http://digbig.com/4pgbf
Holly Manges Jones
"The Prime Minister pledged to "put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system [and] support the police and all those responsible for the public's safety" in its new legislative agenda [PM materials; BBC backgrounder] for the 2006-2007 session of Parliament. In the Queen's Speech [text; PM materials; BBC backgrounder], read by Queen Elizabeth II [recorded video] at the annual ceremonial opening of Parliament the government announced proposals to eliminate jury trials in difficult fraud cases [BBC bill backgrounder], give the immigration service more power to tackle immigration crime and deport offenders, improve the administration of justice, and crack down on organized crime [BBC bill backgrounder] by, among other things, giving police expanded authority to seize criminal assets. Mention was also made of revising the qualifications for judicial appointees and developing a better method to enforce judgments.Altogether, the government laid out eight individual bills for this session of Parliament, which will end in November 2007. " [Brief]
