In an ongoing debate around the UK’s “broken [asylum] system,” the Home Secretary Priti Patel has repeatedly hit out at immigration lawyers. Over the last few months, both the Home Office and Patel have branded these lawyers “activists”. This was met with an outcry of backlash from the legal sector. More recently, at the Conservative…

UNICEF, the humanitarian aid organisation, defines child marriage as any formal or informal marriage or union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child. Yet, in the UK, marriage at the age of 16 is legal if parental consent is acquired. Meanwhile, in Scotland, no parental consent is required….

In the UK, Supreme Court justices are appointed by the Queen, after receiving advice from the Prime Minister, following recommendations by a panel of legal experts. However, it is often referred to as an old-boy network, and consists of mostly old, white men. The president of the court sits on the selection commission. This president…

Under the Home Office’s detained fast-track (DFT) procedure, thousands of individuals seeking asylum were subjected to unlawful and unfair treatment for years. Detained and dehumanised, so many were robbed of a fair opportunity to present their cases properly, and were deprived of legal representation. One particular case saw a young woman unlawfully deported to Uganda,…

On 29 September, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) published its charging inspection report which examined 1,400 cases, being one of the largest file samples examined by HMCPSI to date. The report sought to assess the level of confidence the public can have in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and its ability to deliver “high…

In September, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) published a white paper, outlining the government’s proposals around sentencing reform. Contained within it, Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland QC, promised to make good on the Conservative’s manifesto pledge of “tougher justice”. However, upon closer inspection, the paper’s predominant focus on retribution over rehabilitation, seems to…

On 23 September, the Law Commission published its consultation paper on hate crimes and hate speech laws. It examined the effectiveness and reach of the current legislation and focused particularly on areas that needed developing and expanding. Specifically, the consultation paper recommended that sex or gender should be included as a protected characteristic for the…

In the UK, over 70% of UK adults and 95% of those aged 16‑24‑year olds have a social media profile. The world has never been more connected. That being said, part of this development in communication technology means that some have found new avenues to torment and “troll” others. Despite a 19% rise in reported…

The three centralised examinations for the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), were set to go ahead back in April. However, these plans were disrupted by the emergence and spread of Coronavirus, and the national lockdown that followed. In response to this disruption, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) initially postponed the examinations, before moving everything online….

The Home Office recently came under fire for branding solicitors who provide advice to migrants, “activist lawyers”. This accusation was made in a 21-second video posted on Twitter, which argued that the current asylum regulations are “rigid and open to abuse”. The video also inferred that immigration lawyers were deliberately exploiting these regulations. These comments…