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A United Nations report on UK housing, which calls for the suspension of the bedroom tax, has been attacked by the government, The Guardian reports.
The report, by the UN's special investigator on housing Raquel Rolnik, argues that the bedroom tax had left many people 'tremendous despair'. The claims were attacked by housing minister Kris Hopkins:
In a ruling almost designed to get certain Eurosceptics foaming at the mouth, the Council of Europe (not to be confused with the European Union) has ruled that the UK's benefits levels are 'manifestly inadequate'.
According to The Guardian, the Council of Europe report states:
Today's Guardian carries an editorial examing the reasons for the ongoing fall in the official crime rate.
The previous Labour government and the coalition have passed roughly one crime-related piece of legislation a year, the editorial notes. Despite this legislative hyperactivity, 'even a glance at the trend behind the headlines suggests crime and policing policy has less influence on the figures than politicians want to believe'.
The government's plans for probation privatisation are likely to founder on the rocks of implementation, Richard Garside argues.
There is a malaise at the heart of the criminal justice system, Richard Garside writes. It's harsher, more punitive and more dehumanising than ever.
Richard Garside argues that while there are many families in real crisis, the Troubled Families programme will do little to address this.
The Independent Police Commission proposals to replace Police and Crime Commissioners with greater local authority oversight deserves support, Richard Garside argues.
Richard Garside reviews the latest National Audit Office report on the electronic monitoring contracts.
Leading figures in the probation service have warned the Justice Secretary Chris Grayling that he should hold off his privatisation plans for at least another six months, according to The Guardian.
The Bar Council, the professional association for barristers in England and Wales, has challenged the Justice Secretary's claims on the costs of legal aid.
During a recent appearance before the House of Commons Justice Committee Chris Graying, the Justice Secretary, claimed that the 'typical payment' to a senior barrister for a high cost case would be 'around £135,000'.
Chair of the Bar Council Maura McGowan has challenged Mr Grayling's figures, claiming the real amount is around £20,000.
