Busy morning writing, taking photos and filing copy (all at the same time at one point!) on lawyers taking their fight over the government's proposals to restrict the right to a jury trial to parliament. www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/solicit...

Earlier this month I attended a Windrush Justice Symposium at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in north London. My words won't do justice to what a powerful event this was, but I hope you get an idea of what a community-driven, trauma-informed inquiry looks like. www.lawgazette.co.uk/commentary-a...

"I'm sorry for what I said" is a proper apology. "I'm sorry if my choice of language offended you" isn't. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cd...

I attended a Windrush Justice Scandal Symposium at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham, north London, on Saturday. My blog on the symposium later this week. In the meantime, here's what the Windrush Commissioner, Reverend Clive Foster MBE, said on the day: www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/windrus...

Must-read for journalists - not just reporters, editors too.

Early analysis from me on the final instalment of an important government-commissioned review, published this week, on how to pull the criminal justice system from the brink of collapse (and no, that's not an exaggeration): edition.pagesuite.com/html5/reader...

Love this article for 2 reasons: 1. I agree 100% agree with Clare Binns. I've long felt film running times have gotten out of control. 2. The photo of Bromley Picturehouse, which sadly closed in 2024. What a beautiful building. www.theguardian.com/film/2026/ja...

Make my week by helping me get the rare species known as a positive news story into the Law Society Gazette's "most read" list: www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/trainee...

Legal aid: vital public service. Legal aid pay: so bad that a mental health lawyer who has supported several BAME women to pursue a legal career has had to return to Ghana because her salary wasn't high enough to stay in the UK as a 'skilled worker'. www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/legal-a...

"I hope today will bring a moment of truth, optimism and clarity, not led by institutions but by people who have endured the greatest harm" - Baroness Floella Benjamin at the launch of the Windush Justice Inquiry Report. www.lawgazette.co.uk/news-focus/i...

BBC: We're not obsessed with Reform. BBC: Let's do a piece on what a Reform government would look like.

Back from Liverpool where I covered the Labour party conference. ICYMI, some of the justice-related issues that were discussed, starting with growing concern about the recent political attacks on judges: www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/labour-...

Also incredibly frustrating to see Starmer asked 'if you say this policy is racist, are you saying the people who vote for that party are racist?' No, he isn't. So stop focusing on whether people are being called racist and focus on people terrified of being on the receiving end of racism.

The Liberal Democrats: Currently in Bournemouth for their annual conference; 3rd biggest party in the House of Commons; deserve helluva lot more media coverage than they get. On that note, here's my interview with their justice spokesperson, Josh Babarinde MP: www.lawgazette.co.uk/news-focus/i...

"And for the Lib Dems, they have a record breaking 72 MPs but are frustrated at a perceived lack of attention, amid the din elsewhere." Nothing "perceived" about it. My anger at the disproportionate amount of media coverage given to Reform has reached boiling point. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Now to convince my editor to make me 'Taylor Swift correspondent': www.lawgazette.co.uk/commentary-a...

Exclusive: The Home Office wrongly referred an immigration solicitor to his professional regulators. www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/home-of...

The Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards - undoubtedly better than the Oscars. www.lawgazette.co.uk/news-focus/l...

"Forget early retirement. You’ll bore yourself to death with golf and gardening... Age may be 'just a number' but it’s not an unbreakable barrier. And 60 is so last year." Cannot express just how much I loved reading what Hilary did next: www.lawgazette.co.uk/commentary-a...

What do tech giant Apple and Prince Harry have in common? Not the start of a bad joke, but the start of a new blog from me on why it has been a good week for open justice: www.lawgazette.co.uk/commentary-a...

This is an excellent - and depressing - piece by @johnhyde.bsky.social on the shocking state of Cardiff Civil and Family Justice Centre. www.lawgazette.co.uk/news-focus/i...

A blog from me on feeling optimistic that we might see more black judges on the bench soon. A reminder: the proportion of black judges in England and Wales has remained at 1% since 2014. www.lawgazette.co.uk/commentary-a...

Amazon, don't you dare ruin Bond for me.

The first 4 paragraphs of this brilliant column by @suzywrack.bsky.social are things I've done instinctively to stay safe for as long as I can remember, not realising for ages that so many women were doing the exact same thing.

A depressing story about the legal aid landscape in Scotland and the devastating impact on domestic abuse survivors: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Nice article in the Law Society Gazette regarding judicial review regarding legal aid for welfare benefits. Many thanks to @monidipafouzder.bsky.social www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/welfare...

A beautiful piece by in-house solicitor Hulya Erzurumlu on her journey with arthritis and how running, and charity Versus Arthritis, has helped Hulya reclaim her life. www.lawgazette.co.uk/commentary-a...

Criminal duty solicitors provide a vital public service day and night. But the duty population has shrunk considerably (pay not great) and less than 4% of duty solicitors are under 35. So it was a joy to write this particular criminal legal aid story. www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/north-w...

One of my legal aid stories has been picked up by the Canadian Lawyer magazine! *puts Canada on list of next potential holiday destination* www.canadianlawyermag.com/news/interna...

Thanks to the Law Society Gazette for talking to our CEO and new trustees Samuel Pape and Anne Collins about their appointments. We can strengthen our connection with solicitors through these appointments. #WeDoProBono www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/pro-bon...

Total 24% fee uplift sounds like a lot. But MoJ says latest cash will take total fee uplift to 24% "over this parliament". Does that mean there won't be extra £££ down the line? Worth noting Bellamy recommended *minimum* 15% fee uplift as *the first step* in November 2021.

Extra £££ for criminal legal aid. Bellamy review recommended minimum 15% fee uplift as "first step" in nursing sector back to health after years of neglect. Ministry of Justice says extra cash will take total fee uplift to 24% "over this parliament". www.gov.uk/government/n...

Great to see PAMELA covered in the Law Society Gazette - thank you @monidipafouzder.bsky.social www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/new-men...

My then-live blog of Shabana Mahmood's debut before the justice committee as lord chancellor and justice secretary, where it emerged she had an early Xmas present for the criminal justice system- an extra 2,000 Crown Court sitting days: www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/justice...

This is such a fantastic new initiative: a menopause support network for the legal aid sector. And much needed. As the brilliant Dr Laura Janes points out: "Legal aid and advice work is literally fuelled by women." www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/new-men...

"It is not about saving money. You are deferring the cost and indeed you are increasing it." The lady chief justice gave evidence to the justice committee today and had a LOT to say about the impact of not letting the Crown courts sit to full capacity: www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/you-are...

The Legal Aid Practitioners Group has embarked on an important data drive so that it can hand the Ministry of Justice hard proof of the amount of time spent by legal aid lawyers on unbillable work: www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/data-dr...

ICYMI: news feature from me on the potential consequences for law centres and legal aid firms as a result of the chancellor's decision to increase employer national insurance contributions: www.lawgazette.co.uk/news-focus/i...

This deserves a good airing www.lawgazette.co.uk/obiter/tv-la...?

50: number of years South West London Law Centres has been going for. 1000s: number of people SWLLC helps every year. £33,569: SWLLC, which gets only a third of its income from legal aid, will have to find when the employers NI increase kicks in next April. www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/law-cen...

Starting life on Planet Bluesky with a positive story about legal aid: www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/justice...