Justice
Theresa May tries to deter Tory uprising on foreign criminals
MPs are hard at work in the Chamber tonight: once they’ve finished voting on the Leveson amendments to the Crime and Courts Bill, they’ll move on to everything else in… Continue reading
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Ministerial aides demand to support backbench vote on foreign criminals
All eyes are on what’s happening with the cross-party amendments to two bits of legislation on Leveson, but this afternoon in the Commons there could well be another row on… Continue reading
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Tory campaign on foreign criminals attracts huge support
Dominic Raab’s proposal to stop jailed foreign criminals avoiding deportation on the grounds of a right to family life turns out to be very popular indeed among MPs. It’s got… Continue reading
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Modern slavery: it happens here
Slowly but surely, British court cases are revealing a once great nation of abolitionists to be a shadow of its former self. We often celebrate the nineteenth century anti-slavery movement… Continue reading
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Are campaigners using the criminal justice system to pursue their political agendas?
Late last year a Judge in Oxford Magistrates’ court questioned the RSPCA for running up a legal bill of a third of a million pounds on a low-level case when… Continue reading
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What if the terrorists were Jews?
‘Would you say the same thing about Jews? Gays? Or any other minority?’ This is one of the witless questions asked of anyone who writes about Islamic extremism. And it… Continue reading
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Secret justice bill unites senior Tory and Lib Dem MPs
Last week ministers managed to rewrite some of the protections in the controversial Justice and Security Bill while it was being scrutinised in committee: this week backbenchers MPs are starting… Continue reading
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As the most persistent private prosecutor, the RSPCA has questions to answer
Parliament debating how laws are prosecuted is not a rare event, unless that is, MPs are pondering the role of the country’s most persistent private prosecutor. Alongside its role as… Continue reading
34 Comments Senior Tory mulls changes to secret courts bill
After publishing a paper highly critical of the Justice and Security Bill this morning, Andrew Tyrie is now considering making amendments to the legislation, I understand. MPs in a Bill… Continue reading
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The secret courts bill won’t enhance justice or make us more secure
‘That Britain allowed itself to be dragged into complicity in extraordinary rendition – the kidnap and torture of individuals by the state – is a disgrace. That, nearly a decade… Continue reading
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See no crime, hear no crime and speak no crime
In the current issue of The Spectator, we put on the cover four words that sum up the coalition government’s approach to crime: pretend not to notice. Today’s Birmingham Mail… Continue reading
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David Cameron defends secret courts
It was striking that at today’s liaison committee session the Treasury Select Committee chairman chose not to ask the Prime Minister about the economy but the secret courts bill. In… Continue reading
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Grayling defends stand-off with ECHR on prisoner votes
Chris Grayling today defended the Government’s decision to square up to the European Court of Human Rights on prisoner votes. The Justice Secretary seemed to enjoy his hour and a… Continue reading
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Ministers ward off Tory revolt on crime compensation
The government has just managed to ward off another possible revolt in the House of Commons from Tory MPs. It failed earlier this autumn to get a revision of the… Continue reading
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Cameron tries to show he’s still got it with tough crime announcement
It’s clear the government has had a bad week when the Prime Minister pops up on a Monday with a crowd-pleasing policy announcement. Recent re-launches have been shared by senior… Continue reading
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Should British citizens expect British justice?
The High Court yesterday issued a final ruling on the extradition of Abu Hamza and four other men saying they will be handed over to American authorities to stand trial… Continue reading
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Lib Dem conference: leadership defeated on Justice and Security Bill
As predicted earlier, the Lib Dem leadership has just suffered an embarrassing defeat on the conference floor this afternoon on a grassroots motion on the Justice and Security Bill. The… Continue reading
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Lib Dem conference: rebellion brewing on ‘secret courts’
The Liberal Democrats do love a good policy motion, and the tradition at most party conferences is for the attending media circus to stay well away from the debates and… Continue reading
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How a new whip saved a new minister from an embarrassing rebellion
It was not the ideal first outing for a new minister at a committee approving new legislation. Justice Minister Helen Grant arrived at the committee considering two compensation schemes last… Continue reading
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We can’t just bury Bloody Sunday
I have a piece in today’s Wall Street Journal about the case for prosecuting certain of the Bloody Sunday soldiers. I am aware that it is not a popular argument,… Continue reading
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