Law in Practice

Celebrate the reach of the Rule of Law at the Global Law Summit, a world-class debate, discussion and networking opportunity, writes the Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP.  

There are few areas where Britain is stronger than in the law. London, and in particular the City of London, has been recognised across the world for many centuries as a centre of trade, commerce and finance. 

The Human Rights Act should not be viewed as a burden, but promoted as an instrument of social cohesion and public purpose, argues Keir Starmer QC.  

The Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) is a very simple statute. 

With commemorations of the First World War under way it seems fitting to remember a remarkable pacifist, barrister and feminist, Chrystal Macmillan.   

Celia Pilkington and Harini Iyengar explain. 

In February 2015 the Global Law Summit to celebrate 800 years since Magna Carta takes place in London.   

Chairman-Elect of the Bar Council Alistair MacDonald QC explains. 

Emily Henderson looks at the cross-examining of vulnerable witnesses and asks whether this supposed jewel in the adversarial crown is being successfully reformed by the courts.  

Conventionally, cross-examination is regarded as the jewel in the adversarial crown. However, 30 years of empirical research has shown it to be highly unreliable as a means of investigating the evidence of vulnerable people in particular. 

Regaining the art of co-operation: Andrew Ritchie QC on the case for arbitration for personal injury and clinical negligence claims.  

Many shipping, building and commercial disputes are resolved by arbitration. So why is arbitration not used to resolve personal injury and clinical negligence claims? 

Of politics, schoolmasters and judges: Paul Marshall reflects upon the recent Court of Appeal decision in Denton v T H White and the fallout from the decision in Mitchell v News Group.  

If one settling a pillow by her head,  Should say, “That is not what I meant at all  That is not it, at all”  

T S Eliot, Prufrock 

The Independent Parliamentarians’ Inquiry into the Operation and Effectiveness of the Youth Court reported in June. Lord Carlile, who chaired the inquiry, explains its findings to Counsel.  

June 2014 saw the publication of a far reaching All Party Parliamentarians’ report on Youth Justice. 

Nathalie Lieven QC explains the Council of the Inns of Court’s first six funding scheme.  

As readers will know this is a very hard time for chambers that rely on publicly funded work, particularly those doing crime. One of the worst consequences of the extreme financial pressure that many chambers find themselves under has been a dramatic fall in the number of pupillages available, again particularly in criminal sets reliant on public funding. Although the reduction in pupillages is wholly understandable, it makes even worse the disparity between the number of people who complete their academic training but are unable to get a pupillage, and must place in jeopardy the future of the criminal Bar. 

Lord Judge gives his own view on the European Court of Human Rights.  

This response to the recent article in Counsel by my respected friend Dean Spielmann, President of the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg, addressing what he identified as the two main criticisms of the Court, is entirely personal.