In the Tribunals… – Nearly Legal

Posted October 10th, 2016 in costs, landlord & tenant, news, rent, service charges by sally

‘Ms K had a weekly tenancy of a flat (initially her daughter’s flat but assigned to her in 2014 by mutual exchange). The tenancy agreement provided for the payment of rent and also a weekly payment for service charge, originally £14.60. In 2015 the service charge was raised to £16.22. The tenancy agreement specified payment of the service charge but the space for the services to be provided was left blank.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 10th October 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Watchdog: more than half of failing care providers have not improved – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 10th, 2016 in care homes, hospitals, news, reports, standards by sally

‘More than half of failing NHS hospitals, care homes and GP practices have deteriorated or made no improvement since being inspected by watchdogs, official figures

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 7th October 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

High Court warning to lawyers over fair treatment of litigants in person – Litigation Futures

Posted October 10th, 2016 in case management, delay, litigants in person, news, practice directions, service by sally

‘The High Court has issued a warning to lawyers over dumping legal documents on litigants in person (LiPs) at the door of the court.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 6th October 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Police say they are becoming emergency mental health services – The Guardian

Posted October 10th, 2016 in budgets, mental health, news, police by sally

‘Police say they are being relied on as an emergency mental health service and that cuts in psychiatric provision are probably to blame, the Guardian has learned.

Full story

The Guardian, 9th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New bill of costs set to become compulsory from October 2017 – Litigation Futures

Posted October 10th, 2016 in civil procedure rules, costs, news by sally

‘The new format bill of costs is set to become compulsory in a year’s time after the rule committee decoupled it from mandatory use of the J-Codes, it has emerged.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 6th October 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Top law firm accused of ‘taking the p—‘ after telling lawyers to charge clients for time spent on toilet – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 10th, 2016 in fees, law firms, news by sally

‘Lawyers at a top international firm were told to charge clients even when they were taking toilet breaks – because they would still be thinking about work.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 7th October 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

A provider of free Wi-Fi can be ordered to impose controls to stop copyright infringement – Technology Law Update

Posted October 10th, 2016 in copyright, EC law, internet, news by sally

‘A case brought by Sony Music over illegal music downloads using a free WiFi service has led to a surprisingly restrictive conclusion from the EU court. The court ruled that a Berlin business-owner Tobias McFadden, who provided an unprotected free Wi-Fi network to the public,

– is not responsible for copyright infringement by a user of the WiFi, but
– can be required to take steps to control misuse of the service and ordered to pay associated costs.’

Full story

Technology Law Update, 7th October 2016

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

Ex-BBC DJ Chris Denning jailed for child sex offences – BBC News

Posted October 10th, 2016 in child abuse, news, sentencing, sexual grooming, sexual offences by sally

‘Former BBC DJ Chris Denning has been jailed for 13 years after admitting abusing 11 boys as young as eight.’

Full story

BBC News, 7th October 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Time, distance & suitability – Nearly Legal

Posted October 10th, 2016 in children, domestic violence, families, housing, local government, news by sally

‘Tower Hamlets owed Ms B, and her four children then aged 10, 8, 3 and 2, the full housing duty. She had moved to the borough to stay at a refuge in September 2013, following long term domestic violence, and the children had begun school in the borough in October 2013. One of the children had a diagnosis of severe ADHD.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 9th October 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Judge bans freemasonry emblem from gravestone of senior mason – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 10th, 2016 in burials and cremation, Christianity, Church of England, news by sally

‘A judge has banned a family from having the Freemasons square and compass emblem etched into the gravestone of a Freemason who died after devoting much of his life to the organization.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 9th October 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Phone thief who snatched 21 phones in an hour is jailed – BBC News

Posted October 10th, 2016 in news, sentencing, theft by sally

‘The police have released footage of two mobile phone thieves who went on an hour long mobile-phone-snatching raid through London.’

Full story

BBC News, 7th October 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sexting between children not automatically a crime, says CPS – The Guardian

Posted October 10th, 2016 in children, harassment, hate crime, internet, news, prosecutions, sexual offences by sally

‘Internet users who post derogatory hashtags or humiliating Photoshopped images could face prosecution under new legal guidelines.’

Full story

The Guardian, 10th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk