On Monday the Justice and Security bill came back to a packed Commons at Report stage. The bill extends the secret hearings, known as closed material procedures (CMPs), into the main civil courts in England and Wales. Read the full story

Up to 75% of criminal legal aid firms will be removed from the market under far-reaching reforms set to be implemented from summer 2011. The Ministry of Justice has announced new proposals for the tendering of criminal legal aid services with the aim of delivering significant savings to taxpayers and a more sustainable future for the legal aid budget. Read the full story

Announcing last week that reforms of the law on libel will be taken forward in the next Parliament, Justice Secretary Jack Straw said: “Our current libel laws need to achieve a fair balance between allowing people to protect their reputations from defamatory allegations, and ensuring that freedom of expression and the public’s right to know Read the full story

The Virtual Court is a new initiative aiming to speed up first hearings and improve the service given to victims and witnesses. It enables a defendant, who is charged in a police custody suite, to appear in a magistrates’ court for a first hearing whilst still physically located in the Police Station. 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