David Lammy rejects higher pay rise for judges amid recruitment crisis Legal David Lammy turned down an independent recommendation for a higher judicial pay increase, instead approving a 3.5 per cent rise amid government efforts to tackle recruitment challenges for senior judges. The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) report, published last week, recommended a 3.8 per cent pay increase across the judiciary, estimated to cost taxpayers around [...]
Good policing is the unsung pillar of growth Opinion Market confidence in the City is inseparable from its security, and the police are a core enabler of that security, writes Chris Hayward.
Jury trial controversy looms over Starmer after King’s Speech points to reform Regulation Controversial government plans to trim back the use of jury trials were included in the King’s Speech on Wednesday, as an embattled Keir Starmer persevered with an long-trailed overhaul of the UK’s criminal justice system. The Courts Modernisation Bill could become the latest issue over which Downing Street and the parliamentary Labour Party clash at [...]
‘National scandal’: Record-high shoplifting driven by repeat offenders April 26, 2026 Shoplifting has been branded a “national scandal” as incidents reach a record high, fuelled by a growing number of repeat offenders. More than 500,000 shoplifting offenses were recorded last year, according to official figures released in response to a parliamentary question by former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith. Fears around the worsening state of [...]
‘Cure worse than the disease’: Starmer’s mentor lambasts plan to scrap juries April 14, 2026 The proposal to scrap jury trials is “a cure worse than the disease”, according to the founding head of the Chambers where Sir Keir Starmer once practised. David Lammy’s controversial Courts and Tribunals Bill aims to reduce Crown Court backlogs by approximately halving the number of jury trials. The Bill, if passed, will create a [...]
We talked to 12 permanent secretaries about how to rewire the state – here’s what they said April 8, 2026 The path to an integrated digital state must be problem-led, not tech led, says Yatin Mahandru The UK government has an ambitious vision – a ‘rewiring of the British state’ powered by digital and AI. Leadership is clear that “no person’s substantive time should be spent on a task where digital or AI can do [...]
Courtrooms in the cloud: How Opus 2 quietly changed the game February 26, 2026 AI is making its mark on the legal profession, an industry renowned for its cautious approach to change. Yet, behind the scenes, innovative technologies have been quietly transforming courtrooms for years. If you ever sat behind the row of barristers and the lawyers that instructed them in a courtroom at the High Court, you may [...]
International Women’s Day 2026: the best events to book February 25, 2026 International Women’s Day 2026 takes place on Sunday 8 March, with a range of events scheduled to take place across the capital. Events earmarking the annual event will celebrate female stories and protest against longstanding inequalities. Many more International Women’s Day 2026 events will be announced, but for now here are six that stand out [...]
Lord Mandelson arrested: What led to police action? February 24, 2026 Peter Mandelson was arrested on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, but how did we get here? The Metropolitan Police said in a statement on Monday evening that they had arrested a 72-year-old man in Camden. Mandelson was photographed being taken out of his house at 4:30 pm by detectives from the Met’s [...]
The Monarchy will survive Andrew’s arrest February 23, 2026 If Andrew is found guilty of misconduct, or if he is proven somehow to be a sexual predator of the worst kind, the law will take its course, as the King has indicated. Embarrassing? Undoubtedly. But not terminal, says Eliot Wilson It was an historic event. At 8am last Thursday, his 66th birthday, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor [...]