England

An English solicitor who arranged sham marriages in India in order to circumvent UK immigration rules has been struck off after being tried in absentia. Matthew Chellam, 53, was paid "handsomely" for his services in making residency applications for people who lacked the right to stay in the UK.

The Bibby Stockholm barge will no longer be used to house asylum from January next year, the UK government has announced. Moored in Portland, Dorset, it is one of three major accommodation sites for asylum seekers. The "floating prison" was commissioned in April 2023 but only began housing peop

Around 75,000 convictions for fare evasion are expected to be quashed in England and Wales after a court ruled that train operators had brought unlawful prosecutions. Lawyers for Greater Anglia and Northern Trains apologised to Westminster Magistrates' Court last week, saying they acknowledged the e

An English pupil barrister who swore throughout an ethics exam has been fined £500 (around €600). Jack Henry Sadler told the Bar Standards Board (BSB) that he was unaware — despite being told — that he could be heard and was being recorded during the professional ethics assess

The centuries-old distinction between "criminal contempt" and "civil contempt" will be scrapped in England under proposals set out by the Law Commission of England and Wales. 'Contempt of court' refers to a wide variety of conduct that may impede or interfere with the administration of justice, for

An English judge has been granted permission to bring a judicial review of a policy that does not allow applicants for jobs on the bench see any negative comments made about them in references. The ruling by appeal judges led by Master of the Rolls, Sir Geoffrey Vos, will allow district judge Kate T

A justice in the High Court of England and Wales has found a man to be in contempt of court after finding he had repeatedly lied under oath and attempted to have another man pose as him during remote proceedings. Tesco Stores Ltd raised a claim against Shahin Mouradi alleging acts of dishonesty in a

The English justice minister, Alex Chalk, is being taken to the court by lawyers who say legal aid fees are so low they cannot provide representation to thousands of people. The case before the High Court in London revolves around access to legal aid for immigration and asylum lawyers and is being b

A defendant who pinned down and punched a judge in an English court last year has been jailed for three years. Judge Patrick Perusko was attacked in Milton Keynes County Court last November by a 41-year-old man who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Courts in England and Wales could make wearing wigs optional for barristers. The judiciary is poised to update its court dress code in the wake of complaints by some barristers that headpieces discriminate againt people with Afro-Caribbean hair.

An English barrister who authored a book on sleepwalking and who fell asleep at a coroner's inquest has been cleared of professional misconduct charges. Ramya Nagesh was accused by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) of harming the public’s trust in the profession after she fell asleep at a virtual

Child sexual abuse victims will be able to more easily bring historic claims through the civil courts in England and Wales under new UK government plans. At present, child sexual abuse claims must be brought within three years of the claimant turning 18 unless the court grants an extension, which re

Child rapists in England and Wales will automatically lose parental responsibility over their own children under legislative amendments proposed by the UK government. The change comes alongside separate legislation which will apply an automatic suspension of parental responsibility in cases where a

Women will now be allowed to join an exclusive London club which was at the centre of controversy after it emerged that senior judges and lawyers were among its membership. The Garrick Club, founded in 1831, was accused in an open letter signed by dozens of senior lawyers of embodying "a social and

At least 56 miscarriages of justice have occurred in England and Wales in which the jury was split, according to a charity that wants jury unanimity reintroduced. A report by Appeal found that majority verdicts “arguably dilute the principle of reasonable doubt” and have enabled miscarri