Month: April 2017

Monks’ charitable status challenged – Law & Religion UK

Posted April 12th, 2017 in alcohol abuse, charities, news by sally

‘Today, BBC Devon carried the story “Strip ‘violent wine’ monks of charity status, say secularists“; this states: “monks who make Buckfast tonic wine linked to violent crime in Scotland should be stripped of charitable status…The National Secular Society says the beverage made at Buckfast Abbey in Devon is harmful. Buckfast Abbey Trust does not pay tax on the income because it is a charity, which the society claims is an;abuse of the charitable system’”.’

Full story

Law & Religion UK, 11th April 2017

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Cost of Legal Ombudsman to rise for first time as unpaid case fees cause problems – Legal Futures

Posted April 12th, 2017 in budgets, legal ombudsman, news by sally

‘The Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO) budget is set to rise for the first time since its creation – by £1m – with claims management companies not paying the case fees they have been charged the key cause and more expected to follow as they continue to go out of business.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 12th April 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court quashes planning permission for five-bed home for third time – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 12th, 2017 in environmental protection, local government, news, planning by sally

‘Northumberland Council has seen its grant of planning permission for a five-bed home quashed by the High Court for a third time.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 11th April 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Bank of England proposes ‘fund-based’ sharia-compliant liquidity facility – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 12th, 2017 in banking, islamic law, news by sally

‘The Bank of England is proposing to introduce a “fund-based” deposit facility for Islamic banks, which would allow them to obtain access to additional liquidity when necessary in a way that is compliant with sharia law.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 10th April 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Millionaire is not a ‘genius’ so should give his ex-wife half his £180 million fortune, Court of Appeal rules – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 12th, 2017 in divorce, financial provision, news by sally

‘An American financier who claimed his work was so touched by “genius” that he should not be forced to give his estranged wife half their £180 million fortune has been told by a British court there was nothing exceptional about his contribution to their marriage.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 11th April 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Parents fighting to keep baby alive lose high court battle – The Guardian

Posted April 12th, 2017 in children, consent, medical treatment, news, parental rights by sally

‘Doctors can withdraw life-support treatment from a sick baby boy against his parents’ wishes, a high court judge has ruled.’

Full story

The Guardian, 11th April 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

A culture of fear? – Legal Futures

Posted April 12th, 2017 in disciplinary procedures, mental health, news, solicitors by sally

‘A newly published survey by the Law Society Junior Lawyer’s Division (JLD) has found that extreme stress affects a quarter of young lawyers. This highlights a worrying trend that we have been tracking for some time: young solicitors unable to cope and lacking proper support from their employers.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 12th April 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Dean Collins guilty over Joseph Smith’s crash death – BBC News

Posted April 12th, 2017 in dangerous driving, drug abuse, news by sally

‘The driver of a car involved in a head-on crash which killed his five-year-old stepson has been found guilty of causing his death by dangerous driving.’

Full story

BBC News, 11th April 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK supreme court denies tobacco firms permission for plain packaging appeal – The Guardian

Posted April 12th, 2017 in appeals, health, news, smoking, Supreme Court by sally

‘All cigarettes sold in the UK must have standardised packaging from next month after the supreme court refused permission to the tobacco industry to appeal against the new laws.’

Full story

The Guardian, 11th April 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government given 21 days to explain climate change failures or face legal action – The Independent

Posted April 12th, 2017 in budgets, climate change, delay, energy, government departments, news, pollution by sally

‘Environmental lawyers at campaign group ClientEarth set deadline amid concern over repeated delays to publication of Government’s key plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.’

Full story

The Independent, 11th April 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Selfridges ad of ‘thin’ model cleared by watchdog – BBC News

Posted April 12th, 2017 in advertising, complaints, news by sally

‘A fashion advert for Selfridges has been cleared by the advertising watchdog following a complaint the model in it looked “unhealthily thin”.’

Full story

BBC News, 12th April 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Homeless man guilty of murdering hotel worker under M4 bridge – The Guardian

Posted April 12th, 2017 in murder, news by sally

‘A homeless man is facing life in prison for snatching a hotel housekeeper under a motorway bridge, sexually assaulting and murdering her.’

Full story

The Guardian, 11th April 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Watchdog queries scope of rules on ‘profiling’ under the GDPR – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 12th, 2017 in data protection, EC law, news by sally

‘It is not clear how broad in scope new rules on “profiling” under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are, the UK’s data protection watchdog has said.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 11th April 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted April 11th, 2017 in legislation by Verity

The European Union Financial Sanctions (Enhanced Penalties) Regulations 2017

The Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 2017

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Jehovah’s Witnesses lose appeal to block New Moston inquiry – Law & Religion UK

Posted April 11th, 2017 in appeals, Charity Commission, human rights, inquiries, news, religious discrimination, tribunals, victims by sally

‘In Tayo & Ors (Trustees of Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses) v Charity Commission for England and Wales [2017] UKUT 134 (TCC), the trustees of Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses lost their appeal against the First Tier Tribunal’s refusal in 2015 – which we noted at the time – to review the Charity Commission’s decision to open a statutory inquiry into the charity under s 46 Charities Act 2011.’

Full story

Law & Religion UK, 5th April 2017

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Tribunal judge overturns listing of allotment site as an asset of community value – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 11th, 2017 in appeals, assets of community value, commons, housing, local government, news, tribunals by sally

‘A tribunal has overturned the listing of an allotment site in Lancashire as an asset of community value (ACV), on the grounds that nearby housing development makes it “highly unrealistic” that the site will ever be used as allotments again.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 11th April 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Man who torched dream home after row with building society is jailed – The Guardian

Posted April 11th, 2017 in arson, building societies, mortgages, news, sentencing by sally

‘A man who set fire to his dream rural retreat after a bitter dispute with a building society was found strumming a guitar and cooking on a barbecue next to the burning building by firefighters who arrived to help.’

Full story

The Guardian, 10th April 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Somebody else’s money – Nearly Legal

Posted April 11th, 2017 in appeals, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, local government, news, set-off, third parties, tribunals by sally

‘Ms Oliver was the long leaseholder in a block of flats on the Lansdowne Estate, which was owned by the Council. The Council carried out city wide major works, which included works on the Lansdown Estate. Some of the works were eligible for a contribution from a commercial energy company as part of the Community Energy Savings Programme (“CESP”). In total 15 of the 25 blocks on the Lansdowne Estate were eligible to receive CESP funding. The contribution to Ms Oliver’s block was £43,570.44. The Council decided not to pass the CESP directly to the leaseholders as a set off against their service charge contributions. Rather, the Council decided to attribute the money to the funding of works to its city-wide housing stock. The effect of this was that every leaseholder’s service charge was reduced irrespective of whether their block had been entitled to CESP funding.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 10th April 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Court of Appeal warns judges against interrupting witness evidence too much – Litigation Futures

Posted April 11th, 2017 in appeals, bias, cross-examination, evidence, judges, judiciary, news, professional conduct, witnesses by sally

‘The Chancellor of the High Court has urged judges to “temper eagerness with restraint” in the way they conduct trials, after a circuit judge was found to have made excessive interventions while witnesses were giving evidence.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 10th April 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Shared legal service terminated after requirements of partner councils change – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 11th, 2017 in alternative business structures, legal services, local government, news, reports by sally

‘The shared legal service between Spelthorne Borough Council and Reigate & Banstead Borough Council came to an end last month after three years, it has emerged.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 11th April 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk