Nightingale Courts
The Gazette and Solicitors Journal report the Ministry of Justice has announced that 24 Nightingale courtrooms will be kept open for another year to help tackle the backlog of cases.
In December 2022 there were 61,737 outstanding Crown Court cases.
Law Society President Lubna Shuja said: “Additional physical capacity alone is not the solution. We know there are already Nightingale Courts sitting empty due to a lack of judges.
“The most pressing issue is there are not enough lawyers, court staff or judges to cover all the outstanding cases. Long-term investment is needed across the whole criminal justice system to remedy this.”
Stuart Nolan, Chair of our Criminal Law Committee, also spoke to Times Radio (from 19:20) about this news.
Employment tribunal backlog
People Management and Working Mums report that the Employment Tribunal backlog reached over 50,000 in December 2022.
It cites our concern that tribunal backlogs are leaving employees and businesses in limbo for too long.
LGBTQIA rights in the UK
Helen Randall, a member of our LGBTQ+ Solicitors Network, writes in DIVA about the current state of LGBTQIA rights in the UK, highlighting the damaging effect Section 28 had for LGBTQIA people in the UK.
“Section 28’s climate of fear even affected the working and personal lives of LGBTQIA people who had careers in other professions. Because Section 28 blighted public attitudes towards queer people, we lived double lives.
“Now I’m happily out at work, but in the early 90s I used to disguise my partner’s gender and never got too close to colleagues for fear of being found out and fired because I was in the LGBTQIA community.”
President hosts lunch in Bournemouth
The Daily Echo reports that Law Society President Lubna Shuja was a guest speaker at the Bournemouth and District Law Society’s annual lunch.
Lubna Shuja recognised the “huge contribution that local law societies make in supporting the local community.”
Protecting domestic abuse victims
Family Lore covers the news that Law Society Family Law Committee members Cris McCurley and Jenny Beck KC are among 28 signatories to a letter to the justice secretary, urging him to ensure domestic abuse victims are not cross examined by their alleged perpetrators.
SRA-run SIF
The Gazette covers the latest updates from the Solicitors Regulation Authority, including changes to its fining powers, new indemnity arrangements and another warning on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.
The SRA confirmed it will bring its Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) in-house, meaning consumers will continue to be protected.
It notes we welcomed two changes to the original SIF proposals, ensuring that when an arbitrator is required it is appointed by “an appropriate independent body”. It has also been agreed that if at some point the SIF is wound up, and the SRA has no further indemnification purpose for the residual funds, any remaining money would return to the Society, “to be used for the benefit of the profession.”
Also worth a read:
- Nicola Bulley: Body found in search for missing woman – Guardian
- Police face serious questions over search for Nicola Bulley – Times (£)
- Australian-style ‘community courts’ on the agenda of a future Labour government – Gazette
- Law firms rank in Stonewall LGBTQ+ rankings – Legal Cheek
- Domestic abusers will be more closely monitored – BBC News