Month: March 2025

Emailing judgments without formal hand-down ‘unsatisfactory’, High Court rules – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 19th, 2025 in news by sally

‘A judge in the High Court has said judgments being emailed directly to parties without the formalities of a hand-down process is “unsatisfactory and to be deprecated”. Mr Justice Hayden’s comments followed a father’s application to appeal findings of fact made by Judge Helen Arthur following a three-day hearing at the family court in Wolverhampton.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 18th March 2025

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Three-and-a-half-year wait for machete trial sets new record – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 19th, 2025 in news by sally

‘Atrial has been adjourned for over three and a half years in what is thought to be the longest delay in a case due to the Crown court backlog. The latest backlog total is 73,105 cases.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 18th March 2025

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Fines for education failures approaching £1m – BBC News

Posted March 19th, 2025 in news by sally

‘The total amount of fines paid by a council for repeated failures within its education service over the last two years is climbing towards £1m. Surrey County Council’s (SCC) fines have increased from £47,000 in 2020 to more than £500,000 last year.’

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BBC News, 19th March 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Coroner’s child kickboxer death warning – BBC News

Posted March 19th, 2025 in news by sally

‘A coroner has urged the government to protect children taking part in combat sports after a 15-year-old kickboxer died from a head injury during an unsanctioned kickboxing fight.’

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BBC News, 18th March 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Woman’s abortion delayed due to NHS ‘annual leave’ – BBC News

Posted March 19th, 2025 in news by sally

‘A vulnerable woman almost missed the legal cut-off point for an abortion partly because of annual leave at a health board, a court heard.’

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BBC News, 18th March 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Calls to amend payout rules for wrongly convicted – BBC News

Posted March 19th, 2025 in burden of proof, compensation, miscarriage of justice, news, sexual offences by sally

‘”I just burst out crying,” says Brian Buckle, recalling the moment he read the rejection letter from the Ministry of Justice after applying for compensation. It said it accepted Brian was “innocent” of the sexual offences he had been wrongly imprisoned for, but he had failed to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that he had not committed the crimes.’

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BBC News, 19th March 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

How AI and a mole helped capture paedophile ex-Scout leader after being on the run in Thailand for 27 years – The Independent

Posted March 19th, 2025 in abuse of position of trust, artificial intelligence, child abuse, identity fraud, news, sexual offences by sally

‘Richard Burrows evaded justice for decades after stealing the identity of a terminally ill acquaintance – until detectives used facial recognition tool to track him down.’

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The Independent, 19th March 2025

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Two men found guilty over £4.8m Oxfordshire gold toilet heist – The Guardian

Posted March 19th, 2025 in burglary, conspiracy, handling stolen goods, news by sally

‘Two men have been found guilty of the theft of a £4.8m gold toilet from the Oxfordshire country house where Winston Churchill was born.’

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The Guardian, 18th March 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Non-violent protesters should not have to disavow motives at trial, study says – The Guardian

Posted March 19th, 2025 in demonstrations, news, public order, sentencing by sally

‘Protesters charged with non-violent offences should not be forced to disavow their motives when defending themselves at trial or seeking mitigation on their sentences, academics have said.’

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the Guardian, 19th March 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Trust admits further doctor abuse case liability – BBC News

Posted March 18th, 2025 in assault, compensation, doctors, hospitals, news, sexual offences by sally

‘More patients are likely to be able to claim compensation from the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) after further admissions regarding a doctor who sexually abused patients.’

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BBC News, 18th March 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

When executors disagree on funeral arrangements: Patel – Law & Religion UK

Posted March 18th, 2025 in burials and cremation, executors, news by sally

‘Patel v Patel [2025] EWHC 560 (Ch) was a dispute about the funeral arrangements for Bhikhubhai Rambhai Patel, a widower who died in December 2024.’

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Law & Religion UK, 14th March 2025

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Fundamental dishonesty: recent lessons – Quarterly Medical Law Review

Posted March 18th, 2025 in cancer, chambers articles, deceit, delay, doctors, medical treatment, negligence, news by sally

‘This was a clinical negligence case arising out of a negligently delayed diagnosis of laryngeal cancer, resulting in more extensive treatment for the cancer than would otherwise have been required and, in particular, leading to total laryngectomy. The Claimant now breathes through a stoma in her neck and speaks via a valve located in the wall between her trachea and oesophagus.’

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Quarterly Medical Law Review , 17th March 2025

Source: 1corqmlr.com

Court allows City giant to progress ex-client’s claim on assignment – Legal Futures

Posted March 18th, 2025 in assignment, law firms, limitations, negligence, news, sale of land, time limits, trusts, wills by sally

‘A major City law firm can continue bringing a case it took on assignment from former clients which could mitigate a possible professional negligence claim, the High Court has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 18th March 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Raising the standard – or a missed opportunity? – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 18th, 2025 in codes of practice, consultations, government departments, local government, news by sally

‘Matt Lewin reflects on the Government’s consultation on reforms to the standards and conduct framework.’

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Local Government Lawyer , 14th March 2025

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court rejects claims of “combined duty” on council to operate system that ensures provision of same-sex personal care – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 18th, 2025 in disabled persons, equality, families, gender, human rights, judicial review, local government, news, social services, statutory duty, women by sally

‘The High Court has dismissed a judicial review application brought on behalf of a young woman with severe disabilities in relation to the local council’s provision of same-sex personal and intimate care for women service users.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th March 2025

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Conditional fee agreements can apply retrospectively, Court of Appeal rules – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 18th, 2025 in appeals, costs, fees, indemnities, law firms, news, solicitors by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has ruled that a law firm’s conditional fee agreement had retrospective effect, even if that was not specifically set out in the contract.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 17th March 2025

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Criminal bar in crisis: one in three intend to quit – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 18th, 2025 in barristers, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, fees, news, statistics by sally

‘The government faces a “catastrophic loss’”of lawyers to help bring down the Crown court backlog after a national survey found that one in three criminal barristers intends to quit.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 17th March 2025

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Probation Service problems in England and Wales leaving public at risk, watchdog finds – The Guardian

Posted March 18th, 2025 in crime prevention, criminal justice, early release, government departments, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons, probation, recidivists, statistics by sally

‘The Probation Service in England and Wales “has too few staff” with “too little experience and training” and leaves members of the public at risk, an official watchdog has found.’

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The Guardian, 18th March 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mums say ‘contaminated land’ legal bid is last resort – BBC News

Posted March 18th, 2025 in children, contamination, environmental health, families, local government, news, pollution, waste by sally

‘More and more children at Rebecca Stewart’s east London playgroup are using asthma inhalers, she says. It was about one in 40 – but now, she says, it is more like one out of every four.’

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BBC News, 18th March 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Coward’ paedophile who fled country convicted – BBC News

Posted March 18th, 2025 in abuse of position of trust, child abuse, children, news, school children, sexual offences by sally

‘A paedophile who stole a terminally ill man’s identity and spent almost three decades on the run has been convicted of 54 child sex abuse charges.’

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BBC News, 17th March 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk