Latest news with #SueCarr
BBC News
23-03-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Wiltshire in pictures: Spring equinox and indoor moon
It has been sunny but also chilly this week in Wiltshire - a recipe for great photos. Equinox: The spring equinox on Thursday provided many opportunities for beautiful shots like these at Avebury and Mouldon Hill. Moon in the minster: Warminster got involved with StarFest this week, run by Cranborne Chase Dark Sky Reserve. It includes a huge moon installation at the Minster Church of St Denys in the centre of the town. Rescue to recovery: Reggie the police dog has celebrated his first year of service after arriving from a rescue centre. Wiltshire Police adopted the three-year-old springer spaniel from Dogs Trust after the charity noticed his training potential. He is now a drugs, cash and firearms recovery dog and has already carried out more than 60 searches. Grand procession: Wiltshire's annual Rule of Law service had The Lady Chief Justice, Baroness Sue Carr as the guest of honour. Organised by the High Sheriff of Wiltshire the service was attended by judges, MPs, mayors, charities and faith leaders at Salisbury Cathedral. Clock change: Just in time for the clocks to go forward this weekend, Melksham Town Council had the mechanism in the town hall's clock replaced, which means the clock can now make the change itself. Pub success: The winner of the Cider Pub of the Year in Salisbury and South Wiltshire is The Cuckoo Inn on the edge of the New Forest at Hamptworth, which has at least 24 different ciders on sale. Jane Foster from the local CAMRA branch handed landlord Nik Amplianitis his certificate. Fluffy bundles: It is lambing season across the county and the Wiltshire College farm at Lackham is the latest to welcome some new four-legged farm is hosting an open weekend with the dairy herd, birds of prey and new-born lambs all on display, with the possibility of seeing lambs actually being born.
Khaleej Times
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
UK court reduces prison terms for climate activists following appeal
A British court on Friday reduced some of the heaviest jail terms imposed on climate activists for their high-profile protests, but threw out appeals from 10 others to have their prison sentences overturned. The groups Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion have in recent years carried out spectacular, often disruptive protests, including stopping London's busy traffic and targetting famous places and paintings, as part of their campaign to highlight climate change. But last July, five activists were stunned after being sentenced to between four and five years in prison for planning in an online call to block the M25 motorway around London, a key transport link for the capital. They were among 16 activists who appealed their jail terms before the Court of Appeal in London in January. In the 44-page ruling on Friday, Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr cut the heaviest jail term of five years imposed on Roger Hallam, 58, a co-founder of Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion, for the conspiracy. Carr and two other judges reduced it to four years saying the original term was "manifestly excessive". Two other co-accused in that case had their sentences shortened from four years to three, with two others seeing their four-year terms reduced to 30 months. One of the oldest activists, Gaie Delap, 78, also saw her sentence shortened from 20 to 18 months, for scaling one of the gantries on the M25. As Carr read the ruling, about 20 activists stood up and turned around to reveal they were wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Corruption in Court" on the back. Tomato soup The 16 activists also included two women who threw tomato soup on Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" painting at London's National Gallery. Their sentences of 20 months and two years were upheld in Friday's ruling. The complainants' lawyer Danny Friedman said in January that the collective prison terms of between 15 months to five years were "the highest of their kind in modern British history". The activists "did what they did out of sacrifice" and were acting in the "best interests of the public, the planet and future generations," he said, asking for the jail terms to be reduced or quashed And another lawyer for the group, Raj Chada, said Friday that they might now take the case to the Supreme Court. Prosecutors had argued the sentences had been merited as "all of these applicants went so far beyond what was reasonable". Their actions also presented an "extreme danger" to the public and to themselves, they said. The hearing has been closely watched amid fears that peaceful protest risks being stifled in Britain. And NGOs and activists have warned the case could have far-reaching implications for future protests. "Despite some modest reductions, these sentences are still unprecedented and they still have no place in a democracy that upholds the right to protest," said Greenpeace co-executive director Areeba Hamid. Friends of the Earth lawyer Katie de Kauwe said in a statement the group was "pleased" some of the sentences had been reduced. She said the group welcomed that Friday's ruling and stressed that "sentencing for peaceful protest needs to factor in both the defendant's conscientious motivation, and protections afforded under the European Convention of Human Rights." Stonehenge, Darwin's tomb She added "ultimately however, we believe that locking up those motivated by their genuine concern for the climate crisis is neither right nor makes any sense". Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion launched their protests to fight the use of fossil fuels, which scientists say are causing global warming and climate change. But the groups, which are urging the government to ban fossil fuel use by 2030, have attracted criticism over their eye-catching methods. Other cases are still before the courts, including charges brought against two Just Stop Oil members accused of throwing orange paint powder over the stone megaliths of Stonehenge, as well as two activists charged with spray-painting the tomb of naturalist Charles Darwin in Westminster Abbey. The country's previous Conservative government took a hostile stance towards disruptive direct action, and passed laws toughening punishments for such offences.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK court cuts longest jail terms on activists, rejects 10 appeals
A British court on Friday reduced some of the heaviest jail terms imposed on climate activists for their high-profile protests, but threw out appeals from 10 others to have their prison sentences overturned. The groups Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion have in recent years carried out spectacular, often disruptive protests, including stopping London's busy traffic and targetting famous places and paintings, as part of their campaign to highlight climate change. But last July, five activists were stunned after being sentenced to between four and five years in prison for planning in an online call to block the M25 motorway around London, a key transport link for the capital. They were among 16 activists who appealed their jail terms before the Court of Appeal in London in January. In the 44-page ruling on Friday, Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr cut the heaviest jail term of five years imposed on Roger Hallam, 58, a co-founder of Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion, for the conspiracy. Carr and two other judges reduced it to four years saying the original term was "manifestly excessive". Two other co-accused in that case had their sentences shortened from four years to three, with two others seeing their four-year terms reduced to 30 months. One of the oldest activists, Gaie Delap, 78, also saw her sentence shortened from 20 to 18 months, for scaling one of the gantries on the M25. As Carr read the ruling, about 20 activists stood up and turned around to reveal they were wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Corruption in Court" on the back. - Tomato soup - The 16 activists also included two women who threw tomato soup on Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" painting at London's National Gallery. Their sentences of 20 months and two years were upheld in Friday's ruling. The complainants' lawyer Danny Friedman said in January that the collective prison terms of between 15 months to five years were "the highest of their kind in modern British history". The activists "did what they did out of sacrifice" and were acting in the "best interests of the public, the planet and future generations," he said, asking for the jail terms to be reduced or quashed And another lawyer for the group, Raj Chada, said Friday that they might now take the case to the Supreme Court. Prosecutors had argued the sentences had been merited as "all of these applicants went so far beyond what was reasonable". Their actions also presented an "extreme danger" to the public and to themselves, they said. The hearing has been closely watched amid fears that peaceful protest risks being stifled in Britain. And NGOs and activists have warned the case could have far-reaching implications for future protests. "Despite some modest reductions, these sentences are still unprecedented and they still have no place in a democracy that upholds the right to protest," said Greenpeace co-executive director Areeba Hamid. Friends of the Earth lawyer Katie de Kauwe said in a statement the group was "pleased" some of the sentences had been reduced. She said the group welcomed that Friday's ruling and stressed that "sentencing for peaceful protest needs to factor in both the defendant's conscientious motivation, and protections afforded under the European Convention of Human Rights." - Stonehenge, Darwin's tomb - She added "ultimately however, we believe that locking up those motivated by their genuine concern for the climate crisis is neither right nor makes any sense". Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion launched their protests to fight the use of fossil fuels, which scientists say are causing global warming and climate change. But the groups, which are urging the government to ban fossil fuel use by 2030, have attracted criticism over their eye-catching methods. Other cases are still before the courts, including charges brought against two Just Stop Oil members accused of throwing orange paint powder over the stone megaliths of Stonehenge, as well as two activists charged with spray-painting the tomb of naturalist Charles Darwin in Westminster Abbey. The country's previous Conservative government took a hostile stance towards disruptive direct action, and passed laws toughening punishments for such offences. cla-har-jkb/giv
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More funding for judges to tackle record court delays
Ministers have pledged to increase the number of judges hearing criminal cases in an attempt to cut unprecedented backlogs and delays in Crown Courts in England and Wales. The Ministry of Justice's announcement that judges will be funded to run more courtrooms than before comes as two highly critical reports say that victims of crime are being failed. The Victims Commissioner Baroness Newlove said that some victims were so traumatised by delays they had resorted to drugs, alcohol and self-harm. The new funding means judges can hear Crown Court cases for up to 110,000 days in total, which minister hope will start to cut a record backlog of 73,000 unresolved prosecutions. Suspects being charged with new offences today are regularly told that there might not be a trial until 2027 - and some courts are already looking for diary space in 2028. The delays - which have been caused by a combination of cuts to courts, the pandemic and then a barristers' strike over pay - have also led to a record 17,000 defendants being held on remand, taking up a fifth of spaces in the crisis-ridden jails. Last November, Baroness Sue Carr, the Lady Chief Justice, told Parliament she had enough judges available to sit for 113,000 days a year in court. She said a cap on sitting days had a "drastic effect", with her local leaders having to reschedule cases and cancel work given to part-time judges, who are critical to clearing the backlog. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "This government inherited a record and rising courts backlog, with justice delayed and denied for far too many victims. "Bearing down on that backlog is an essential element of our Plan for Change, bringing offenders to justice to keep our streets safe." Mahmood said that recommendations from an ongoing review of how to speed up the criminal courts would play a key role in cutting the backlogs. But two reports have raised questions about how quickly the government is acting. The Victims Commissioner Baroness Newlove said in a report published on Tuesday that justice felt "out of reach" for many victims, which was causing extra trauma. One woman, who had suffered sexual abuse, tried to take her own life after the trial of her attacker was put back. Baroness Newlove urged the government to reverse a planned cut of around 4% to crucial victim support services, which she warned were under "immense pressure" because delays meant they are dealing with more clients than ever. "With funding cuts looming, we face the very real threat of reduced support," she said. "I fear this will drive some victims to give up on seeking justice altogether - a second injustice compounding the first." Separately, Parliament's Public Accounts Committee said it was concerned that the MOJ had "accepted" court delays getting worse until recommendations from the major review into reforming the courts, led by retired judge Sir Brian Leveson, were implemented. The report said that the courts could not keep up with the rate of new cases arriving at their doors . Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the committee's chair, said: "Our report is a terrible indictment of our criminal justice system and the government urgently need to reorganise it to aspire to that world-class standard for which the UK used to be renowned." Mary Prior KC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association which represents barristers, said that 110,000 sitting days was the minimum that had been needed since 2022. "We welcome these additional sitting days... but to do our collective best to reduce the backlog we must ask for uncapped sitting days in the Crown Court for at least the next five years."
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
More funding for judges to tackle record court delays
Ministers have pledged to increase the number of judges hearing criminal cases in an attempt to cut unprecedented backlogs and delays in Crown Courts in England and Ministry of Justice's announcement that judges will be funded to run more courtrooms than before comes as two highly critical reports say that victims of crime are being Victims Commissioner Baroness Newlove said that some victims were so traumatised by delays they had resorted to drugs, alcohol and new funding means judges can hear Crown Court cases for up to 110,000 days in total, which minister hope will start to cut a record backlog of 73,000 unresolved prosecutions. Suspects being charged with new offences today are regularly told that there might not be a trial until 2027 - and some courts are already looking for diary space in delays - which have been caused by a combination of cuts to courts, the pandemic and then a barristers' strike over pay - have also led to a record 17,000 defendants being held on remand, taking up a fifth of spaces in the crisis-ridden November, Baroness Sue Carr, the Lady Chief Justice, told Parliament she had enough judges available to sit for 113,000 days a year in said a cap on sitting days had a "drastic effect", with her local leaders having to reschedule cases and cancel work given to part-time judges, who are critical to clearing the Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "This government inherited a record and rising courts backlog, with justice delayed and denied for far too many victims."Bearing down on that backlog is an essential element of our Plan for Change, bringing offenders to justice to keep our streets safe."Mahmood said that recommendations from an ongoing review of how to speed up the criminal courts would play a key role in cutting the backlogs. But two reports have raised questions about how quickly the government is Victims Commissioner Baroness Newlove said in a report published on Tuesday that justice felt "out of reach" for many victims, which was causing extra trauma. One woman, who had suffered sexual abuse, tried to take her own life after the trial of her attacker was put Newlove urged the government to reverse a planned cut of around 4% to crucial victim support services, which she warned were under "immense pressure" because delays meant they are dealing with more clients than ever."With funding cuts looming, we face the very real threat of reduced support," she said."I fear this will drive some victims to give up on seeking justice altogether - a second injustice compounding the first." Separately, Parliament's Public Accounts Committee said it was concerned that the MOJ had "accepted" court delays getting worse until recommendations from the major review into reforming the courts, led by retired judge Sir Brian Leveson, were report said that the courts could not keep up with the rate of new cases arriving at their doors .Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the committee's chair, said: "Our report is a terrible indictment of our criminal justice system and the government urgently need to reorganise it to aspire to that world-class standard for which the UK used to be renowned."Mary Prior KC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association which represents barristers, said that 110,000 sitting days was the minimum that had been needed since 2022."We welcome these additional sitting days... but to do our collective best to reduce the backlog we must ask for uncapped sitting days in the Crown Court for at least the next five years."
