Latest news with #Ministry of Justice
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pensioner, 82, convicted of not paying car tax while in hospital having toe amputated
An 82-year-old pensioner has been convicted of not paying car tax while he was in hospital having a toe amputated. The OAP, who is in assisted living in Liverpool, was pursued through the criminal courts by the DVLA when the bill went unpaid last December. When prosecuted in the scandal-hit Single Justice Procedure, a secretive fast-track court system, the octogenarian wrote in to explain his medical woes – even including a copy of a hospital treatment record. But it was not enough to avoid a criminal conviction for keeping an unlicensed vehicle. Elderly and vulnerable people are regularly harshly convicted over unpaid household bills in the Single Justice Procedure, a system dogged by scandals in which magistrates sit in private to deal with low-level criminal cases. The Ministry of Justice is considering reform, having promised last November a 'fair and effective' system while hinting at 'fundamental reform'. But eight months later, no significant changes have being made. The Liverpool pensioner was caught out over tax on his 16-year-old Mercedes which expired at the end of October last year. 'I was in hospital getting my toe amputated in November, and completely forgot to tax my car', he wrote, in a note to the court. 'I apologise.' One of the flaws in the Single Justice Procedure is that, unlike open court, there is no prosecutor present when a magistrate deals with a case. The fast-track design of the system means prosecutors – like the DVLA – do not see mitigation letters, which sometimes contain vital information on a defendant's circumstances, unless a magistrate specifically requests that they look at it to consider the public interest of the prosecution. The DVLA itself has called for a change in the system, so that all mitigation letters are considered before a case goes into court. But the government has not yet decided whether to act on that suggestion, and faces pressure from the BBC not to follow through on that reform. The pensioner, who continued to receive medical treatment for weeks after the big toe on his right foot was amputated, pleaded guilty to the offence in writing. He was given a discharge last week by a magistrate sitting in Ipswich, with an order to pay £64 in unpaid car tax. Since the case was not withdrawn, he will also have a criminal conviction. Magistrates called for changes to the Single Justice Procedure as long ago as March 2024, putting forward a 12-point plan for change. But the Conservative government under Rishi Sunak failed to act, while Labour has conducted a consultation which ended in early May. The Standard's long-running investigation into the system has uncovered criminal convictions recorded against dementia patients, care homes residents, people with severe mental health difficulties, and even dead people. Tens of thousands of rail fare evasion convictions had to be quashed after rampant abuse of the courts was uncovered, while unlawful convictions against children have also emerged. Despite the mounting scandals, the Ministry of Justice insists that there have been no recorded miscarriages of justice due to the Single Justice Procedure. It also makes the curious claim that prosecutors play the same role in the fast-track system as they do in open court, despite being completely absent from Single Justice Procedure hearings.
The Independent
20-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Inquiry launched after identities of SAS soldiers leaked in fresh data breach
Army leaders have launched an inquiry after the identities of soldiers in the SAS were revealed in a fresh data breach. Details about the elite unit, part of UK Special Forces, are usually kept so secret that its members are barred for life from discussing their involvement unless they receive prior approval. News of the breach comes just days after it emerged the Ministry of Justice had taken out an unprecedented superinjunction after up to 100,000 lives were put at risk of reprisals from the Taliban in a catastrophic data leak. Around 18,700 Afghans who applied for sanctuary in Britain after the withdrawal of western forces in 2021 had their names and contact details exposed after an MoD official emailed a secret database to trusted contacts in February 2022. A number of SAS members and MI6 operatives were also compromised in the major leak. In yet another data lapse, the Sunday Times reported that details of at least 20 Special Forces soldiers recruited from the Grenadier Guards have been publicly available online for a decade. In response, General Sir Roly Walker, the head of the army, has ordered an 'immediate review' of the data sharing arrangements that led to the incident. At least 20 least 20 SAS members have been named by two different regimental publications over more than a decade, according to the newspaper. The Grenadier Guards in-house publication included a roll call of the names and current deployments of its most senior officers. In the latest edition, published last year and available online, the names of ten men in the regiment allegedly appeared next to the codename 'MAB' — shorthand for MoD A Block, which is the site of the UK Special Forces headquarters at the Regent's Park Barracks in London. The codename is well-known in military circles and means enemies would know which soldiers were linked to an elite unit. The breaches were first reported in April and while another regiment removed similar publications, the remaining information on the Guards was only taken down on Friday. Those whose details were compromised have been notified and protected, it is understood. General Sir Roly Walker said: 'The security of our people is of the utmost importance and we take any breach extremely seriously. '[As a result of this incident], I have directed an immediate review into our data sharing arrangements with our regimental and corps associations to ensure appropriate guidance and safeguards are in place to best support the vital work they do.'
BBC News
14-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Small claims court: Delays cause businesses 'chaos and trauma'
A builder from Sussex says waiting since last year for his small claims court case to be heard has caused him "so much chaos and so much trauma".Anthony Harman's expressed anger over court delays as Ministry of Justice data said waiting times in Sussex have increased by up to 36% for the first quarter of the year, with people in Horsham now waiting almost 18 months for cases to be Harman, from Hove, says judges should be replaced by expert panels to rule on claims to speed up the Ministry of Justice said it's investing in a thousand judges and tribunal members, and increasing remote hearings to speed up cases. Cases in Lewes are taking about 16 months to be heard, and claimants in Worthing, Hastings and Brighton wait between a year and 14 Anthony Harman's case relates to work he did last said he was "a very positive person" but his case has made him "very angry at times"."The justice system is meant to make people fear justice, but also to give them hope that justice will prevail," he said. Mr Harman said some tradespeople need to borrow money to cover their loss of income while they wait and the costs of making a added: "You've got the interest on the loan. You've got the trauma, the stress, all that stuff that leads up for a whole year, which is damaging for your health, both physically and mentally." 'Courtroom not needed' Mr Harman, who's been a builder for 11 years, believes reforming the system to move away from using legally trained judges to rule on civil business matters would speed up the said: "I've seen people in the industry that have gone through the same path as me and they've given up after two or three months because they can't cope with that burden of the money they're owed. "And some people won't even go through the court system because they know it's that bad."Realistically it doesn't need a courtroom, it doesn't need a judge." In a statement the Ministry of Justice said around 97% of county court cases are resolved without going to trial, and since 2024, anyone making a money claim under £10,000 must first attend free mediation before going to said this helps people resolve disputes faster and keeps court time free for more complex said it was also funding 74,300 sitting days in the Civil Courts for 2025/26.
Sky News
06-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Legal Aid Agency hit by cyber security incident
The government agency responsible for overseeing billions of pounds worth of legal funding has been hit by a cyber security incident. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it is working with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre to investigate the data breach. In a letter sent to law firms last week, which has been seen by Sky News, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) warned it had identified a "security incident". The organisation, which provides legal aid in civil and criminal cases in England and Wales, said "it is possible that financial information relating to legal aid providers may have been accessed by a third party". The LAA said it could not confirm "what, if any, information was accessed", but said it was "possible that payment information may have been accessed". There are nearly 2,000 providers, including solicitors' firms, barristers, not-for-profit organisations and telephone operators, contracted to deliver legal aid services in England and Wales, according to government data. The LAA, which is an executive agency, sponsored by the MoJ, is responsible for administering legal aid funding, which was around £2.3bn in 2023/24. Law firms are an attractive target for cyber attacks because they hold sensitive client information and handle large sums of money. "This incident is being investigated in accordance with our data security processes, and action has been taken to mitigate the incident," the letter said. "I would like to offer our sincere apologies for any concern this may cause you. "The LAA takes the security of the information we hold seriously, and we understand the potential impact any breach can have on you." The public body's head office is in London but it has others in towns and cities across England and Wales and employs around 1,250 staff. An MoJ spokesperson said: "We take any data breach extremely seriously and have already taken action to bolster the security of the legal aid system. "We're working with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre to investigate the situation, and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage." A National Crime Agency spokesperson said: "We are aware of a cyber incident affecting the Legal Aid Agency. "NCA officers are working alongside partners in the National Cyber Security Centre and MoJ to better understand the incident and support the department."
