Justice Matters

The government’s present proposals to replace the Human Rights Act 1998 are seriously flawed, says Dominic Grieve QC MP 

Steven Powles highlights the possible threats to democracy and the rule of law posed by the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership  

Ever since the general election, much attention has rightly focused on the government’s intention to scrap the Human Rights Act 1998.  

Nkumbe Ekaney QC and Charlotte Proudman outline the key legislative changes on FGM introduced by the Serious Crime Act  

Female genital mutilation (FGM) now forms part of our political and public consciousness.  

Marie Crawford explains the biggest child abduction law reforms in 30 years and why unmarried fathers without parental responsibility must protect themselves  

When family lawyers consider the issue of child abduction, in contrast perhaps to the general population, we don’t necessarily think of what is termed stranger abduction , which tends to grab the headlines and dominate gritty TV dramas.  

In Counsel’s first interview of the series, Penny Cooper speaks to human rights blogger, Adam Wagner  

Blogging – not so different from squirreling on skeles 

Paul Marshall asks how safe is the common law from the judiciary 

Instead of building on the rights recognised under our constitution and in our history, the Human Rights Act of 1998 side-lined them by importing wholesale into our courts the case law of the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg, argues Martin Howe QC.   

Now is the time to bring our rights home – this time properly – he claims, in another article in our series looking at all the issues in this controversial area.. 

As Rebecca Wilkie steps down as Chief Executive of the Bar Pro Bono Unit, she reflects upon her time there, the Unit’s development and the changed pro bono landscape  

Eight years after taking up the privileged post of Chief Executive at the Bar Pro Bono Unit, the pro bono landscape has changed beyond recognition.  

Michael Zander QC considers the Justice Committee’s Report on the Criminal Cases Review Commission  

The House of Commons Justice Select Committee’s report on the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) makes several strong recommendations but on the central topic it passes the buck to the Law Commission. 

Cross-examination of the vulnerable witness in R v FA: the Court of Appeal takes the ground rules approach and shows what direction such hearings must take, writes Penny Cooper  

“It will never be in the interests of justice that witnesses should be subjected to bullying and intimidatory tactics by counsel or to deliberately and unnecessarily prolonged cross-examination.” - Sir Brian Leveson (2015), Review of Efficiency in Criminal Proceedings , para 264