Lord Falconer has returned to the shadow front bench as shadow justice secretary, replacing Sadiq Khan who has been elected the Labour Party’s candidate for London Mayor. Falconer, famously once Tony Blair’s flatmate, was previously lord chancellor and justice secretary under Blair’s government in 1997. There, he was responsible for overseeing the creation of the Supreme Court and Ministry of Justice, and the passing into law of the Human Rights Act. Catherine McKinnell, MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North, has been appointed shadow attorney general. She was appointed shadow solicitor general in 2010 by Ed Miliband.
17 September 2015
Shadow justice secretary appointed
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Bell Yard Kysen—Liz Giles
Bell Yard Kysen appoints senior legal PR and ex-government communications adviser, Liz Giles
Clarke Willmott—Lee Edwards
Clarke Willmott boosts Southampton commercial property team with addition of partner Lee Edwards
Lime Solicitors—four promotions
Lime Solicitors announces four promotions
NEWS
The Attorney General, Ellie Reeves KC MP, and Solicitor General, Andy Slaughter KC MP, marked the 25th anniversary of Pro Bono Week by joining lawyers, charities, students and parliamentarians at events celebrating voluntary legal work
A polished legal defence may owe more to artificial intelligence than legal merit—and creditors risk paying the price in delay and expense
Witness evidence can be compromised by AI before a solicitor sees the draft, leaving safeguards focused on authorship incomplete
Should a conviction stand when a later ruling reveals that the law underpinning it was wrong? The answer exposes a clash between finality and justice
The Environment Agency can prosecute offences beyond environmental legislation where proceedings support its statutory functions, the Divisional Court has confirmed
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