To submit a blog, please read the OxHRH Blog guidelines.
Meghan Campbell - 19th August 2015
In its last session, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW Committee) released its thirty-third General Recommendation on women’s access to justice. This blog has detailed the developments around the world that have significantly impeded the individual’s right to access justice. Given that both men and women are disadvantaged by cuts to […]
Mohammad Nayyeri - 14th July 2015
Under Iran’s new Criminal Procedure Code only lawyers pre-approved by the Head of the Judiciary may intervene during the investigation stage in security related cases. This is a huge blow to the already embattled right to counsel in Iran and violates the right of accused persons to instruct independent legal counsel of their own choosing. […]
Catherine Briddick - 18th June 2015
The case concerns a challenge, brought by Detention Action in the High Court of England and Wales (and the latest in a series of challenges), to the legality of the detained appeal process created by the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) Rules 2014 SI 2014 No. 2604 (the FTT Rules). In most […]
Helen Taylor - 11th June 2015
Success for Oxford Pro Bono Publico and the Legal Resources Centre as the South African Supreme Court of Appeal affirms the principle of open justice in City of Cape Town v South African National Roads Authority Limited & others (20786/14) [2015] ZASCA 58. The public administration of justice is a long-established principle of the common […]
Julia Salasky - 9th June 2015
What is the future of human rights and public interest litigation? At the moment we are confronting existential threats to the Human Rights Act, judicial review and legal aid. These changes to law and policy, ranging from the overt to the subtle, impinge fundamentally on normal people’s ability to access justice, to challenge government decisions […]
Mathias Cheung - 19th March 2015
On 9th March 2015, the Civil Proceedings and Family Proceedings Fees (Amendment) Order 2015 came into force in England and Wales and introduced ‘enhanced’ court fees – enhanced in the quantitative but not the qualitative sense. The Lord Chancellor, Chris Grayling, has added yet another crowning jewel to his arsenal of justice-axing statutory instruments. Mr […]
Bob Hepple - 9th March 2015
In the second instalment of Professor Sir Bob Hepple’s ‘Equality Agenda in 2015’ series, the focus turns to the impact of the recent introduction of employment tribunal fees. What might be done to reduce the cost of tribunals to the taxpayer while still ensuring access to justice? This year is the 800th anniversary of Magna […]
Liz Curran - 16th January 2015
In the past decade or more in Australia, creeping managerialism and efforts to reduce funding of services under the guise of ‘fiscal belt tightening’ and efficiency have threatened and sometimes jeopardised the effectiveness of the legal system in being able to respond to community need. The Australian Productivity Commission’s Final Report on ‘Access to Justice […]
admin - 22nd December 2014
2014 has been another successful year for the Oxford Human Rights Hub. Thanks to the dedication of our Director, Prof Sandy Fredman, our Associate-Directors, staff, editorial team, and the enthusiasm of our contributors, we continue to forge stronger connections between human rights practitioners, policy makers and academics across the globe. The Blog will now take […]
Arushi Garg - 18th November 2014
This is the fifth post in our series celebrating National Pro Bono Week. OxHRH’s sister organisation, Oxford Pro Bono Publico (OPBP) provides annual grants to students undertaking unpaid or poorly paid public interest law work at organisations across the globe. Arushi Garg, one of the successful applicants in the 2014 grants process, writes about her experiences […]
Romy Faulkner - 13th November 2014
Last week was National Pro Bono week. To celebrate the OxHRH and OPBP are running a series of posts highlighting graduate students’ experiences interning with public interest law organisations. OPBP provides annual grants to enable students to undertake unpaid or poorly paid public interest law work at organisations and law firms across the globe. Romy […]
Daniel Cashman - 24th September 2014
In R (London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association & another) v Lord Chancellor [2014] EWHC 3020 (Admin), the High Court ruled that the consultation process adopted by the Government in reducing the number of criminal legal aid contracts was so unfair that it was unlawful. In February 2014, the Lord Chancellor announced that a radical overhaul […]