Daniel Mark

And so off we go down the slippery slope of limiting the right to jury trials. The same cut of 25% of cases in the Crown Court could have been achieved by investing more in the system. Instead we’ve chosen to take the easy route and curtail a fundamental right. #courts #trials

Interesting article in @thespectator1828.bsky.social on proposed judge-only trials. Issue comes when they talk of being sceptical of judges for not deporting foreign criminals or their sentences for posts on social media - neither of which have anything to do with juries #juries #courts

Or, we could buy that new equipment, train the staff & either re-open or purchase new space in the court estate to deal with cases in a timely manner & work on bringing the backlog down. If that didn’t work, then there’s an argument for considering - reluctantly - the way we deal with cases. 2/2

What is the cost of the proposed new CCBD?. Seemingly it will require the training of additional court staff, purchasing of new IT equipment, the miraculous appearance of substantial numbers of defence solicitors & counsel (although who knows what rights of audience will be required?) 1/2

“It is really dangerous to make any criticism of a judgment without a full understanding of the facts and the law,” the lady chief justice of England and Wales said at her annual news conference yesterday. Read my analysis. rozenberg.substack.com/p/keep-out-j...

www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/arrogan... So it’s not just the Conservatives who have a lack of respect for the rule of law & proper process. Seems Labour are on the bandwagon too.

A fantastic weekend in the #lakedistrict for my belated birthday weekend. We’ve done this annually for years now & it’s always fantastic, and a great way of switching off for the weekend #windermere

app.independent.co.uk/2025/01/24/2... What the Tories suggest to Liz Truss: Take a holiday! What they should say, in the form of a gif: #truss #politics #maga #america #westwing

With some reservations, the answer appears to be “yes”: “I did find evidence that tags reduced the likelihood of reoffending – wearers were on average 33% less likely to reoffend (controlling for similar offence and demographic profiles).”

I think most liberals feel like this, as the week rolls on … Waiting for someone to make Hillary’s laugh at the inauguration a gif, though!

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025... A poor decision, if it comes to pass.

At the moment it would seem a decent portion of my time on Bluesky is now spent blocking bots!

Central Park, New York City ❄❄❄ ...although I thought for a minute I had exited through the back of my wardrobe and was about to meet Mr Tumnus.

20% of courtrooms are closed today. Worth remembering that when people suggest restricting jury trials. Juries aren’t the problem. They aren’t causing the delays. They aren’t halting justice. They can’t get in the door.

Claims of a high-level cover-up after British special forces unlawfully killed detainees in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013 are supported by a tranche of evidence published this morning by an independent judicial inquiry. rozenberg.substack.com/p/evidence-o...

I don’t understand why as a nation we have decided the failings of the #rail network are tolerable. Between cancellations & delays it’s shambolic. If another business ran this way it would be boycotted which we can’t as many need trains to commute. We pay a fortune for a system that regularly fails.

I have to agree with some of the posts I’ve seen on here recently. Appreciating the concern people have about Musk and Trump, they seem to account for at least 75% of the posts I’m seeing, even from non-political accounts I follow. A little disappointing really; trying to avoid both!

Finished reading @timfarron.bsky.social’s biography - now switching back from politics to law by delving into Irvine Smith’s life #law #courts #scotland #sheriff #bar #barrister

While we’re banning books… Finland is teaching children in school how to recognize fake news and propaganda as part of critical thinking and civic responsibility. Some of this will seem very familiar. Be. Like. Finland.

On to the second book of the year and again, I’m behind the times! But now reading @timfarron.bsky.social #libdems #liberal #politics

A fantastic book - brilliantly written @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social & I thought it particularly good to ask questions of the reader throughout. #judges #courts #judiciary

As we head into 2025 I just wanted to thank everyone on #bluesky for giving me another outlet after I left the other place. I also want to thank colleagues in the #cjs for your hard work & dedication to #justice in the last 12 months. Here’s to another year! #courts #criminaljustice

As we head into 2025 I just wanted to thank everyone on #bluesky for giving me another outlet after I left the other place. I also want to thank colleagues in the #cjs for your hard work & dedication to #justice in the last 12 months. Here’s to another year! #courts #criminaljustice

Next year will be a hugely important one for the criminal justice system of England and Wales. The government has asked for advice on tackling the current crisis by the spring. We should know by the summer whether the prime minister is bold enough to accept it. rozenberg.substack.com/p/the-year-a...

And to all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning - the good life - study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a... A long life well lived by one of American’s most underrated Presidents. He was the rare man who arguably achieved more after he left office than he did during it. President Carter will be remembered for a lot, especially his human rights work.

Time to settle down & engage in one of the best Christmas presents I received this year! Very late to the party I know, @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social

The reality is this is the case at every level of the CJS, including the Magistrates’ Court, where JPs are trying to power through long lists & legal advisers are working at nights/weekends to resolve issues & ensure cases can proceed. Unacceptable to suggest anyone in the CJS isn’t working hard.

The best #law books for 2025 - including my review of Women’s Legal Landmarks in the Interwar Years, from @hartpublishing.bsky.social -- in @TimesLaw www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

Please RP/RT this starter pack to help bring the (predominantly UK based) legal community together. If you would like to be added, please ask. go.bsky.app/AFdD66T

Expert denies he 'changed his mind' in Letby case www.bbc.com/news/article... I feel like there must be more to this than meets the eye. If the expert now says - in essence - that the barrister is lying about his views, surely that’s professional misconduct? Interesting to see where this goes.

I’m rewatching #thewestwing - am I the only one who thinks Toby’s “they’ll like us when we win!” speech is out of character and different to the usual tone of the show? I understand his reasoning behind it; it just feels oddly placed #westwing #tobyziegler

“A colleague... said to me someone came into the office and said ‘I’m charged with burglary, and I need representation. I’ve been to 11 firms, and they said they can’t represent me.’ And he had to say: ‘Well, I’m afraid that’s now 12’.” www.theguardian.com/law/2024/dec...

We have allowed British children to be groomed by predators on social media. That ends now | Peter Kyle

@barristersecret.bsky.social I’d be interested to hear your views on this (if I’ve not missed them already) www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

As much as I love #christmas, what I actually can’t wait for is my annual birthday weekend in #windermere early next year. It never fails to amaze me with beautiful scenic views - and last year a lot of fog! #cumbria #lakedistrict #birthdaytreat

I appreciate why this is being pushed but it isn’t an answer to the early release scheme. There’s no “DA offence” but all DA offences are tagged with a DA marker. Should just be a case of implementing a proper system that checks the markers so a prisoner with one isn’t eligible for early release.