Law - new material (23)
01 December 1998
Legal aid: no cash no justice. CARF December 1997-January 1998, pp7-9. This article considers the Lord Chancellor's plans to abolish legal aid for money and damages claims and make other far-reaching changes to the legal aid system. Its concludes that the proposed changes "will deprive poor black immigrant and refugee groups of access to justice."
The trouble with human rights law. Labour Research Vol. 87 no, 1 (January) 1998 pp23-25. While noting that there is much within the government's Human Rights Bill to commend it the authors' question "the significant new powers it gives unelected judges and the difficulties facing individuals trying to take cases..."
No win no fee no justice Louise Christian & John Hendy. Red Pepper No. 43 (December) 1997 p24. This piece examines the "good intentions" behind the Human Rights Bill which will incorporate the European Convention. It contrasts these intentions with the Lord Chancellor's draconian proposals to withdraw legal aid for cases where people claim damages which will deny access to justice (Article 6) for people who would currently get legal aid.
Inquests and deaths in custody Deborah Coles & Helen Shaw. Legal Action (January) 1997 pp6-7. This article by the co-directors of Inquest the independent legal and advice service which monitors deaths in custody reviews the issues that emerged from their work in 1997. Inquest can be contacted at: Ground Floor
Alexandra National House 330 Seven Sisters Road London N4 2PJ Tel: 0181 802 7430 Fax: 0181 802 7450 e-mail: INQUEST @ compuserve.com
Proposed changes to the youth court Mark Ashford. Legal Action February 1998 pp6-7. Examines the Crime and Disorder Bill, published last December and rejects claims by Home Secretary, Jack Straw that it represents "the most fundamental change in youth justice for half a century." It does observe that the changes will "make representing young people an even more specialised area of criminal defence work".
Juries on trial Steve Carroll. Police Review 28.11.97 pp24. This article argues that the "juror's lack of understanding of legal complexities and propensity to be swayed by the personalities involved in a case have reduced trial by jury to a statistical lottery." Carroll would prefer to see "fewer Crown Court trials with the most serious cases coming before a single judge" - rather like Diplock courts in northern Ireland perhaps?
Parliamentary debates
Civic Justice and Legal Aid Lords 9.12.97. cols. 41-117 Crime and Disorder Bill Lords 16.12.97. cols. 532-599 Crime and Disorder Bill Lords 3.2.98. cols. 508-517 Crime and Disorder Bill Lords 3.2.98. cols. 533-578 Crime and Disorder Bill Lords 3.2.98. cols. 597-633