Went to Old Bailey this morning & saw 300 striking barristers (with solicitors) in protest over government's underfunding of criminal legal aid. I lacked the skills (& phone battery) to take pictures, take notes & do lots of posts, so here's a thread. Big cheer from striking ⁦@TheCriminalBar barristers protesting outside Old Bailey when ⁦@RMTunion arrive in support and rallying cry ‘up the workers’. One bewigged barrister peaks out from inside the court to see what all the noise is.

At least 200 striking barristers and ⁦@lccsa⁩ solicitors in support outside the Old Bailey today

Just been asked to do a short pre-recorded piece for @BBCBreakfast on why criminal barristers are striking. Obviously, I'm super keen & asked the fee (would take about 20 mins prep - mostly sorting out my hair & panicking + 10 mins to do). Told there is no fee. I explain that I'm a freelance journalist, this is my job. I'm not asking for same fees as @GaryLineker or @thehuwedwards -- just something fair for half an hour's work. Nice chap accepts that he isn't working for free, but says there's no budget & no fee.

Thrilled to see that four of my pieces in the fabulous series commissioned by @AlfiePackham for @GdnStudents feature in the top 10 most popular Law stories today. Huge thanks to @AlfiePackham for commissioning this series of Landmarks in the Law for @GdnStudents, and all the lawyers who helped me. I thoroughly enjoyed doing it & hope it's given a taste of the world of the law. The last one was published today. Here's a thread of the set:

Lord chancellor, @RobertBuckland, giving evidence to Commons committee on human rights, on government’s plans to ‘update’ human rights act, judicial review and plans to reform the Supreme Court. You can watch it here: parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/c2… I should say, I'm not going to tweet all of his evidence, but only if he says something new and interesting.

Mark Lucraft QC, chief coroner since October 2016 (and recorder of London - top judge at the Old Bailey - since April 2020), is giving evidence to @CommonsJustice now: parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/fb… Here's a piece I wrote for @TimesLaw on the coroner's service, a couple of weeks ago. thetimes.co.uk/article/suppor…

Lord chief justice Lord Burnett giving evidence to @CommonsJustice says "vitality & independence of legal profession is essential hallmark of a society governed by the rule of law. Lawyers have duties to act fearlessly for client & to court & shouldn't be attacked for doing so. He quotes Lord Irvine on what should be gov response to litigation -- when you get a decision that favours you you do not clap & when you get one that goes against you, you do not boo. Burnett says that's wise observation for politicians to adopt

Lord Keen of Elie QC, Advocate General for Scotland & Ministry of Justice spokesman in Lords, giving evidence to EU Security & Justice Committee on EU Cooperation on civil justice & family law after Brexit parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/e2… Keen says the government is adhering to the rule in the Internal Market Bill. He says the proposition that the Bill breaks international law is not correct. He's concerned that it has coloured so much of debate in last few days.

I know it's Sunday, so apologies to go on, but the law change announced today to keep people locked up for EIGHT months BEFORE conviction is appalling & so's how it's been announced. Here's a short thread on the release from @MoJGovUK & @RobertBuckland gov.uk/government/new… 1. When people who are charged with criminal offences that they deny & are refused bail, there are maximum periods set in law for how long they can be detailed before trial - these are known as "custody time limits". In crown court, normally people can be held for 182 days.

I popped to Prospero House this morning to check out how 1 of the 10 extra Nightingale courts, opened to help the backlog of cases, is going. It's 1 of 3 extra courts dealing with crime. As a sister court to Southwark Crown Court, MoJ said it would do fraud & white collar crime. There are three courtrooms as Prospero House, which opened on Monday. Every day this week, except Thursday, only 2 of the 3 courts there were sitting. Court 2 has not been used, except for a pre-trial review yesterday.

The moment when former Supreme Court justice, Lord Sumption, admits he broke the law. A little thread on one of the highlights from his convo with @JoshuaRozenberg last night, in a webinar organised by @BinghamCentre & @prospect_uk Asked if he thinks regulations made by parliament should be obeyed, Sumption says: "I don't accept that there is a moral obligation to comply with the law. I do think there's a civil obligation to comply with the law if you are satisfied with the way the law has been made."

I've just been on @BBCNews talking about the 10 Nightingale courts announced today. I don't know how to post a video or it, but here's a screenshot. And here are some fun facts about the Nightingale Courts: The Ministry of Justice were not able to tell me how much they cost. The first, at council building Palliant House in Chichester, will open on Monday to hear family cases. Chichester Combined Court was closed in 2018.

LEGAL CHALLENGE to @RobertJenrick's failure to provide emergency funding for adequate accommodation for domestic abuse survivors during the Covid-19 crisis, by @SBSisters and @publiclawcentre, after record numbers of women killed. Between 23 March and 12 April 2020, the number of recorded killings of women rose from a weekly
average of two deaths per week to an average of five deaths per week, a total of 16 killings within a three-week period.

UPDATE: PoIice & @cpsuk say woman fined £660 for breaching #coronavirus act was charged under an INCORRECT section of the Coronavirus Act 2020.

They have asked North Tyneside Magistrates’ court for case to be relisted & conviction set aside. media.btp.police.uk/r/17169/corona… Deputy chief constable Adrian Hanstock said “There will be understandable concern that our interpretation of this new legislation has resulted in an ineffective prosecution

I think I might start a thread cataloguing the impact that #coronavirus is having on the courts, lawyers and justice system. Anyone with any examples do please let me know - my email is catherinebaksi@hotmail.com. Here we go:

1. A self-isolating judge at Southwark crown court gave a ruling in an application to extend he terms of a compliance order relating to a £37k confiscation order via iPhone on load speaker.