Justice & Home Affairs

The Public Accounts Committee has warned of “evident risks” arising from the scale and pace of planned reforms to the probation system. 

Government’s proposed reforms to the judicial review process lack evidence and would limit access to justice, according to a report published today by the Joint Committee on Human Rights.

Outsourcing giant G4S has been cleared to bid for government contracts after it was barred from doing so earlier this year following an over-charging scandal.

Justice secretary Chris Grayling’s ambitious probation outsourcing is being pushed through at breakneck pace. But many criminal justice professionals remain unconvinced that the changes have been properly tested and planned

Improved auditing could lead to a rise in recorded crime statistics, according to Andrew Dilnot, chair of the UK Statistics Authority.

The government is to hand additional powers to the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) to oversee departments’ contract management plans and “step in” when it sees fit, after it accepted all recommendations made by chief procurement officer Bill Crothers in a review of major government contracts.

The Home Affairs select committee is today calling on the home secretary to rethink her decision to ban khat – a plant which has a stimulant effect when chewed – and warns that the decision has “not been taken on the basis of evidence or consultation”.

The new Home Office permanent secretary, Mark Sedwill, arrived in Marsham Street soon after having worked in Afghanistan. He tells Joshua Chambers how he’s using his experience to turn the embattled department around.

Treasury solicitor Sir Paul Jenkins is to retire next March, Civil Service World has learned.

From unemployment to drug addiction, the public sector’s approach to helping families with multiple problems has often been fragmented. Joshua Chambers explores the new government scheme to unite these efforts

Sometimes, a struggle persists from one generation to the next. Picking through newly-released National Archives files dating back 30 years, Winnie Agbonlahor finds that many of Thatcher’s battles still hold resonance today.

It’s not clear that the MoJ is ready for its next big challenge

The Ministry of Justice is at the forefront of the coalition’s moves towards both outsourcing of service provision, and payment by results – meaning that life isn’t always easy for its chief, Ursula Brennan. Matt Ross meets her

The Home Office has today been warned it must not repeat mistakes made at last November’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) election, such as delaying the release of crucial election rules, which contributed to a turnout of just 15 per cent.

In 2010, the Ministry of Justice outsourced its courts translation work – but the contractor struggled, and the system ground to a halt. As the probation outsourcing looms, Joshua Chambers looks at the lessons to be learned.

The Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ’s) outsourcing of court interpretation services has been “shambolic” and greatly harmed service quality, according to a report published today by the Commons’ Justice Committee

Sir Paul Jenkins

HM Procurator-General, Treasury Solicitor and Head of the Government Legal Service, Treasury Solicitor’s Department

Ursula Brennan

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice

Janice Hartley and Sue Moore started their roles as directors of delivery for Universal Credit at the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) on 5 November, replacing Steve Dover, the previous director of programme delivery. Hartley was previously the DWP’s interim service delivery director for corporate IT, and Moore was its fraud and error programme director. A DWP spokesperson told CSW the roles were not “direct replacements” for Dover because “the scope of the roles of senior staff has changed” as the project moves from the design to delivery phase.

Parliament’s Human Rights Committee (HRC) has criticised the government’s Justice and Security Bill over plans to extend the use of secret evidence in civil court cases.

Parliament’s Human Rights Committee (HRC) has criticised the government’s Justice and Security Bill over plans to extend the use of secret evidence in civil court cases.

As the Parliament’s halfway point looms, Tim Fish and Ben Willis examine the Cabinet Office’s progress against the tasks it was set in May 2010 as part of the Coalition’s Programme for Government.