Tag: Ministry of Justice

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 14 June 2023.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the reappointment of The Most Rev Barry Morgan and Judge Greg Sinfield as Commissioners of the Judicial Appointments Commission.

His Majesty the King, on the advice of the Lord Chancellor, has reappointed 2 Commissioners to the Judicial Appointments Commission.

Judge Sinfield has been reappointed for a second term of 3 years from 9 June 2023 to 8 June 2026.

The Most Rev Barry Morgan has been reappointed for a second term of 2 years from 6 July 2023 to 5 July 2025.

The Judicial Appointments Commission is an independent body that selects candidates for judicial office in courts and tribunals in England and Wales, and for some tribunals with UK-wide jurisdiction. Candidates are selected on merit, through fair and open competition

Judicial Appointment Commissioners are appointed, under Schedule 12(1) of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, by His Majesty the King on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor.

Commissioner appointments and re-appointments comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

The selection of Senior Judicial Commissioners is governed by the Judicial Appointments Regulations 2013.

Judge Sinfield

Judge Greg Sinfield was appointed as a Senior Judicial Commissioner on 9 June 2020. He is President of the First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber). Called to the Bar in 1981, Judge Sinfield worked in the Solicitor’s Office of HM Customs and Excise from 1983-87. He returned to private practice, in 1988, with what is now Hogan Lovells International. He was admitted as a solicitor, in 1989, and became a partner in the tax group of the firm in 1993.

The Most Rev Barry Morgan

The Most Rev Dr Barry Morgan is Archbishop Emeritus of Wales and is an academic. He was appointed as a Commissioner on 6 July 2020. As well as being Pro Chancellor of the University of Wales, Dr Morgan is: a Fellow of five Welsh Universities; a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales and; a Knight of the Order of St. John. He has published a number of articles, in books and journals, as well as a book on the poetry of R S Thomas.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 13 June 2023.

Judges will be given greater powers to dismiss lawsuits designed purely to evade scrutiny and stifle freedom of speech through government amendments to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill.

These legal cases, referred to as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), are often aggressively used by wealthy individuals or large businesses to intimidate and financially exhaust opponents, threatening them with extreme costs for defending a claim.

SLAPPs have been used prominently by Russian oligarchs to silence critics including investigative journalists, writers and campaigners to avoid scrutiny, often on bogus defamation and privacy grounds that prevent the publication of information in the public interest.

The amendments show the government is taking a leading role in cracking down on the abuse of the legal system by wealthy elites. It will create a new early dismissal process within the court system which will allow SLAPPs about economic crime to be rapidly thrown out by judges. This will make SLAPPs far less effective as a tool with which to threaten journalists and give reporters greater confidence to stand up to the corrupt, knowing the law is firmly on their side.

The move will enable the government to bring a swift end to the vast majority of SLAPPs cases, as at least 70% of the cases referenced in an report about SLAPPs, published in April 2022 by the Foreign Policy Centre and ARTICLE 19, were connected to financial crime and corruption.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk KC, said:

We are stamping out the brazen abuse of our legal system that has allowed wealthy individuals to silence investigators who are trying to expose their wrongdoing.

These measures will protect the values of freedom of speech that underpin our democracy and help better protect reporters who are shining a light on their crimes.

Crucially, the legislation will define the characteristics of SLAPPs relating to economic crime in law for the first time. This sets out that legal action taken to restrain a person’s freedom of speech or that the information within the piece has been released in the public interest to combat economic crime will count as a SLAPP.

Should a case reach court the early dismissal mechanism comprising of two tests will come into effect – whether a case is a SLAPP as defined by the Bill, and whether the claim has reasonable chance of being successful. This will put the onus on the complainants to prove that their case has merit, rather than on the defendant.

Justice Minister, Lord Bellamy, said:

Our reforms will ensure that journalists can shine a light on unscrupulous individuals who use and abuse our justice system to try and stop them.

As a result of our action it will be easier for the courts to swiftly dismiss cases, reducing the costs and stresses of lengthy legal proceedings.

In 2021 the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe estimated that 14 SLAPPs cases were brought in the UK, an increase on the 2 cases in both 2020 and 2019.

As part of the wider package of reforms the government will introduce limits on the high costs associated with SLAPPs to prevent them from being financially ruinous. This will maintain access to justice and ensure defendants have the confidence to take on wealthy claimants.

This amendment is the first step in cracking down on SLAPPs used to limit freedom of speech. The government remains committed to tackling all forms of this nefarious practice and will set out further legislation beyond economic crime when parliamentary time allows.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said:

For too long corrupt elites have abused our legal system to evade scrutiny and silence their critics.

These new measures are a victory for truth and justice, and a blow to those who try and export their corruption to the UK.

They will help expose wrongdoing and bring an end to spurious lawsuits from those who seek to suppress our freedom of speech.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 12 June 2023.

Today (12 June 2023) the Ministry of Justice has launched a new Online Procedure Rule Committee to help guide judges, legal representatives and litigants through online court procedures.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 8 June 2023.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the reappointment of Paul Jarvis and Edmund Smyth as non-judicial members of the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) for 4 years from 1 September 2023.

Paul Jarvis was first appointed to the CPRC on 1 September 2019. He is a Junior Treasury Counsel at the Central Criminal Court; appointed by the Attorney General to prosecute serious cases such as murder and terrorism. He undertakes voluntary work on the Bar Standards Board’s Independent Decision-Making Body. He has written books and articles on criminal procedure and given a range of lectures on relevant subjects.

Edmund Smyth was first appointed to the CPRC on 1 September 2019 is a Senior Associate in the Criminal Litigation Department of Kingsley Napley. He represents individuals and corporates across the full spectrum of criminal and quasi-criminal investigations and prosecutions involving matters such as financial crime, bribery and corruption, asset recovery, sexual offences and extradition. He is a committee member of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association and acts as the Association’s media officer.

The Courts Act 2003 established the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) to make rules governing the practice and procedure of magistrates’ courts, the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division.

The Act requires the CPRC, which is chaired by the Lord Chief Justice, to make rules that are simple and simply expressed and that help make the criminal justice system accessible, fair and efficient.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments regulates the appointment of non judicial members of the CPRC and recruitment process must comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Appointments to the CPRC are made by the Lord Chancellor in consultation with the Lord Chief Justice for England and Wales.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 30 May 2023.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 30 May 2023.

Mike Freer MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, has approved the appointments of Clare Brown, as a non-lay member and Kate Briscoe and Lizzie Peers, as lay members of the LSB.

Mike Freer MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, has approved the appointments of Clare Brown, as a non-lay member, and Kate Briscoe, as a lay member, of the Legal Services Board; both for a period of 4 years from 1 June 2023.

Mike Freer MP has also approved the appointment of Lizzie Peers, as a lay member of the Legal Services Board, for a period of 4 years from 1 October 2023.

Biographies

Clare Brown is a Barrister at 2 Temple Gardens. She is on the Treasury A Panel and is frequently instructed by the Government in high profile public law cases. She formerly worked for the European Court of Human Rights and for the Ombudsman of Human rights in Bosnia. Clare is also a senior lecturer on the Bar Course at City Law School, University of London.

Clare has not declared any political activity.

Kate Briscoe is the CEO and Co-Founder of LegalBeagles; the UK’s largest legal advice forum as well as JustBeagle; an independent search and legal comparison site to directly connect consumers to 10,000 regulated law firms across England and Wales. She has served as an expert panel member for the Solicitors Regulation Authority and, as a consumer rights advocate and consumer litigator, at Howlett Clarke Solicitors.

Kate has not declared any political activity.

Lizzie Peers has over nine years’ experience as a Non-Executive Director across a variety of national and local organisations including the University Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, the Ministry of Justice, DEFRA, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.  She has over 20 years of experience as an external auditor and regulator with the Audit Commission and Ernst and Young LLP.

Lizzie has not declared any political activity.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 29 May 2023.

Homicide Service expanded to support more people impacted by homicide and tragedies such as Grenfell Tower fire.

Bereaved families and eyewitnesses of homicide or major criminal incidents like the Manchester Arena bombing will receive better support than ever thanks to important changes coming into force on Thursday (1 June 2023).

The Homicide Service, backed by £5.27 million of government funding, provides essential services and practical support to families bereaved by murder or manslaughter – such as emotional and practical support like transportation as well as trauma and bereavement counselling and help navigating the criminal justice system.

Currently, the service – delivered on behalf of government by charity Victim Support – provides services for people who have been bereaved through murder or manslaughter.

But thanks to new measures coming into effect this week – and following a successful pilot in London which expanded the programme to eyewitnesses of homicide these life-changing services will be expanded to provide support to all those who directly witness a homicide or major criminal incident across England and Wales – approximately 1,200 more people.

Figures show that 8 out of 10 bereaved family members who have accessed support through the Homicide Service have reported a better outlook on life with 6 out of 10 saying it improved their health and sleep.

Today’s news builds on the government’s wider commitments to place victims at the heart of the justice system through the Victims and Prisoners Bill ensuring those impacted are always supported and have somewhere to turn.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk KC, said:

The Homicide Service provides vital support to the families of victims under the worst of circumstances – ensuring they have the emotional and practical help they need to cope with their loss.

By expanding the service to include eyewitnesses and bereaved families of major incidents across England and Wales thousands more people will be able to access the support they need as early as possible.

For the first time ever the Homicide Service will provide support to children and young people in the community after a major incident or local murder that impacts them directly such as a teacher, pupil or religious leader.

This will ensure the most vulnerable in society can receive professional help as quickly as possible to cope with traumatic events that could adversely impact their mental health.

Ellen Milazzo, Head of the National Homicide Service at Victim Support, said:

We are honoured to continue to deliver the National Homicide Service, which provides such vital support to those whose loved ones are killed through murder or manslaughter. We set up the service in 2010 and it has gone from strength to strength ever since. Expanding it to include support for direct eyewitnesses to homicide or a major criminal incident where a person is killed, alongside enhanced support for children and young people, is a brilliant step. These changes will enable us to deliver the best possible service for victims and ensure everyone impacted by homicide gets the help they need.

Justice Minister, Edward Argar, said:

This expansion of the Homicide Service, and additional new funding, will help ensure that more people bereaved through homicides and major criminal incidents across England and Wales, and eyewitnesses to those events, know they have somewhere to turn for help, where they can get the support they need.

The enhanced service will work alongside other government measures to help the victims and bereaved of major incidents. In March the government committed to creating an Independent Public Advocate (IPA) as part of the Victims and Prisoners Bill. This will work on behalf of families and provide dedicated support in the aftermath of major incidents like Hillsborough to guide them from as close to the incident as possible to the conclusion of any inquiry and ensure they get access to all available support services.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 26 May 2023.

£15 million for services that work with women in the justice system.

Thousands more vulnerable women caught up in crime will benefit from drug, housing and employment support to get their lives back on track thanks to a £15 million government funding boost.

This investment has been awarded to 40 women’s centres and charities, and four Police and Crime Commissioners to provide or access specialist help to those who commit lower-level offences.

These organisations help female offenders to get clean, move away from abusive relationships, and find work and stable accommodation ultimately reducing the £18 billion overall cost of reoffending to the taxpayer.

Successful organisations include:

• Brighton Women’s Centre, awarded £761,280 to continue their support for vulnerable women through childcare provision, counselling and psychotherapy.
• The Nelson Trust in the south west of England and Wales, awarded £1,164,915 to continue their work including residential abstinence-based addiction treatment programmes to help women achieve long-lasting recovery.
• The Together Women Project in Yorkshire and the Humber, awarded £621,309 to continue their work offering one-to-one, trauma-informed support to women serving community sentences.

This support is key to cutting crime as around one-third of female offenders have a history of drug abuse and more than three fifths of women have experienced domestic abuse.

Prisons and Probation Minister, Damian Hinds, said:

We know that female offenders often turn to crime because of poor mental health or drug abuse so it is absolutely vital we address those underlying issues to stop their offending.

These community organisations play a key role in our work to cut crime and improve support for some of society’s most vulnerable women.

The Minister visited Brighton Women’s Centre on Thursday (25 May 2023) to meet with the staff providing this specialist help and as well as the women being supported.

Lisa Dando, Director at Brighton Women’s Centre said:

I am delighted that we have been awarded funding from the MoJ to support women living with multiple disadvantages to lead happier and fulfilling lives.

Brighton Women’s Centre is committed to supporting women through a trauma informed and holistic model of care to ensure women can move away from the Criminal Justice System. This funding from the MoJ will enable us to specifically target support at preventing women from entering the Criminal Justice System. Ultimately, this will save lives as well as saving the public purse.

John Trolan, CEO at The Nelson Trust, said:

This welcome funding enables us to support women with multiple vulnerabilities many of whom end up in the justice system because of exploitation by others. 58% of women report committing crimes to support the drug habit of others as opposed to 27% of men.

We enable women to develop positive social networks of support leading to lives where they are financially independent, choosing healthy relationships and if they are parents, parenting responsibly.

While women who commit the most serious crimes will always be sent to prison, custody should always be a last resort. Tackling the root causes of female offending and providing vulnerable women with early support is a key part of the Government’s Female Offender Strategy to cut crime by women and reduce the number who end up in prison.

Since 2018, almost £55 million has been invested to tackle female offending. New specialist staff have been recruited to support pregnant women and mothers in prison, and charities and community organisations have also received funding to support their work.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 26 May 2023.

Prisons Minister Damian Hinds has today (26 May 2023) outlined a package of urgent measures to improve safety and rehabilitation at HMYOI Cookham Wood, including additional staff being deployed and a major crackdown on weapons.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 25 May 2023.

Over 6 million more people now eligible for legal aid advice and representation.

Domestic abuse victims and children are among millions more people who will have access to legal aid under major government investment to support those who need it most.

The move will see over 6 million more vulnerable people and families able to access funded legal support as the government pledges £25 million to boost the legal aid system every year.

It means domestic abuse victims on universal credit and seeking a protective order for themselves or their children against their attackers can access legal aid funding more easily without facing a means test.

Those who share a house with their abuser will also benefit from changes to disputed or inaccessible assets – which will no longer be considered when assessing someone’s financial eligibility for aid.

Taken together, these measures also go further to support victims of coercive control by making them eligible for legal help without needing to access funds from joint assets.

It comes as the government publishes a progress report following recommendations made by an expert ‘Harm Panel’ to improve responses to domestic abuse and safeguarding across the family justice system.

The report shows positive progress is being made across the family courts such as the launch of a new investigative approach pilot in three family courts and a review of the presumption of parental involvement.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk, said:

Widening access to legal aid secures justice and strengthens the rule of law.

These changes mean more vulnerable people like domestic abuse victims will be able to access the protection of the courts.

Other measures which will come into force over the next 2 years include:

• Free legal representation will be available to anyone under the age of 18, as well as for parents challenging traumatic and difficult medical decisions such as withdrawal of their child’s life support – removing one more burden for families
• Making everyone eligible for legal aid to defend themselves in the Crown Court, ensuring fair trials and ending the so called ‘innocence tax’ where people were forced to pay for a legal defence even if they were then found not guilty
• Increasing the amount of income someone can receive before having to contribute to legal aid fees by over £3,000 for civil cases and over £12,000 for criminal cases in the magistrates’ court

Justice Minister Lord Bellamy said:

We have made huge strides since the Harm Panel published its report and delivered cultural changes across the family justice system to ensure domestic abuse victims feel supported and protected.

Our changes to the legal aid means test will also make the justice system fairer for those who need it most.

The changes to legal aid access for domestic abuse victims were part of a package of recommendations made by the ‘Harm Panel’ to better safeguard vulnerable people against domestic abuse in family courts.

Its report found serious failings in the family courts with concerns that lengthy courtroom battles were re-traumatising victims, and that allegations of domestic abuse were not taken seriously.

The progress report published today shows the government has delivered a number of changes to better protect children and parents including:

• a ban on perpetrators cross-examining their victims in court
• automatic special measures for victims such as protective screens and giving evidence via video link
• clarifying the law on ‘barring orders’, to prevent perpetrators from bringing their ex-partners back to court, which can be used as a form of continuing domestic abuse.

Legal aid provides support for people who are unable to afford legal representation or need financial help in taking issues to court.

Expanding the eligibility criteria helps more people access the justice system to get the support they need.