By Craig Rose
An analysis by the Times (“Legislation gap makes light work for MPs”, 27 January) has revealed that MPs have spent a mere 24% of their time in the last four months considering government legislation. During the same period in the previous year, the figure was 62%
The reduction in the time spent by MPs scrutinising legislation may in part reflect the decline in legislative activity since the government took office. During the 13 years of the last Government, Parliament enacted an average of 34-35 statutes a year. In contrast, …
By Stephen Hockman
The government’s attempt to move forward the date for a reduction in subsidies for households with solar panel installations is concerning, both in legal terms and for the future of renewable energy. The Court of Appeal’s judgment on 25 January 2012 reassuringly blocked the government’s endeavours, but with the intention of the government to appeal to the Supreme Court, the legal battle continues.
The most concerning factors relevant to this appeal are its lawfulness and the lasting effects a successful outcome for the government would have had, and may …
By Simon Hetherington
Stripping (Sir) Fred Goodwin of his knighthood is such a big story that it immediately aroused my suspicion. If it were possible to turn to the inside pages of a newspaper on an iPad then that’s what I began to do, wondering what more important, but possibly less palatable, story had been quietly tucked away in the shadow of this headline. Because it is certainly tempting to regard this as a lot of fuss about something that doesn’t matter very much. (The next thought was to wonder why …
By Sarah Lewis
Last week, the Sentencing Council issued new definitive guidelines on drug offences that signify a more pragmatic and reasonable approach towards drug sentencing.
There are three main areas of reform: supply, drugs mules and the medicinal use of drugs.
Supplying drugs is broken down into four broad categories, with sentencing being determined primarily by whether the offender played a leading, significant or lesser role. Whilst those who sell drugs on the street for profit or are in any other way involved in the organising or buying and selling of drugs …
By James Wilson
Religion, equality and the law has formed the subject of many blogs on this site in the past year or so. Once again the media have found a dispute which requires balancing the competing rights. It concerns Canon Jeffrey John, who has allegedly been passed over for promotion in the Church of England because of his homosexuality. According to the Guardian:
“Dr Jeffrey John … a celibate priest who is in a longstanding civil partnership with another cleric – was prevented from becoming the bishop of Southwark after the …
