Last year this column had cause to comment several times on the bill that became the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 as it made its progress through Parliament. The Act received Royal Assent on 12 November 2009 after receiving, importantly in view of current events, cross-party support in both Houses of Parliament. Read the full story

The Council of Circuit Judges (COCJ) is effectively the trade union representing the 652 Crown Court judges in England and Wales. The Council has become a body with a very public profile, responding to the many consultations put out by government. It accepts that judges should not make political statements, Read the full story

A new law is proposed to prevent people accused of murder from using sexual jealousy, honour killing or revenge as partial defences. The Coroners and Justice Bill 2008-09, published last week, is a bill to amend the law relating to coroners and to certification and registration of deaths, Read the full story