Martin Partington: Spotlight on the Justice System

First, welcome to all the new students starting on their law courses. Wherever you are studying, have a great time.

The legal system is currently undergoing great change. The practice of law is also undergoing great change. In Introduction to the English Legal System I offer an account of those changes which will affect everyone graduating in 3/4 years time. But the pace of change is so rapid that it is hard to keep track of everything.

Use this blog to pick up key developments; but also visit the linked blogs for additional information and ideas. Let me know if there are things you would like to read more about and I’ll try to address them.

At the same time, the new legal year starts. If you are standing outside Westminster Abbey on the morning of 1 October you will see all the judges in their robes arriving for the service that marks the beginning of the legal year – followed by what is known as the Lord Chancellor’s Breakfast (even though it is in the middle of the day!)

Don’t be misled by all the formality and pomp, which may suggest that the legal system is ticking on just as it has done for the last 100 years. In fact, the judicial system is also undergoing great change – changes also considered in my book and in this blog.

For students and those entering the law, all this change offers great opportunity for innovation and development. What I would encourage you to do is think how things might be done differently and more efficiently; what are the varietes of opportunity that law offers; and how can you contribute to increasing access to justice.