Gender issues
Riveting, emotional testimony in the nomination hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman he allegedly assaulted in high school took place before the US senate judiciary committee yesterday. Bloomberg writes that the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford could derail the confirmation, redefine the “Me Too” era and affect the fight for control of Congress in the November 6th election.
A ray of sunshine amidst the political drama playing out in DC, when in NY, New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern once again made history as the first world leader to attend the United Nations General Assembly with her three-month-old baby. Further endearing her to fans (among which the Justice Beat counts itself), Ardern said on the Colbert Report that despite her powerful role, she still did normal things like shop for maternity bras and help with damage control after her partner knocked a flag over while speaking to Donald Trump.
Back in the UK, prosecutors have been urged to take a more risk-averse approach in rape cases – in other words, to take “weak” cases out of the system – in order to stem widespread criticism of the service’s low conviction rates, the Guardian writes. The controversial advice has caused alarm among experts and campaigners, who say it could severely limit victims’ access to justice.
Legal aid cuts
It’s been a long time since legal aid cuts have started to bite in the UK, and this week the FT writes a powerful long-read on the impact for individuals, the courts and those at the coal-face of the profession. “The mismatch in firepower between the state and its citizens” is evident, it reports, across many practice areas.
Lord Wilson, a senior Supreme Court judge, has made “forthright” comments at a conference in Chicago, including criticism of the UK government’s dismantling of our “precious system of legal aid." The Guardian points out that there is an unacknowledged tradition of Supreme Court justices delivering their most outspoken views at law conferences overseas.
This week on CrowdJustice: NHS defenders entered the 5th stage of funding for their #Justice4NHS appeal. Two children protection cases were launched: the child spies case challenges the Home Office on its safeguarding of vulnerable children used as child spies, while SEND families challenge councils and the UK government to stop unlawful funding cuts to special education needs for children. Both cases have been featured in the Guardian, you can find them on our Press Page.