Scotland has far fewer judges relative to the population compared to other Council of Europe (CoE) countries, according to a new report. The Council of Europe's European judicial systems CEPEJ Evaluation Report looks at key metrics from 2022 covering all 48 member states' legal systems.
Judiciary
A senior English judge in the family courts has been treated in hospital after he was assaulted by a man whose case he was hearing. The litigant in person, who cannot be named, has pleaded guilty to assault, criminal damage and causing intentional harassment, alarm or distress and is due to be sente
The Israeli government is facing escalating opposition to its controversial judicial reforms, with thousands of people taking into the streets in protest and the country's elite fighter jet pilots joining a strike demanding the proposals are withdrawn. The bill currently being considered by the Knes
Those unlike archetypal judges have the least trust in the judiciary, according to a new poll. The survey of 5,000 adults undertaken by YouGov for the Good Law Project (GLP), found that 28 per cent of people have no trust in judges, while 31 per cent said their level of trust had fallen in recent ye
Six new sheriffs have been appointed to the Sheriff Appeal Court (SAC). Sheriffs Brian Mohan, Derek J Hamilton, Gillian A Wade QC, Iain M Fleming, Patrick Hughes and Wendy A Sheehan have all been appointed as appeal sheriffs by the Lord President, Lord Carloway.
Judicial salaries have been frozen for a year, new figures from the Ministry of Justice show.
The President of the Supreme Court, Lord Reed, has described as "idiotic" suggestions that the court should be stripped of its title and said that downgrading the institution would be an “act of national self-harm”. The UK government has been considering changing the court's name and cut
Judges will be allowed to remain on the bench until the age of 75 in a move to address the recruitment crisis in the judiciary. Ministers are to raise the mandatory retirement age as concern grows over the refusenik trend at the bar and ebbing morale amongst judges. A recent survey found many were c
The Supreme Court of India has imposed a symbolic fine of one rupee on a lawyer found guilty of criminal contempt for social media posts that criticised senior judges. Prashant Bhushan, 63, who had refused to apologise for the tweets, was told to pay the fine by September 15. If he fails to do
A number of new sheriffs and summary sheriffs have been appointed. Her Majesty The Queen has appointed 11 sheriffs and three summary sheriffs on the recommendation of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC has warned that judges suspect ministers are increasingly misleading the courts. Mr Grieve, who served as the UK government's senior law officer for four years under David Cameron, said a "serious problem" was emerging between the government and the judiciar
Immigration experts have accused the Home Office of interfering with the independence of the judiciary after it queried the number of detainees being released during the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter sent to the president of the First-Tier Tribunal, Immigration and Asylum Chamber last week, a se
Over a dozen judges have been arrested in Slovakia in connection with a police investigation sparked by the 2018 murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak. The 13 judges, who reportedly include the vice-president of Slovakia's Supreme Court, have been arrested alongside five others believ
An MP who has threatened to “take back control” from an interfering judiciary has been appointed Attorney General for England and Wales. Suella Braverman, 39, practised as a barrister before becoming the MP for Fareham in 2015. She studied law at Cambridge University, the Sorbonne and Ne
A justice of the Supreme Court has hinted that the judiciary will not willingly cede any independence in a remark made during the swearing-in of Lord Hodge as deputy president of the court. Delivering some introductory words at the ceremony, Lord Wilson said it would be for Lord Hodge and Lord Reed,