Proposals for further reforms to court fees – Ministry of Justice

Posted January 20th, 2015 in civil justice, consultations, courts, fees, news, repossession by sally

‘In Part 1 of the Government response to the consultation ‘Court fees: proposals for reform’, we set out our decision to consider alternatives to the proposed fee increase for divorce.’

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 16th January 2015

Source: https://consult.justice.gov.uk

Lawyers join forces with journalists and social workers to protest against government snooping

Posted January 20th, 2015 in consultations, intelligence services, investigatory powers, news, police, privacy by sally

‘The Law Society and Bar Council have joined forces with the British Association of Social Workers and National Union of Journalists to form the ‘Professionals for Information Privacy Coalition’, and express their concern over the controls in place on how the government snoops on professionals.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 20th January 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Enhanced court fees: the government response to part 2 of the consultation on reform of court fees – Ministry of Justice

‘The government response to part 2 of the consultation on reform of court fees and further proposals for consultation.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 16th January 2015

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

Government set to hike general civil application fees – Litigation Futures

Posted January 19th, 2015 in budgets, civil justice, consultations, costs, courts, fees, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘The government has dropped plans for “enhanced” court fees specifically for commercial cases, but is now targeting increased fees for the hundreds of thousands of general civil applications made each year.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 19th January 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Court fees: Proposals for reform – Judicial responses – Judiciary of England and Wales

‘Responses of the Lord Chief Justice, senior judiciary and the Civil Justice Council to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Consultation on Court fees – enhanced charging.’

Full text

Judiciary of England and Wales, 16th January 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

DPP to consult on greater assistance to victims giving evidence at court – Crown Prosecution Service

‘Alison Saunders, the Director of Public Prosecutions, has today [19 January 2015] published a major consultation on the approach to ensuring victims are properly assisted for the trial process at court and called for an overhaul of the service provided to witnesses to ensure that they are able to give the best possible evidence. The proposals are subject to an eight week public consultation.’

Full consultation

Crown Prosecution Service, 19th January 2015

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Rape victims will be warned of defence lawyer tactics under new guidelines – Daily Telegraph

‘Director of Public Prosecutions launches controversial new guidelines intended to help victims and witnesses through giving evidence in court.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 19th January 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

High Court judge rejects challenge to Essex local plan document – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 14th, 2015 in consultations, EC law, local government, news, planning by tracey

‘A High Court judge has rejected a challenge to the adoption of a planning document which seeks to direct the location of development in a district of south Essex.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 13th January 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 – NearlyLegal

‘This was a judicial review of LB Enfield’s plans for borough wide additional HMO licensing and selective licensing of all PRS properties. It did not go well for Enfield, who appear to have not quite grasped the consultation requirements.’

Full story

NearlyLegal, 3rd January 2014

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

High Court judge quashes decision by council to shut village school – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 5th, 2015 in consultations, education, judicial review, local government, news, Wales by sally

‘A High Court judge has quashed a Welsh council’s decision to close a village school and merge it with a nearby primary school.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 5th January 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

28-day police bail limit proposed for England and Wales – BBC News

Posted December 18th, 2014 in bail, consultations, news, time limits by sally

‘The time people can be put on pre-charge police bail could be limited to 28 days, the home secretary has said.’

Full story

BBC News, 18th December 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New domestic abuse law on controlling behaviour unveiled – BBC News

‘A new domestic abuse offence for “coercive and controlling behaviour” within relationships has been announced by the home secretary.’

Full story

BBC News, 18th December 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

High Court judge quashes selective licensing scheme over consultation failings – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 15th, 2014 in appeals, consultations, housing, landlord & tenant, licensing, local government, news by tracey

‘The High Court has quashed a selective licensing scheme that Enfield Council was seeking to apply to the entire borough.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 12th December 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Proceeds of Crime Act 2002: codes of practice consultation – Attorney General’s Office

‘A consultation on a revised code of practice that governs the use of investigatory powers in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.’

Full press release

Attorney General’s Office, 12th December 2014

Source: www.gov.uk/ago

Reforming electoral law across the UK – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted December 12th, 2014 in consultations, elections, Law Commission, news, referendums by sally

‘In a consultation opening today the Law Commissions of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland set out provisional proposals for reforming the law that governs the conduct of elections and referendums across the UK.’

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 12th December 2014

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Police to lose complaints powers – The Guardian

Posted December 11th, 2014 in complaints, consultations, news, police by sally

‘Police forces are to be stripped of the power to manage public complaints made against their own officers, the home secretary will announce on Thursday.

Full story

The Guardian, 11th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Reforming electoral law across the UK – Law Commission

Posted December 10th, 2014 in consultations, elections, Law Commission, news, referendums by sally

‘In a consultation opening today [9 December] the Law Commissions of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland set out provisional proposals for reforming the law that governs the conduct of elections and referendums across the UK.’

Full story

Law Commission, 9th December 2014

Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk

Government launches consultation into mandatory reporting of FGM – Home Office

Posted December 8th, 2014 in consultations, female genital mutilation, news, victims by sally

‘Further details unveiled of funding recipients and new unit to tackle female genital mutilation.’

Full story

Home Office, 5th December 2014

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

‘No obvious benefit’: Bar Council concerned over proposed dual-contracting model – The Bar Council

Posted December 1st, 2014 in barristers, consultations, contracts, criminal justice, legal aid, press releases by tracey

‘The Ministry of Justice response to the “Transforming Legal Aid: Crime Duty Contracts” consultation, published today, will be of concern to all lawyers engaged in criminal defence work, and especially to solicitors firms with criminal legal aid contracts.’

Full story

MOJ response

The Bar Council, 27th November 2014

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Legal aid contracts for on-call criminal solicitors to be slashed by two-thirds – The Guardian

‘On-call, duty contracts for criminal solicitors to attend police stations and courts will be slashed from 1,600 to 527 in England and Wales, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed.’

Full story

The Guardian, 27th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk