Tag: Ministry of Justice

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 18 October 2022.

The construction of a state-of-the-art combined court is underway in the heart of London’s legal centre as part of Salisbury Square, a new development on Fleet Street.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 17 October 2022.

An extra £10 million a year will also be invested in housing legal aid, so that thousands more people can access legal advice when they fall into difficult times and face the risk of eviction.

The extra support for domestic abuse victims will kick in to support the use of new Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, which the Government committed to introducing in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

Once in use, police will be able to issue Protection Notices to provide immediate protection for victims following an incident, for example by requiring a perpetrator to leave the victim’s home. Protection Orders will be handed out by the court to impose longer-term protection, including ordering the perpetrator to attend behaviour change programmes or wear an electronic tag.

Victims protected by these will now have access to free expert legal advice and representation in court.

Justice Minister Lord Bellamy KC said:

Legal advice should always be available to those who need it, especially victims of domestic abuse who often rely on lawyers to ensure they are protected from abusers.

By making it easier for victims to access legal aid, more people will be better supported through court proceedings and can start the process of moving on safely with their lives.

Reforms to the former Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme also mean that anyone facing eviction or repossession will receive free early legal advice on housing before appearing in court, as well as continuing to get advice and representation on the day of their hearing. By helping people facing the loss of their home at the earliest point, it will potentially avoid the need for court proceedings altogether. Individuals with a repossession notice can also receive early legal advice on debt and welfare benefit matters, to help with the wider issues they may face.

A further change will help domestic abuse victims by allowing doctors to submit letters of evidence for legal aid applications following video or telephone consultations.

Other legal aid changes that are being introduced today will:

• ensure special guardians – family members or friends who take on parental responsibilities for a child – are eligible for legal aid in private court proceedings determining parental control over a child
• standardise the means and merit testing requirements for birth parents involved in placement and adoption order proceedings where a local authority is authorised to place a child for adoption
• ensure victims of domestic abuse applying for indefinite leave to remain in the UK, under the immigration rules, are eligible for legal aid

This is part of over £2.2 billion investment in civil and criminal legal aid over three years.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 4 October 2022.

The Justice Secretary, Brandon Lewis MP, has today (Tuesday 4 October) announced that more thieves, burglars and robbers will be fitted with GPS electronic tags when they leave prison, helping cut crime and keep the public safe.

Under this expansion of this Government’s Acquisitive Crime GPS tagging project, 2,000 more criminals will have their whereabouts monitored on leaving custody – another important step forward in the use of technology to drive down re-offending rates and protect our communities.

Under the current system, only criminals with sentences of a year or more can be monitored via electronic tags on release under the scheme. The changes announced today will see offenders with sentences of 90 days or more eligible to be tagged – dramatically cutting the existing sentence threshold by nine months.

Tags for criminals who carry out theft, burglary, and robbery offences – known as acquisitive crimes – were introduced last year. They work by tracking the physical movements of offenders so police can find out if any tagged offenders were in the vicinity of a crime.

The technology also allows probation staff to keep a much closer eye on the whereabouts of offenders under their supervision – meaning they are better able to prevent ex-criminals from falling back into a life of crime.

The expansion, part of this Government’s unprecedented £183 million investment in expanding the use of electronic monitoring technology, means the UK is continuing to lead the world in using tagging to fight crime and keep people safe.

The Justice Secretary has also (today) confirmed his plans to create more oversight of where transgender prisoners are housed and consider options to ensure risk assessments are robust as possible.

The government has been clear on the issue of single sex spaces – whether it be in our prisons, our schools, or our hospitals. That is why we will act to better protect single sex spaces within our prisons and protect women from harm.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 29 September 2022.

Criminal barristers have agreed to vote on ending strike action to get justice moving for victims following discussions with Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP.

The Criminal Bar Association will re-ballot members following meetings with the Lord Chancellor and his decision to offer a package of further reforms and fee uplifts to criminal legal aid.  This represents further investment of £54 million in the criminal bar and solicitors.

A planned 15 percent fee increase for criminal barristers will now apply to the vast majority of cases currently in the Crown Court. This will also apply to fee increases for solicitors and is part of a wider package of proposals announced by the government today (29 September 2022) to help tackle the court backlog.

As part of the proposals, the Criminal Bar Association and Bar Council have also committed to working together with the government to reduce the courts backlog and increasing diversity among barristers. Measures designed to reduce delays for victims, such as increasing early resolution of cases, reducing the number of ineffective trials and progressing cases between magistrates’ courts and the Crown Court, will be explored.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis said:

I greatly value the criminal bar and solicitors and the work they do every day in our Crown and Magistrates Courts. They are crucial to reducing the backlog.

My priority in these discussions has been to ensure that victims aren’t forced to wait longer to see justice done.

These are generous proposals, and I would strongly urge all members of the Criminal Bar Association to consider carefully, end their strike and work with me to deliver better outcomes for victims of crime.

The Ministry of Justice will make £3 million of funding available for case preparation like written work and special preparation.  A further £4 million will be allocated to defence barristers involved in pre-recorded cross-examinations, which are used to reduce the trauma of a trial for vulnerable victims and witnesses.

The Ministry of Justice is also proposing a £5 million uplift per year for fees in the youth court, from the 2024/25 financial year, expected to benefit both solicitors and some junior barristers.

An Advisory Board on Criminal Legal Aid reform will hold its first meeting in October, to discuss future proposals to improve the system for legal professionals and victims in a constructive way.

Further uplifts for solicitors will be announced in the weeks ahead.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 28 September 2022.

This summer, Karen – a volunteer at charity DeafCOG in London – became the first Deaf person to complete jury service with a BSL interpreter at Croydon Crown Court, deliberating over a racially aggravated harassment case. Karen was also chosen by the other members of the jury to act as the jury foreperson – the spokesperson responsible for announcing the verdict.

Others are now following in Karen’s footsteps, including Paul who served on a serious sexual assault case at Norwich Crown Court last month. Both jurors had three interpreters who rotated every 20 minutes to assist them, as well as the full support of the judge and HM Courts and Tribunals Service staff.

The move follows changes brought in through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, which allow BSL interpreters into the jury deliberation room. It is expected that this will open up jury service to over 80,000 Deaf people across England and Wales.

Speaking about her experiences in court, Karen said:

My jury experience at Croydon Crown Court went smoothly and exceeded my expectations.

The staff, from the jury manager, ushers, clerks and judges were extremely aware of the needs of myself and the BSL interpreting team. I was made to feel included every step of the way.

An excellent and amazing opportunity for me and what a great start to leading the way for other Deaf jurors in the future, now that BSL is recognised as a language.

Paul said:

Being on jury duty has been a dream of mine and I believe the Deaf/BSL community has so much to offer. When the law changed to allow the Deaf/BSL community to sit on a jury, and I received my summons, naturally I was excited but nervous as I did not know what to expect.

Upon arriving at Norwich Crown Court, I was made to feel very welcome and there were three BSL interpreters ready. It was surreal experience and the whole process was streamlined and smooth. The training was clear and easy to follow, then the trial began, and I was amazed that I was treated equally to other jurors. This give me a sense of respect as the other jurors were keen to work with me and make me feel involved.

The trial ran over and the interpreters I had been working with were now unavailable. However, I was pleased to see the judge and court staff went above and beyond to find alternative interpreters for the rest of the trial. It was sorted without a hinderance. The judge requested feedback from me on how to improve for future cases and expressed a strong desire to make sure Norwich Crown Court is accessible and fair for all. I was deeply touched by this.

I was so honoured to be selected as the foreperson by other members of the jury, making me the first Deaf/BSL foreperson at Norwich Crown Court! It was a very empowering experience and I want to say thank you to everyone at the court and in the jury for making this possible. I look forward to seeing  more of the Deaf/BSL community being part of the justice system, as it should be.

Guidance on working with jurors supported by BSL interpreters was provided to court staff, judges and other jury members to ensure they could communicate effectively with Karen and Paul, as well as the interpreters. Printed oaths for the interpreters were also placed in the courtrooms which contained new wording specific to not influencing, interfering or disclosing the deliberation of the jury.

Justice Minister Gareth Johnson said:

We are breaking down the barriers for Deaf people carrying out jury service, ensuring they can fully and equally participate in court proceedings.

I am delighted that the door is now open to thousands more potential jurors as we establish a more accessible and inclusive justice system for all.

Work and Pensions Secretary Chloe Smith said:

The first Deaf juror completing jury service is an historic moment on our path towards a more inclusive and accessible society. I am so glad to hear of Karen and Paul’s positive experiences while undertaking an important act of public service.

Earlier this year the British Sign Language Act became law, and I’m delighted to see that our work to recognise BSL as a language is fulfilling its promise to help remove barriers faced by the D/deaf community.

The move has been well-received within the Deaf community.

Mark Atkinson, Chief Executive at RNID, said:

RNID and our supporters are delighted that deaf BSL users can now serve on juries and are no longer excluded from this act of citizenship. This move will allow tens of thousands of deaf people who use BSL as their first language to take part in jury service, a duty which all of us should have a responsibility to undertake.

We are pleased to see another step forward towards inclusion for the Deaf community, yet there are still many barriers which exist for deaf BSL users in society. We’re pleased to see this positive step, and eagerly anticipate many more barriers being broken as Government works towards the delivery of the British Sign Language Act.

David Buxton, British Deaf Association Chair, said:

After decades of campaigning, the 87,000 Deaf people in the UK whose first or preferred language is BSL are now finally able to serve as jurors alongside their hearing fellow citizens.

We are pleased that the Ministry of Justice has recognised that a BSL interpreter is there to support the Deaf juror, rather than to act as a thirteenth juror. Interpreters follow a strict professional Code of Conduct which prevents them from influencing the judicial process in any way.

This represents a crucial and long overdue step forward in the equality, inclusion and participation of Deaf people in our democracy, combined with the BSL Act – which passed on the same day in April 2022 – recognising British Sign Language as a language of Great Britain in law for the first time.

Barriers to Deaf people’s full democratic participation remain – we have yet to see the election of a Deaf MP – but we hope that this important step demonstrates the potentially huge contribution that the Deaf community in the UK can make to our society when reasonable adjustments such as BSL interpreters are provided as standard.

We look forward to continue working with the Government to break down further unnecessary barriers and challenge discriminatory attitudes and practices in future.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 26 September 2022.

The Government has today (26 September) delivered on its pledge to ensure this vital measure is available nationwide to boost rape convictions and ensure better support for victims.

The tool allows victims and witnesses of crimes such as rape and modern slavery to have their cross-examination video-recorded and played later during trial. This is subject to a successful application to the court.

The recording takes place as close to the time of the offence as possible, while memories remain fresh, and helps victims avoid the stress of giving evidence under full glare of a live trial setting, which many find traumatic.

From today, the measure will be available at a final 20 Crown Courts in Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, East Anglia, Essex, London and the South East, and marks the completion of national rollout.

The move follows the successful implementation for vulnerable victims, such as children or those who have limited mental and physical capacity, across the country – with more than 3,000 witnesses having already benefitted from the technology since August 2020.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis said:

We’re overhauling the entire response to rape – boosting support for victims so that more cases come to court and more rapists are put behind bars.

Today we have delivered on our pledge to roll out pre-recorded evidence to every Crown Court in England and Wales, sparing victims of this awful crime the additional trauma of testifying under the full glare of a courtroom.

The successful rollout of pre-recorded evidence meets a key pledge within the Government’s Rape Review Action Plan which sets out clear actions for the police, prosecutors and courts. These include a new approach to investigations in order to reduce the number of victims withdrawing from the process and  increase the number of cases reaching court.

The measure is designed to maintain a defendant’s right to a fair trial and any decision to pre-record evidence is made by a judge on a case-by-case basis. Following today’s completion of national rollout to Crown Courts, the Government has announced that it will be piloted for children and vulnerable adult witnesses for all offences at Leeds Youth Court, considering how it could be used more widely in trials of under 18s.

Jayne Butler, CEO of Rape Crisis England & Wales said:

We very much welcome the fact that pre-recorded evidence for intimidated witnesses and victims will now be available in all Crown Courts in England and Wales. Pre-recorded cross-examination prior to trial, offers choice to victims and survivors, and can make seeking justice far more accessible for rape victims and survivors who often feel re-traumatised by having to go into court. For many, attending court can be intimidating, and this measure is an important step forward in improving the experiences of survivors in the criminal justice system.

For this special measure to be a success, it is crucial that everyone working in and engaging with crown courts is aware of it, offers it as an option for survivors, and approves its use where appropriate. If implemented correctly, this measure will go some way to ensure that intimidated witnesses and victims – constituting the large majority of rape and sexual abuse survivors – have better experiences of court.

In June, the Government published the latest Rape Review Progress report and committed to piloting specialist rape support in three courtrooms as recommended by the Joint Inspectorates of the CPS and Police. These courts offer support such as Independent Sexual Violence Advisors within the court itself as well as trauma training to court staff and are being set up at Snaresbrook, Leeds and Newcastle Crown Courts.

Notes to Editors

• This final phase will include:
  • Amersham, Aylesbury, Basildon, Cambridge, Canterbury, Chelmsford, Guildford, Hove Trial Centre, King’s Lynn, Lewes, Norwich Combined Court Centre, Peterborough Combined Court Centre, Reading and Southend in the South East;
  • Croydon, Snaresbrook, Southwark, the Central Criminal Court, the Inner London Sessions House and Woolwich.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 12 September 2022.

Most hearings will not take place on Monday 19 September 2022, following the announcement that Her Majesty The Queen’s State Funeral will be on this day, which will be a national bank holiday.

As previously agreed, however, urgent hearings, including overnight custody cases will continue in consultation with the judiciary. Where possible, and in consultation with the relevant judiciary, we’ll seek to list these types of hearings either side of the funeral.

We’ll adjourn cases where defendants have been remanded in custody to appear in court on the day of the funeral to the next available date. We’ll contact all parties and inform them of their new hearing date and venue. All our venues including the Royal Courts of Justice, Crown Courts, County Courts, Civil and Family Courts, magistrates’ courts, tribunals, business centres and Service Centres will close to the public as a mark of respect.

All court and tribunal users can use the Royal Family’s online provision for books of condolence.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 6 September 2022.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Russell Agius as a Member of the Judicial Pension Board for 3 years from 5 September 2022.

Russell Agius has been advising on pension schemes for over 28 years. He is a Partner at Aon. He spends most of his time advising trustees but also has various corporate appointments. He has carried out secondments with the Department for Work and Pensions, the Pension Protection Fund and the Pensions Regulator.

The Judicial Pension Board (JPB) is responsible for helping the Lord Chancellor to manage and govern the Judicial Pension Schemes.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments regulates the appointment of JPB Members and recruitment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 5 September 2022.

The Lord Chancellor, in consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, has announced the reappointment of Bronwen Curtis CBE as a lay panel member of the Judicial Conduct and Investigations Office.

The reappointment will run from 1 July 2022 to 31 March 2023.

The Judicial Conduct and Investigations Office is an independent office which supports the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice in considering complaints about the personal conduct of judicial office-holders.

Appointments and reappointments are made by the Lord Chancellor and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The reappointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Biography

Bronwen Curtis CBE has held leadership positions in both the private and public sector and most recently as Director, Human Resources and Organisational Development, Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust. Bronwen is a lay member of the Speakers Committee for IPSA and a member of the regulatory appointments panel for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. She is a former UK Board member of a global corporation and previously named Midlands Businesswoman of the Year.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 2 September 2022.

The Lord Chancellor has announced the reappointment of 3 lay panel members of the Judicial Conduct and Investigations Office for a third term of 9 months.

The Lord Chancellor, in consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, has announced the reappointment of 3 lay panel members of the Judicial Conduct and Investigations Office. The members are:

Paul Curtis; Jenni-Douglas Todd; Judith Webb MBE;

The reappointments will run from 1 July 2022 to 31 March 2023.

The Judicial Conduct and Investigations Office is an independent office which supports the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice in considering complaints about the personal conduct of judicial office-holders.

Appointments and reappointments are made by the Lord Chancellor and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The reappointments have been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Biographies
Paul Curtis is Tribunal Chair of the Medical Practitioner Tribunal Service. He is a panel Lay Member at the General Optical Council. He is also Lay Chair at the School Admission Appeals Panel and Lay Chair Independent Review Panel (School Exclusions) at the East Sussex County Council

Jenni Douglas-Todd is a Director of Equality and Inclusion at NHS England, Southampton. She is currently Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director with University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. Jenni is a former chief executive of Hampshire Police Authority and the Office of the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner. She is Independent Chairman of the Dorset Integrated Care System. Jenni is a member of the English Cricket Board’s Regulatory Committee; Non-Executive Director with Hampshire Cricket Board and a Trustee with the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders.

Ms Judith Webb MBE is a board member of the Cairngorms National Park Authority and a member of the Independent Agricultural Appeals Panel. Her previous appointments include: Chair of Defra’s Rural Development Service during its transition into Natural England; Deputy Chair of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee; and Commissioner for Forestry Commission in Wales.