Government names record 48 firms on super-panel – Legal Week

Posted June 12th, 2007 in law firms, news by sally

“A record 48 firms have bagged places on the Government’s legal panel, the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) announced today (12 June).”

Full story

Legal Week, 12th June 2007

Source: www.legalweek.com

Woolf places Blackstone at heart of BAE furore – The Lawyer

Posted June 12th, 2007 in barristers, corruption, fraud, news, Saudi Arabia by sally

“Blackstone Chambers has found itself at the centre of the BAE Systems controversy with member Lord Woolf set to lead the BAE independent ethics committee while some of Blackstone’s leading barristers lead the legal fight against the defence company.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 12th June 2007

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Law firm sues former partners – The Times

Posted June 12th, 2007 in law firms, news by sally

“Hammonds, the national law firm locked in a financial dispute with 14 former partners, has taken the unusual step of suing them in the High Court.”

Full story

The Times, 12th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Legal shake-up will not halt discrimination, campaigners say – The Guardian

“Campaigners attacked a proposed shake-up of discrimination laws today – accusing ministers of failing to do enough to protect victims.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted June 12th, 2007 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Lawrence v Pembrokeshire County Council [2007] EWCA Civ 446 (07 June 2007)

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Considine, R v [2007] EWCA Crim 1166 (06 June 2007)

Green, R. v [2007] EWCA Crim 1248 (25 May 2007)

Stephens & Anor, R. v [2007] EWCA Crim 1249 (25 May 2007)

High Court (Administrative Court)

British Casino Association Ltd & Ors, R (on the application of) v British Amusment Catering Trades & Ors [2007] EWHC 1312 (Admin) (11 June 2007)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Berkeley Community Villages Ltd & Anor v Pullen & Ors [2007] EWHC 1330 (Ch) (07 June 2007)

Shierson & Anor v Rastogi (A Bankrupt) [2007] EWHC 1266 (Ch) (25 May 2007)

High Court (Family Division)

JPC v SLW & Anor [2007] EWHC 1349 (Fam) (08 June 2007)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Ridgway v JP Morgan Chase Bank National Association [2007] EWHC 1325 (QB) (08 June 2007)

Byrne (a minor) v The Motor Insurers Bureau Secretary of State for Transport [2007] EWHC 1268 (QB) (05 June 2007)

Islington v Honeygan-Green (Honeygan) [2007] EWHC 1270 (QB) (25 May 2007)

Wakeling v McDonagh & Anor [2007] EWHC 1201 (QB) (25 May 2007)

European Court of Human Rights

FORBES v. THE UNITED KINGDOM – 65727/01 [2007] ECHR 468 (12 June 2007)

DODDS v. THE UNITED KINGDOM – 59314/00 [2007] ECHR 469 (12 June 2007)

BOTMEH AND ALAMI v. THE UNITED KINGDOM – 15187/03 [2007] ECHR 456 (7 June 2007)

Source: www.bailii.org.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – OPSI

Posted June 12th, 2007 in legislation by sally

The Personal Injuries (NHS Charges) (Reviews and Appeals) Amendment Regulations 2007

The Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2007

The Railways Pensions Guarantee (Prescribed Persons) Order 2007

The Public Health (Aircraft and Ships) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2007

The Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 (Commencement No. 7 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2007

The Integration Loans for Refugees and Others Regulations 2007

The Pension Schemes (Categories of Country and Requirements for Overseas Pension Schemes and Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes) (Amendment) Regulations 2007

The Value Added Tax (Amendment) (No.4) Regulations 2007

The A404 Trunk Road (Maidenhead Thicket to Handy Cross) (24 Hours Clearway) Order 2007

The A404 Trunk Road (Handy Cross Junction Improvement) (Derestriction) Order 2007

The Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) (No.3) Regulations 2007

The Local Authorities (Functions and Responsibilities) (England) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2007

The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (Commencement No. 3) Order 2007

The St Mary’s (Isles of Scilly) Harbour Revision Order 2007

The Electronic Commerce Directive (Terrorism Act 2006) Regulations 2007

The Home Information Pack (Redress Scheme) (Revocation) Order 2007

The Commons Registration (General) (Amendment) (England) (Revocation) Regulations 2007

The National Institutions of the Church of England (Transfer of Functions) Order 2007

Source: www.opsi.gov.uk

Agency arrests 83 paedophiles in first year – The Guardian

Posted June 12th, 2007 in child abuse, news, sexual offences by sally

“The Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre said yesterday it had arrested 83 alleged sex offenders over the past 12 months.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Related link: CEOP Annual Review 2006-2007 (PDF)

Government ‘must protect children from divorce harm’ – The Times

Posted June 12th, 2007 in children, divorce, news by sally

“A lobby of children’s experts and charities accuses the Government today of failing to protect young people from the ’emotional fallout’ divorce and separation.”

Full story 

The Times, 12th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Tackling discrimination, modernising the law – Communities and Local Government

“The Government today published a consultation document including proposals for a Single Equality Bill, to simplify and improve existing legislation and make common-sense proposals to modernise discrimination law.”

Full story

Communities and Local Government press release, 12th June 2007

Source: www.communities.gov.uk

A voice is given to vulnerable witnesses – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 12th, 2007 in press releases, witnesses by sally

“A scheme assisting vulnerable witnesses to access the criminal justice process will be rolled out nationally, following an announcement by Minister for Justice, Gerry Sutcliffe.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice press release, 12th June 2007

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v. Aaron and others – WLR Daily

Posted June 12th, 2007 in company directors, disqualification, expert witnesses, law reports by sally

Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v. Aaron and others

“In directors disqualification proceedings, the court might at times need expert assistance on issues of fact, but, generally speaking, it was hard to see why a court should need expert evidence that was simply expert opinion when considering the key question of whether a director was unfit to be concerned in the management of a limited company.”

WLR Daily, 7th June 2007

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Omar v. Birmingham City Council – Times Law Reports

Posted June 12th, 2007 in housing, law reports by sally

Housing authority need not state the obvious that the offer is final

Omar v. Birmingham City Council

Court of Appeal 

“It was not necessary for a letter offering accommodation in discharge of a local housing authority’s duty under the Housing Act 1996 to a person with priority need who was not intentionally homeless to state in so many words that the letter was “a final offer for the purposes of section 193(7)” where it was clear that it was a final offer.”

The Times, 12th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

DS v. HM Advocate – Times Law Reports

Posted June 12th, 2007 in evidence, law reports, Scotland, sexual offences by sally

When accused tries to import victim’s sexual history

DS v. HM Advocate

Privy Council

“A Scottish statute providing that when a court gave permission for a person accused of certain sexual offences to lead evidence of the alleged victim’s previous sexual history, there was a presumption in favour of laying before the jury the accused’s previous convictions for sexual offences unless he could show that such disclosure would not be in the interests of justice, or would prejudice his right to a fair trial.”

The Times, 12th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

Buy-to-let landlords ‘must help disabled’ – The Times

“Thousands of buy-to-let landlords will be have to build ramps and lifts for disabled tenants in their properties under the Government’s proposed new equality law.”

Full story

The Times, 12th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Migrant scheme reforms may have breached law, CRE warns – The Guardian

Posted June 12th, 2007 in immigration, news, race discrimination by sally

“The government breached anti-discrimination laws after controversial changes to its immigration programme for highly-skilled workers, the Commission for Racial Equality believes.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Abortion numbers may intensify debate – Reuters

Posted June 12th, 2007 in abortion, news by sally

“An increasingly bitter debate as the Abortion Act marks its 40th year looks set to be reignited on Tuesday when the government publishes annual figures for the number of terminations.”

Full story

Reuters, 12th June 2007

Source: www.reuters.com

Prisoners ‘locked out’ after jails hit full capacity – The Times

Posted June 12th, 2007 in news, prisons by sally

“A record 550 new inmates were ‘locked out’ of prison last night as a surge in inmate numbers forced jails to declare that they had run out of space to take any more.”

Full story

The Times, 12th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Regulations laid to deliver Energy Performance Certificates and HIP’s – Communities and Local Government

Posted June 12th, 2007 in home information packs, news by sally

“The Government today laid the revised regulations necessary to deliver Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Home Information (HIPs) into the housing market on 1 August.”

Full story 

Communities and Local Government press release, 11th June 2007

Source: www.communities.gov.uk

BSB in bid to rewrite Code of Conduct – Legal Week

Posted June 12th, 2007 in barristers, news, professional conduct by sally

“The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has embarked on an ambitious three-year project to rewrite the Bar’s rulebook for the first time.”

Full story

Legal Week, 12th June 2007

Source: www.legalweek.com

Sukuk succour – The Lawyer

Posted June 12th, 2007 in islamic law, special report by sally

“It’s not just pro-Muslim sentiment that is fuelling the emerging Islamic finance market, Government legislation is lending a helping hand too.” 

Full story

The Lawyer, 11th June 2007

Source: www.thelawyer.com