Bianca Castro

2 days ago | lawgazette.co.uk | Bianca Castro

Years of cuts have weakened crucial services for women victims of violence including those in the justice system, according to a landmark review of the UK’s performance. The first Council of Europe evaluation of the UK’s implementation of the Istanbul Convention on violence against women and domestic violence highlighted the ‘chronic under-use’ of emergency barring orders in England and Wales as a ‘major gap’ in the implementation of the convention.

3 days ago | lawgazette.co.uk | Bianca Castro

The Ministry of Justice has said a £14m investment in building works at Nottingham Crown Court (pictured) will finally fix longstanding issues with the roof. The funding boost is part of a nationwide £148.5m maintenance programme to help improve and repair the courts estate. The £14m project will involve the installation of a new roof covering, to fix the issues of water leakage throughout the building. Leaking water problems had led to the closure of several courtrooms.

4 days ago | lawgazette.co.uk | Bianca Castro

Excessive, last-minute workloads and lack of a work-life balance have contributed to 88% of pupil barristers rating their stress levels as ‘moderate or high’ - an increase from 82% last year, according to the latest Bar Council survey. The survey, answered by 170 pupils – around 30% of the total – found 32% of those asked said they would ‘definitely’ recommend becoming a barrister, a fall from 42% last year. Some 45% said they ‘possibly’ would recommend a career at the bar, down from 52%.

4 days ago | lawgazette.co.uk | Bianca Castro

Young people are the least confident about coming forward to report wrongdoing they have experienced in the workplace, new research has found. In its study, Attitudes to whistleblowing, charity Protect looked into generational differences in whistleblowing across the UK. It found 61% of people, across all age groups, would opt to speak to their line manager or supervisor if they witnessed wrongdoing or malpractice in the workplace but ‘some generations were more willing to speak up than others’.

4 days ago | lawgazette.co.uk | Bianca Castro

A High Court judge to potential after a claimant broke a draft judgment embargo by forwarding it to her husband. The draft judgment was circulated, three days before handing down, to the parties and their lawyers, with a standard proviso about the embargo. The draft was passed by counsel to his instructing solicitors, who in turn emailed it to their client, the claimant.