01/04/10 (UK): Civil Justice 'Creaking' District Judge Monty Trent is President of the Association of District Judges and gave a frank and alarming interview to the Times recently that makes interesting reading. Click on the link.

04/03/10 (UK): Criticise Us - Lose Your Appointment At least that's what some are saying is the message conveyed by Jack Straw who has challenged the appointment of a new head of the family justice system who castigated the Government over its policies, including opening family courts.

03/03/10 (UK): Major New Project On Expert Witness Fees The Ministry of Justice has announced the launch of a new project to review current fee arrangements and deliver new fee structures for professional expert witnesses.

03/03/10 (USA): Social Workers Convicted In Neglect Case Four social workers have been convicted of fraud in the United States for submitting fake paperwork for visits they never made to a disabled teenage girl who weighed only 42 pounds and was covered in maggot-infested sores when she was found dead in her home. Some commentators are saying that the case highlights what can go wrong when social care is privatised.

1/03/10 (UK): Expert Criticises Youth Prison Diets The government is ignoring growing links between good diet and reduced rates of violent behaviour by failing to feed young offenders properly, a leading expert on nutrition has claimed.

28/02/10 (UK): Nice Work? Expert Witness's Fees Top £200,000 A headmistress claimed £200,000 for appearing as an expert witness for a school being sued by a pupil left brain-damaged in a hammer attack by classmates. Marie Stubbs, whose career was dramatised in a film starring Julie Walters, charged the fee for writing a 30-page report assessing the school's health and safety policies and for a three-day court appearance.