This is the sort of thing that sends shivers down Eurosceptic spines. A couple of weeks ago the European Commission came out with this proposed Directive on suspects’ right in criminal proceedings.

Another day, another retreat by the coalition from a bad policy proposal. After Nick Clegg’s vision of light on 55%, now the government has taken a step back on rape anonymity, too. This is what justice minister Crispin Blunt said […]

Like Iain Dale, I am somewhat surprised that Keith Vaz has beaten Alun Michael to the chairmanship of the Home Affairs Select Committee, by the fairly wide margin of 336 votes to 242.

I’m not interested in slagging Keith […]

Former Solicitor General Vera Baird makes a strong argument at Progress online against the proposal to grant anonymity to defendants in rape cases. She makes the important points that the coalition has actually made the case for this proposal […]

It’s of fundamental importance that justice should not only be done, but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done. So said Lord Chief Justice Lord Hewart in 1923, quashing a guilty verdict arrived at by magistrates in private […]

The coalition’s “Programme for Government” published today contains at least one major surprise. In section 20 of the document relating to justice policy, on page 24, it says

We will extend anonymity in rape cases to defendants.

This is a […]

Or at least I think she may be.

She’s trying to get re-elected as an MP, and is as it happens Labour’s new media campaigns spokesman. But she’s in trouble, for having tweeted which parties a sample of postal voters […]

It’s unfashionable to say yes, but I was defending that position again in the Times last week.

Some say that DNA taken from some suspects on arrest can legitimately be compared with unidentified DNA from unsolved crimes. So it’s all […]

I’m interested in the response by the Catholic Union to the recent suggestion that the Pope should be arrested and held legally liable for his alleged failure to tackle the sexual abuse of children. The full pdf file […]

Charon QC interviewed me this afternoon as part of his “20 minutes” series of podcasts. First we spoke about arresting the Pope following my post earlier today. The we moved on briefly to discuss the former UKIP MEP Ashley […]