Low prosecution rates in rape cases
The Independent, Daily Mail, Evening Standard, Bridgwater Mercury, Ledbury Reporter, Press & Journal, Politics.co.uk and 274 other regional outlets cover our evidence to a Home Affairs Select Committee meeting where Ellie Cumbo, our head of public law, spoke about low prosecution rates in rape cases and the investment needed to improve the process.
Courts backlog
The Guardian has a piece examining the number of people in prisons in England and Wales awaiting trial or sentencing for longer than the legal custody limit.
One of the driver of the custody delay is the continued growth of the Crown Court backlog. The piece cites our concern that some trials are being delayed until 2023.
Closure of the Solicitors Indemnity Fund
Law Society president I. Stephanie Boyce writes in the Times (£) about the potential impact on consumers and solicitors if the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) closes the Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF).
She said: "If the fund did not exist, a client who discovers a problem would have to sue their former solicitor personally, or even that person's estate, with unfortunate consequences for the solicitor, and no guarantee the claimant's losses will be compensated."
Read our press release on the SRA's SIF consultation
Courts left in the cold
The state of the court infrastructure has been called into question after solicitors and barristers have complained of freezing conditions in courts in England and Wales.
I. Stephanie Boyce tells the Times (£) that we have been "raising concerns about the physical state of some courts since long before the pandemic".
Embracing mistakes as a junior lawyer
Callum Reid, an executive committee member of our Junior Lawyers Division, writes in the Lawyer (£) that junior lawyers should not be afraid to make mistakes while they're learning.
He said: "Be open with your mistakes. Mistakes can be fixed so it is better to immediately raise them with your supervisor or other relevant person to find the best plan of action."
Financial abuse
Cris McCurley, a member of our access to justice committee, spoke with BBC Radio 4 Money Box (from 1:12) about financial abuse and how to seek help.
Nationality and Borders Bill
BBC Two Wales and BBC Two England cite our view that the Nationality and Borders Bill contravenes our international obligations for refugees.
Neurodiverse and socially diverse talent
Lynette Wieland, one of our social mobility ambassadors, is interviewed by Diversity Q about how the legal profession can be enriched by socially diverse and neurodiverse talent.
"On top of what is already a very demanding role, it can be quite a challenge for neurodiverse lawyers, who may need more time to complete tasks and are working with increased cognitive effort," she said.
"We can be so driven when adopting a specialism or passion, and firms must make the most out of that, rather than encouraging neurodivergent lawyers to spread themselves thinly."
Also worth a read:
- Solicitor surrenders herself to court after High Court warrant – Gazette
- Government orders 100m extra Covid jab doses in new deal – Times (£)
- 22 Omincron cases confirmed in England – Evening Standard
- Review websites not bad for small firms, says expert – Legal Futures