Police & Prisons

Articles

New faces

It is a fine excitement, election time. Because of the exigencies of a tough trial I missed most of it, but was found crouching in front of the telly at 5am demanding of it “But who are our masters now?” The suspense was killing me – but eventually fevered impatience was rewarded, and the quintennial rush to the Ministry of Justice website could begin. I'm surprised it didn't crash, with the sheer weight of lawyers anxious to know who their new line managers were and what life under them would be like.

A question of independence

Independent inquiries following complaints against the police are still a rarity and the IPCC must recognise its responsibility to undertake more investigations, says Sophie Khan

Coalition government unveils civil liberties, crime and legal aid reform

Radical reforms of the criminal justice system and a review of legal aid are two of the main planks of the coalition government's programme, alongside a commitment to roll back the state and protect individual freedoms.

Immigration firm wins judicial review against Law Society

Immigration specialists Malik Law Chambers in Bethnal Green, East London, have won a judicial review against the Law Society.

Fresh vision

The regional Bar cannot continue with the current model – it must be prepared to evolve over the next decade if it is to thrive, says Robin Tolson QC

Courts cannot use secret procedures to hear ordinary civil claims

Courts cannot order “closed material procedures” when hearing ordinary civil claims, such as for damages or breach of statutory duty, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

Manifest differences

How do the 'law and order' policies of the main parties compare? Lucy Corrin examines the manifestos

No end in sight?

Indeterminate sentences are a relatively new phenomenon, but with their numbers dramatically increasing, the authorities should publish the correct test to be applied when prisoners are considered for release, says Philip Rule