Baroness Shackleton: legal watchdog warns lawyer fees market needs ‘urgent reform’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 3rd, 2011 in consumer protection, fees, legal profession, legal services, news by sally

“Exclusive: Lawyers are under pressure to adopt more ‘consumer friendly’ fee structures amid thousands of complaints from clients about inflated billing charges, the legal watchdog has warned. ”

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Daily Telegraph, 1st October 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Agency workers’ rights come into force – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 3rd, 2011 in casual workers, EC law, news by sally

“Temporary agency workers will be entitled to the same employment and working conditions as those given to staff when the UK’s new Agency Workers Regulations come into force tomorrow.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 30th September 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Ferdinand v MGN – a “Kiss n’ Tell” public interest defence succeeds – Lorna Skinner – UK Human Rights Blog

“In the first ‘misuse of private information’ trial against a newspaper since Max Mosley in 2008, Mr Justice Nicol dismissed a claim brought by England and Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand against the Sunday Mirror.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 2nd October 2011

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Advocacy assurance scheme ‘halted’, declares criminal bar – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 3rd, 2011 in advocacy, barristers, news, quality assurance by sally

“Plans to introduce the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) have run into serious difficulties, it has emerged. The Criminal Bar Association appears to have withdrawn its engagement with the controversial accreditation scheme amid a dispute about linking payment to accreditation level.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd October 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Reform options for media regulation – The Guardian

Posted October 3rd, 2011 in complaints, media, news by sally

“Hugh Tomlinson QC analyses the various options for replacing the Press Complaints Commission.”

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The Guardian, 30th September 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Banned preacher can seek damages over illegal arrest – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 3rd, 2011 in damages, false imprisonment, immigration, news by sally

“A banned Islamic preacher who entered Britain illegally following a Home Office blunder is entitled to seek damages after being detained unlawfully, a judge has ruled.”

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Daily Telegraph, 30th September 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Woman’s plea for more access to disabled sister rejected by judge – The Independent

Posted October 3rd, 2011 in care homes, disabled persons, families, news by sally

“A sister’s long and bitter battle to see more of her severely disabled sibling suffered a devastating blow yesterday when a judge ruled that a local authority-selected nursing home provided the best possible care.”

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The Independent, 1st October 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

A formula for justice – The Guardian

Posted October 3rd, 2011 in evidence, news, statistics by sally

“Bayes’ theorem is a mathematical equation used in court cases to analyse statistical evidence. But a judge has ruled it can no longer be used. Will it result in more miscarriages of justice?”

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The Guardian, 2nd October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Home Secretary May ‘wants Human Rights Act scrapped’ – The Independent

Posted October 3rd, 2011 in human rights, news by sally

“Home Secretary Theresa May risked angering Liberal Democrat Cabinet colleagues today by throwing her weight behind calls for the Human Rights Act to be scrapped.”

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The Independent, 2nd October 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Students fear plans to reform law on squatting may outlaw sit-ins – The Guardian

Posted October 3rd, 2011 in demonstrations, news, squatting by sally

“Government proposals to criminalise squatting may also outlaw occupation-style protests and sit-ins, student leaders, trades unionists and lawyers have said.”

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The Guardian, 2nd October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted September 29th, 2011 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Mitchell, R v [2011] EWCA Crim 2030 (05 August 2011)

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Cambridge, R v [2011] EWCA Crim 2009 (2 August 2011)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Egan v Basildon Borough Council [2011] EWHC 2416 (QB) (26 September 2011)

High Court (Family Division)

W v M & Ors [2011] EWHC 2443 (Fam) (28 September 2011)

Source: www.bailii.org

Williams and others v British Airways plc (Case C-155/10) – WLR Daily

Posted September 29th, 2011 in airlines, EC law, employment, law reports, remuneration, working time by sally

Williams and others v British Airways plc (Case C-155/10); [2011] WLR (D) 282

“An airline pilot was entitled, during his annual leave, not only to the maintenance of his basic salary, but also, first, to all the components intrinsically linked to the performance of the tasks which he was required to carry out under his contract of employment and in respect of which a monetary amount, included in the calculation of his total remuneration, was provided and, second, to all the elements relating to his personal and professional status as an airline pilot, pursuant to article 7 of Directive 2003/88/EC of 4 November 2003 concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time and clause 3 of the Agreement annexed to Directive 2000/79/EC of 27 November 2000 concerning the European Agreement on the Organisation of Working Time of Mobile Workers in Civil Aviation, concluded by the Association of European Airlines, the European Transport Workers’ Federation, the European Cockpit Association, the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) and the International Air Carrier Association.”

WLR Daily, 15th September 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Detention of mentally ill foreign national violated Convention rights – Daniel Sokol – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted September 29th, 2011 in deportation, detention, human rights, mental health, news by sally

“The High Court has found that the Secretary of State unlawfully detained a mentally ill foreign national who was awaiting deportation. By failing to notify the claimant of the deportation order in good time or to follow the Home Office’s own published policies on the detention of mentally ill persons, and by detaining the claimant in degrading conditions, the Secretary of State had breached Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment) and Article 5 (right to liberty and security of person) of the Convention.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 29th September 2011

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Courts in a clash – in in-depth look at a closely watched Supreme Court ruling on arbitrators – Legal Week

Posted September 29th, 2011 in arbitration, news, Supreme Court by sally

“Hogan Lovells’ Jerome Finnis dissects a surprise decision by the Court of Appeal regarding the nationality of arbitrators, and why the Supreme Court reversed it.”

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Legal Week, 29th September 2011

Source: www.legalweek.com

2012 Olympic short term landlords ‘could face fines’ – BBC News

Posted September 29th, 2011 in fines, landlord & tenant, news by sally

“Londoners hoping to rent out their homes during the Olympics are being warned they could be breaking the law and left facing a fine.”

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BBC News, 28th September 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Pay shake-up at criminal Bar could see QCs paid at same level as leading juniors – Legal Week

Posted September 29th, 2011 in barristers, fees, news, queen's counsel, remuneration by sally

“Criminal silks could see a significant drop in pay to match the rates of leading junior barristers, following recommendations made by the Legal Services Commission (LSC) last week.”

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Legal Week, 28th September 2011

Source: www.legalweek.com

Shrien Dewani extradition signed for possible South Africa murder trial – The Guardian

Posted September 29th, 2011 in extradition, murder, news, post-traumatic stress disorder by sally

“The prospect of the British man Shrien Dewani being flown to South Africa to face trial over the murder of his wife, Anni, moved a step closer when the home secretary signed an order for his extradition.”

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The Guardian, 28th September 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Strict liability for offence of under-age sex does not offend presumption of innocence – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted September 29th, 2011 in age of consent, human rights, news, sexual offences, strict liability by sally

“The Strasbourg Court has rejected as manifestly ill-founded a complaint that the offence of strict liability for rape of a child under 13 violated the right to a presumption if innocence under Article 6 and respect for private life under Article 8.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 28th September 2011

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Internet policing is ‘inevitable’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 29th, 2011 in freedom of expression, internet, media, news, privacy, public interest by sally

“State-imposed control of the internet is ‘inevitable’ if the conflict between the right to privacy and a free press is ever to be resolved, lawyers and journalists suggested last week at a Law Society public debate.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 29th September 2011

Source: www:lawgazette.co.uk

No Government decision on unfair dismissal claims – The Independent

Posted September 29th, 2011 in employment, news, unfair dismissal by sally

“The Government today insisted it had made no final decision on whether to increase the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims from 12 months to two years and was still considering responses to a consultation.”

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The Independent, 28th September 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk