The UK’s new aid target law and the future of development – Professor Ambreena Manji

Posted on 16 July 2015 by Christopher Burns

Introduction In March 2015, the United Kingdom passed the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act (‘the Target Act’). This legislation commits the UK to spending 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) on aid each year. The UK is a key aid donor. It takes a leading role in determining international development policy in the
Read more

Brussels in the shadow of “Better Regulation” – Dr Rachel Minto

Posted on 25 June 2015 by Christopher Burns

The UK is firmly in the grips of debate over its future in the EU.  Meanwhile, in Brussels… Now the political dust has settled following the General Election, the British focus is upon the forthcoming renegotiations and EU referendum.  However, whilst the UK is currently consumed with more or less informed speculation around Cameron’s wish
Read more

EU Exchange Wales: Academics and policy-makers discuss Europe by Dr Rachel Minto

Posted on 23 February 2015 by Christopher Burns

The Welsh Government offices are but a stone’s throw from the back door of the University’s Law Building. For many of us in these two institutions, the European Union (EU) is a daily feature – if not focus – of our work. “EU Exchange Wales 2014”, a pilot initiative hosted by the Cardiff Jean Monnet
Read more

Welfare Cases in the Court of Protection – Adam Mercer, Abigail Walbridge and Katie Mobbs

Posted on 9 February 2015 by Christopher Burns

Adam Mercer and Abigail Walbridge are third year students at Cardiff Law School. Katie Mobbs graduated from Cardiff School of Law and Politics in 2014, and is now working for a local law firm on Court of Protection cases. Adam, Abi and Katie took part in a university research placement programme to help researchers at
Read more

Joint enterprise: how driving friends to buy a pizza could get you convicted for murder – Julie Price

Posted on 14 July 2014 by Christopher Burns

This blog first appeared on The Conversation The legal concept of joint enterprise caused outrage in South Africa in 2012, when 270 miners were charged with the murder of 34 colleagues in a police shooting at Marikana. Their crime? Being in the crowd that confronted the police during a prolonged workers’ strike. Charges against them
Read more

Diary of a UK Innocence Project 12: Once there was hope, now there is Nunn – Julie Price

Posted on 23 June 2014 by Christopher Burns

This blog first appeared on thejusticegap.com On this week’s Supreme Court ruling in the case of Kevin Nunn, Louise Shorter at Inside Justice observes, ‘This places an important new duty on the Commission not to refuse arbitrarily to investigate cases as happened to Victor Nealon.’ But are things going to change in practice post Nunn,
Read more

Diary of a UK Innocence Project 11: A Case of Joint Enterprise – Julie Price

Posted on 28 May 2014 by Christopher Burns

This blog first appeared on thejusticegap.com This is the story behind Cardiff Law School’s Innocence Project’s eighth submission to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). ‘It was the late 1970s. I was a 15-year old Asian boy, who had arrived in the UK with poor English. Before I came to the UK I hadn’t been
Read more

Quilting and Justice for LB – Lucy Series

Posted on 21 May 2014 by Christopher Burns

On 4th July 2013 Connor Sparrowhawk drowned in a bath in an assessment and treatment unit in Oxfordshire. Connor was a handsome, creative, irreverent young man, who happened to have autism, learning disabilities and epilepsy. An independent investigation into his death found that it was preventable, that the risks presented by his epilepsy had not
Read more

The Time of Angels – Dr Russell Sandberg

Posted on 9 May 2014 by Christopher Burns

It is strange how sayings often cancel each other out. It is often exclaimed that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’. Yet, we are also warned ‘not to judge a book by its cover’. Where does that leave the illustrations found on book covers? Presumably they are the equivalent to a thousand words worth
Read more

Diary of a UK Innocence Project 9: A Week of Innocence and Common Purpose – Julie Price

Posted on 17 April 2014 by Christopher Burns

This blog first appeared on thejusticegap.com Our fourth Innocence Week has been and gone. It’s Cardiff Law School’s annual contribution to raising awareness of wrongful convictions and problems with the criminal appeals system. We also use it to fundraise for South Wales Against Wrongful Conviction (formerly South Wales Liberty), our local support group that offers
Read more