On 28 May 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that there would be a further loosening of the lockdown, as he introduced phase 2 of the government’s exit strategy. This releases the UK into what both government officials and media outlets have dubbed the “new normal”. As of Monday 1 June, a new set of…

On Wednesday 18 March 2020, the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill 2019-21 was introduced to Parliament, and given its first reading. The Bill outlines measures that would place a 5-year limit on criminal prosecutions against service personnel from the date of an incident. This time limit is extended to six years for civil…

On 29 March 2019, The Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill was proposed in Hong Kong. The controversial extradition bill would have enabled the transfer of fugitives to mainland China for the first time. This proposed legislation sparked huge controversy and saw nearly two million people take to the…

Already, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the UK’s justice system. Court procedures have been disrupted, creating a huge backlog of cases, while the high court and court of appeal have turned to live links to conduct civil proceedings. However, there have been further consequences. Aware of the legal system’s dire financial situation, the…

In the UK, Marie Lea-Wilson is the latest individual to join the Downright Discrimination campaign, which is launching a landmark case against the government. Along with others such as Cheryl Bilsborrow and Heidi Crowter, the campaign seeks to bring an end to late-term abortions for foetuses with a pre-natal diagnosis of a non-fatal disability. At…

On 28 November 2019, the London Bridge terror attack shook the country, taking the lives of two and wounding three.The attacker was 28-year-old Usman Khan, who was released on licence in 2018 after making it half-way through a 16-year sentence on terror charges. This was followed by a double stabbing on 2 February 2020 in…

On 15 March, the Organ Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill received Royal Assent. Known as Max and Keira’s law, it honours the legacy of a young girl who donated her heart and the boy who received it. The Act means that now, an individual in the UK must opt-out of organ donation, rather than opt-in. It…

The history of conversion therapy, otherwise known as reparative therapy, stems way back to the late 19th Century. In 1889, German Psychiatrist Baron Albert von Schrenck-Notzing claimed that he had “cured” a homosexual man from his sexuality. At the first International Congress of Hypnotism conference, the psychiatrist stated all that was required for this transformation…

The government’s 3-month moratorium on evictions, included with the Coronavirus Act 2020, is set to be lifted on June 25. However, on 5 May, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, told the Housing Select Committee that the ban could potentially be extended, a decision which will be made next month. Many have continued to express concerns that…

On 10 May 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation announcing the first baby steps towards lifting the UK-wide lockdown. The “conditional plan,” was limited, and the PM’s speech was brief, with many finding it to further confuse advice which was already lacking in clarity. Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Leader, said the PM’s advice…