DPP publishes new Code for Crown Prosecutors following public consultation – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted January 31st, 2013 in codes of practice, consultations, Crown Prosecution Service, news by sally

“The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, QC, has today published a new edition of the Code for Crown Prosecutors, the overarching document that guides prosecutors and police in deciding whether or not to charge a suspect.”

Full story

Crown Prosecution Service, 28th January 2013

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Lawyers on the line: high-speed rail plan faces 10-year delay – The Independent

Posted January 29th, 2013 in consultations, delay, judicial review, news, planning, railways by sally

“Britain’s HS2 high-speed rail line could be delayed for a decade as a unified coalition of Conservative councils, MPs and environmental groups threaten disruptive legal action.”

Full story

The Independent, 28th January 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Ministry of Justice publishes final DBA and success fee cap regulations – Litigation Futures

Posted January 23rd, 2013 in advocacy, consultations, damages, fees, news, regulations by sally

“Signs of life from the Ministry of Justice over getting on with implementing the Jackson reforms emerged yesterday with publication of two draft statutory instruments that will come into force on 1 April.”

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Litigation Futures, 23rd January 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

The Low Commission: ‘no magic solution’ – LegalVoice

Posted January 16th, 2013 in budgets, consultations, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“The Low Commission on the Future of Advice and Legal Support will take evidence over the next year on the impact of the government’s funding cuts, writes Vicky Ling. The Commission will focus on social welfare law covering advice and legal representation on law relating to asylum, benefits, community care, debt, employment, housing, immigration and other areas of public law, such as special educational needs and judicial review.”

Full story

LegalVoice, 15th January 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Final Legal Education and Training Review report delayed – Legal Futures

Posted January 14th, 2013 in consultations, legal education, news, reports by tracey

“Completion of the much-anticipated Legal Education and Training Review (LETR) has been delayed, it has emerged. The academic team compiling the report after 18 months of research and consultation was meant to have delivered it by the end of 2012.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 14th January 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Transforming Rehabilitation – a revolution in the way we manage offenders – Ministry of Justice

Posted January 10th, 2013 in consultations, news, probation, rehabilitation by sally

“‘Transforming Rehabilitation – a revolution in the way we manage offenders’ describes the Government’s proposals for reforming the delivery of offender services in the community to reduce reoffending rates whilst delivering improved value for money for the tax payer.”

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Ministry of Justice, 9th January 2013

Source: www.consult.justice.gov.uk

Government consults on extending producers and performers’ rights in sound recordings – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 9th, 2013 in consultations, contracts, copyright, EC law, interpretation, news by sally

“The Government is consulting on new laws which would extend producers’ and performers’ rights in sound recordings from 50 to 70 years.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 9th January 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

In Defence of Rights – London Review of Books

Posted January 9th, 2013 in consultations, human rights, legislation, news by sally

“We [Philippe Sands and Helena Kennedy] were appointed to the Commission on a Bill of Rights in March 2011 by Nick Clegg. The circumstances were not auspicious, and we were concerned from the outset that our composition – all white, almost all male, almost all lawyers and London-based – would undermine our ability to speak with any legitimacy. The Conservatives had come into government committed to tearing up the Human Rights Act, an early product of the previous Labour government seen by many of the new government’s Tory supporters (and some in the media) as little more than a charter for foreign terrorists and local criminals. The Liberal Democrats, on the other hand, strongly supported the Act and the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights that it introduced into UK law. There were eight members, under the chairmanship of Leigh Lewis, a retired senior civil servant who was hopeful that we might exceed the miserably low expectations of most commentators and come up with something useful.”

Full story

London Review of Books, 3rd January 2013

Source: www.lrb.co.uk

Probation service ‘revolution’ means wholesale privatisation – The Guardian

Posted January 9th, 2013 in competition, consultations, contracting out, news, probation, recidivists by sally

“The justice secretary, Chris Grayling, is to outline plans for the wholesale outsourcing of the probation service with private companies and voluntary sector organisations to take over the rehabilitation of the majority of offenders by 2015.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th Januaury 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Pub industry adjudicator plans put forward – BBC News

“The government has announced plans for an independent adjudicator in the pub industry to help struggling landlords.”

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BBC News, 8th January 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Law Commission Consultation on Marital Property : FLBA Response – Family Law Bar Association

Posted January 8th, 2013 in barristers, consultations, Law Commission, matrimonial home, news by sally

“Download the FLBA Response to the Law Commission Consultation on Matrimonial Property, Needs and Agreements.”

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Family Law Bar Association, 7th January 2013

Source: www.flba.co.uk

Government plan for mesothelioma claims process draws heavy fire from claimant lawyers – Litigation Futures

Posted December 20th, 2012 in cancer, compensation, consultations, delay, fees, news by tracey

“Lawyers acting on the new system for dealing with mesothelioma claims will be paid on fixed-fee basis, the government announced yesterday.”

Full story

Litigation Futures, 19th December 2012

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Academies in court: recent case law – 11 KBW

“This paper concentrates on three recent cases concerning different aspects of the emerging law on Academies:
(1) Consultation on Academy conversions under s.5 Academies Act 2010 (‘the 2010
Act’);
(2) The extent of the obligation on Academies (both pre and post 2010 Act) to admit
children with a statement of Special Educational Needs (‘SSEN’); and
(3) The new Academy ‘presumption’ in s.6A of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.”

Full story (PDF)

11 KBW, 4th December 2012

Source: www.11kbw.com

Calling time on Scandalising the Court – Law Commission

“The Law Commission is recommending that the offence of scandalising the court should be abolished and not replaced.”

Full story

Law Commission, 19th December 2012

Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk

Fee remissions in the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) – Ministry of Justice

Posted December 19th, 2012 in asylum, consultations, immigration, legal aid, news by sally

“The consultation is aimed at anyone who has an interest in immigration, asylum and nationality matters or who would be affected by the removal of legal aid for most non-detention immigration appeals when the relevant provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 comes into force in April 2013.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 18th December 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Internet porn: Automatic block rejected – BBC News

“Ministers have rejected plans to automatically block internet access to pornography on all computers, saying the move is not widely supported.”

Full story

BBC News, 15th December 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Quicker, costlier and less appealing: plans for Judicial Review reform revealed – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted December 14th, 2012 in consultations, judicial review, news by tracey

“The Government has revealed its plans to reform Judicial Review, and has opened a public consultation which closes on 24 January 2013.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 13th December 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Judicial Review: proposals for reform – Ministry of Justice

Posted December 13th, 2012 in consultations, judicial review, news, planning, public procurement, time limits by sally

“The Government is seeking views on a package of measures to stem the growth in applications for judicial reviews. The measures aim to tackle the burden that this growth has placed on stretched public services whilst protecting access to justice and the rule of law. The engagement exercise seeks views on proposals in three key areas; reducing the time limits for bringing a judicial review relating to procurement or planning, bringing them into line with the appeal timetable which already applies to those cases.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 13th December 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Consultation on proposed changes to the Patents Act 1977 – Intellectual Property Office

Posted December 12th, 2012 in consultations, intellectual property, news, patents by sally

“The Review of Intellectual Property and Growth published by Professor Hargreaves in 2011 recognised the important role the UK’s patent system plays in supporting innovation and economic growth. However, the review highlighted the need for the IP framework to be more adaptable and recognised a need for change in some aspects of the way the IP system operates. Such changes will ensure the IP system continues to encourage innovation and support those UK businesses which recognise the competitive advantage that can be gained through intellectual property (‘IP’) rights.”

Consultation (PDF)

Intellectual Property Office, December 2012

Source: www.ipo.gov.uk

Whiplash crackdown – Ministry of Justice

Posted December 12th, 2012 in compensation, consultations, news, personal injuries, road traffic, small claims by sally

“New measures to bring down the number and cost of whiplash claims, including speculative and fraudulent applications has been announced today [11th December].”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 11th December 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk