By Catherine Baksi2021-02-24T15:49:00+00:00
Judges have been told to show sensitivity to witnesses and defendants who are experiencing menopausal symptoms and ensure courtrooms are ventilated and women have cold water and access to lavatories.
A revised version of the Equal Treatment Bench Book, published by the Judicial College today, tells judges that despite increased publicity over the last couple of years, the menopause often remains a taboo subject in the workplace. According to the latest published statistics, only 32% of court judges are women.
The guidance tells judges: The length and intensity of symptoms vary between women from very mild to very significant, so no assumptions should be made based solely on someone’s age.
Since June 28, 2004
December 9, 2020
Sentencing Council for England and Wales issues new sentencing guidelines for firearm offenses that include drawing drawing sentencers attention to historic disparities
As reported in this official news release, titled Sentencing guidelines for firearms offences published, the Sentencing Council for England and Wales has released some new sentencing guides that includes an especially interesting element intended to respond to historic ethnic sentencing bias. Here are the basics from the release (with some emphasis added):
Today, the Council is launching eight new sentencing guidelines to be used by the Crown Court and magistrates’ courts in England and Wales when sentencing firearms offences. The new guidelines will come into effect on 1 January 2021.