How Machiavellian was Machiavelli?
In his slim book The Prince (published 1532, written in 1513), Niccolò Machiavelli made his now notorious assertion that the prince who hopes to succeed must learn ‘how not to...
‘A Dutiful Boy’ by Mohsin Zaidi
Chambers is extremely proud that Mohsin Zaidi’s memoir ‘A Dutiful Boy’ is published today, 20 August 2020. This exceptional and brave book highlights Mohsin’s personal experiences as a young, gay Muslim. Chambers supports...
Literary Bounty from the Chambers Family
While 2020 has seen parts of our legal system in a state of near paralysis, this year has been characterised by extraordinary accomplishments on the part of three exceptionally talented...
Remote Courts – a view from home and abroad (Part 2)
Our previous post reviewed the use of remote courts in domestic criminal proceedings and considered how the sharp increase in the courts’ use of technology may continue after the current...
The end of the jury trial as we know it?
The Secretary of State for Justice recently confirmed that the government is considering whether to introduce primary legislation to suspend jury trials for offences triable either way as a way...
Remote courts – a view from home and abroad (Part 1)
The coronavirus pandemic has led to a significant change in how courts conduct their business, both here and abroad. This post considers the position in respect of the use of...
Thomas More’s voices
Sir Thomas More (1478-1535): Henry VIII’s Chancellor, Erasmus’ intellectual sparring partner, Tyndale’s trenchant critic, the author of the dreamy Utopia (1516), canonised by Pope Pius XI and declared the patron...
After Elgizouli: what does the judgment mean for mutual legal assistance?
In Elgizouli v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2020] UKSC 10, a seven-Justice Supreme Court held that the provision of material by way of mutual legal assistance to...
Dateline 2120: Will everyone be not guilty by reason of diminished responsibility?
What is left of guilt if science can explain a defendant’s actions? We may be a long way yet from understanding all human behaviour, but recent developments in the law...
Weekly Digest: 25 May 2020
This week's edition considers one judgment of the Supreme Court and three of the High Court. In R v Adams the Supreme Court considered whether the Secretary of State had to personally...