Number of Cases Dealt With in Secret Courts at Record High

Published on March 29, 2024

Last year, 787,403 criminal cases were dealt with by magistrates’ courts in single justice procedure (SJP) settings, the highest level since the procedure came into force in April 2015, according to Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data published on Thursday. This is higher than the pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 784,325 SJP cases in 2019. The figures come after the Magistrates’ Association, which represents those tasked with considering such cases, said that prosecution must not be held behind closed doors and called for reform of the SJP. SJP hearings allow cases involving adults charged with summary offences—low-level offences which can be dealt with by magistrates—to be handled by one magistrate without the prosecutor or defendant being present. Defendants can plead online, though they can choose to attend their hearing in person....

Continue reading on website
Other news

Biden’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rule for Vehicles Struck Down by Texas Judge

March 29, 2024
A judge in Texas struck down a Biden administration rule on March 28 that required states to measure and report the greenhouse gas emissions from any vehicles using the national highway system.The rule was issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 2023 as part of President Biden’s efforts to slash carbon emissions in half by 2030.Specifically,

Payment Processor Stripe Backs Off Dr. Malone After Legal Threat

March 29, 2024
Stripe, the only payment processor Substack writers can use, has backed off a demand that Dr. Robert Malone link his bank account, according to the law firm Dr. Malone retained.Stripe earlier in March asked Dr. Malone, who has an EpochTV show, to “link the primary bank account for your business to your Stripe account,” which would enable Stripe to review the account’s “current account balance and