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The justice merry-go-round

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19 July 2007 / Andrew Keogh
Issue: 7282 / Categories: Features
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The government’s latest criminal justice reforms could be a recipe for disaster, says Andrew Keogh

It is not only the mandated right to legislate that governments enjoy, but also a duty to pass laws that improve the lot of citizens. One must therefore be careful before jumping in to criticise the 68th piece of criminal justice legislation since 1997. The Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill is a mixed bag of reforms with many having the appearance of being designed in haste—always a recipe for disaster as far as criminal justice legislation is concerned.

The impact of the reforms on the legal aid budget is staggering and estimated in the regulatory impact assessment as being in the order of £2m per annum. It remains to be seen, given that the Ministry of Justice is the sponsoring department for the Bill, how this will be funded, except via further cuts in scope of remuneration levels.

SENTENCING AND CONVICTIONS

Part 2 of the Bill deals with sentencing. In reality the Bill simply seeks to correct the perceived mistakes

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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Sponsored by
Carey Olsen—Kim Paiva

Carey Olsen—Kim Paiva

Group partner joins Guernsey banking and finance practice

Morgan Lewis—Kat Gibson

Morgan Lewis—Kat Gibson

London labour and employment team announces partner hire

Foot Anstey McKees—Chris Milligan & Michael Kelly

Foot Anstey McKees—Chris Milligan & Michael Kelly

Double partner appointment marks Belfast expansion

NEWS
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NLJ this week: When silence speaks volumes
Is a suspect’s state of mind a ‘fact’ capable of triggering adverse inferences? Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Smith of Corker Binning examines how R v Leslie reshapes the debate
Public Accounts Committee warn of ‘extinction’ risk for legal aid
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has not done enough to protect the future sustainability of the legal aid market, MPs have warned
NLJ this week: The insider returns
Writing in NLJ this week, NLJ columnist Dominic Regan surveys a landscape marked by leapfrog appeals, costs skirmishes and notable retirements. With an appeal in Mazur due to be heard next month, Regan notes that uncertainties remain over who will intervene, and hopes for the involvement of the Lady Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls in deciding the all-important outcome
NLJ this week: Drawing the line on contempt
After the Southport murders and the misinformation that followed, contempt of court law has come under intense scrutiny. In this week's NLJ, Lawrence McNamara and Lauren Schaefer of the Law Commission unpack proposals aimed at restoring clarity without sacrificing fair trial rights
NLJ this week: Stop and search by the numbers
The latest Home Office figures confirm that stop and search remains both controversial and diminished. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort University analyses data showing historically low use of s 1 PACE powers, with drugs searches dominating what remains
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