England

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

An open letter signed by dozens of lawyers in England and Wales has called on members of the judiciary to resign from the Garrick Club, an exclusive London club that restricts membership to men. The club "embodies a social and gendered ideology that starkly contrasts with the reality of the modern c

Tesco has lost an English court appeal against a finding that its yellow-and-blue Clubcard logo infringed on the trade mark of rival supermarket chain Lidl. The High Court last year agreed with Lidl's argument that the Clubcard Prices logo led to a "perception of price matching by Tesco to Lidl", up

Domestic killers in England and Wales face tougher sentences one year on from the publication of Clare Wade KC’s review. Ms Wade’s review looked at domestic homicide sentencing, and provided key recommendations for the UK government to protect women. The review found that:

Company directors should consider their company's nature-related risks as part of their legal duties under the law of England and Wales, a legal opinion commissioned by Pollination Law and the Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative (CCLI) has found. Authored by a team of five barristers led by Shar

A transgender English judge has reportedly resigned as she fears that she risks making the judiciary political if she remains on the bench. High Court Master Victoria McCloud, 54, told the senior judiciary she was quitting because “I am now political every time I choose where to pee” and

An English judge faces jail after being convicted of involvement in a scheme to defraud almost £2 million from the legal aid system. Rasib Ghaffar, 54, a barrister and part-time immigration tribunal judge, conspired to inflate legal fees and work claimed for in 2011 and 2012 together with Gazi

Nearly two-thirds of specially-trained rape barristers in England and Wales say they will quit because of poor pay, according to a landmark new survey. A survey by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) found that 64 per cent of prosecutors and 66 per cent of defence counsel on the rape and serious sexu

The criminal justice system in England and Wales is heading towards collapse, two senior judges have warned. Lord Justice Singh and Justice Jay made their warning in a ruling that the UK government acted unlawfully after it failed to properly fund the legal aid system.