Restore legal aid for separating couples, MoJ urged – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 11th, 2018 in budgets, consultations, divorce, families, legal aid, news by sally

‘Digitising the divorce application process and hoping for the best isn’t enough to reform the legal requirements for splitting up, the Law Society has warned, telling the government to restore legal aid so that separating couples can receive early advice.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 11th December 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal aid advice network ‘decimated’ by funding cuts – BBC News

Posted December 11th, 2018 in budgets, housing, legal aid, legal representation, litigants in person, news, statistics by sally

‘Cuts to legal aid have created “deserts” of provision across England and Wales, a BBC investigation found.’

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BBC News, 10th December 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Time to be canny about cash flow – New Law Journal

Posted December 11th, 2018 in budgets, law firms, news by sally

‘Norman Kenvyn shares some tips on how to avoid stretched billing timescales.’

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New Law Journal, 19th November 2018

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

City to contest cases where asylum seeker assessed as adult threatens legal action – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 11th, 2018 in asylum, budgets, children, immigration, judicial review, local government, news by sally

‘Liverpool City Council is to contest the next cases in which apparently adult asylum seekers claim to be children, in the face of a potential £1.5m cost for looking after them.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th December 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Families threaten county with legal action over cuts to services for disabled children – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 10th, 2018 in budgets, children, disabled persons, education, local government, news by sally

‘Lawyers acting for families with disabled children have threatened Somerset County Council with a legal challenge over proposed cuts to services that would save £2m over the next two years.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th December 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Leading firm left with court fees budget after late service – Litigation Futures

Posted December 7th, 2018 in budgets, case management, costs, fees, indemnities, law firms, news, sanctions, service by tracey

‘A leading national law firm that served its budget late has failed in an application for relief from sanctions only made on the day of the case and costs management conference (CCMC).’

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Litigation Futures, 7th December 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Further CPS cuts impossible as workload grows, says new boss – The Guardian

‘The Crown Prosecution Service cannot sustain further cuts because digital technology is imposing heavy additional workloads on its lawyers, Max Hill QC, the new director of public prosecutions, has told MPs.’

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The Guardian, 4th December 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Watchdog to launch investigation into UK funerals over ‘unjustified’ price hikes – The Independent

Posted November 29th, 2018 in bereavement, budgets, burials and cremation, competition, news, statistics by tracey

‘The UK funeral market could be the subject of the competition watchdog’s next investigation, after the regulator said it had “serious concerns” with the sector due to “unjustified” price hikes of more than 66 per cent over the last 10 years.’

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The Independent, 29th November 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Women launch legal challenge to ‘irrational’ universal credit system – The Guardian

Posted November 28th, 2018 in benefits, budgets, debts, families, news by tracey

‘Four women have launched a high court legal challenge to universal credit, arguing that an arbitrary design flaw in the payment system for the new benefit is “irrational and discriminatory” and leaves some families hundreds of pounds a year worse off.’

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The Guardian, 27th November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Some 125 barristers earned more than £1m last year – Legal Futures

Posted November 27th, 2018 in barristers, budgets, consultations, fees, licensing, news, remuneration, statistics by tracey

‘There were around 125 barristers reporting fees of more than £1m last year, and another 200 who brought in more than £500,000, new figures from the Bar Council have suggested.
The Bar Council, including the Bar Standards Board, is set to raise an extra £900,000 by imposing higher practising certificate fees (PCFs) on barristers earning more than £500,000 for the first time.’

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Legal Futures, 27th November 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Police ‘picking up pieces of mental health system’, says watchdog – The Guardian

Posted November 27th, 2018 in budgets, mental health, news, ombudsmen, police, statistics by tracey

‘Overstretched police forces are having to “pick up the pieces of a broken mental health system” on top of tackling crime, the emergency services watchdog has found. More than half of all mental health patients who need help in a place of safety are taken there in a police car rather than an ambulance, according to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services.’

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The Guardian, 27th November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Annual Bar and Young Bar Conference 2018: David Gauke speech – Ministry of Justice

Posted November 26th, 2018 in artificial intelligence, barristers, brexit, budgets, courts, divorce, fees, speeches by tracey

‘Lord Chancellor David Gauke spoke about the revised Advocates Graduated Fee Scheme in his speech on 24 November 2018.’

Full speech

Ministry of Justice, 24th November 2018

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Scrapping juries in rape trials risks rise in miscarriages of justice – The Guardian

‘There is no evidence juries are failing their duty. Abolishing them could increase pressure on judges to boost conviction rates.’

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The Guardian, 22nd November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Junk food ad ban on London transport to take effect in February – The Guardian

Posted November 23rd, 2018 in advertising, budgets, food, London, news, obesity, statistics, transport by sally

‘Junk food adverts will be banned on London Underground, train, tram and bus services from February under plans announced by London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan.’

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The Guardian, 23rd November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Litigants in Person – an inherent problem with the justice system – Family Law Week

Posted November 21st, 2018 in budgets, legal aid, legal representation, litigants in person, news, statistics by tracey

‘Matthew Richardson, barrister at Coram chambers considers the fundamental problem with re-shaping our justice system around a huge increase in litigants in person, caused by the removal of legal aid provision from most cases.’

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Family Law Week, 9th November 2018

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Criminals may escape conviction due to lack of resources for forensics, says Lord Chief Justice – Daily Telegraph

‘Criminals may be escaping conviction because of a lack of resources for forensic investigations, the Lord Chief Justice warned yesterday.’

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Daily Telegraph, 20th November 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Tax tribunal rules that Arron Banks suffered political discrimination – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Banks v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2018] UKFTT 617 (TC). Donations made by Arron Banks to the United Kingdom Independence Party (‘UKIP’) are subject to a tax regime which discriminates against the donor on grounds of his political opinion, the First-Tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) has found.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 14th November 2018

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Orkambi: Family of girl with cystic fibrosis launch legal challenge over lack of NHS funding for breakthrough drug – The Independent

‘The family of a six-year-old girl with cystic fibrosis who was denied funding for a breakthrough drug which could extend her life has launched a judicial review against the NHS.’

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The Independent, 14th November 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

The return of Crown preference – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 14th, 2018 in budgets, insolvency, news, taxation by sally

‘A Budget measure concerning tax and insolvency effectively puts the UK’s tax authority back among preferential creditors in an insolvency. Is this a failure to learn from history?’

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OUT-LAW.com, 13th November 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

The challenges facing England’s new prosecution chief – BBC News

Posted November 14th, 2018 in budgets, Crown Prosecution Service, disclosure, evidence, news, prosecutions by sally

‘Max Hill QC takes up his role as head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the chief agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales, at a hugely challenging time.’

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BBC News, 13th November 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk