Legal Services Bill (Draft)
Legislation 17 May 2005
The government has drawn up a draft Legal Services Bill in order to provide a regulatory framework for legal services which protect the consumer while promoting competition and innovation.
Compensation Bill
Legislation 17 May 2005
Part of the government’s attempt to tackle the growing “compensation culture” in the UK, the Department for Constitutional Affairs has pledged to launch a Compensation Bill.
Criminal Defence Service Bill
Legislation 16 May 2005
“Legislation will be introduced to reform the criminal defence service, making better use of legal aid resources.”
Judicial Pensions Bill
Legislation 16 May 2005
Blears backs uniforms for yobs
News Article 15 May 2005
A senior minister has floated the idea of teenage yobs being forced to wear US-style uniforms while carrying out community punishments.
Top judge backs less jail sentences
Press Review 13 May 2005
Lord Woolf has called for a halt in the "continuing rise in the use of imprisonment".
Falconer to axe long fraud trials
Press Review 11 May 2005
The lord chancellor has promised to restrict fraud trials to just a "few months at the very most".
Judges blast curbs on power
Press Review 26 April 2005
Five senior judges have attacked the government over a succession of laws that they say "fetter their ability" to administer justice.
MPs back jury ban in science cases
Press Review 29 March 2005
MPs on the science and technology committee say today that jury trials should be abandoned in favour of panels led by judges in cases where complex scientific evidence is crucial.
Judiciary urged to focus on use of science
News Article 29 March 2005
Action is needed to prevent miscarriages of justice caused by flawed treatment of expert evidence, a committee of MPs has concluded.
Goldsmith probes collapse of two-year fraud trial
Press Review 23 March 2005
The attorney general Lord Goldsmith has ordered an investigation into the collapse of the longest British jury trial in legal history.
Re-think urged on asylum appeals plan
News Article 23 March 2005
A Commons committee has attacked government plans to restrict legal aid payments to asylum seekers.
Government asked private lawyer for war advice
Press Review 22 March 2005
A private sector lawyer who gave legal advice to the government on the invasion of
