JUSTICE calls for caution on the UK proposals for Strasbourg reform: Letter to The Times

March 6, 2012

Roger Smith, Director of Justice, wrote to The Times, on Monday 5 March 2012, urging diplomatic leaders to exercise caution over the proposed reforms, in light of the possible long-term impact of the proposed changes on the rule of law and the commitment to the protection of universal human rights standards in Europe and beyond. […]

Supreme Court ruling welcomed by leading Mental Health and Human Rights Organisations

February 8, 2012

Hospitals must ensure that they take appropriate steps to prevent voluntary psychiatric patients from taking their own lives, according to a landmark judgment handed down today by the Supreme Court. The unanimous ruling, which has been welcomed by leading mental health and human rights organisations, held that Pennine Care NHS Trust had a duty under […]

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

February 5, 2012

This bill received Royal Assent on 1 May 2012 and became the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. View the more information on the passage of the legislation on Parliament’s website. The bill was presented to Parliament on 21 June 2011. The bill is wide-ranging concerning the provision of legal aid, funding and costs in […]

JUSTICE welcomes inspector’s call for reform of undercover policing

February 2, 2012

JUSTICE welcomes the recommendation of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Sir Denis O’Connor, that the use of undercover surveillance must be subject to prior oversight. In our November 2011 report, Freedom from Suspicion: Surveillance Reform for a Digital Age, we called for the use of covert human intelligence sources to be subject to judicial control […]

JUSTICE reacts to Othman v UK (Abu Qatada)

January 17, 2012

JUSTICE welcomes judgment of the European Court of Human Rights that return to face trial on the basis of torture evidence would be unlawful and expresses regret on the conflicting judgment of the Court on the Memorandum of Understanding between Jordan and the UK. Read JUSTICE’s Press Release

Secret evidence in civil proceedings unnecessary, unfair and unjustified: JUSTICE responds to Government consultation on Justice and Security Green Paper

January 11, 2012

JUSTICE has published its response to the Government’s Green Paper on Justice and Security. We strongly criticise Government’s principal proposals– which would give the Government the discretion to trigger the use of secret evidence in any civil proceedings – as an unnecessary, unfair and unjustified interference with the principle of open justice. The Government should think […]

UK proposals for reform of the European Court of Human Rights would fundamentally undermine the protection of human rights in Europe

January 10, 2012

JUSTICE – as part of a coalition of major UK and international civil society organisations – today publishes its detailed analysis of current proposals for the reform of the European Court of Human Rights. New proposals by the UK and Swiss Governments would unacceptably restrict the right of individual petition and would undermine the invaluable […]