Secret courts ‘unjust’ warns Law Society – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 24th, 2013 in civil justice, closed material, news, private hearings by sally

“Extending secret courts to ordinary civil justice cases would see the UK ‘stoop to the level of repressive regimes’, the Law Society warns today.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 24th January 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Publication of Jackson regulations is ‘starting point’ of 1 April reforms, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 24th, 2013 in civil justice, costs, fees, legislation, news by sally

“The publication of three draft statutory instruments (SIs) that will implement part of the ‘Jackson’ reforms to civil court costs and procedures shows that the Government remains intent on a 1 April start date, an expert has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 24th January 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Regina (Bushara) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily

Posted January 23rd, 2013 in asylum, civil justice, human rights, immigration, Italy, law reports by sally

Regina (Bushara) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] EWHC 3483 (Admin); [2013] WLR (D) 16

“In assessing whether an individual would be at risk on return to a member state, the fact that the receiving state was itself bound by the same Conventions and Community law as the sending state was to be regarded as obviating the risk unless there was a systemic failure in the receiving state. Unless there had been such a failure, the person was adequately protected: he had his rights against the receiving government and, if necessary, the possibility of recourse to the European Court of Human Rights from the receiving country.”

WLR Daily, 16th January 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

What has the European Court of Human Rights ever done for us? – The Independent

Posted January 15th, 2013 in appeals, civil justice, courts, criminal justice, human rights, news by sally

“The Court of Human Rights has a bad press in Britain – but for thousands of desperate people it is their last shot at justice.”

Full story

The Independent, 14th January 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Phillips & Co (a firm) v Bath Housing Co-operative Ltd – WLR Daily

Posted December 12th, 2012 in civil justice, costs, law reports, legal profession, limitations, solicitors by sally

Phillips & Co (a firm) v Bath Housing Co-operative Ltd [2012] EWCA Civ 1591; [2012] WLR (D) 372

“A solicitors’ claim for costs, billed but not yet fixed by assessment or agreement, fell within the phrase ‘debt or other liquidated pecuniary claim’ in section 29(5)(a) of the Limitation Act 1980.”

WLR Daily, 11th December 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

JSC BTA Bank v Ablyazov (No 8) – WLR Daily

Posted December 5th, 2012 in bias, civil justice, contempt of court, law reports, recusal by sally

JSC BTA Bank v Ablyazov (No 8) [2012] EWCA Civ 1551; [2012] WLR (D) 366

“Where a judge had heard pretrial evidence on an application for committal or in litigation commencing with a freezing order in the nature of cross-examination of a principal litigant or important potential witness and had come to some conclusions about it, he was judging the matter before him, as he was required by his office to do. If he did so fairly and judicially no fair-minded and informed observer would consider that there was any possibility of apparent bias.”

WLR Daily, 28th November 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Commission to examine effect of legal aid cuts as demand for service surges – The Guardian

Posted December 3rd, 2012 in citizens advice bureaux, civil justice, legal aid, legal services, news by sally

“An independent commission is being launched on Monday to examine how to cope with deep cuts to legal aid at a time of complex benefits reforms. The Low Commission, named after its chairman, Lord Low, will hold its first public meeting this week as law centres and Citizens Advice centres across the UK begin turning away those seeking advice.”

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Secret courts suffer humiliating defeat in House of Lords – Daily Telegraph

“Peers delivered a series of humiliating defeats on Wednesday night to government plans to introduce secret courts.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st November 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Diminishing judicial review will reverse 50 years of legal progress – The Guardian

Posted November 20th, 2012 in civil justice, judicial review, news, rule of law by sally

“We ought always to strive to streamline our judicial system, but our right of access to justice should not be lightly interfered with.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th November 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Black Holes in the Legal Cosmos – A Hitchhiker’s Guide – Speech by Mr Justice Foskett

Posted November 19th, 2012 in civil justice, criminal justice, judiciary, media, news, speeches by sally

Black Holes in the Legal Cosmos – A Hitchhiker’s Guide (PDF)

Speech by Mr Justice Foskett

King’s College London Law Alumni Autumn Lecture, 15th November 2012

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

These plans for secret hearings are unfair and implausible – The Guardian

Posted November 19th, 2012 in bills, civil justice, closed material, news, private hearings by sally

“The government wants to use secret evidence to counter claims against it. This would undermine the rule of law.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th November 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Civil courts could get powers to enforce compensation for wronged consumers – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 8th, 2012 in civil justice, compensation, consumer protection, courts, enforcement, news by sally

“New powers that could make it easier for consumers to demand reimbursement from companies who have overcharged or mis-sold them products have been proposed by the Government.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 7th November 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Secret courts plan may be incompatible with Human Rights Act says watchdog – The Guardian

Posted November 1st, 2012 in bills, civil justice, closed material, human rights, news, private hearings by sally

“The government’s plans for a new generation of secret courts faced a fresh setback on Wednesday when its own human rights watchdog warned the proposals could be incompatible with the law”

Full story

The Guardian, 31st October 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Watchdog warns over secret hearings – The Independent

“Government plans to extend the use of secret hearings in courts are not compatible with the Human Rights Act, the equalities watchdog has said.”

Full story

The Independent, 31st October 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Spending cuts on legal services will deny ‘effective access’ to justice, says leading barrister – The Independent

Posted October 9th, 2012 in civil justice, criminal justice, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

“Many people will be denied ‘effective access’ to justice as a result of Government spending cuts on legal services, according to a leading barrister.”

Full story

The Independent, 9th October 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Why is the Law of Fire like a student fridge? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 8th, 2012 in civil justice, fire, human rights, negligence, news by sally

“The best part of a thousand years of law has been distilled into this scholarly resolution by the CA of an age old problem. Who pays for the consequences of an accidentally caused fire – the landowner where the fire started or the neighbour who suffered the loss?”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 6th October 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Lord McNally’s speech to the Birmingham Law Society Family Conference 2012 – Ministry of Justice

Posted October 5th, 2012 in civil justice, families, speeches by tracey

“Lord McNally’s speech to the Birmingham Law Society Family Conference 2012.”

Full speech

Ministry of Justice, 1st October 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Evaluation: How can we measure access to justice for individual consumers? – Legal Services Board

Posted September 19th, 2012 in civil justice, criminal justice, legal services, Legal Services Board, news by sally

Evaluation: How can we measure access to justice for individual consumers? (PDF)

Presentation made by LSB Research Project Manager at the LSRC conference.

Legal Services Board, September 2012

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Access to transactional justice: A comparison of consumer responses to transactional and justiciable problems – Legal Services Board

Posted September 19th, 2012 in civil justice, criminal justice, legal services, Legal Services Board, news by sally

Access to transactional justice: A comparison of consumer responses to transactional and justiciable problems (PDF)

Presentation made by LSB Head of Development and Research at the LSRC conference

Legal Services Board, September 2012

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

LSB publishes a discussion paper which sets out a range of indicators that aim to baseline access to justice and monitor how it changes over time – Legal Services Board

“LSB publishes a discussion paper which sets out a range of indicators that aim to baseline access to justice and monitor how it changes over time.”

Full press release

Legal Services Board, 12th September 2012

Source: www.www.legalservicesboard.org.uk