Government to outlaw legal referral fees – Ministry of Justice

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in advocacy, consultations, criminal justice, fees, press releases, quality assurance by tracey

‘A new statutory ban on referral fees in criminal cases is among proposals announced by the Legal Aid Minister Shailesh Vara today.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 1st Ocotber 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Guidance on the licensing of late night refreshment – Home Office

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in licensed premises, licensing, news by tracey

‘Guidance on late night refreshment licensing including new powers permitting licensing authorities to exempt certain suppliers.’

Full guidance

Home Office, 1st October 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Criminal Practice Directions and Practice Direction (Costs in Criminal Proceedings) re-issued – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in costs, criminal procedure, practice directions, press releases by tracey

‘Criminal Practice Directions and Practice Direction (Costs in Criminal Proceedings) re-issued.’

Full press release

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 30th September 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Regulators issue consultation on minor changes to QASA – Bar Standards Board

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in advocacy, barristers, consultations, quality assurance, solicitors by tracey

‘Legal regulators Bar Standards Board (BSB), Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and CILEx Regulation, the three also known as the Joint Advocacy Group (JAG), are preparing for the implementation of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) by launching a new consultation today.’

Full consultation

Bar Standards Board, 1st October 2015

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Bar Council working group re-designs AGFS model – The Bar Council

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in barristers, Crown Court, fees, legal aid, press releases by tracey

‘A Bar Council working group has today put forward to the Ministry of Justice a completely re-drawn graduated fee scheme for advocacy in Crown Court cases. For legally aided criminal defence cases in the Crown Court where the trial is expected to last between 1 to 60 days, the defence advocate is paid by a formula in the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS).’

Full story

The Bar Council, 1st October 2015

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Seddon v Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council – WLR Daily

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in adoption, contact orders, human rights, law reports by tracey

Seddon v Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council; [2015] EWHC 2609 (Fam); [2015] WLR (D) 388

‘The making of an adoption order always brought to an end pre-existing rights under article 8 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms as between a birth parent and an adopted child, since those rights arose from, and co-existed with, the parent-child relationship which was extinguished by adoption. Furthermore, section 51A of the 2002 Act, as inserted, did not create or maintain an article 8 right as between a birth parent and an adopted child, nor was section 51A(4) incompatible with the Convention. However, a public body running a post-adoption letterbox service was obliged under article 8 to respect correspondence between a birth parent and an adopted child and adopters, the obligation arising from the nature of the correspondence and not from the former parent-child relationship.’

WLR Daily, 14th September 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Tech 21 UK Ltd v Logitech Europe SA – WLR Daily

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in Community designs, intellectual property, jurisdiction, law reports by tracey

Tech 21 UK Ltd v Logitech Europe SA: [2015] EWHC 2614 (Ch); [2015] WLR (D) 389

‘It is not right to characterise a claim under regulation 2 of the Community Design Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/2339) as one for a declaration of non-infringement.’

WLR Daily, 15th September 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

DL v SL – WLR Daily

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in divorce, family courts, law reports, privacy, reporting restrictions by tracey

DL v SL: [2015] EWHC 2621 (Fam); [2015] WLR (D) 391

‘FPR r 27.10 incorporated a strong starting point or presumption, which should not be derogated from unless there was a compelling reason, that ancillary relief proceedings should be heard in private. The law concerning the presence of the media in such proceedings, contained in FPR r 27.11 and Practice Direction PD27B: Attendance of Media Representatives at Hearings in Family Proceedings, was to enable the press to be the eyes and ears of the public so as to ensure that the case was conducted fairly and to enable the public to be educated in an abstract and general way about the processes that were deployed, but did not extend to breaching the privacy of the parties in those proceedings that Parliament had given to them.’

WLR Daily, 27th July 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Privacy in Financial Remedies Proceedings – Family Law Week

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in divorce, family courts, news, privacy, public interest, reporting restrictions by tracey

‘David Bedingfield, barrister, 4 Paper Buildings, considers conflicting judicial attitudes to the vexed question of rights to privacy in financial remedies proceedings.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 1st October 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Justice ministry considers curb on own-firm instructions – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in advocacy, criminal justice, law firms, news by tracey

‘The Ministry of Justice is considering restricting litigators from instructing advocates within the same firm as part of proposals to enhance the quality of criminal advocacy.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 1st October 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Anzac Day terror plot: Blackburn boy sentenced to life – BBC News

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in conspiracy, news, sentencing, terrorism, young offenders by tracey

‘A 15-year-old British boy who plotted to behead police officers at an Anzac Day parade in Australia has been sentenced to life.’

Full story

BBC News, 2nd October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Footballer jailed for breaking opponent’s leg – BBC News

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in assault, news, sentencing, sport by tracey

‘A Sunday League footballer who deliberately stamped on an opponent’s leg, breaking it in several places, has been jailed for a year.’

Full story

BBC News, 1st October 2015

Sorce: www.bbc.co.uk

Number of female judges in UK ‘snowballing’ despite equality row – The Guardian

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in equality, judicial appointments commission, judiciary, news, statistics, women by tracey

‘The rate at which women are being appointed judges is gathering momentum in a “snowball effect”, ensuring gender equality on the bench is not that far away despite remarks by supreme court justice Jonathan Sumption – so says a female judge involved in judicial selection.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Uber fires back in high court row with TfL – The Guardian

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in competition, internet, news, taxis by tracey

‘Uber, the under-fire taxi-hailing app, has hit out at London’s transport regulator, Transport for London (TfL), for taking it to the high court on Monday in the latest threat to its explosive growth in the London taxi market.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

British soldier drowned after failings by training company, coroner rules – The Independent

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in armed forces, health & safety, inquests, news by tracey

‘Failings by an adventure training company contributed to the drowning of a young British soldier when his whitewater raft capsized, a coroner has ruled.’

Full story

The Independent, 1st Ocotber 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Police taser ‘most likely’ cause of fire that killed petrol-soaked man – The Independent

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in inquests, news, police, weapons by tracey

‘A 50,000-volt police Taser was the “most likely” cause of a petrol-soaked man catching fire and dying, an inquest jury has ruled.’

Full story

The Independent, 1st October 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Reading widowed mother school truancy case dropped – BBC News

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in bereavement, news, prosecutions, truancy by tracey

‘The partner of a cyclist killed by a drink-driver has been told she will not face legal charges over her son missing school following the death.’

Full story

BBC News, 1st Ocotber 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

GP practices ‘offered rewards’ for not referring patients to hospitals – The Guardian

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in doctors, freedom of information, health, hospitals, inducements, news by tracey

‘GP practices are being offered thousands of pounds to cut the number of patients they refer to hospitals, according to an investigation.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st Ocotber 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

PPI payout deadline considered by regulator – BBC News

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in financial regulation, insurance, limitations, news by tracey

‘The financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is considering a deadline for claims over mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI).’

Full story

BBC News, 2nd October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk