Lawyers condemn budget’s £20m legal funding gesture – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 21st, 2012 in budgets, legal aid, news, pro bono work by sally

“Chancellor George Osborne today promised £20m a year in new funding for the not-for-profit advice sector over the next two years. The sum was immediately and widely condemned as being not enough to replace shortfalls left by spending cuts.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 21st March 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Budget 2012 – HM Treasury

Posted March 21st, 2012 in budgets, news by sally

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, today announced his Budget which maintains the Government’s strategy to reduce the deficit, announces far-reaching tax reforms, and support for growth and to reward work. It sets out the actions the Government will take in three areas – creating a stable economy, a fairer, more efficient and simpler tax system, and further reforms to support growth.

Press notice (PDF)

HM Treasury, 21st March 2012

Source: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk

Related link: Budget 2012

Cartels and law reform – a conspiracy against the public – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted March 21st, 2012 in budgets, competition, news, penalties, prosecutions by sally

“Adam Smith is often quoted for his comment on cartels:

‘People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices’.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 21st March 2012

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Squatting law reforms ‘could cost taxpayers £790m over five years’ – The Guardian

Posted March 19th, 2012 in benefits, budgets, legal aid, news, squatting, taxation by sally

“The cost of a new law to further criminalise squatting could run to almost 20 times official estimates, wiping out government legal aid budget savings, according to the findings of a newly published report.”

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The Guardian, 16th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police privatisation plans defended by senior officers – The Guardian

Posted March 5th, 2012 in budgets, contracting out, news, police by tracey

“Senior police officers have strongly defended the radical extension of the role of private companies in policing, saying they should be involved in protecting the public and bringing offenders to justice.”

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The Guardian, 4th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

 

Legal highs evade being banned as scientists run out of cash to test them – The Guardian

Posted February 15th, 2012 in budgets, drug offences, news by sally

“Scientists studying Britain’s rapidly increasing number of synthetic recreational drugs are struggling to assess the risks they pose because money for testing is being cut. Legal highs are flourishing as their manufacturers seek to stay ahead of drug classification laws by tweaking the chemical composition of their legal products to replicate the effects of illegal ones.”

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The Guardian, 14th February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Blind man’s care funding case raises profound issues, supreme court told – The Guardian

Posted February 8th, 2012 in budgets, community care, disabled persons, judiciary, local government, news by sally

“A blind man’s care funding battle with a local authority raises ‘important and profound’ issues for disabled people, the supreme court has been told.”

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The Guardian, 7th February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

High Court orders Surrey library plans judicial review – BBC News

Posted February 6th, 2012 in budgets, injunctions, judicial review, libraries, local government, news by sally

“A judicial review of Surrey County Council’s plans for some libraries to be run by volunteers has been ordered by the High Court.”

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BBC News, 4th February 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Brent library closures: Supreme Court rejects appeal bid – BBC News

Posted February 6th, 2012 in appeals, budgets, judicial review, libraries, local government, news by sally

“The Supreme Court has refused to allow campaigners fighting to save six north-west London libraries permission to appeal against a court’s decision.”

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BBC News, 3rd February 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Cash crisis slows justice for the vulnerable at Court of Protection – The Independent

Posted February 6th, 2012 in budgets, Court of Protection, delay, news by sally

“Hundreds of vulnerable people seeking court decisions about where they live or whom they can meet could experience months of delays because the government expert protecting their interests has almost run out of money, The Independent can disclose.”

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The Independent, 4th February 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Why this case matters: R (KM) v Cambridgeshire County Council – The Guardian

Posted February 3rd, 2012 in budgets, community care, disabled persons, local government, news by sally

“The supreme court is about to hear another case that cuts to the heart of human dignity in care services.”

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The Guardian, 2nd February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Life after legal aid: the fightback begins – The Guardian

Posted January 19th, 2012 in budgets, EC law, news, solicitors by sally

“Solicitors are not going to sit back when welfare benefits and legal aid are withdrawn. We intend to challenge injustice in the courts.”

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The Guardian, 19th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Chancery Lane warns against move to limit jury trial – Law Sociey’s Gazette

Posted January 18th, 2012 in budgets, Crown Court, juries, jurisdiction, news, trials by sally

“The Law Society president has defended the right to jury trial following reports that the government is considering removing some offences from the jurisdiction of the Crown court.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 18th January 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal aid cuts will put domestic violence victims at risk, report warns – The Guardian

Posted January 18th, 2012 in bills, budgets, domestic violence, legal aid, news by sally

“Many victims of domestic violence will be unable to obtain legal help in future to help them escape from abusive relationships, according to a report by women’s groups.”

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The Guardian, 18th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The case for cutting juries is utterly flawed – The Guardian

Posted January 18th, 2012 in budgets, juries, news, trials by sally

“Restricting trial by jury will save little money and is fundamentally misguided.”

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The Guardian, 17th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bashing trial by jury is pathetically predictable – The Guardian

Posted January 18th, 2012 in budgets, juries, news, trials by sally

“Governments needing a facelift often attempt to curtail jury trial. Quick-fix supermarket justice must be resisted.”

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The Guardian, 17th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Child offenders ‘dumped in prison’ as cuts erode social care – The Guardian

Posted January 16th, 2012 in budgets, children, imprisonment, news, social services by sally

“Thousands of children are being imprisoned for minor offences such as playground fights as support services are cut, says Centre for Social Justice thinktank.”

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The Guardian, 15th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Unintended Consequences: the cost of the Government’s Legal Reforms – King’s College London

Posted January 9th, 2012 in budgets, legal aid, reports by tracey

“Unintended consequences: the cost of the government’s legal reforms: a report for the Law Society of England & Wales.”

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King’s College London, 8th January 2012

Source: http://www.kcl.ac.uk

 

Legal aid cuts will save less than half government’s forecast, study finds – The Guardian

Posted January 9th, 2012 in budgets, legal aid, news by tracey

“Savings made by reducing the availability of legal aid for civil cases will be significantly less than half of that predicted by the government, according to a study.”

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The Guardian, 9th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Family lawyers warn of the devastating impact of legal aid changes – Family Law Week

Posted January 9th, 2012 in budgets, family courts, legal aid, news by tracey

“In advance of the House of Lords’ scrutiny of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill which resumes this week, Resolution has warned of its potentially devastating consequences.”

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Family Law Week, 9th January 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk