Anti-Terrorism Review Reform: Some Considerations
In mid-July, the UK government announced its intention to abolish the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation – the office tasked to review the UK’s anti-terrorism laws – and replace it...
United Kingdom
Presumptive Costs Orders: A Threat to Public Interest Interventions (Part II)
In a previous post, I reviewed the terms of the Government’s proposed new costs rule for interventions (cl 67, Criminal Justice and Courts Bill), and queried the Government’s characterization of...
Presumptive Costs Orders: A Threat to Public Interest Interventions (Part I)
The Criminal Justice and Courts Bill received its second reading in the House of Lords on 30 June 2014 and has now been referred to committee stage. Part 4 of...
Religious anti-gay refusal – valuing dissent without making it lawful
According to Supreme Court judge, Lady Hale, the law has yet to find the right balance between accommodating people’s beliefs and avoiding anti-gay discrimination. Her remarks, made during a lecture...
The Irrelevance of Residence: The Unlawful ‘Residence Test’ for Legal Aid
In R (Public Law Project) v Secretary of State for Justice, the Administrative Court held that the Government’s proposed residence test for legal aid was ultra vires and discriminatory. The...
When does being better qualified provide you with fewer opportunities?
The answer: when you’re a member of one of the UK’s many ethnic minorities. Figures from the University of Manchester’s Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity, visualised in a recent infographic,...
‘Children in an Age of Austerity’: The Impact of Welfare Reform on Children in Nottingham
The Welfare Reform Act 2012 has introduced the biggest changes to state welfare since the establishment of the Welfare State. Many of the changes have had a direct impact on...
What will the Flexible Working Regulations 2014 mean for employers and employees?
“That which yields is not always weak” (Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel’s Dart). From 30 June 2014, changes to the Flexible Working Regulations mean that any employee meeting the minimum service eligibility...
Moral Arguments on the Right to Die: Should Courts Intervene?
On 25th June 2014, the UK Supreme Court, sitting as a full bench of nine, handed down judgment in the joined cases of R (on the application of Nicklinson and...
Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre: 20 Years Too Long
Campsfield House, an immigration removal centre in Kidlington run by Mitie for profit, is now in its 20th year of operation. Twenty years of detention without trial, without time limit,...
“British Schindler” and a History of Neglect of Refugee Children
Sir Nicholas Winton celebrated his 105th birthday at the Czech embassy in London this past May. Guests included members of the Winton family, friends, and members of his other family,...
Partially Clandestine Criminal Trials Risk Standardising Secrecy
In a decision handed down 4 June 2014, the UK Court of Appeal addressed the issue of secrecy in criminal trials on the grounds of national security. UK Government Ministers...
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