Call for employment tribunals to have more power to protect workers – The Guardian

‘Employment tribunals should be given powers to make awards of up to £100,000 for breach of contract and to deal with disputes where staff are still in work, the Law Commission has recommended.’

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The Guardian, 29th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Bar Council and BSB cut costs as Scots slash fees for solicitors – Legal Futures

Posted April 30th, 2020 in barristers, budgets, coronavirus, fees, news, solicitors by sally

‘The Bar Council and Bar Standards Board have announced a series of measures – including furloughing – to make savings of more than £200,000 to aid the profession during the Covid-19 crisis.’

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Legal Futures, 30th April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Coronavirus could cause ‘unprecedented’ backlog of court cases – The Guardian

Posted April 29th, 2020 in barristers, budgets, coronavirus, courts, criminal justice, delay, news, prisons, statistics by sally

‘The coronavirus outbreak could lead to court case delays of up to six months and record prisoner numbers once the lockdown has been lifted, according to a leading Whitehall thinktank.’

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The Guardian, 29th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

LSB questions Bar regulator’s decision-making – Legal Futures

Posted April 27th, 2020 in barristers, budgets, internet, legal services, Legal Services Board, news by sally

‘The Legal Services Board (LSB) is launching a formal review of the Bar Standards Board’s (BSB) leadership and decision-making in the wake of its controversial decision to stop funding the Legal Choices website.’

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Legal Futures, 27th April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar ramps up aid initiatives – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 20th, 2020 in barristers, budgets, coronavirus, inns of court, news by tracey

‘Barristers have been urged to donate to an emergency hardship fund and the Inns of Court are scrambling to create support packages for junior lawyers, after warnings that demand for financial help in the Covid-19 crisis will outstrip resources.’

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Law Society's Gazette,20th April 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

MPs call for action over expected rise in child sexual abuse during pandemic – The Guardian

‘Increased funding for children’s helplines is among the urgent measures being demanded by a group of cross-party MPs to tackle child sexual abuse during the coronavirus pandemic.’

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The Guardian, 16th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

New Act – legislation.gov.uk

Posted April 14th, 2020 in budgets, legislation by tracey

Contingencies Fund Act 2020

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

New Act – legislation.gov.uk

Posted April 14th, 2020 in budgets, hospitals, legislation by tracey

NHS Funding Act 2020

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

“Release QC money” to support Bar during Covid-19 – Legal Futures

‘The Public Access Bar Association (PABA) has urged the Bar Council to call in its share of the surplus held by QC Appointments (QCA) to support barristers struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.’

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Legal Futures, 14th April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Most chambers “face collapse” without government cash – Legal Futures

Posted April 3rd, 2020 in barristers, budgets, coronavirus, news, pupillage, statistics by sally

‘More than half of barristers’ chambers will go out of business within six months if they do not receive financial support from the government during the coronavirus crisis, the Bar Council has warned.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

APIL and FOIL issue guidance on Covid-19 co-operation – Litigation Futures

Posted April 2nd, 2020 in budgets, claims management, coronavirus, costs, electronic mail, law firms, news by sally

‘Personal injury firms should temporarily agree to accept service by email and freeze limitation periods, according to guidance issued to claimant and defendant lawyers today on the conduct of claims during the Covid-19 crisis.’

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Litigation Futures, 1st April 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Directors disqualified after abandoning care homes, diverting council funds – Local Government Lawyer

‘The directors of two care homes in the Midlands have been disqualified after they diverted council funds before abandoning elderly residents and staff, the Insolvency Services has revealed.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 31st March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Budget rejection lays bare Legal Ombudsman crisis – Legal Futures

Posted March 31st, 2020 in budgets, legal services, Legal Services Board, news, ombudsmen, standards by sally

‘The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has hit crisis point again after it was forced to backtrack on its request for a 20% budget rise, with the Legal Services Board (LSB) describing its performance as unacceptable.’

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Legal Futures, 31st March 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Environmental Law News Update – Six Pump Court

‘In this latest environmental law news update Charles Morgan and Christopher Badger consider environmental promises in this week’s budget, effects on the environment from the coronavirus and a new report that says net zero by 2050 is possible.’

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Six Pump Court, 12th March 2020

Source: www.6pumpcourt.co.uk

Are meaning hearings the new norm? – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 17th, 2020 in budgets, costs, defamation, interpretation, news by sally

‘While words can mean different things to different people, in libel the parties are concerned with finding the single meaning the words complained of bear. Meaning is important, because it will determine to a large extent what defences a defendant could viably run (for example truth or honest opinion).’

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Law Society's Gazette, 16th March 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Failure to spend budget “not a good reason to depart” – Litigation Futures

Posted March 9th, 2020 in budgets, costs, news, proportionality by tracey

‘A failure to spend the totality of a budgeted figure for a phase because of settlement is not in itself a good reason to depart from a costs budget, a regional costs judge has ruled.’

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Litigation Futures, 6th March 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

HS2: Chris Packham launches legal challenge to rail link – BBC News

Posted March 4th, 2020 in budgets, climate change, delay, environmental protection, news, railways by sally

‘TV naturalist Chris Packham has launched a legal challenge to HS2 high-speed rail link.’

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BBC News, 3rd March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Gambling Commission is “a small regulator in a huge and fast-evolving industry”, warns spending watchdog – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 2nd, 2020 in budgets, gambling, news, ombudsmen, regulations, statistics by sally

‘Even if the Gambling Commission were to make recommended improvements, it is “a small body that is unlikely to be fully effective in regulating a challenging and fast-changing industry within the current system”, the National Audit Office has warned.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 28th March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Funder exposed to costs as CoA says Arkin rule not binding – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 27th, 2020 in budgets, champerty, costs, fees, news, third parties by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal has ruled that a litigation funder can be exposed to higher costs than those they committed to backing a claim in a ruling that will send shock-waves through the sector.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 26th February 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Rules urgently needed to oversee police use of data and AI – report – The Guardian

‘National guidance is urgently needed to oversee the police’s use of data-driven technology amid concerns that it could lead to discrimination, a report has said.’

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The Guardian, 23rd February 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com