Drug-drivers to face jail time under new law – The Guardian

Posted May 8th, 2012 in bills, careless driving, drug abuse, drug offences, news by sally

“Drivers found to have taken drugs face a prison sentence of up to six months and a fine of up to £5,000 under new legislation, ministers reveal on Monday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 7th May 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bills delayed ‘to make room for Lords reform’ – BBC News

Posted May 3rd, 2012 in bills, constitutional reform, legislation, news, parliament by sally

“The government is putting promised legislation on hold to make room for House of Lords reform, MPs say.”

Full story

BBC News, 2nd May 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal aid is (almost) dead – The Guardian

Posted May 1st, 2012 in alternative business structures, bills, law centres, legal aid, news by sally

“After a long fight and a knife-edge vote in the Lords last week, the Queen gave her assent today to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill (Laspo). A significant number of people will no longer have access to professional help with legal problems.”

Full story

The Guardian, 1st May 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid for domestic violence victims should not be decided on luck – The Guardian

Posted April 30th, 2012 in bills, domestic violence, legal aid, news, parliament by sally

“It is surprising how many Liberal Democrat peers cravenly toed the government line when voting on the legal aid bill.”

Full story

The Guardian, 27th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Will the legal aid bill be the end of the ambulance-chasing lawyer? – The Guardian

Posted April 26th, 2012 in bills, fees, news, personal injuries by sally

“For all the scaremongering about a compensation culture, ignorance of rights causes more harm than the bringing of unmeritorious legal claims.”

Full story

The Guardian, 25th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lords block legal aid bill again – The Guardian

Posted April 24th, 2012 in amendments, bills, legal aid, news, parliament by sally

“The government has suffered a fresh round of defeats in the House of Lords over austerity plans to cut legal aid, setting up a constitutional confrontation between the two houses of parliament.”

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ken Clarke climbs down on legal aid for domestic violence – The Guardian

Posted April 18th, 2012 in bills, criminal justice, domestic violence, legal aid, news by sally

“Victims of domestic violence will be given greater access to legal aid to fund civil cases against abusive partners, Kenneth Clarke announced on Tuesday as the government made a U-turn on some of its controversial reforms. The justice secretary described the amendments to the legal aid, sentencing and punishment of offenders bill as ‘fairly formidable’.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bar Council Calls on Government to Accept Vital Legal Aid Amendments – The Bar Council

Posted April 17th, 2012 in bills, legal aid, news by sally

“As the House of Commons prepares today to consider amendments passed in the House of Lords to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Bill, the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has called on the Government to accept these vital changes.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 17th April 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

‘Thousands of children’ to lose legal aid in shake-up – BBC News

Posted April 17th, 2012 in bills, children, legal aid, news by sally

“Thousands of children will lose access to legal aid under government plans to shake up the system, campaigners say.”

Full story

BBC News, 17th April 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal aid bill puts thousands at risk, says Citizens Advice – The Guardian

Posted April 16th, 2012 in benefits, bills, law centres, legal aid, news by sally

“Removal of specialist support leaves those wrongly assessed vulnerable to poverty and homelessness, campaigners warn.”

Full story

The Guardian, 16th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The dangers of data snooping – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted April 10th, 2012 in bills, electronic mail, human rights, internet, investigatory powers, news, privacy by sally

“Civil liberties and the coalition have been happily filling the political pages this week. The damning conclusion of the Joint Committee on Human Rights that there is no evidence to justify expanding closed proceedings (expertly dissected by Rosalind English earlier in the week) vied for column inches with leaks that the Government planned to introduce ‘real time’ monitoring of how we use the internet in the interests of national security.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 6th April 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Old but not forgotten: spring cleaning the statute book – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted April 5th, 2012 in bills, legislation, news, repeals by sally

“Pub quizzes often include a round or two on old laws supposedly still in force – the likes of being able to drive livestock over London Bridge, or to have cakes and ale during exams, or whether the death penalty is still in force for arson in the Royal Docks. A number of future answers are about to be altered at the behest of the Law Commission, which has compiled a long list of statutory deadwood to be felled this summer by an axe in the form of the Statute Law (Repeals) Bill.”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 4th April 2012

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Automatic porn censorship legislation proposed – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 5th, 2012 in bills, internet, news, pornography by sally

“Internet service providers (ISPs) would be required to prevent customers accessing pornographic images unless those customers actively notify the ISPs that they want to access the material if draft new UK legislation being proposed receives backing.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 4th April 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

19th Statute Law Repeals Report – Law Commission

Posted April 4th, 2012 in bills, news, repeals, statute law revision by sally

19th Statute Law Repeals Report (PDF)

Law Commission, 4th April 2012

Source: http://lawcommission.justice.gov.uk/

Bonfire of ‘dead wood statutes’ to claim 800 obsolete laws – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 3rd, 2012 in bills, legislation, news, repeals by sally

“A law passed in 1696 to raise funds for the rebuilding of St Paul’s Cathedral after the Great Fire of London is one of 800 obsolete Acts due to be wiped from the statute book this summer.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 2nd April 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

NHS reforms finally become law – The Independent

Posted March 28th, 2012 in amendments, bills, health, legislation, news by sally

“The Government’s controversial reforms to the NHS became law today [27 March] after a tortuous 14-month passage through Parliament, when the Queen granted Royal Assent to the Health and Social Care Bill.”

Full story

The Independent, 27th March 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Fresh series of defeats for proposals to cut access to legal aid for children – The Guardian

Posted March 28th, 2012 in bills, budgets, children, legal aid, negligence, news by sally

“The government has suffered a fresh series of defeats in the House of Lords over proposals to cut access to legal aid for children and in medical negligence cases.”

Full story

The Guardian, 27th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The legal aid bill will enable multinationals to exploit the poor – The Guardian

Posted March 27th, 2012 in bills, civil justice, human rights, news by sally

“Victims of human rights abuses and environmental crimes in developing countries must have access to justice.”

Full story

The Guardian, 26th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Deferred prosecution agreement legislation to be introduced, Solicitor General says – OUT-LAW.com

“The Government will introduce new laws that enable businesses and prosecutors to negotiate the punishments those firms should face for unlawful activity before the end of this Parliament, a top legal advisor has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Justice reforms move to next stage – Ministry of Justice

Posted March 22nd, 2012 in bills, legal aid, news, parliament, sentencing by sally

“Plans for radical reforms to the justice system have moved another step forward in the Houses of Parliament.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 21st March 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk