Researchers at Warwick and Monash universities are analysing the impact of cuts to the civil and criminal legal-aid systems operating in England, Wales and Victoria (Australia). The report from the second workshop held at Monash University in July 2014 has now been published.

More information on the research project is available at the 'Access to Justice' project's website.

The House of Commons Justice Committee held its first evidence session for its inquiry into the effectiveness of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), taking evidence from academics and solicitors. Jackie Hodgson was questioned by MPs on Tuesday 13 January 2015 and you can watch her evidence on Parliament TV: http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=16909

More information on the inquiry can be found on the Committee's webpage: http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/justice-committee/news/criminal-cases-review-commission-academics/

A murderer serving a life sentence in a Belgian jail, who asked to be allowed to die by lethal injection, was told in September that his wish would be granted. This week the Justice Ministry reversed that decision.

The case raises an interesting question - whether prisoners serving long jail terms should be allowed to choose medically assisted death. In Belgium, euthanasia is available for the terminally ill, and also for those who wish to end psychological suffering.

Victor Tadros and two other philosophers gave their view on Frank Van den Bleeken's case, and whether he should be allowed to die, to the BBC. Read the whole story on the BBC News website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30708585

Professor Jacqueline Hodgson, one of several experts in the case of Hassan Diab, who was extradited to France on Friday after six years of legal proceedings in Canada, has described the situation as “troubling”. She provided evidence about the investigation and prosecution procedure in terrorism cases in France, in particular, the problematic nature of using unsourced intelligence.

Her comment in full: “The case of Hassan Diab, a 60-year-old sociology professor who has been extradited to France, is a troubling one. France has charged Diab with first degree murder in relation to the Rue Copernic terrorist bombing in Paris in 1980, which killed four people and injured dozens more.

“The evidence against him hinges firstly on unsourced intelligence that would be inadmissible in a criminal court in England and Wales (reliability cannot be tested if the source of information and the manner in which it was obtained are unknown); and secondly on the opinion of a handwriting expert described as wholly unreliable by five of the world's leading handwriting analysts.

“The opportunity to challenge the evidence presented by the requesting state in extradition proceedings in Canada is limited. The Ontario Superior Court judge, who originally committed Diab for extradition, did so despite acknowledging the weakness of the French case.”

The closing and oral statements in the trial of Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo are taking place this week at the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he is charged with crimes committed in the Central African Republic (CAR).

It is a judgement that has ground-breaking potential for more than one reason, says Solange Mouthaan, Associate Professor at The University of Warwick’s School of Law.

An expert on legal protection of minorities and the effective protection of individuals through the International Criminal Court, she said: “Most importantly, this is the first hearing before the ICC to place crimes of sexual violence against women, men and children, used as a “tool” to terrorise the civilian population, at the forefront of the case.

“As a consequence, the judgment could potentially become a landmark decision for the prosecution of gender-based crimes. The presence of an all-female bench is therefore also noteworthy, because it puts women at the forefront of decision-making in a trial focussed on gender-based offences.

“Finally, this is the first case before the ICC of a high level accused for command responsibility for crimes committed by subordinates. As military commander he had effective authority and control of the MLC troops and he failed to control or punish in order to prevent these crimes from taking place.”

The prosecution focuses on atrocities, in particular murder, pillage and rape, committed in the 2002-2003 coup in CAR by Bemba then vice-president of the DRC, but also the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Mouvement de Libération du Congo (MLC).

The ICC, the first permanent criminal tribunal to try international crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes has charged Bemba with two counts of crimes against humanity (murder and rape) and three counts of war crimes (murder, rape and pillaging).