An article examined the way magistrates from ethnic minority backgrounds experienced the court environment and their role within it. Most of those interviewed had not encountered racist attitudes or behaviour in their dealings with fellow magistrates: but a substantial minority (28 per cent) had perceived instances of racism. 4 magistrates (out of 128) believed that they had been subject to unequal treatment at the institutional level.
Source: Gwynn Davis and Julie Vennard, 'Racism in court: the experience of ethnic minority magistrates', Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, Volume 45 Issue 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Dec
A new book examined the increasing incorporation of surveillance technologies into the routine practice of criminal justice.
Source: Clive Norris and Dean Wilson, Surveillance, Crime and Social Control, Ashgate Publications (01235 827730)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Nov
The government published the Fraud (Trials Without a Jury) Bill. The Bill paved the way for trials in the most serious and complex fraud cases to take place without a jury, by removing the prior requirement for an affirmative vote by both Houses of Parliament. The prosecution would be able to apply for a juryless trial, and a High Court Judge would need to agree to the application.
Source: Fraud (Trials without a Jury) Bill, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Home Office press release | Downing Street Briefing | HOC brief | Liberty press release (1) | Liberty press release (2) | JUSTICE briefing | Law Society press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | BBC report
Date: 2006-Nov
The government published a Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill. The Bill was designed to provide for jury reform and a new system of non-jury trial, following the repeal of the Diplock Court system; and extend the powers of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.
Source: Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill, Northern Ireland Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Downing Street Briefing | Times report | FT report | BBC report | Guardian report | Children In Northern Ireland report
Date: 2006-Nov
A report (by an official advisory body) recommended the introduction of three tiers of homicide - first degree murder, second degree murder, and manslaughter - to replace murder and manslaughter.
Source: Murder, Manslaughter and Infanticide, HC 30, Law Commission, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Law Commission press release | Law Commission briefing note | Guardian report | Times report
Date: 2006-Nov
The prosecution service inspectorate examined equality and diversity in employment practice. It said that 'steady progress' had been made in developing the culture of the CPS to one that positively embraced all sections of the community.
Source: Equalities Driving Justice, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (020 7210 1197)
Links: Report | Summary | HMCPSI press release
Date: 2006-Nov
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on a draft bill designed to reform coroners' courts in England and Wales.
Source: Reform of the Coroners' System and Death Certification: Government Response to the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee s Report, Cm 6943, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report | Hansard | Times report
Date: 2006-Nov
The government announced (in the Queen's Speech) that it would introduce a Criminal Justice Bill. The Bill would: toughen up trial processes when an offender failed to appear without good reason; create new powers to tackle anti-social and violent behaviour, and a new offence to deal with violent pornography; introduce a generic community sentence for young offenders; and make sentencing processes clearer, and address imbalances in the process for overturning convictions and releasing offenders.
Source: Queen's Speech, House of Commons Hansard, 15 November 2006, column 1, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Speech | Downing Street Briefing | YJB press release | Liberty press release | NCH press release | Childrens Society press release | Times report | FT report | BBC report (1) | BBC report (2) | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Nov
An annual report summarized the most recent statistics available on race and criminal justice. (It replaced the version published and withdrawn on 30 March 2006, and followed a full check on all the data included.) Progress continued to be made in relation to the proportion of staff from black and minority ethnic groups working in the criminal justice system: but other areas remain largely unchanged, with BME groups continuing to be disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system.
Source: Batool Reza and Christine Magill, Race and the Criminal Justice System: An overview to the complete statistics 2004 2005, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Nov
A think tank published a collection of essays which examined what impact - if any - criminal justice agencies had on crime levels.
Source: Richard Garside and Will McMahon (eds.), Does Criminal Justice Work? The right for the wrong reasons debate, Crime and Society Foundation (020 7848 1685)
Links: Report | Summary | CSF press release
Date: 2006-Oct
The Court of Appeal overturned a High Court ruling that expert witnesses should be exempt from disciplinary action by their regulatory body. The issue was raised by the case of a paediatrician who was struck off after giving flawed evidence at the trial of a woman accused of the murder of her sons.
Source: General Medical Council v Professor Sir Roy Meadow, Court of Appeal 26 October 2006
Links: Text of judgement | GMC press release | Times report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Oct
The government reportedly dropped plans to merge five inspectorates in the criminal justice system, deciding instead to strengthen co-operation between them. This followed a vote against the original proposal (in the Police and Justice Bill) by the House of Lords.
Source: The Guardian, 19 October 2006
Links: Guardian report | Lords Hansard
Date: 2006-Oct
A report by a committee of MPs said that police and prosecutors were wasting £55 million per year by mishandling court cases. More than 900,000 out of about 3 million magistrate hearings did not go ahead as planned in England and Wales in 2004-05.
Source: Crown Prosecution Service: Effective use of magistrates' courts hearings, Sixty-first Report (Session 2005-06), HC 982, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Oct
The Chief Medical Officer for England published proposals for reforming the delivery of medical expert evidence in family law cases. The key proposal was for the National Health Service to establish a new service - teams of specialist doctors and other professionals in local NHS organizations who would group together to improve the quality of the service by introducing mentoring, supervision, and peer review.
Source: Bearing Good Witness: Proposals for reforming the delivery of medical expert evidence in family law cases, Chief Medical Officer/Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: CMO report | Statistical survey | Consultation document | Hansard | DH press release | OCC press release | BBC report | Community Care report | Times report
Date: 2006-Oct
An independent economic analysis of the impact of proposals to reform criminal legal aid said that more than 800 legal aid firms could be forced out of business double the number officially predicted.
Source: Peter Grindley, Legal Aid Reforms Proposed by the Carter Report: Analysis and commentary, Law Society (020 7242 1222)
Links: Report | Law Society press release | Times report
Date: 2006-Sep
The government began consultation on proposals to prevent the Court of Appeal from overturning 'safe' convictions on the grounds of deficiencies in the trial or pre-trial process.
Source: Quashing Convictions: Report of a review by the Home Secretary, Lord Chancellor and Attorney General, Office for Criminal Justice Reform (cjsonline@cjit.gsi.gov.uk)
Links: Consultation document | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Sep
A survey examined users experiences of, and satisfaction with, coroners services. Overall, 77 per cent said that they were 'very' or 'fairly' satisfied.
Source: Roderick Hill and Joanne Crouch, Users' Experiences of the Coroners' Courts, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Date: 2006-Sep
A literature review examined the provision of support to victims and witnesses of crime in Scotland. All of the main forms of support which were seen to be required were provided to some extent, though there were some gaps.
Source: Reid Howie Associates, Provision of Support to Victims and Witnesses of Crime in Scotland, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Date: 2006-Sep
A report by a committee of MSPs welcomed proposals contained in the Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Bill, aimed at reforming the summary justice system, and the system governing bail and remand. But it called for the Scottish Executive to adopt a "radical approach" to find out why some individuals failed to attend court hearings, and raised concerns about how the criminal justice system would cope with the number of reforms being proposed.
Source: Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Bill, 10th Report 2006, SP Paper 621, Scottish Parliament Justice 1 Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Jul
The government began consultation on proposals to reform the legal aid system, following publication of the final report by an independent review (chaired by Lord Carter). The proposals included: paying lawyers, as far as possible, on completion of cases rather than by the hour; a market-based system for legal aid procurement, with best-value tendering for contracts based on quality, capacity, and price; and changes to make the legal professions responsible for proper quality control over their members.
Source: Legal Aid: A Sustainable Future, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500) and Legal Services Commission | Legal Aid: A Market-based Approach to Reform, Lord Carter's Review of Legal Aid Procurement (020 7210 0778)
Links: Consultation document | Hansard | DCA press release | LSC press release | Carter report part 1 | Carter report part 2 | Carter report part 3 | Bar Council press release | Law Society press release | IAS press release | Citizens Advice press release | Guardian report | Times report
Date: 2006-Jul
The government announced a package of reforms to the criminal justice courts system. The measures included improving the speed and effectiveness of magistrates courts, improving timeliness in Crown Courts, and removing "unnecessary procedures".
Source: Delivering Simple, Speedy, Summary Justice, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report | DCA press release | PCS press release | Times report
Date: 2006-Jul
Campaigners said that the new gender equality duty, putting a duty on public bodies to promote equality between women and men, should be used to bring an end to institutional sexism in the criminal justice system.
Source: Holly Dustin, Understanding Your Duty: Report on the gender equality duty and criminal justice system, Fawcett Society (020 7253 2598)
Links: Report | Fawcett Society press release | EOC press release
Date: 2006-Jul
The draft Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill was published. The Bill was designed to improve the working of the tribunals system by providing a new statutory framework; widen the range of people eligible to apply to become judges; and unify and provide a new statutory framework for law on civil debt recovery.
Source: The Draft Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill, Cm 6885, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of draft Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | DCA press release
Date: 2006-Jul
The sixth and final report was published from the Justice Oversight Commissioner on the progress achieved in implementing the recommendations of the Review of the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland. It confirmed that the majority of the recommendations of the Review had been implemented.
Source: Sixth Report of the Justice Oversight Commissioner, Office of the Justice Oversight Commissioner (028 9033 2040)
Links: Report | NIO press release | Childlink report
Date: 2006-Jun
The government published a draft bill designed to reform coroners' courts in England and Wales. The 111 mostly part-time coroners would be replaced with 65 full-time posts, with a new post of chief coroner, directly answerable to ministers. Relatives of the dead would get the right to ask the coroner for a second opinion on a death certificate, or challenge a decision by appeal to the chief coroner. Coroners could restrict press reporting in inquests where there was no overriding public interest.
Source: Coroner Reform: The Government s Draft Bill - Improving death investigation in England and Wales, Cm 6849, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Draft Bill | Summary | DCA press release | BBC report | Times report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2006-Jun
The Prime Minister said that the criminal justice system was the public service ?most distant? from what reasonable people expected. He called for a shake-up of the criminal justice system to ensure that the security of the law-abiding was put ahead of the rights of offenders.
Source: Speech by Tony Blair MP (Prime Minister), 15 May 2006
Date: 2006-May
The government published a strategy designed to increase the diversity of the judiciary, following a research report which examined the reasons for the under-representation of women and members of black and minority ethnic communities.
Source: Judicial Diversity Strategy, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500) | Opinion Leader Research, Judicial Diversity: Findings of a consultation with barristers, solicitors and judges, Department for Constitutional Affairs
Links: Strategy | Report | DCA press release | Hansard
Date: 2006-May
An inspectorate report in Northern Ireland said that there were excessive delays in the processing of criminal cases. It called for a joint strategy, with common targets and an action plan, to provide a combined solution,
Source: Avoidable Delay: A thematic inspection of delay in the processing of criminal cases in Northern Ireland, Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (028 9025 8000)
Links: Report | CJINI press release | Hansard
Date: 2006-May
The government said that it intended to begin consultation on the policy framework for dealing with foreign nationals held in prison. The guiding principle would be that foreign nationals guilty of criminality should expect to be deported. (This statement followed the revelation that around 1,000 foreign nationals had been released from prison without consideration being given to their deportation.)
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Debate 3 May 2006, columns 969-987, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | Guardian report
Date: 2006-May
The Scottish Executive published the first national strategy for offender management. The strategy contained a set of common aims and expected outcomes, centred on increased public protection and delivering a consistent approach to managing offenders in prison and in the community.
Source: Reducing Reoffending: National strategy for the management of offenders, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Strategy | SE press release
Date: 2006-May
An audit report made a number of recommendations to improve the collection and enforcement of magistrates' court fines. It said that a more robust approach to collection could change the culture of non-payment among offenders.
Source: Fines Collection, HC 1049 (Session 2005-06), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NAO press release
Date: 2006-May
An article said that no single measurement could reveal the full picture of the effectiveness of a particular correctional programme. It criticized evaluation-driven practice - only doing things that could be measured - as "unimaginative".
Source: Mark Israel and Wing Hong Chui, 'If something works is the answer, what is the question? Supporting pluralist evaluation in community corrections in the United Kingdom',European Journal of Criminology, Volume 3 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Apr
The government announced a package of measures to reform the system under which it paid compensation for miscarriages of justice. The changes were designed to ensure that compensation payments paid by the state were proportionate to the level of injustice experienced by applicants, bringing them more into line with amounts paid to victims of crime. It placed a 500,000 ceiling on individual compensation payments, and reduced the overall budget for compensation payments by 5 million per year.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 19 April 2006, columns 14-17WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | Home Office press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Apr
The government announced plans for new 'violent offender orders' designed to control the movements of violent offenders after they left prison. The orders could ban high-risk offenders from certain locations and impose a range of other conditions. Breaking the orders could lead to up to five years in prison. The government also announced measures designed to ensure that all released prisoners were supervised by probation officers until the end of their original sentences.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Debate 20 April 2006, columns 244-256, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | Parole Board press release | NAPO press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Apr
A new book examined the aims of a criminal trial, the social functions it should perform, and how it was linked to other institutions in a democratic polity.
Source: Antony Duff, Lindsay Farmer, Sandra Marshall and Victor Tadros (eds.), The Trial on Trial: Volume 2 - Judgment and calling to account, Hart Publishing (01865 245533)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Apr
A Ministerial paper outlined details of a cross-government review of the operation of the criminal justice system - designed to make the operation of the courts simpler and speedier, and to make more extensive use of summary justice.
Source: Lord Falconer (Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor), Doing Law Differently, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: Paper | DCA press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A report examined levels of public confidence in the criminal justice system, and also ratings of criminal justice agencies. A greater proportion of people were confident in 2004-05 than in the previous year that the criminal justice system was effective in bringing offenders who committed crimes to justice.
Source: Jonathan Allen, Suzanne Edmonds, Alison Patterson and Dominic Smith, with Jonathan Allen, Policing and the Criminal Justice System Public confidence and perceptions: findings from the 2004/05 British Crime Survey, Online Report 07/06, Home Office (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Mar
The judicial appointments watchdog said that headhunters might have to be used to overcome the reluctance of women and ethnic minority lawyers to apply to join an overwhelmingly white, male judiciary.
Source: Annual Report 2006, Commission for Judicial Appointments (020 7217 4470)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Mar
An article examined the extent to which prisoners viewed race relations in prison as problematic. Ethnic minority prisoners tended to rate the quality of race relations in prison more poorly than their white counterparts. Large proportions among all ethnic minority groups felt that they were subject to unfair treatment compared to the white majority.
Source: Leonidas Cheliotis and Alison Liebling, 'Race matters in British prisons: towards a research agenda', British Journal of Criminology, Volume 46 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Mar
The courts service inspectorate reported on the quality of service provided to victims and witnesses in the criminal courts.
Source: Valuing Victims and Witnesses: An overview of inspections undertaken during 2005, HM Inspectorate of Court Administration (0117 959 8201)
Links: Report | HMICA press release
Date: 2006-Mar
The Criminal Defence Service Act received Royal Assent. The Act paved the way for the introduction of a new means-testing scheme under which high earners would no longer receive free criminal legal aid representation.
Source: Criminal Defence Service Act 2006, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Act | DCA press release
Date: 2006-Mar
The Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to permit the future transfer of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Executive.
Source: Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, Northern Ireland Office, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 13 March 2006, columns 1165-1246, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | HOC brief
Date: 2006-Mar
The number of racially motivated crimes recorded by police in England and Wales went up by 12 per cent to 59,257 in 2004-05. Black people were six times more likely to be stopped and searched in the street by the police than white people.
Source: Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System - 2005: A Home Office publication under section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, Home Office (web publication only)
Links: Report | Hansard | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Mar
A Member of Parliament introduced a Bill designed to establish a right of appeal in relation to the amount of compensation payable under the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
Source: Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Amendment) Bill, Keith Vaz MP, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill
Date: 2006-Mar
A report presented findings from the second phase of the evaluation of three restorative justice schemes funded by the Home Office under its Crime Reduction Programme. The three schemes dealt mainly with adult offenders and worked at different stages of the criminal justice system, including pre-sentence and pre-release from prison.
Source: Joanna Shapland et al., Restorative Justice in Practice Findings from the second phase of the evaluation of three schemes, Research Findings 274, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Findings
Date: 2006-Feb
A report said that there were inherent inefficiencies in the way criminal legal aid work was procured. A significant amount of the criminal legal aid budget was spent on unproductive time and anomalies in the system. It proposed a market-based procurement system that rewarded the most efficient suppliers, provided clients with appropriate choice, and brought greater predictability to cost.
Source: Review of Legal Aid Procurement, Procurement of Criminal Defence Services: Market Based Reform, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report | DCA press release | Bar Council press release | LAG press release | Law Society press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Feb
The Scottish Executive published a Bill proposing a range of measures aimed at improving the management and operation of the lower (non-jury) courts.
Source: Criminal Proceedings etc (Reform) (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Policy memorandum | SE press release
Date: 2006-Feb
A study provided evidence on the operation of funding arrangements in several areas of personal injury litigation and examined, for the first time in detail, the funding of clinical negligence cases. Conditional fee agreements were found to be the predominant means of financing personal injury claims. The complexity and value of personal injury claims run under CFAs had not changed significantly since the introduction of rules allowing for recovery of success fees and after-the-event insurance premiums. CFAs had become a significant source of funding for new clinical negligence cases.
Source: Paul Fenn, Alastair Gray, Neil Rickman and Yasmeen Mansur, The Funding of Personal Injury Litigation: Comparisons over time and across jurisdictions, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Date: 2006-Feb
An official review report examined the structure and governance of the Scottish Court Service.
Source: Douglas Osler, Agency Review of the Scottish Court Service, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
Prosecutors were given detailed new guidance on dealing with disclosure issues concerning expert witnesses. It set out practical steps experts had to take when dealing with material in their possession which was relevant to the investigation in question, emphasizing the need for them to record, retain, and in due course reveal that material to investigators and prosecutors. Experts would be required to complete a certificate of competence and credibility, and sign a declaration that they had fully complied with disclosure obligations.
Source: Disclosure Manual, Crown Prosecution Service (020 7796 8000)
Links: Guidance | CPS press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Feb
A new book examined the divide between punitive and restorative approaches to questions of criminal justice.
Source: David Cornwell, Criminal Punishment and Restorative Justice: Past, present and future perspectives, Waterside Press (01962 855567)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined concerns surrounding the role of the inquest system in Northern Ireland in investigating deaths by lethal force.
Source: Fiona Doherty and Paul Mageean, Investigating Lethal Force Deaths in Northern Ireland: The Application of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (028 9024 3987)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
An audit report said that problems with the Crown Prosecution Service s planning and preparation for magistrates court hearings were a contributory factor in the number of trials not going ahead as planned. There was insufficient oversight of cases; urgent cases might not be adequately prioritized; evidence was sometimes incomplete; and files were mislaid.
Source: Crown Prosecution Service: Effective Use of Magistrates Court Hearings, HC 798 (Session 2005-06), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NAO press release | CPS press release
Date: 2006-Feb
The Scottish Executive began consultation on proposals to unify Scotland's judges and sheriffs into a single judicial organization, led by a Lord President with enhanced powers and responsibilities.
Source: Strengthening Judicial Independence in a Modern Scotland: A consultation on the unification, appointment, removal and management of Scotland s judiciary, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Consultation document | SE press release
Date: 2006-Feb
Annual statistics were published on offenders dealt with by formal police cautions, reprimands or warnings, or criminal court proceedings in England and Wales in 2007.
Source: Criminal Statistics: England and Wales 2007, Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jan
A report outlined the results of evaluative research which examined the effectiveness of criminal justice agencies in improving the treatment of vulnerable and intimidated witnesses.
Source: Mandy Burton, Roger Evans and Andrew Sanders, Are Special Measures for Vulnerable and Intimidated Witnesses Working?: Evidence from the criminal justice agencies, Online Report 01/06, Home Office (web publication only)
Date: 2006-Jan
The Criminal Defence Service Bill was given a third reading. The Bill proposed a new means test for legal aid in criminal cases in magistrates' courts in England and Wales.
Source: Criminal Defence Service Bill [HL], Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 26 January 2006, columns 1561-1589, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | HOC Library research paper | Hansard
Date: 2006-Jan
A progress report provided an overview of recent initiatives in the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland, since publication of an earlier strategy document in February 2008.
Source: Criminal Justice in a Shared Future: Making Progress, Northern Ireland Office (028 9052 0700)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jan
A report by a committee of MPs said that the Home Office had made 'significant improvements' to its financial management capacity, capability, processes, and procedures over the previous three years.
Source: Financial Management in the Home Office, Forty-sixth Report (Session 2008-09), HC 640, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | BBC report
Date: 2006-Jan
A report said that action was needed to tackle the over-representation of people from black and minority-ethnic communities in the criminal justice system. Efforts to divert and rehabilitate offenders with mental health problems needed to be appropriate to the needs of people from black and minority-ethnic communities.
Source: Less Equal Than Others: Ethnic minorities and the criminal justice system, Race for Justice (01904 673970)
Links: Report | SCMH press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jan
A literature review examined the experiences and outcomes of tribunal hearings from the perspective of tribunal users. It was designed specifically to establish whether black and minority ethnic users experienced any direct or indirect disadvantage in accessing and using tribunal services.
Source: Hazel Genn, Ben Lever, Lauren Gray with Nigel Balmer, Tribunals for Diverse Users, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Date: 2006-Jan
An annual report said that the number of women and people from minority ethnic groups appointed as judges and tribunal members in England and Wales had continued to rise. Between 1 April 2004 and 30 September 2005, 549 appointments had been made, of which 37 per cent were to women and 12 per cent to people from ethnic minorities.
Source: Judicial Appointments 7th Annual Report 2004-2005, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report | DCA press release
Date: 2006-Jan
A report examined target setting and performance management in the six main criminal justice agencies in Northern Ireland.
Source: Target Setting and Performance Management in the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland, Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (028 9025 8000)
Links: Report | CJINI press release
Date: 2006-Jan