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David Lammy considers scrapping jury trials for all but the most serious cases

Senior lawyers criticise justice secretary’s radical plan, saying it could ‘destroy justice as we know it’Jury trials for all except the most serious crimes such as rape, murder and manslaughter are set to be scrapped under radical proposals drawn up by David Lammy.In proposals that drew a swift backlash from senior lawyers, who said that they would not reduce court backlogs and could “destroy justice as we know it”, the justice secretary has proposed that juries will only pass judgment on public interest offences with possible prison sentences of more than five years. Continue reading...

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Millions of UK workers to get pay rise as Reeves plans increased minimum wage

Chancellor says people must be ‘properly rewarded for their hard work’ with 16- to 21-year-olds also in line for raiseMillions of low-paid workers in the UK are to get a pay rise of 4.1% next year, as Rachel Reeves confirmed that minimum wage rates will go up as part of the government’s ambition to improve living standards.The national living wage will rise from £12.21 to £12.71 an hour from April for over-21s, which the government said would increase the annual earnings of about 2.4 million workers by £900.A year in Westminster: John Crace, Marina Hyde and Pippa Crerar. On Tuesday 2 December, join Crace, Hyde and Crerar as they look back with special guests at another extraordinary year, live at the Barbican in London and livestreamed globally. Book tickets here Continue reading...

Kash Patel's 3D-Printed Gun Gift To New Zealand Officials Was Toy Replicas

Inoperable pistols gifted by Kash Patel to senior New Zealand security officials, who had to relinquish them for destruction because they were illegal to possess, were revolvers inspired by toy Nerf guns and popular among 3D-printed weapon hobbyists.

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UK accused of caving-in to British Virgin Islands over access to companies register

Parliamentary group urges government to clamp down on overseas territories before flagship anti-corruption summitThe UK government has been accused of caving-in to pressure from the British Virgin Islands by allowing it to limit access to a register of company share ownership to only those deemed to have a legitimate interest.The restriction, to be discussed at talks starting on Tuesday between Foreign Office ministers and leaders of the British overseas territories (BOTs) in London, is in defiance of legislation passed by the UK government as long ago as 2008 that would make the register available to all. Continue reading...

Protests erupt in China’s Guizhou province over cremation mandate

Villagers demonstrate against drive for alternative funeral practices instead of burial to preserve land resourcesProtests have erupted in China’s southern Guizhou province, the latest in a string of rural demonstrations that have seen incidents of unrest increase by 70% compared with last year.The protests in Shidong town started over the weekend in response to a directive from local authorities that people should be cremated rather than buried after their death. Continue reading...