Justice & Home Affairs

Departmental select committee chairs have provided mixed reviews of the departments they scrutinise for a Civil Service World Special Report, which has found that 40 per cent of them are dissatisfied with departments’ responses to their reports.

Frontline: Forensic medical examiner A doctor working with the police worries about the effect of outsourcing on the care of vulnerable people

Keith Vaz is the chair of the home affairs committee, and an acerbic critic of the Home Office and UKBA. Joshua Chambers hears him analyse the Home Office’s weaknesses – and give a rendition of a song about white flags.

Richard Thomas chairs the body that scrutinises all the government's systems of appeals and complaints, the AJTC. But now it faces the axe – and he’s making his own appeal, arguing for its survival. Matt Ross reports.

Richard Thomas chairs the body that scrutinises all the government's systems of appeals and complaints, the AJTC. But now it faces the axe – and he’s making his own appeal, arguing for its survival. Matt Ross reports.

Ministry of Justice permanent secretary Suma Chakrabarti has achieved big savings while focusing on evidence-based policy and payment-by-results – but now a political squal has upset his plans. Matt Ross meets him.

Alan Beith, the Lib Dems' longest-serving MP, scrutinises government as chair of the justice and liaison committees. Matt Ross tries to improve his view of Whitehall still further by dangling him out of the office window.

A community support officer from the Midlands is worried about the effect of overtime cuts

It’s Jonathan Slater’s job to transform the justice system. He tells Suzannah Brecknell about the unprecedented approach he’s taking to encouraging preventative interventions, payment by results and voluntary sector delivery.

This week’s interviewee is a probation officer with nearly 30 years’ experience – both in the field, and as a trainer

Philippa Stroud is the director of the Centre for Social Justice, which plays a key role in shaping Conservative policy. Matt Ross learns about a strand of Tory thinking that stresses restoration rather than retribution

This week we meet a police officer who works to identify and recover the proceeds of crime.

In a week when the weather has disrupted travel and brought a surreal dimension to life, Edward Garnier still manages to be amazed by the latest abortive coup against the prime minister.

Former information commissioner Richard Thomas has a new job: overseeing the government’s systems of administrative justice. He talks to Matt Ross about the challenges, potential and importance of both roles

Paddy Ashdown, former Lib Dem leader and co-chair of the IPPR’s Commission on National Security, tells Matt Ross that we are ill-prepared for the challenges of a new era of globalised, decentralised power