Referral fees in criminal cases could lead to “arrest chasing” – Legal Futures

Posted June 18th, 2015 in barristers, consultations, crime, fees, legal aid, news, solicitors, third parties by sally

‘Removing the ban on referral fees in criminal cases could lead to “arrest chasing” by solicitors, the Bar Council has warned, and result in “as much public opprobrium” as ambulance chasing.’

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Legal Futures, 17th June 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Students awarded £400,000 compensation after complaints – BBC News

Posted June 18th, 2015 in compensation, complaints, news, universities by sally

‘Universities in England and Wales paid £400,000 in compensation to students last year, following complaints.’
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BBC News, 18th June 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Courts given stronger powers to strike out ‘fundamentally dishonest’ claims, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 18th, 2015 in fraud, insurance, news, personal injuries, striking out by sally

‘Courts in England and Wales now have the power to strike out personal injury claims in their entirety if the person making the claim has been fundamentally dishonest, even if parts of the claim were genuine.’
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OUT-LAW.com, 17th June 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Good news and bad for challenges to ETS fraud decisions – Free Movement

Posted June 18th, 2015 in appeals, fraud, immigration, news, tribunals, visas by sally

‘The Upper Tribunal has given judgment in a test case on ETS appeals and judicial reviews: R (on the application of Gazi) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (ETS – judicial review) IJR [2015] UKUT 327 (IAC). It is essential reading for anyone directly affected by the ongoing ETS saga and for their legal representatives.’

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Free Movement, 18th June 2015

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Court of Appeal comments on deprivation of liberty and being party to proceedings – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has held that it did not have jurisdiction to determine appeals against the President of the Court of Protection’s Re X rulings in which he sought to streamline procedures for dealing with certain types of deprivation of liberty cases.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 16th June 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Paul Bernal: Privacy, Surveillance and Brexit…. – UK Constitutional Law Association

An Englishman’s home is his castle, so the old saying goes, and it might be thought that the implication is that the English place a special importance on privacy. The reverse, however, seems to be the case, when the law is considered – for much of the law that provides protection for our privacy, particularly in relation to surveillance, does not originate in the UK but in Europe. With the perfect storm of possible ‘Brexit’ and the potential repeal of the Human Rights Act (HRA), that might leave our privacy in an even more precarious state than it currently is. The so-called ‘British Bill of Rights’ has yet to see the light of day: one of the key questions could be what provision it makes for privacy, particularly in relation to the internet and other forms of communications.
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UK Constitutional Law Association, 18th June 2015

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

International students – Education Law Blog

‘R (London College of Finance and Accounting) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (2015) EWHC 1688 (Admin) is yet another decision on an attempted judicial review of the suspension and/or revocation of a Tier 4 Sponsor Licence. The power of the Secretary of State (“the SoS”) to issue and regulate Tier 4 Sponsor Licences is one of a range of ancillary and incidental administrative powers vested in the SoS. The regime is effectively run by the ‘UK Visas and Immigration’ (“UKVI”) section within the Home Office and its operation is governed not by the Immigration Act 1971 itself, but within policy guidance documentation (‘Sponsor Guidance’) which is issued and amended on behalf of the SoS with “bewildering frequency” (per Lord Sumption in New London College).’

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Education Law Blog, 18th June 2015

Source: www.education11kbw.com

Bartle Frere, ex-BA pilot, jailed for child sex abuse – BBC News

Posted June 18th, 2015 in child abuse, news, retrials, sentencing, sexual offences by sally

‘A paedophile who carried out child sex crimes during stopovers while working as a British Airways pilot has been jailed for 12 years and six months.

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BBC News, 17th June 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ex-government insiders reveal email FOI regime – BBC News

‘Ministers can easily protect themselves from embarrassment by deleting from their email inbox anything that might be subject to a future FOI request, ex-insiders have told BBC News.’

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BBC News, 18th June 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Met Police officer Carol Howard was bullied by her boss on account of her sex and race – so why did she find it so difficult to win her case? – The Independent

‘As a black – and female – firearms officer, Carol Howard stood out in the Metropolitan Police’s Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG), one of only 12 women in a unit of 700. She had wanted to join the police from a young age and was incredibly proud of her job. But instead of being rewarded for her tenacity in such an environment, she was treated with suspicion, passed over for promotion and subjected to intense scrutiny.’

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The Independent, 17th June 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

SAS deaths: criminal charges may follow inquest – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2015 in armed forces, crime, health & safety, inquests, news, police, prosecutions, witnesses by sally

‘Police and health and safety lawyers argue against media attempt to see witness statements in case they prejudice future prosecutions.’

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The Guardian, 17th June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk