Unvisited: Looked after children and the role of the Independent Visitor – Family Law Week

Posted December 14th, 2012 in care orders, children, local government, news, social services by tracey

“Noel Arnold, Head of Legal Practice at the Coram Children’s Legal Centre, considers the importance of Independent Visitors for looked after children and clarifies confusions in the current arrangements.”

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Family Law Week, 13th December 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Finance and Divorce December Update – Family Law Week

Posted December 14th, 2012 in divorce, financial provision, news by tracey

“Anna Heenan, solicitor and David Salter, Joint Head of Family Law at Mills & Reeve LLP analyse November’s financial remedies and divorce news and cases.”

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Family Law Week, 13th December 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Disabled man takes government to court over benefit test – The Guardian

Posted December 14th, 2012 in benefits, disabled persons, judicial review, news by tracey

“A disabled man who was incorrectly found fit for work under the government’s disability benefit assessment is launching a legal action against the government and Atos, the private company performing the tests.”

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The Guardian, 13th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Royal succession bill published – BBC News

Posted December 14th, 2012 in bills, Crown, news, royal family, sex discrimination, succession by tracey

“A new law which will end discrimination against women in the line of succession
to the British throne has been published.”

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BBC News, 13th December 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK pays £2.2m to settle Libyan rendition claim – BBC News

Posted December 14th, 2012 in closed material, compensation, Libya, news, rendition, torture by tracey

“The UK government has agreed to pay £2.2m ($3.5m) to a Libyan dissident and his
family who say MI6 was involved in their illegal rendition.”

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BBC News, 13th December 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sally Bercow facing £50,000 High Court battle over Lord McAlpine tweet – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 14th, 2012 in child abuse, compensation, defamation, internet, news by tracey

“Sally Bercow is being sued for £50,000 by Lord McAlpine after he formally issued
proceedings over an allegedly libellous tweet.”

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Daily Telegraph, 13th December 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Britain’s most prolific church lead theft gang jailed – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 14th, 2012 in conspiracy, handling stolen goods, news, sentencing, theft by tracey

“Britain’s most prolific church lead thieves have been jailed for a total of more
than 20 years after they left the Church of England with a £1 million repair
bill.”

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Daily Telegraph, 13th December 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Man jailed for two years for vandalising £5m Rothko at Tate Modern – The Guardian

Posted December 13th, 2012 in artistic works, criminal damage, news, sentencing by sally

“A man who vandalised one of Tate Modern’s most cherished Mark Rothko paintings has been jailed for two years for actions the judge described as ‘entirely deliberate, planned and intentional’.”

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The Guardian, 13th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Command Papers – official-documents.gov.uk

Posted December 13th, 2012 in parliamentary papers by sally

Judicial Review: proposals for reform, Cm 8515 (PDF)

Draft Anti-Social Behaviour Bill, Cm 8495 (PDF)

Source: www.official-documents.gov.uk

Changes to the Immigration Rules come into effect on 13 December 2012 – UK Border Agency

Posted December 13th, 2012 in immigration, news, regulations by sally

“A number of changes to the Immigration Rules come into effect today (13 December 2012). These changes will affect non-European Economic Area nationals applying to enter or remain in the UK.”

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UK Border Agency, 13th December 2012

Source: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

Judicial Review: proposals for reform – Ministry of Justice

Posted December 13th, 2012 in consultations, judicial review, news, planning, public procurement, time limits by sally

“The Government is seeking views on a package of measures to stem the growth in applications for judicial reviews. The measures aim to tackle the burden that this growth has placed on stretched public services whilst protecting access to justice and the rule of law. The engagement exercise seeks views on proposals in three key areas; reducing the time limits for bringing a judicial review relating to procurement or planning, bringing them into line with the appeal timetable which already applies to those cases.”

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Ministry of Justice, 13th December 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted December 13th, 2012 in legislation by sally

The Excise Duties (Road Fuel Gas) (Reliefs) Regulations 2012

The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2012

The Motor Fuel (Road Vehicle and Mobile Machinery) Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Regulations 2012

The Education (Student Support) (European University Institute) Regulations 2010 (Amendment) Regulations 2012

The European Administrative Co-Operation (Taxation) Regulations 2012

The Pension Protection Fund (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2012

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Peers vote to remove law banning insulting language – The Guardian

Posted December 13th, 2012 in crime, freedom of expression, news, parliament, public order by sally

“The House of Lords on Wednesday night voted to remove a law that criminalises the use of insulting language in Britain.”

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The Guardian, 12th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Injured feelings: Jackson reforms – Law Society’s Gazette

“Controversy still rages over whether the Jackson reforms are a coherent set of proposals that will rebalance a system where claims and costs are out of control, or if they represent an assault on access to justice for people whom ‘no win, no fee’ represents the only hope of redress for a wrong inflicted on them.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 13th December 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.gov.uk

White and another v South Derbyshire District Council [2012] EWHC 3495 (Admin); [2012] WLR (D) 374

Posted December 13th, 2012 in illegality, law reports, licensing, local government, planning, ultra vires by sally

White and another v South Derbyshire District Council [2012] EWHC 3495 (Admin); [2012] WLR (D) 374

“A public authority which had acted ultra vires could not rely on the unlawfulness of its own act in order to found a criminal prosecution.”

WLR Daily, 8th November 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Light on Line Ltd v Zumtobel Lighting Ltd [2012] EWHC 3376 (QB); [2012] WLR (D) 373

Posted December 13th, 2012 in appeals, costs, documents, insurance, law reports, practice directions by sally

Light on Line Ltd v Zumtobel Lighting Ltd [2012] EWHC 3376 (QB); [2012] WLR (D) 373

“Service of a redacted insurance certificate as proof of “the amount of the premium paid or payable” in a claim for an additional liability on a detailed assessment of costs was sufficient to comply with paragraph 32.5(2)(c) of the Costs Practice Direction supplementing CPR Pts 43–48.”

WLR Daily, 29th November 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Killer who executed man as he slept with partner and son jailed for 30 years – The Guardian

Posted December 13th, 2012 in murder, news, sentencing by sally

“A 29-year-old man who ‘cold-bloodedly executed’ a father of four as he slept with his partner and three-year-old son has been jailed for a minimum of 30 years.”

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The Guardian, 12th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

LSB’s regulatory assessments: Positive signs, but much further to go – Legal Services Board

Posted December 13th, 2012 in legal profession, Legal Services Board, news, reports by sally

“The Legal Services Board is today publishing its first assessments of the performance of
regulators in the legal services sector. These are issued alongside a consultation on the
LSB’s draft Business Plan for 2013/14. Together these documents make clear the importance,
the LSB attaches to improving regulatory performance in the coming year.”

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Legal Services Board, 12th December 2012

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Alexander Litvinenko inquest: what are the issues at stake? – The Guardian

Posted December 13th, 2012 in inquests, murder, news, spying by sally

“Sir Robert Owen will have to decide the scope of the inquiry and whether to sit with a jury.”

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The Guardian, 12th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Redacting for anonymisation: Article 8 v Article 10 in child protection context – Panopticon

Posted December 13th, 2012 in anonymity, data protection, freedom of information, human rights, news, privacy by sally

“Panopticon has reported recently on the ICO’s new Code of Practice on Anonymisation: see Rachel Kamm’s post here. That Code offers guidance for ensuring data protection-compliant disclosure in difficult cases such as those involving apparently anonymous statistics, and situations where someone with inside knowledge (or a ‘motivated intruder’) could identify someone referred to anonymously in a disclosed document. The Upper Tribunal in Information Commissioner v Magherafelt District Council [2012] UKUT 263 AAC grappled with those issues earlier this year in the context of disclosing a summarised schedule of disciplinary action.”

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Panopticon, 13th December 2012

Source: www.panopticonblog.com