The Perils of Abolishing Jury Trials: Lessons from Diplock Courts (category)

And, of Course, Threats to the Rule of Law and England’s Constitution – CWH The jury trial, a bedrock of the English legal system, a vital mechanism for ensuring fairness, community participation, and resistance to state overreach, is once again under threat. Sir Brian Leveson last week unveiled radical proposals to “clear huge backlogs in crown courts in England and Wales”, his solution being to remove juries to “save the criminal justice system” (1). If Leveson’s recommendations are implemented the … [Continue Reading]

Bonded to the Unelected Markets (category)

Fraser Nelson Chez Antoinette has become an unofficial annexe of Westminster, famous for its steak frites and fresh political gossip. One journalist I know once stayed there for breakfast, lunch and dinner, filing stories after each meal. So when I met a recently departed Starmer aide there, I asked the obvious: what’s going wrong in government? Who messed up most? His answer came quickly: the Debt Management Office. That lot, he said, have the most to answer for. We’re now … [Continue Reading]

Yvette Cooper (aka Pal Action) has been proscribed as a terrorist org even though they haven’t killed or harmed anyone – unlike the UK Government. (category)

MPs overwhelmingly voted in favour of Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to proscribe the protest group under the Terrorism Act 2000 on Wednesday and Lords have approved the move. The law change, which adds Palestine Action to the list of banned organisations along with the likes of al Qaeda, ISIS and Hezbollah, came into force at midnight. It makes membership of, or support for, the direct action group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, while … [Continue Reading]