Law

Blue lines
Bail conditions are being used to restrict the right to protest, writes Fanny Malinen

Gerry Conlon: A thirst for justice
Eamonn McCann reflects on the life of Gerry Conlon of the Guildford Four, who became a fighter for justice

A world without prisons
Inmates in California began a hunger strike in July, sparking renewed debate about the use of solitary confinement in US prisons. Nicole Vosper offers a personal response and a vision for a world beyond bars

No truck with legal aid reform
New government plans would see representation of legal aid recipients handed to firms such as G4S and even trucking company Eddie Stobart, says Danny Chivers

Injustice in court
The extension of secret courts and devastating cuts to legal aid show the government’s contempt for the British justice system, says Jon Robins

Caught in the dragnet
The controversial legal notion of ‘joint enterprise’ is being used against protesters and alleged gang members alike. Jon Robins reports

Right to speak: whistleblowers and the law
One question screams out following the phone hacking scandal: why didn’t anyone other than brave Sean Hoare blow the whistle? By Jon Robins

After the anger: how do we respond to the riots?
Glenn Jenkins tells Donald Morrison how Marsh Farm estate in Luton got organised after riots there

Legal looting: the Swiss banks deal
Tax justice expert Richard Murphy investigates a deal with Swiss bankers to protect tax evaders

Salford riots: ‘We need to show a better way’
Richard Goulding reports on the community’s response to the riots in Salford

Ritz justice
A bill going through parliament threatens to make access to justice a right available only to the rich. Jon Robins reports

Justice as rough as ever
Miscarriages of justice are still shockingly common, but 20 years after the release of the Birmingham Six, the issue isn’t fashionable any more. Jon Robins reports

Big Society brings little aid
Jon Robins investigates what the cuts will mean for the vital advice that Citizens Advice Bureaux provide

Toxic state
Fiona Bawdon reports on the aftermath of the ‘ricin trial’

Falling down the justice gap
Jon Robins looks at the troubled state of our legal aid system

A hard case
Liz Davies looks at initiatives to rescue legal aid

Centres in a storm
Steven Hynes says law centres are under threat

Law for all
Jon Robins lays the ground for some new thinking on legal aid

‘No fat cats’
Veteran human rights lawyers, campaigners and trade unionists on why legal aid matters

Mind the gap
It was the 40th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act in May, but Jon Robins finds there's still a long way to go before equal pay becomes a reality

The Billy-no-mates service
It's tricky defending a public service in these straitened times when it sounds like a charity appeal for lawyers. Instead of legal aid, let's talk about 'access to justice', says Jon Robins, and ensure that people get it

Hope for the innocent
The Criminal Cases Review Commission was established 13 years ago in response to a crisis of public faith in the criminal justice system as a result of a series of miscarriages of justice. But is it doing the job it was set up for? Jon Robins reports

An ability to persuade
From the Birmingham Six to the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, radical barrister Michael Mansfield has represented them all. Jon Robins interviews him as he takes a break from his high-profile legal career

A radical alternative to prison?
The community justice centre in Liverpool has been called a more enlightened approach to dealing with crime. Jon Robins investigates if, and how, it works

Guilty as not charged
Hicham Yezza, a student at the University of Nottingham, was cleared of all charges after his arrest for 'terrorism' - but now faces deportation anyway. Prison officials are blocking Red Pepper's attempts to contact him, but Andy Bowman spoke to two of his close friends about the case

Torture at Angola prison
President Obama promises to close Guantanamo, but Lousiana court proceedings in the Angola Five case expose brutality closer to home, reports Jordan Flaherty