Fair Trial Campaigns, an Overview.
The Fair Trial Project has identified severe problems with the legal system of the UK. These problems mean that it is impossible to get a fair trial.
We will run campaigns and take class actions to highlight, and attempt to fix, the problems we have found
Campaigns and Class Actions.
One essential feature of a fair trial is the requirement of independence and impartiality. The judge, or group of judges, who preside over a case must be independent and impartial. Independent means being free of links to government and other parties. Impartial means being unbiased. Subconscious bias is the major problem. When a case comes before a judge, they have a duty to consider whether there is any factor present that might affect them subconsciously. For example, if the judge is a friend or relation of a party or their representatives. If something like this is present, then the judge must disclose this and offer to stand down.
The Fair Trial Project has identified many situations where a judge’s independence and impartiality are open to doubt. One famous example is where a group of Scottish Judges consulted with the UK Government on Family law and while doing so advised that unmarried fathers represented a potential danger to women and children. They made this incredible statement with no evidence to back it up. After doing this, they continued to judge family law cases. The question is, were they able to judge a case involving an unmarried father impartially after the previous advice given to government? This is an obvious example of something said or done by a judge that might affect them subconsciously. Most of the problems we have identified are of this type.