19/04/2012 – Current Awareness

Solicitor advocates dragging standards down, says BSB research – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 19th, 2012 in advocacy, news, solicitor advocates, standards by tracey

“Low rates for criminal legal aid and the growing share of work taken by solicitor advocates are contributing to a decline in advocacy standards that is harming the administration of justice, according to a survey by the Bar Standards Board. The report, Perceptions of Criminal Advocacy, showed that over three-quarters (78%) of the 762 practitioners who completed an online survey felt that standards of advocacy have declined over the past five years. However, Law Society chief executive Desmond Hudson today condemned the study as ‘deeply flawed’ and ‘self serving’.”

Law Society’s Gazette, 19th April 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Men jailed for life for Thusha Kamaleswaran shop shooting – BBC News

Posted April 19th, 2012 in attempted murder, attempts, firearms, grievous bodily harm, murder, news, sentencing by tracey

“Three men have been jailed for life for a shooting in a south London shop which left a five-year-old girl paralysed.”

BBC News, 19th April 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal bid over Royal Brompton Hospital heart unit lost – BBC News

Posted April 19th, 2012 in appeals, consultations, hospitals, news by tracey

“A consultation that led to the proposed closure of a paediatric heart unit at a west London hospital was lawful, the Court of Appeal has ruled.”

BBC News, 19th April 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

HomeServe fined £750,000 over silent calls – The Guardian

Posted April 19th, 2012 in consumer protection, fines, insurance, news, telecommunications by tracey

“Home insurance and repairs company HomeServe has been fined £750,000 by the telecoms regulator for making an excessive number of silent and abandoned calls.”

The Guardian, 19th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted April 19th, 2012 in law reports by tracey

High Court (Chancery Division)

Olympic Delivery Authority v Persons Unknown [2012] EWHC 1012 (Ch) (04 April 2012)

High Court (Patents Court)

Wagner International AG & Ors v Earlex Ltd [2012] EWHC 984 (Pat) (18 April 2012)

Source: www.bailii.org

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted April 19th, 2012 in legislation by tracey

The Postal Services Act 2011 (Commencement No. 3 and Saving Provisions) Order 2012

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Perceptions of criminal advocacy report – Bar Standards Board

Posted April 19th, 2012 in advocacy, reports, solicitor advocates, standards by tracey

“We commissioned ORC International to conduct research into the frequency with which underperformance is encountered in the criminal courts.”

Bar Standards Board, 18th April 2012

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Abu Qatada and the law of time – Carl Gardner – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted April 19th, 2012 in courts, human rights, news, time limits by tracey

“The BBC reported yesterday that there’s ‘doubt’ about the deportation of Abu Qatada, following his arrest on Tuesday and now his appeal to the European Court of Human Rights – which the Home Secretary Theresa May says is out of time. So: is she right? Is the appeal out of time? How has the Home Office got into this apparent mess? And what if any difference does this appeal make?”

UK Human Rights Blog, 19th April 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Activists given High Court go ahead to pursue HMRC over alleged ‘sweetheart’ deals – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 19th, 2012 in HM Revenue & Customs, judicial review, news, taxation by tracey

“A group of activists is to raise a preliminary challenge to an alleged ‘sweetheart’ tax settlement between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and investment bank Goldman Sachs, according to a national newspaper.”

OUT-LAW.com, 18th April 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Basingstoke loses Core Strategy and SHLAA High Court claim – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 19th, 2012 in local government, news, planning by tracey

“The High Court has ruled that Basingstoke and Dean Borough Council was wrong to exclude 809 hectares of land from its potential housing allocation sites in its emerging Core Strategy.”

OUT-LAW.com, 18th April 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Breivik – insanity as a defence – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted April 19th, 2012 in criminal responsibility, defences, insanity, news by tracey

“Anders Behring Breivik knew what he was doing, and he knew it was wrong. Claiming insanity is not enough to protect a person from the consequences of his own evil acts. Alternatively, he must be mad. His killing spree was so shocking and so utterly at odds with normality as to be sufficient evidence of insanity in its own right. Res ipsa loquitur. And there you have it – the whole point of the argument about ‘criminal insanity’, which has been running for centuries.”

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 18th April 2012

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Involving the Family Court Advisor in Pre-proceedings Practice – Initial lessons from the Coventry and Warwickshire pilot – Family Law Week

Posted April 19th, 2012 in family courts, news, pilot schemes by tracey

“Dr Karen Broadhurst of Lancaster University and Kim Holt of Bradford university describe the pilot study carried out into the involvement of children’s guardians prior to the issue of proceedings.”

Family Law Week, 17th April 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Student demonstration jury fails to reach verdict in violent disorder case – The Guardian

Posted April 19th, 2012 in demonstrations, news, retrials, violent disorder by tracey

“Jurors failed to reach a verdict on Wednesday on whether a student who suffered a brain injury at a university fees demonstration was guilty of violent disorder.”

The Guardian, 18th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Villagers lose High Court battle against ‘lord of the manor’ banker – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 19th, 2012 in commons, costs, land registration, news by tracey

“A group of villagers was yesterday left with a six-figure legal costs bill after losing a court battle with a retired banker who styled himself lord of the manor.”

Daily Telegraph, 18th April 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Stilton seeks right to use its own name for its cheese – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 19th, 2012 in food, news, protected designations of origin by tracey

“The village of Stilton is kicking up a stink for the right to use its own name for the cheese it produces.”

DailyTelegraph, 18th April 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Consultation over language tests for foreign doctors – BBC News

Posted April 19th, 2012 in doctors, news by tracey

“Doctors wanting to work for the NHS will have to prove they are fluent in English if proposals go ahead. Experts will consult over the next few months on the plan put forward by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.”

BBC News, 18th April 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

European court of human rights is not perfect, but it’s still precious – The Guardian

Posted April 19th, 2012 in constitutional history, courts, human rights, news by tracey

“When imagined post-Nuremberg, the human rights convention and Strasbourg court was never supposed to be a substitute for national protection of human rights.”

The Guardian, 19th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BA fuel surcharge fine halved by OFT – The Guardian

Posted April 19th, 2012 in airlines, consumer protection, fines, news, price fixing by tracey

“The Office of Fair Trading has more than halved a £121.5m fine levied against British Airways for colluding with Virgin Atlantic in a fuel surcharge scam. The consumer watchdog reduced the fine to £58.5m to reflect new guidelines for financial sanctions and BA’s co-operation with the inquiry. Virgin Atlantic escaped any penalty because it blew the whistle on the collusion over setting fuel surcharges between 2004 and 2006.”

The Guardian, 19th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Director of Public Prosecutions Kier Starmer admits CPS ‘faces tough decisions’ on phone hacking cases – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 19th, 2012 in interception, media, news, police, prosecutions, telecommunications by tracey

“Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer says each of the four files presented to the CPS on phone hacking will be considered as an individual case.”

Daily Telegraph, 18th April 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

May’s bid to deport Qatada descends into farce – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 19th, 2012 in appeals, deportation, human rights, news, terrorism, time limits by tracey

“The deportation of Abu Qatada descended into farce after a potential blunder by the Home Office allowed his lawyers to lodge a last-minute appeal which could extend his stay in Britain and derail attempts to remove him from the country.”

Daily Telegraph, 18th April 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

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