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News, analysis, comment and updates from ICLR's case law and UK legislation platform

HHJ Pennyweather: Young barristers need to up their game

 More musings from the bench with the most honourable and learned HHJ Pennyweather   Now here’s something I never thought I’d hear myself say: it’s high time that barristers started being a little more confident. Now, I’m not talking about their current woes with the government. Nor am I talking about established members of the Continue reading

Court rejects legal challenge to QASA

The long running saga concerning attempts by legal regulators to impose a quality assurance scheme on criminal advocates in the face of widespread and determined opposition from barristers and solicitors added another chapter today when the High Court rejected a challenge to the scheme by way of judicial review. In a judgment handed down yesterday, Continue reading

Open justice and the Rule of Law

“The law belongs to the people. Access to the legal system is a basic right and a public good.” So declared the Chief Justice of Canada, the Rt Hon Beverley McLachlin PC, in response to fellow Canadian, Szilvia Booker, a barrister practising in England, who had asked the Chief Justice whether the principle of open Continue reading

Book review: Slapper and Kelly, The English Legal system

The English Legal system, 14th ed (2013-2014), by Gary Slapper and David Kelly (Routledge, £32.99). As the authors point out in their introduction, the English legal system has evolved over a period of more than a thousand years, and continues to evolve daily. It needs a textbook of sufficient heft and vigour to keep up with Continue reading

Mandela remembered: a lawyer for all seasons – via The IBA

The following message is shared from website of the International Bar Association, the global voice of the legal profession, with which ICLR, as a regular exhibitor at the IBA annual conference, is glad to be associated. IBA mourns and celebrates Nelson Mandela, Founding Honorary President of its Human Rights Institute The International Bar Association (IBA) joins the Continue reading

Law and Morality: the debate goes on

In the last month two senior judges have given speeches concerning the relationship between the law and morality, reigniting the glowing embers of a debate which has flared up repeatedly over the last two centuries. Although they were not in any sense putting forth opposing views, in so far as they agreed it was on Continue reading