Critics say scrapping of plans, which aimed to increase judge-alone trials to deliver swifter justice, leaves court system and victims vulnerable Ministers have scrapped plans that would have slashed the number of jury trials in England and Wales and replaced them with a judge sitting alone. The proposals had sparked a fierce backlash from lawyers , who have welcomed the U-turn. But the victims’ commissioner expressed concern about the abandonment of measures drawn up by the then justice secretary, David Lammy, under Keir Starmer’s government, to tackle the record backlog in the courts. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/ajrMJT4 via IFTTT
Actor was indicted in shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins nearly a year after similar charges were dropped Actor Alec Baldwin entered a not guilty plea on Wednesday on a new involuntary manslaughter charge in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a New Mexico movie set in October 2021. The actor was indicted earlier this month in the shooting, nearly a year after prosecutors dropped similar charges against him. At the time, the prosecutor’s office said that it would continue investigating the matter and that it could refile charges. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/QoPMEkz via IFTTT