Peers pass low-cost arbitration law for victims of press defamation – The Guardian

Posted February 6th, 2013 in arbitration, bills, complaints, costs, damages, defamation, media, news, victims by sally

“A cross-party alliance of peers hasinjected new momentum into the stalling cross-party talks on the future of press regulation by passing a law to implement a key plank of the Leveson report.”

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The Guardian, 5th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Gay marriage: some legal inequalities will remain – The Guardian

Posted February 6th, 2013 in appeals, bills, civil partnerships, divorce, equality, homosexuality, marriage, news by sally

“The aim of the marriage (same-sex couples) bill is to ensure that all couples enjoy equal marriage rights. Some elements of legal asymmetry remain, however, under the legislation.”

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The Guardian, 5th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Public sector cuts hit judges’ pensions – The Guardian

Posted February 6th, 2013 in bills, budgets, contribution, diversity, judiciary, news, pensions by sally

“Judges have been given figures showing how much they will lose when their tax-free pension allowances are cut in line with government reforms of public sector pay.”

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The Guardian, 6th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government plans for radical overhaul of family law would do little to help improve lives of vulnerable children, warn charities – The Independent

“Charities warned that Government plans for a radical overhaul of family law including the introduction of shared parental leave would do little to help improve the lives of the most vulnerable children.”

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The Independent, 5th February 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Leveson report: Lords unveil proposals in frustration at lack of progress – The Guardian

Posted February 5th, 2013 in arbitration, bills, defamation, media, news, parliament, reports by tracey

“Frustration in the Lords at the lack of progress over the Leveson report has led four peers to table measures to introduce a low-cost arbitration service for defamation, as recommended by Lord Justice Leveson in the defamation bill.”

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The Guardian, 4th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lobbyists’ code of conduct bill to be debated for first time in parliament – The Guardian

Posted February 1st, 2013 in bills, lobbying, news, parliament, professional conduct by tracey

“Lobbyists working in Westminster or local government would have to sign a public register and agree to a code of conduct under a bill being debated for the first time in parliament on Friday.”

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The Guardian, 1st February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Justice and Security Bill: no balance, no public interest – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted January 31st, 2013 in bills, closed material, news, public interest, select committees by sally

“The government’s Justice and Security Bill has this week entered a new phase of debate in the House of Commons as it is considered in detail by a 19-member Public Bill Committee over the next month. The critics of this Bill – and there are many – argue that it will make ‘secret justice’ a standard part of our legal process. The latest set of amendments proposed by the government were revealed yesterday and within them lies a crucial and unjustifiable secrecy provision. The significance of the amendments becomes apparent when one looks at how the Bill has progressed so far.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 30th Janaury 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Children face court action for being ‘annoying’ under new Asbo scheme – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 30th, 2013 in anti-social behaviour, bills, children, civil justice, news, nuisance by sally

“Children could get in trouble with the law simply for being ‘annoying’ under the Home Secretary’s new scheme to replace Asbos, senior police, crime commissioners and councils have warned.”

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Daily Telegraph, 29th January 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Secret courts: MPs to begin line-by-line battle over justice and security bill – The Guardian

Posted January 30th, 2013 in bills, civil justice, closed material, news, private hearings by sally

“Key amendments to government plans to expand secret courts may have reassured many Liberal Democrats MPs but do not give enough ground to satisfy civil liberties groups.”

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The Guardian, 29th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Why government reforms on employment law make little sense – Law Society’s Gazette

“There were some statistics that private equity pioneer Adrian Beecroft did not include in his highly controversial report on employment law published last year. The number of claims brought by employees in employment tribunals fell from 236,000 in 2009-10 to 186,000 in 2011-12. The number of claims for both sex and age discrimination has almost halved. And the median award for most types of claim remains low, at around £5,000 (two months’ average pay). Given that these figures relate to a period of acute economic turbulence, they are counterintuitive.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 28th January 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Leveson: Press and politicians still seek solution – BBC News

“For months, the Leveson Inquiry dominated the news, as a succession of high-profile witnesses gave evidence – actors Hugh Grant and Sienna Miller, singer Charlotte Church; the parents of Milly Dowler and Madeleine McCann; editors, proprietors, police chiefs, politicians.”

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BBC News, 27th January 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Media organisations question Government’s legal basis for copyright reforms – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 17th, 2013 in bills, copyright, judicial review, media, news by sally

“A number of major media organisations have threatened to launch a legal challenge to proposed new laws affecting the UK’s copyright framework.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 16th January 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Secret papers show extent of senior royals’ veto over bills – The Guardian

“The extent of the Queen and Prince Charles’s secretive power of veto over new laws has been exposed after Downing Street lost its battle to keep information about its application secret.”

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The Guardian, 14th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Torture claim redactions ‘show dangers of secret courts’ – The Guardian

Posted January 10th, 2013 in bills, closed material, news, private hearings, torture by sally

“Two versions of a highly sensitive military witness statement – initially substantially withheld, then later revealed – illustrate the dangers of government plans to expand secret courts, according to campaigners.”

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The Guardian, 10th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bill of Rights report: no further forward – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted December 20th, 2012 in bills, constitutional reform, human rights, news, reports by tracey

“There is nothing surprising in the conclusion formed by the majority of the Commission on the Bill of Rights in their report, issued yesterday. A majority favours replacing the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) with a Bill of Rights for the UK, as the means of securing the most effective compliance by this country with its obligations under the Human Rights Convention.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 19th December 2012

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

SEN Update – 11 KBW

“This paper considers developments in relation to the law on Special Educational Needs over the last year. It will address three main areas:
(1) recent SEN cases;
(2) practice and procedure issues;
(3) the Children and Families Bill.”

Full story (PDF)

11 KBW, November 2012

Source: www.11kbw.com

Ken Clarke fails to rule out need for secret courts in MoD cases – The Guardian

“Secret court hearings could be used when the families of soldiers who die as a result of Ministry of Defence failures pursue compensation claims, the minister responsible for the justice and security bill has admitted.”

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The Guardian, 18th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Bill of Rights Commission report: a modest proposal – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted December 19th, 2012 in bills, human rights, news, reports by sally

“The Commission on a Bill of Rights has reported, just in time for its end-of-2012 deadline. The documents are here: News release ; Volume 1 ; Volume 2.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 18th December 2012

Source:www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

The Human Rights Act is too valuable to sacrifice to anti-European mischief – The Guardian

Posted December 19th, 2012 in bills, human rights, news, reports by sally

“Tory attempts to undermine the act threaten an expensive assault on the freedoms of the British public.”

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The Guardian, 18th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK bill of rights: Grayling wrote off the report long ago – The Guardian

Posted December 19th, 2012 in bills, human rights, news, reports by sally

“Commissioners Lady Kennedy and Philippe Sands’ concerns are important, but are unlikely to impact the justice minister’s desire to withdraw from the European convention.”

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The Guardian, 18th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk