Councils win battle over threshold on developments and s.106 agreements – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 7th, 2015 in housing, local government, news, planning by tracey

‘Two councils have won a High Court challenge over Government proposals for a threshold on the size of developments beneath which planning authorities should not seek affordable housing contributions through section 106 agreements.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 3rd August 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

LSB publishes report on regulation of in-house lawyers – Legal Services Board

‘The Legal Services Board publishes today responses received to its discussion paper: Are regulatory restrictions in practising rules for in-house lawyers justified? as well as its summary of those responses.’

Full press release

Legal Services Board, 29th July 2015

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Firearms – making the law more balanced and more effective – Law Commission

Posted August 7th, 2015 in consultations, firearms, press releases by tracey

‘The law governing the ownership and use of firearms is complex and difficult to apply. It is spread across a number of pieces of overlapping legislation, creating significant practical difficulties for investigating authorities and prosecutors, and generating uncertainty for the licensed firearms community.

Today the Law Commission is publishing a scoping consultation paper that identifies what those most pressing problems are. It also makes some provisional proposals as to how they could be remedied. We are asking consultees for their views on the suitability of these remedies.’

Full press release

Law Commission, 21st July 2015

Source: www.justice.gov.uk/lawcommission

The BSB publishes Annual Report for 2014-15 – Bar Standards Board

Posted August 7th, 2015 in barristers, press releases, reports by tracey

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has now published its 2014-2015 Annual Report which outlines the significant progress it has made towards its strategic aims.’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 3rd August 2015

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Costs budgeting rules to be lifted for child claims – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 7th, 2015 in budgets, case management, children, civil procedure rules, costs, news by tracey

‘Civil procedure rules are set to be changed to make cases relating to children exempt from costs management.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 6th August 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Malicious use of intimate images : the problem and some practical and legal remedies – Family Law Week

Posted August 7th, 2015 in harassment, injunctions, malicious communications, news, pornography by tracey

‘Ariel Ricci, barrister at Coram Chambers, Julie Pinborough, Founder and Director of the Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre and Frances Ridout, Deputy Director of the Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre consider the growing problem of “revenge pornography”.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 31st July 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Injuries to Infant with Bone Disorder: latest deliberations of the High Court – Family Law Week

‘Zimran Samuel, barrister of 42 Bedford Row, comments on Mr Justice Peter Jackson’s recent judgment concerning an infant with vitamin D deficiency induced rickets who had suffered multiple fractures.’

Full story

Family Law week, 30th July 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Cherry Groce children to sue Met police for damage shooting caused them – The Guardian

Posted August 7th, 2015 in compensation, families, firearms, news, police, psychiatric damage, violent disorder by tracey

‘Five children of Cherry Groce, whose shooting by a police officer led to the 1985 Brixton riots, are to sue the Metropolitan police for the damage caused to them after she was paralysed in the bungled raid almost 30 years ago.’

Full story

The Guardian, 6th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Sportsman granted injunction over Sun story – The Guardian

Posted August 7th, 2015 in anonymity, injunctions, media, news, privacy, sport by tracey

‘A “prominent and successful” professional sportsman has been granted an injunction preventing a newspaper from publishing a story about his sexual relationship with a female celebrity.’

Full story

The Guardian, 6th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Black people still far more likely to be stopped and searched by police than other ethnic groups – The Independent

Posted August 7th, 2015 in news, police, race discrimination, stop and search by tracey

‘Black people are still far more likely than other ethnic groups to be stopped and searched in almost every part of England and Wales despite concerted efforts to tackle the problem.’

Full story

The Independent, 6th August 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Revenge porn laws: First person found guilty under new laws to be sentenced today – The Independent

Posted August 7th, 2015 in consent, crime, internet, news, photography, pornography, video recordings by tracey

‘The first person convicted under new “revenge porn” laws is to be sentenced today.’

Full story

The Independent, 7th August 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Pilot scheme forcing landlords to check tenants’ immigration status ‘has failed’ – The Guardian

Posted August 7th, 2015 in freedom of information, immigration, landlord & tenant, news, pilot schemes by tracey

‘A pilot scheme to force landlords to check the immigration status of prospective tenants has been a failure, the government’s own data suggests.’

Full story

The Guardian, 6th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ofcom investigates Sky over complaints of ignored cancellation requests – The Guardian

Posted August 7th, 2015 in contracts, internet, media, news, regulations, telecommunications by tracey

‘The broadcasting watchdog Ofcom is investigating Sky over concerns that customers’ attempts to cancel their contracts are being ignored.’

Full story

The Guardian, 6th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lord Janner abuse proceedings to start in court – BBC News

Posted August 7th, 2015 in child abuse, elderly, evidence, mental health, news, trials by tracey

‘Criminal proceedings against Lord Janner over allegations of child sexual abuse in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s are to begin later. The Westminster Magistrates’ Court case comes after a review overturned a Crown Prosecution Service decision not to bring charges because of his dementia.’

Full story

BBC News, 7th August 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Proof of reputational damage necessary for libel actions to succeed, rules High Court – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 6th, 2015 in defamation, evidence, media, news by sally

‘Businesses and people that bring libel actions should not succeed with those claims unless there is proof that the published comments made about them damage, or are likely to damage, their reputation, the High Court in London has ruled.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 5th August 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Ukulele Wars: The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain v Clausen – NIPC Law

Posted August 6th, 2015 in EC law, intellectual property, news, striking out, trade marks by sally

‘Although Judge Hacon’s decision in The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain v Clausen and Another [2015] EWHC 1772 (IPEC) was reported as a “victory” in the Independent (The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain wins duel with German ‘copycat’ 3 July 2015) it was somewhat of the pyrrhic kind. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain sued The United Kingdom Ukulele Orchestra for trade mark infringement, copyright infringement and passing off and applied to strike out the defence on the grounds of abuse of process less than two weeks before the trial. The claim succeeded on passing off but failed on all other counts. The claimants lost their Community trade mark and the judge saw no merit in the strike out application whatever.’

Full story

NIPC Law, 5th August 2015

Source: www.nipclaw.blogspot.co.uk

Consultation and impact assessment on ending support for failed asylum seekers – Free Movement

Posted August 6th, 2015 in asylum, consultations, news, reports by sally

‘A consultation and impact assessment on the new panic proposals to remove asylum support for failed asylum seekers have been published. These reveal the details of the proposals.’

Full story

Free Movement, 4th August 2015

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

The legal fog of war among the people – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted August 6th, 2015 in appeals, armed forces, detention, human rights, international law, news by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has held that UK armed forces breached both Afghan law and Article 5 of the ECHR by detaining a suspected Taliban commander for longer than the 96 hours permitted by ISAF policy.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 5th August 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Mothers Confined (part 3) | Lead by example: transforming rehabilitation – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted August 6th, 2015 in news, rehabilitation, Scotland, supervision orders, women by sally

‘Transforming Reahabilitation (TR) has been offered as a way in which women in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) “will have increased access to support services”. Prior to the many women who were incarcerated pre-TR and would be released from prison without supervision, will now – regardless of whether they have served one day or 12 months – be required to have some form of supervision. Previously, all people leaving custody serving less than 12 months were released without supervision.’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 6th August 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

The Right to Die – London Review of Books

Posted August 6th, 2015 in assisted suicide, bills, human rights, news by sally

‘When suicide was decriminalised in 1961, assisting suicide continued to be a crime. This was in part an acceptance of the theological view of suicide as murder, but it was also a recognition of the difficulty in many cases, with the main actor by definition unable to testify, of distinguishing assisted dying from culpable homicide. The simple binary system that resulted, however, failed to take account of cases in which the deceased’s wish to die was explicit, considered and rational, and the need for help in accomplishing it demonstrable.’

Full story

London Review of Books, 27th August 2015

Source: www.lrb.co.uk