Government’s AI tool eases probation work amid prison overcrowding measures Legal The government introduced an AI transcription tool designed to help probation officers focus on reducing reoffending, as a second wave of prisoners were released early from overcrowded prisons. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) developed an AI transcription tool, ‘Justice Transcribe’, to help probation officers record meeting notes. After [...]
Labour’s band-aid won’t save the justice system from collapse Legal When the buildings designed to deliver justice are infested with rats, it is no surprise that the system itself is rotting from the inside out, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. The terrible state of the justice system is by now well understood, but with the government’s most controversial plan to relive the pressure now partially scrapped, the [...]
Scrapping jury trials for fraud and financial cases brings ‘serious concerns’ Legal Government plans to push ahead with jury-free trials for certain fraud and financial proceedings raise “serious concerns”, according to the Institute for Government (IFG) and lawyers across the City. The proposal, introduced by former justice secretary David Lammy officially last December, following a recommendation in a review of the court system in England and Wales [...]
Legal sector warns against tax ‘raid’ proposal on client account interest ahead of Budget September 29, 2026 London’s legal sector has sounded the alarm over government plans to cut interest on law firms’ client accounts to fund the justice department, warning it could drive some law firms out of business. The Ministry of Justice’s consultation on a proposal to introduce an Interest on Lawyers’ Client Accounts Scheme (ICLA) closed in March after [...]
Lammy’s cohabitation rules threaten unmarried couples with ‘horrendous’ court costs August 12, 2026 Justice secretary Alex Norris is facing backlash from senior legal figures on plans to give unmarried couples court-enforced rights after three years of cohabitation, passed on to him by predecessor David Lammy. The government is currently consulting on proposals to reform British couples’ cohabitation rights, which would give the courts power to intervene when unmarried [...]
Rachel Reeves’ sister takes top legal role in Burnham’s Cabinet overhaul July 21, 2026 Prime Minister Andy Burnham has picked Ellie Reeves, the sister of former Chancellor Rachel, to serve as the chief legal adviser to the government. Lord Richard Hermer KC, a close ally of Keir Starmer who played a pivotal role in shaping the legal and international stance of Starmer’s government, was dismissed as attorney general and [...]
Andy Burnham pressured to safeguard jury trials after legal backlash July 14, 2026 The country’s criminal barristers have demanded an urgent guarantee from incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham to save jury trials. The Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has ramped up pressure on Burnham to officially drop “misguided” clauses in the Courts and Tribunals Bill that would curb the historic right to a trial by your peers. The controversial [...]
Deputy PM to unveil AI labs to drag legal sector out of ‘analogue’ age June 8, 2026 The UK government is launching a new AI growth project aimed squarely at dragging the UK’s billion-pound legal sector out of its “analogue” age. Ahead of London Tech Week, City AM can reveal that Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy will unveil ‘AI growth labs’, a regulatory safe space designed to cut through bureaucratic red tape [...]
Starmer confirms teen rape case sent to Court of Appeal after public outcry May 26, 2026 The Attorney General has sent a rape case, which saw two teenage boys spared jail, to the Court of Appeal following a political backlash over the weekend against the judge’s ruling. Two teenage boys raped two girls in separate attacks in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, in 2024 and 2025. The third boy, who aided and abetted the [...]
David Lammy rejects higher pay rise for judges amid recruitment crisis May 26, 2026 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 [...]