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News, analysis, comment and updates from ICLR's case law and UK legislation platform
“All we are is glorified car mechanics,” said UpTights at Chambers tea today. “Just fixing minor errors caused by solicitors.” “Except not so glorified,” said TheBusker. “Yes, I doubt there’d be many mechanics who’d be pleased with the comparison,” said HeadofChambers. “What’s the problem?” asked OldSmoothie. “Not had any trials of late?” “I should be… Continue reading about BabyBarista: Lawyers are just glorified car mechanics
National Pro Bono Week and the Bar Conference 2013 At a time when public funding is being cut to the bone, the Bar is already going further and working pro bono. But is it right for the government – with all David Cameron’s talk of the Big Society stepping in where public spending fears to… Continue reading about Pro bono publico: private conscience and public service
Within only a few weeks of starting his pupillage, one of the pupils has already garnered quite a reputation as a show-off. Not a show-off in a theatrical, maybe kind of charming but just a bit too much energy sort of a way either. More of a show-off in an insecure, in your face and… Continue reading about How not to do pupillage with new recruit PupilBrag
The promise of open justice is not fulfilled where viewers have no idea and no explanation of what is going on. Yesterday, following a change in the law, proceedings in the Court of Appeal were broadcast live on television for the first time in this country. This new development was designed to make English justice… Continue reading about Cameras in court – the Lex Factor
Over the summer, following a period of sometimes stormy consultation with interested parties, the Bar Standards Board published the first edition of its QASA Handbook. In a series of earlier posts, this blog has examined the background, aims and components of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates. See: Questions about QASA QASA in practice: doing… Continue reading about The cart, the horse, the nut and the sledgehammer: a review of the QASA Handbook
While the ICLR team was in Boston for the annual conference of the International Bar Association, two of us took the opportunity to meet up with the Chief Reporter of Decisions at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Brian H Redmond heads up a team of reporters and editors who are employed by the court, which… Continue reading about The ICLR in Boston: A visit to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
The ICLR team is currently in Boston, Mass. attending the annual conference of the International Bar Association. This is one of our favourite legal events, and we make sure to attend each year to show from our stand in the exhibition hall the superior features of ICLR Online, as well as samples of our print… Continue reading about ICLR at IBA in Boston
The recent decision by a Crown Court judge requiring a Muslim woman defendant to remove her niqaab (face-covering veil) when giving evidence in her own defence, but permitting her to keep it on during the rest of the trial, has prompted a good deal of comment in the social media. The reasons given by His… Continue reading about Further reflections on the niqab ruling
In his latest posting, His Honour Judge Pennyweather ruminates on the mysterious allure of anonymous tweeting for members of the judiciary. Sponsored post from the BabyBarista blog.… Continue reading about HHJ Pennyweather: Judicial eccentricities amplified on Twitter!
A Muslim woman appearing as a defendant in the Crown Court could be required to remove her niqaab when giving evidence, though she was free to wear it during other parts of the trial. To limit the restriction on her religious freedom, she would be permitted to give evidence from behind a screen, shielding her… Continue reading about Judge Murphy’s ruling in R v D (R) on wearing of niqaab in court
