10 May 2012 Last updated at 12:04 gmt

Criminal Justice Review

The Criminal Justice Review Group was set up under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement to "address the structure, management and resourcing of publicly funded elements of the criminal justice system", including, prosecution arrangements and lay participation in the system. The government-led review began its deliberations on 27 June 1998. The Group consisted of five independent assessors representing the legal profession, academia and the voluntary sector and four senior civil servants who represented the Northern Ireland Office, the Attorney General's Office and the Lord Chancellor's Department. In a foreword to a 48-page discussion document that formed the basis of the review, the Secretary of State, Dr Mowlam said the criminal justice system had served Northern Ireland well over the previous 30 years. Policing, emergency legislation, non-jury courts and paramilitary crime were excluded from the review.

The signatories to the Agreement accepted that the criminal justice system should:

- deliver a fair and impartial system of justice to the community

- be responsive to the community's concerns, and encouraging community involvement where appropriate

- have the confidence of all parts of the community

- deliver justice efficiently and effectively

Links to audio and video selections can be found on the last page.

Key Academic Opinions

Shaping the future of criminal justice

Key Newspaper Articles

Legal review 'offers scope for change'

Under the chairmanship of Jim Daniell, Director of Criminal Justice at the Northern Ireland Office, the group was required to engage in wide consultation. The team visited the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Scotland, South Africa, New Zealand and the US to examine how other jurisdictions deliver criminal justice. It received 90 submissions, held over 70 meetings with interested groups including a series of nine seminars throughout Northern Ireland designed to hear professional and public opinion on how the system might be improved. The group's remit was to cover such issues as:

- arrangements for judicial appointments

- the possibility of devolving criminal justice functions to a local Assembly

- the symbols displayed and dress worn in court

- the mechanisms for addressing law reform

- the scope for cross-border co-operation between criminal justice agencies north and south

№13

College of Law makes Singapore move

3 May 2012 | By Christian Metcalfe

The College of Law (CoL) has announced a tie-up with the Singapore Institute of Legal Education (SILE), heralding its first foray into the legal education market in Asia.

CoL has formed a strategic collaboration with SILE to develop learning programmes for aspiring and qualified lawyers in the city-state and the region.

SILE is a statutory body tasked with maintaining and improving the standards of legal education in Singapore both pre- and post-qualification.

Under the agreement, CoL will work with SILE to develop professional and continuing professional development (CPD) programmes.

CoL and SILE also plan to set up a jointly-run summer school programme aimed at newly qualified lawyers in Singapore and the wider region focusing in particular on corporate practice and dispute resolution and will work together in developing SILE’s existing training programme for law graduates wishing to be admitted to the Singapore Bar..

CoL is one of the first accredited providers of CPD, which has become compulsory in Singapore for newly-qualified lawyers under regulations which came into force on 1 April 2012.

The establishment by the CoL of a permanent presence in Singapore and the development of further face-to-face and online training courses tailored to the needs of the Singaporean legal community is the ultimate aim of the collaboration.

Professor Nigel Savage, Chief Executive of The College of Law, said: “The College and the Institute have the common aim of supporting Singapore’s growing success as a global hub for legal services and education and share a vision of legal education in a global context.

“We aim to retain and attract the very best aspiring and qualified lawyers at all levels of practice by delivering world-class learning programmes suited to the needs of the Singapore economy. The initiative will also support the strategic aspirations of our English law firm clients who are currently investing heavily in Singapore and the wider region,” he said.

CoL, which has eight centres across the UK, has already formed ’best friend’ relationships with the global law schools IE Law School in Madrid and Beijing’s Renmin University of China Law School as well as collaborating with Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago.