16 October 2020 JUSTICE has responded to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on the mandatory retirement age for judicial office holders. The consultation seeks views on whether the mandatory retirement age (which is currently 70) should be raised and, if so, whether it should be raised to 72 or 75. We are pleased that the […]
Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill
October 5, 2020
This briefing addresses JUSTICE’s concerns with the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill. JUSTICE recognises the unique role and status of the UK’s armed forces, and the difficulties faced by service personnel. However, this Bill fails to support current and former service personnel whilst also depriving victims of serious crime to proper access to […]
JUSTICE press release on extending custody time limits
September 7, 2020
Today, the Government will lay temporary legislation extending custody time limits by 56 days for all new Crown Court cases from 28th September. These measures will remain in place for nine months. Custody Time Limits safeguard unconvicted defendants by preventing them from being held in pre-trial custody for an excessive period of time. Custody Time […]
Postponing event with Dame Cressida Dick DBE QPM
Justice Committee Inquiry on the Coroner Service
September 3, 2020
3 September 2020 This briefing responds to the Justice Committee’s call for evidence into the effectiveness of the Coroner Service and whether changes introduced under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 has helped improve the experiences of bereaved people and survivors who come into contact with the Coroner Service. The Committee’s website states: “The Committee’s inquiry […]
JUSTICE launches timely report on urgent reform for major inquests and inquiries
August 24, 2020
When a catastrophic event or systemic failure results in death or injury, the justice system must provide a framework to understand what happened and to prevent recurrence. This Working Party of JUSTICE, which publishes its report When Things Go Wrong: the response of the justice system, on 24th August 2020, seeks to address the erosion […]
JUSTICE submits response to the Scottish Sentencing Council consultation on sentencing young people
August 21, 2020
JUSTICE recently submitted a response to the Scottish Sentencing Council’s consultation on its proposed guideline for sentencing young people. We broadly welcome the proposed changes set out by the draft guideline. We consider that the guideline will be useful in ensuring that sufficient regard is paid to the unique circumstances of young people at the […]
Justice Committee Inquiry on Youth Justice
July 21, 2020
On 14 July 2020, JUSTICE submitted evidence to the Justice Committee Inquiry into Children and young people in custody. The focus of the evidence was on the ongoing work we are undertaking with our working party on Racial Disparity in Youth Justice. As we have investigated the issue, five themes have emerged, which consider need […]
JUSTICE Human Rights Law Conference 2020
July 20, 2020
This year our JUSTICE Human Rights Law Conference was held virtually over Zoom in the evenings of Monday 6 July to Thursday 9 July. We hosted discussions on a number of topics including COVID-19 related challenges, the climate crisis, the EU Withdrawal Bill, deprivation of liberty and privacy. The Conference opened with a Keynote Address […]
JUSTICE submits evidence to inquiry on private prosecutions
July 17, 2020
In July, the House of Commons Justice Committee launched an inquiry to assess the sufficiency of safeguards surrounding the use of private prosecutions in the criminal justice system. The inquiry will focus on cases brought by large organisations against individuals when the organisation is also the alleged victim of the offence. Concerns relating to the […]