Review of coroner services launched – Ministry of Justice

Posted October 21st, 2015 in bereavement, codes of practice, consultations, coroners, inquests, news, time limits by sally

‘Major reforms which have put bereaved people at the heart of the coroner system will be reviewed to see what further improvement can be made, Justice Minister Caroline Dinenage has announced.’

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Ministry of Justice, 15th October 2015

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

Iceland bread advert banned for making baking seem too simple – The Guardian

Posted October 15th, 2015 in advertising, codes of practice, food, news by sally

‘An Iceland video about its range of bread has been banned for oversimplifying the baking process and the number of ingredients.’

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The Guardian, 14th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ex-MP Tim Yeo sues Sunday Times over ‘cash for advocacy’ claims – BBC News

Posted October 13th, 2015 in codes of practice, defamation, media, news, parliament by sally

‘A former Conservative MP has told a court his reputation had been “trashed” by a national newspaper which alleged he breached parliamentary codes of conduct.’

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BBC News, 12th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Revised Rehab Code introduces “streamlined” process for low-value claims – Litigation Futures

Posted October 1st, 2015 in codes of practice, insurance, news, personal injuries, rehabilitation by sally

‘The updated Rehabiliation Code is set to come into operation on 1 December and for the first time includes a separate section for lower-value claims in recognition of the need for a more streamlined process in cases worth less than £25,000.’

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Litigation Futures, 30th September 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Sexual harassment and universities’ legal obligations – the government’s new taskforce – Education Law Blog

‘Many of you will have heard about the government’s recent decision to set up a taskforce to tackle violence against women on campus. (See the government press release here.) This move is timeous or long overdue (depending on your viewpoint) in the light of the accumulating momentum of campaigns by various individuals and organisations to highlight the high incidence of sexual violence/harassment on campus.’

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Education Law Blog, 23rd September 2015

Source: www.education11kbw.com

UK regulator Ofcom backs BBC in Russian TV case – BBC News

Posted September 22nd, 2015 in BBC, codes of practice, complaints, media, news by sally

‘The BBC has won a case against Russian TV channel RT, which claimed the corporation faked a report on Syria.’
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BBC News, 21st September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Firoozmand v Lambeth London Borough Council – WLR Daily

Firoozmand v Lambeth London Borough Council: [2015] EWCA Civ 952; [2015] WLR (D) 374

‘A local authority offering accommodation to a homeless applicant who complained about its condition was not under a duty whenever such a complaint was made to carry out a hazard inspection and assessment before making its decision as to suitability of the accommodation offered.’

WLR Daily, 3rd September 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

No need to scour internet when assessing whether personal data is sensitive, UK tribunal rules – OUT-LAW.com

‘Businesses are not expected to scour the internet and other sources to check whether there is any information that, when linked with personal data they hold, would mean the data they hold is in fact sensitive personal data, according to a new UK ruling.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 1st September 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Stop-and-search: Police training will challenge ‘unconscious bias’ of officers to cut down on unlawful use of tactic – The Independent

‘Hundreds of police officers around the country are to have their prejudices challenged by a training programme that aims to reduce discrimination among those using stop-and-search powers, a tactic that disproportionately targets people from ethnic minorities.’

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The Independent, 22nd August 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

This judgment could shake up how personal injury solicitors operate – The Guardian

‘A claim brought on behalf of two children hurt in an accident has thrown doubt on the use of success fees, and on the unintended consequences of scrapping legal aid in such cases.’

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The Guardian, 21st August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BBC among broadcasters to repeatedly breach Ofcom broadcasting code over funded content – The Independent

Posted August 18th, 2015 in BBC, codes of practice, inquiries, media, news by sally

‘International broadcasters including the BBC repeatedly broke the Ofcom code by screening programmes funded by foreign governments, charities and NGOs, an investigation has revealed.’

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The Independent, 17th August 2015

SOurce: www.independent.co.uk

Remove ‘barristers’ from Victims’ Code, says Society – Law Society’s Gazette

‘‘Out-of-date’ references to barristers in a code of practice for crime victims should be amended, the Law Society has said in response to a Ministry of Justice consultation.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 17th August 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

All Change for London Family Lawyers: An International Perspective – Family Law Week

‘Stuart Clark, Associate Solicitor at The International Family Law Group LLP, explains the latest changes to the administration of divorce and financial remedies cases in London.’

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Family Law Week, 22nd July 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Court overturns relaxed planning requirements for smaller English housing sites – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 10th, 2015 in appeals, codes of practice, equality, housing, local government, news, planning by sally

‘The UK government has been forced to withdraw the exemption from affordable housing contributions and the vacant building credit (VBC) for small housing developments in England after the High Court ruled it was unlawful.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 7th August 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Mental health background checks: new guidance issued by Home Office – The Guardian

‘New guidelines to be issued by the Home Office will make clear the factors that must be considered before mental health crises are disclosed in background checks made on people applying to work with vulnerable groups.’

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The Guardian, 9th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Anti-slavery powers come into force in England and Wales – BBC News

‘Key parts of new legislation to combat slavery in the UK – including life sentences for those guilty of people trafficking – have come into force in England and Wales.

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BBC News, 31st July 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Students to be recruited from second year as graduate recruitment code is transformed – The Lawyer

‘Law firms will be able to recruit future trainees from their second year at university due to a change in the graduate recruitment code.’

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The Lawyer, 29th July 2015

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Revising the Victims’ Code – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 24th, 2015 in codes of practice, consultations, crime, news, victims by sally

‘The statutory Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (“the Code”) places obligations on core criminal justice agencies to provide victims of crime with support and information.’

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Ministry of Justice, 16th July 2015

Source: www.consult.justice.gov.uk

Michael McIntyre spy-cam tweet investigated for data protection breach – The Guardian

Posted July 16th, 2015 in codes of practice, data protection, London, news, police, privacy by sally

‘A picture tweeted by a police helicopter team showing comedian Michael McIntyre standing in a London street is being investigated by the Information Commissioner’s Office for a possible breach of data protection laws.’

Full story

The Guardian, 15th July 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Criminal record checks: guidance for employers – Home Office

‘How employers or organisations can request DBS checks for potential employees.’

Full guidance

Home Office, 14th July 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office