United Kingdom

The legal profession must act to ensure there is no "lasting detriment" to young lawyers as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic striking early in their careers, the deputy president of the UK Supreme Court has said. Lord Hodge spoke on the courts' response to the pandemic at the British Irish Commerci

The UK Supreme Court could be left with just one woman judge in a few months' time, risking a reversal of progress on diversity on the bench, campaigners have warned. Lady Black has announced plans to retire early next year, leaving Lady Arden, who is due to step down in 2022, as the sole woman on t

A Sikh organisation is holding a non-governmental referendum in the UK on independence for the Indian state of Punjab. Next month's referendum is being held by Sikhs for Justice, which seeks independence from India and recognition from the international community of the "ongoing plight" of Sikhs the

Parliament may get legal powers to summon obstinate witnesses like Dominic Cummings and Rupert Murdoch to answer MPs' questions, the chair of a Commons committee has said. Chris Bryant, chair of the Committee of Privileges, said a report that will be released this year will detail plans to compel wi

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) this morning published its report on antisemitism in the Labour Party, concluding that the party committed unlawful acts against Jewish members and members complaining of antisemitism. In a statement, Mishcon de Reya, which acted for the Jewish Labour

The actions of the UK government during the coronavirus emergency this year bear the hallmarks of authoritarianism, Lord Sumption has warned. The former Supreme Court justice noted that authoritarian government promotes "loyalty at the expense of wisdom and flattery at the expense of objective advic

The Prime Minister and Home Secretary have been asked by more than 800 former judges and senior legal figures to apologise for endangering lawyers in a letter to The Guardian. Boris Johnson and Priti Patel are also accused of displaying “hostility” towards the profession and undermining

New rules to protect traditional British foods including Stilton cheese, Melton Mowbray pork pies and Scotch whisky have been outlined by the UK government. The protections will replace the EU’s geographical indication scheme after the end of the Brexit transition period.

The UK government's controversial Internal Market Bill has been introduced to force negotiations, a Dáil committee has heard.

Lord Hope of Craighead has warned that the UK government "will bring our precious union to an end" if it is not "very careful". The former Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court and Lord President of the Court of Session was speaking in the House of Lords on the devolution aspects of the Internal

Judges in Wales can order criminals who commit alcohol-fuelled crime to wear a "sobriety tag" from today under a scheme due to be extended to England early next year. The legislation underpinning the new tags came into force across England and Wales in May, having been piloted in London, Humberside,

The last thing the UK needs is a government whose ministers exercise “unbridled power”, a former UK Supreme Court justice has said. Speaking to The Guardian, Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore, who retired from the bench last month, criticised recent comments from the Home Secretary Priti Patel and

The UK government's Internal Market Bill is "contrary to the rule of law" and risks destabilising the UK's constitutional settlement, a Lords committee has said. In its report on the bill, which it said is "without precedent", the Constitution Committee added that the government has given no "satisf

Proposed legislation giving undercover police and MI5 agents explicit permission to commit criminal offences has passed its third reading in the House of Commons by a huge margin. The Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS) (Criminal Conduct) Bill was approved by 313-98 after the defeat of a number

The UK's pubs regulator has issued its first fine, of £2 million, against Edinburgh-headquartered Star Pubs & Bars. The Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) made the fine after it found serious and repeated breached of the code over three years.