The Round-up: One nation justice – but will the Government pay for it?

29 June 2015 by

Credit: The Telegraph

In the news

In his first major speech as Lord Chancellor, Michael Gove this week set out his vision for ‘one nation justice’. At present a two-tier system provides the “gold-standard” of British justice to the wealthy and a “creaking, outdated system to everyone else”. The emphasis was on making use of technological developments, closing under-used courts and requiring the “most successful in the legal profession” to help “protect access to justice for all”.

Commentators have welcomed the aim of reducing inequalities, but point to a problem largely neglected by Mr Gove: the chronic lack of resources in the public system. Robin Murray in the Justice Gap argues that legal aid cuts and the “inevitable destruction” of solicitors’ firms will undermine proposed efficiency reforms. Unable to sustain the “relentless financial struggle”, lawyers are being driven out of public-funded work, writes Sarah Forshaw QC. Technological advancement is important, but not enough – “the criminal justice system, however efficient, is only as good as the people in it.”

Moreover, the notion that the richest solicitors and barristers can be relied on to plug the justice gap is “surely unrealistic”, contends John Hyde in the Law Society Gazette. There is simply “neither the will nor – most importantly – the experience in the City to pick up the slack.”

Reducing the gap between the quality of legal services for commercial litigants and the worst off in society is “a laudable goal”, writes Rupert Myers for The Telegraph. It cannot, however, be achieved unless Gove can “persuade the government to pay for it.”

In other news

BBC: The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled by a 5-4 majority that state prohibitions on same-sex marriage violate the constitution. Strongly-worded dissenting opinions from Justice Scalia and Chief Justice Roberts make for an interesting read, and can be found here, but it is Justice Kennedy’s final paragraph that will find its way into most history books.

The Guardian: Solicitors and barristers in Merseyside have agreed to take direct action in response to announcements that legal aid fees are to be reduced by a further 8.75%.

The Royal College of Nursing has warned that new immigration rules will cause “chaos” in the health service. Under the new rules, non-EU workers earning less than £35,000 after six years in the UK will be deported. The Guardian reports.

Columbia University has launched an online global database of freedom of expression case law and court rulings. Inforrm Blog provides more information.

UK HRB posts

Supreme Court on EU and ECHR proportionality – back to basics – David Hart QC

Care arrangements for severely autistic man did not deprive him of his liberty – Rosalind English

The 50 human rights cases that transformed Britain – Adam Wagner

Asylum is a high hurdle. Can aspirants for UK try the Convention on Human Trafficking instead? – Hannah Noyce

Don’t say ‘Snooper’s Charter’: Dutch Dairy-Rooms and British Political Language – Dr Cian Murphy

Events

Justice Deferred: Transnational Lawyering and the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, 30 years on – Professor Upendra Baxi will revisit the legal aftermath of the disastrous accident in Bhopal, India. The public talk will take place on 6 July at King’s College, London. More details can be found here.

If you would like your event to be mentioned on the Blog, please email Jim Duffy at jim.duffy@1cor.com.

Hannah Lynes

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Aarhus Abortion Abu Qatada Abuse Access to justice adoption ALBA Allison Bailey Al Qaeda animal rights anonymity Appeals Article 1 Protocol 1 Article 2 article 3 Article 4 article 5 Article 6 Article 7 Article 8 Article 9 article 10 Article 11 article 13 Article 14 Artificial Intelligence Asbestos assisted suicide asylum Australia autism benefits Bill of Rights biotechnology blogging Bloody Sunday brexit Bribery Catholicism Chagos Islanders Children children's rights China christianity citizenship civil liberties campaigners climate change clinical negligence Coercion common law confidentiality consent conservation constitution contempt of court Control orders Copyright coronavirus Coroners costs court of appeal Court of Protection covid crime Cybersecurity Damages Dartmoor data protection death penalty defamation deportation deprivation of liberty Detention diplomatic immunity disability disclosure Discrimination disease divorce DNA domestic violence duty of candour duty of care ECHR ECtHR Education election Employment Employment Law Employment Tribunal enforcement Environment Equality Act Ethiopia EU EU Charter of Fundamental Rights EU costs EU law European Court of Justice evidence extradition extraordinary rendition Family Fertility FGM Finance football foreign criminals foreign office France freedom of assembly Freedom of Expression freedom of information freedom of speech Gay marriage Gaza gender genetics Germany gmc Google Grenfell Health high court HIV home office Housing HRLA human rights Human Rights Act human rights news Huntington's Disease immigration India Indonesia injunction Inquests international law internet Inuit Iran Iraq Ireland Islam Israel Italy IVF Jalla v Shell Japan Japanese Knotweed Judaism judicial review jury trial JUSTICE Justice and Security Bill Land Reform Law Pod UK legal aid legality Leveson Inquiry LGBTQ Rights liability Libel Liberty Libya Lithuania local authorities marriage Maya Forstater mental capacity Mental Health military Ministry of Justice modern slavery monitoring music Muslim nationality national security NHS Northern Ireland nuclear challenges nuisance Obituary ouster clauses parental rights parliamentary expenses scandal Parole patents Pensions Personal Injury Piracy Plagiarism planning Poland Police Politics pollution press Prisoners Prisons privacy Private Property Professional Discipline Property proportionality Protection of Freedoms Bill Protest Public/Private public access public authorities public inquiries public law Regulatory Proceedings rehabilitation Reith Lectures Religion RightsInfo Right to assembly right to die right to family life Right to Privacy Right to Roam right to swim riots Roma Romania Round Up Royals Russia Saudi Arabia Scotland secrecy secret justice sexual offence sexual orientation Sikhism Smoking social media Social Work South Africa Spain special advocates Sports Standing statelessness Statutory Interpretation stop and search Strasbourg Supreme Court Supreme Court of Canada surrogacy surveillance Syria Tax technology Terrorism tort Torture travel treaty TTIP Turkey UK Ukraine UK Supreme Court unduly harsh united nations USA US Supreme Court vicarious liability Wales War Crimes Wars Welfare Western Sahara Whistleblowing Wikileaks Wild Camping wind farms WomenInLaw YearInReview Zimbabwe
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