Grieve: legal aid cuts hurt, but bar is just too big – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 2nd, 2013 in attorney general, barristers, budgets, legal aid, litigants in person, news by tracey

“Attorney general Dominic Grieve has spoken of his sympathy for lawyers affected by the legal aid cuts – but insisted the legal sector cannot be immune from austerity measures.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 30th September 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Mediation services hit by legal aid cuts, Ministry of Justice figures reveal – The Guardian

“Government attempts to promote mediation as an alternative to expensive courtroom divorce and custody battles are failing, according to figures obtained through freedom of information requests.”

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The Guardian, 30th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Michael Mansfield: ‘Nowadays there’s one rule for the rich, and another for the poor’ – The Independent

Posted September 30th, 2013 in barristers, budgets, equality, inquiries, legal aid, news by sally

“He has represented everyone from the Lawrence family to the Hillsborough victims. But, he tells Emily Dugan, cuts to legal aid mean he can now only exist as a ‘virtual lawyer’.”

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The Independent, 27th September 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judiciary launches review of unimplemented Jackson recommendations – Litigation Futures

Posted September 23rd, 2013 in budgets, costs, delay, judiciary, news by sally

“The judiciary is undertaking a review of those recommendations made by Lord Justice Jackson that have not yet been implemented, it has emerged.”

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Litigation Futures, 23rd September 2013

Source: www.litigation.com

How to avoid getting into serious trouble! – New Law Journal

Posted September 20th, 2013 in budgets, case management, civil procedure rules, costs, news by sally

“HH Simon Brown QC continues his exclusive NLJ online series on costs management post-Jackson.”

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New Law Journal, 19th September 2013

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Wormwood Scrubs prison ‘on knife edge’ because of staff cuts – The Guardian

Posted September 18th, 2013 in budgets, news, ombudsmen, prison officers, prisons, restraint, standards, statistics by sally

“Wormwood Scrubs, the west London prison, is on a ‘knife-edge’, an official watchdog has warned, with an alarming 50% growth in the use of force or restraining measures to control prisoners in an increasingly violent, gang-dominated jail.”

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The Guardian, 18th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

NHS ‘covered up’ £4m of gag orders – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 16th, 2013 in budgets, disclosure, freedom of information, hospitals, news, statistics, whistleblowers by tracey

“The head of the NHS has been accused of a ‘systemic cover-up’ after official figures disclosed that hospitals have spent more than £4 million on secret gagging orders.”

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Daily Telegraph, 15th September 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Master more than halves £1m budget – Litigation Futures

Posted September 12th, 2013 in budgets, costs, damages, fees, judges, news by tracey

“A High Court master last week more than halved a proposed budget in a quantum-only cerebral palsey case, it has emerged. Leading costs lawyer Matthew Harman told this week’s PI Futures seminar in Manchester that the master also refused to hear any argument on hourly rates.”

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Litigation Futures, 12th September 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

New term, new approach to social care costs in SEN appeals – Education Law Blog

Posted September 2nd, 2013 in budgets, education, local government, news, special educational needs, tribunals by sally

“We’re back to school with a bang with the decision of the Upper Tribunal in WH v Warrington BC [2013] UKUT 0391 (AAC) where Judge Williams declined to follow O v Lewisham [2007] EWHC 2130 (Admin) and instead held that the only relevant “public expenditure” for the purposes of section 9 of the Education Act 1996 is that which comes out of the local authority’s education budget.”

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Education Law Blog, 1st September 2013

Source: www.education11kbw.com

New lobbying bill will affect charities’ ability to campaign on political issues – The Guardian

Posted August 27th, 2013 in bills, budgets, charities, lobbying, news by tracey

“The Electoral Commission, Britain’s elections watchdog, has concluded that government plans to curb political campaigning by charities before a general election are flawed and in part unworkable.”

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The Guardian, 26th August 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

More couples opt for DIY divorce as legal fees rise – LegalVoice

Posted August 21st, 2013 in arbitration, budgets, divorce, expenses, family courts, fees, news by sally

“With the legal fees for a ‘simple’ divorce in London now at £2,500, DIY divorce websites are reporting a sharp rise in the number of couples using their services.”

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LegalVoice, 19th August 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Are Britain’s barristers living on borrowed time? – Daily Telegraph

“It’s a profession that’s been associated with glamour, intrigue and financial gain. But imminent changes to our legal system have criminal lawyers fearing for their livelihoods. Why? And who stands to lose the most? Julia Llewellyn Smith reports.”

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Daily Telegraph, 20th August 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Budgeting? Beware! – New Law Journal

Posted August 20th, 2013 in budgets, case management, costs, news by tracey

“Every litigator will be aware of the new obligation to prepare budgets. What follows is a series of warnings about trips and traps.”

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New Law Journal, 19th August 2013

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Mediation: reasonable growth – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 12th, 2013 in arbitration, budgets, family courts, legal aid, news, reports by sally

“The government is introducing measures which it says will take pressure off the courts and tribunals, and in the case of family law disputes fill the gap left by cuts to legal aid. But many practitioners say the policies have not been properly thought through – and may actually hinder the use of mediation.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 12th August 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

High Court rejects challenge to maximum expenditure policy on adult care – Local Government Lawyer

“A High Court judge has rejected claims that a council unlawfully decided to introduce a ‘maximum expenditure policy’ on funding for adult care packages where people choose to live in the community.”

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th August 2013

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

London fire cuts: Councils to seek judicial review – BBC News

Posted August 12th, 2013 in budgets, fire services, judicial review, local government, London, news by sally

“A group of London councils is preparing to take legal action over the decision to shut 10 fire stations as part of plans to make £28.8m savings.”

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BBC News, 10th August 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

High Court caps ‘plebgate’ libel budget to court fees for Andrew Mitchell MP – The Lawyer

Posted August 8th, 2013 in budgets, case management, costs, defamation, fees, news by sally

“The High Court has told the former chief whip Andrew Mitchell MP that the cost of his libel action against The Sun will be restricted to the cost of the court fees for the claim.”

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The Lawyer, 7th August 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Cuts to legal aid are an attack on working class, says ’80s miners’ lawyer – The Independent

Posted August 5th, 2013 in budgets, equality, legal aid, miners, news, police by sally

“A leading civil-rights lawyer who helped striking miners successfully fight false accusations from police during the infamous ‘Battle of Orgreave’ has said it would now be much harder for them to achieve justice under the Government’s legal aid reforms.”

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The Independent, 4th August 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Surviving LASPO: ‘Be creative, be out there’ – LegalVoice

“Now that legal aid is diminished, is it possible to find new sources of public funding for legal advice? Yes, if you work at it, writes Sue Bent.”

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LegalVoice, 31st July 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

John Stanton: The General Power of Competence and Reshaping Local Public Service Provision – UK Constitutional Law Group

Posted July 30th, 2013 in budgets, government departments, local government, news by sally

“I wrote back in March about the way in which, despite efforts to decentralise autonomy to the local level and to inspire and empower citizens to get involved in local politics, Central Government seems reluctant to ‘let go’ and to give local authorities a free rein in relation to the exercise of local powers. New neighbourhood planning measures provided suitable example.”

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UK Constitutional Law Group, 27th July 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org