believes damaged him in the womb.

Harsh sentences handed out to anyone involved in this summer’s riots were upheld by the Court of Appeal yesterday. Rejecting all but three of 10 appeals considered, they stressed that more…

The Supreme Court ruled that immigration rules introduced in 2008 to bar foreign spouses from entering the UK if either spouse is under 21 was a disproportionate interference with the more…

In November, Britain takes over the chairmanship of the Council of Europe. Ken Clarke and Nick Clegg announced a few months ago that they will head a commission into the more…

MATT EVANS: Theresa May, full time home secretary and part-time shoe fetishist, cited various ‘and I am not making this up’ examples including the now notorious Maya, a cat (which more…

David Cameron is to make forced marriage a crime. In a speech expected to be delivered later today, the Prime Minister is expected to say that the Government wants to more…

MICHAEL MANSFIELD: ‘The Criminal Cases Review Commission needs to be supported and expanded. Let’s not go back to the iniquities of pre-history. There is a strong reactionary lobby which should more…

‘I genuinely believe “access to justice” is the hallmark of a civilised society.’ It was with those inspiring words that justice secretary Ken Clarke introduced his government’s legal aid reforms more…

A leading academic has lent his weight to a new campaign for proper compensation for the victims of miscarriages of justice. Professor John Spencer QC, of Cambridge University, has damned more…

The Government is planning to remove the ‘fundamental’ right to free legal advice for people held in police. Under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, clause 12, more…

The year that Tony Stock was convicted for his part in a brutal robbery of a Tesco store in the Merrion Centre at Leeds, Edward Heath became British Prime Minister more…

The ‘death in custody’ provisions in the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 came into force this month (1st September 2011). The campaigning group INQUEST welcomed the move arguing more…

Cutting legal aid is ‘a false economy’, according to the report of  a panel of three non lawyer experts . Unequal before the law? the future of legal aid sets more…

Ken Clarke blamed the riots that swept across the UK on a penal system that failed to deal with the reoffending of ‘a feral underclass’. The Justice Secretary revealed that more…

Appeal judges attacked the approach to the sentencing of rioters taken by Judge Andrew Gilbart, the Recorder of Manchester. Following the August riots, Gilbart at Manchester Crown Court said the more…

The deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, writing in the Guardian, paid tribute to the UK’s ‘proud history of international leadership on human rights’. ‘Yet something strange has happened in recent more…

KIM EVANS: ‘I’d guesstimate that 90% of my clients have a personality disorder, mental health issues, and, or, serious substance addiction be it drugs or alcohol.’ Kim Evans has spent more…

There was a time when the sight of an envelope addressed to me in green ink, as though written studiously along a ruler’s edge, with each letter truncated in line, more…