Judge’s Reasons Published
On 21 May, Southampton Crown Court Judge Nicholas Rowland sentenced two teenage boys convicted of raping two girls in Fordingbridge to three‑year youth rehabilitation orders rather than prison. He counted the 462‑day curfew and secure accommodation each boy had already served as the equivalent of an 18‑month custodial term, deeming further imprisonment unnecessary. The orders impose intensive supervision, overnight curfews and mandatory engagement with support workers. A third boy, who played a lesser role, received a shorter 18‑month order.
New High Court Structure
The UK’s High Court of England and Wales will launch a new Business and Property Division, effectively replacing the centuries‑old Chancery division. Sir Colin Birss, current High Court chancellor, will become the division’s president, overseeing the Commercial, Technology Construction and...
What Appeals Are For
The Court of Appeal recently stepped in to correct two lower‑court mistakes, most notably reversing a conviction of a prolific south‑London burglar whose case featured procedural flaws. The appellate panel highlighted the importance of rigorous legal scrutiny and set a...
Gibraltar Rocked Again
Gibraltar’s chief minister, Fabian Picardo KC, has filed a judicial review in the Supreme Court challenging 14 findings of Sir Peter Openshaw’s 700‑page inquiry that accused him of improper interference in a criminal investigation. The inquiry, commissioned by the governor, concluded that the police...
Assisted Dying Revived?
Supporters of assisted dying are eyeing a revival of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill after it lapsed during last month’s prorogation. They hope to invoke the 1911 Parliament Act to force the legislation through without House of...
Other Views Are Available
The author curates three Substack essays that explore UK legal and political issues. Adam Wagner revisits the 1936 Public Order Act, highlighting its hurried passage. Colin Yeo critiques the government’s plan for a new independent immigration appeals body, arguing existing...
KC Challenges Contempt Claim
Leading defence barrister Rajiv Menon KC is awaiting a decision on whether he will be held in contempt of court for his closing remarks to a jury in the first Palestine Action trial on 8 January. While the jury acquitted the...
Hope for IPP Prisoners
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has referred the case of Daniel Grace, an 18‑year‑old sentenced in 2010 to a three‑year minimum under a detention‑for‑public‑protection order, to the Court of Appeal after he has served nearly 16 years. This follows...
Khan Fights Back
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan publicly denied sexual‑misconduct allegations, citing a UN investigation that produced 137 findings with no misconduct determinations. Three senior judges reviewed the evidence and unanimously concluded there was no abuse of process. Khan warned that...
Terror Ban Appeal
The Home Secretary is appealing a High Court decision that lifted the terrorist‑organisation ban on Palestine Action. A five‑judge panel, the strongest possible Court of Appeal bench, will hear the case, including the Lady Chief Justice and the Master of...
Judging AI
Senior High Court judge Sir Colin Birss outlined four ways UK judges now use secure AI, including spotting inconsistencies, anonymising judgments, generating transcripts, and handling administrative tasks. All judges in England and Wales have access to a secure Microsoft Copilot,...
What’s in a Pronoun?
In this episode, the host examines the debate over employers requiring employees to use preferred pronouns, exploring arguments that view pronoun usage as a sign of respect for trans identities, a reflection of gender identity over biological sex, or simply...
Laws of War
The U.S. State Department’s legal adviser Reed Rubinstein released a detailed statement defending recent U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran as lawful self‑defence and collective defence of Israel. Rubinstein argues the hostilities constitute an ongoing armed conflict that began at...
Gambler Loses
An online betting firm, Sky Betting & Gaming, won a Court of Appeal decision overturning a former problem gambler’s lawsuit. The plaintiff alleged that the company’s use of cookies, personal data processing, and unsolicited direct‑marketing messages drove him to gamble...
Five-Star Lawyers
Blind Justice UK surveyed 50 law firms across seven practice areas in 15 UK cities and found a stark contrast between five‑star ratings on firms’ own websites and much lower scores on external platforms. The charity identified 486 consecutive five‑star...