THE legal profession was criticised yesterday for having “barely changed since the 1980s” as privately educated candidates are still chosen for most top lawyer and judge jobs.
Three-quarters of judges and 71 per cent of top Queen’s Counsel (QC) barristers are privately educated, compared to just 7 per cent of the rest of the public.
Half of law firm partners in the “Magic Circle” of five leading City-based firms went to expensive independent schools.
The government’s case for abolishing most jury trials doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, argues KIM JOHNSON MP – and it must be stopped before it does lasting damage to democracy
With 170,000 children living in poverty in north-east England and teachers leaving in droves over 20 per cent real-terms pay cuts since 2010, all while private companies siphon off billions, it is time to unite and fight for education, writes MATT WRACK


