City solicitors urge MoJ to withdraw “premature” consultation on defamation costs protection – Litigation Futures

Posted November 12th, 2013 in consultations, costs, defamation, news, privacy, solicitors by tracey

“City solicitors have urged the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to withdraw its consultation on costs protection in defamation and privacy claims because it does not deal with the central issue of how eligibility for protection will be assessed.”

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Litigation Futures, 7th November 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Sweet shop owner fined £400 for selling 30p Asda chocolate as £3 Wonka bars – The Independent

Posted November 6th, 2013 in consumer protection, costs, counterfeiting, fines, food, news, trade marks by sally

“A sweet shop owner has been fined after he sold 30p Asda Smart Price chocolate bars as ‘Wonka’ bars worth £3.”

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The Independent, 5th November 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

First verdict on Jackson: litigators give thumbs down – Litigation Futures

Posted November 1st, 2013 in budgets, civil justice, costs, legal profession, news by sally

“Seven months into the Jackson reforms and litigators see rising costs and no greater access to justice as the main results so far, according to a new poll.”

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Litigation Futures, 31st October 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Women sentenced for stripping at Manchester airport – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 1st, 2013 in airports, alcohol abuse, conditional discharge, costs, fines, news, public order, sentencing by sally

“Two women have been sentenced for taking off their clothes in front of shocked passengers at Manchester airport.”

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Daily Telegraph, 1st November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Vicky Pryce: ‘Prison clearly does not work’ – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2013 in costs, families, news, prisons, women by michael

“Fresh from jail, the economist and author of Prisonomics explains why the system costs too much, locks up the wrong people and does not prevent reoffending.”

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The Guardian, 29th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

QASA claimants lose bid to cut costs exposure – Legal Futures

Posted October 31st, 2013 in barristers, costs, news, protective costs orders, quality assurance by michael

“Mr Justice Bean refused to amend the protective costs order (PCO) granted earlier this month by Mr Justice Ouseley, which at £150,000 was 10 times greater than that the four claimants – who are supported by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) – had sought.”

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Legal Futures, 31st October 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Football fans who sang Stephen Lawrence abuse song jailed – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2013 in costs, disqualification, news, racism, sentencing, sport, suspended sentences by michael

“Six Charlton Athletic supporters received prison sentences for causing racially aggravated fear of violence on train.”

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The Guardian, 31st October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Breathing a sigh of relief…? – Zenith Chambers

Posted October 30th, 2013 in appeals, civil procedure rules, costs, enforcement, news, practice directions by sally

“By the Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2013 CPR r. 3.9 was substantially amended with effect from 1st April 2013. The ‘new’ rule reads as follows:
‘3.9 (1) On an application for relief from any sanction imposed for a failure to comply with any rule, practice direction or court order, the court will consider all the circumstances of the case, so as to enable it to deal justly with the application, including the need –
(a) for litigation to be conducted efficiently and at proportionate cost; and
(b) to enforce compliance with rules, practice directions and orders.
(2) An application for relief must be supported by evidence.'”

Full story (PDF)

Zenith Chambers, 25th October 2013

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk

Where now for mediation? Extending the Halsey guidelines – 11 Stone Buildings

Posted October 30th, 2013 in appeals, costs, dispute resolution, news, penalties by sally

“Since the case of Halsey v Milton Keynes General NHS Trust [2004] 1 WLR 3002, the manner in which the Court may encourage parties to settle their disputes by mediation has been largely settled. Thus, the court should not compel parties to mediatebut it may engage in robust encouragement. Importantly, a successful party may be deprived of some or all of its costs if it unreasonably refuses to mediate. The burden is on the unsuccessful party to demonstrate unreasonableness.”

Full story (PDF)

11 Stone Buildings, October 2013

Source: www.11sb.com

Jackson: 6 months on – Zenith Chambers

Posted October 30th, 2013 in appeals, budgets, civil procedure rules, claims management, costs, news, time limits by sally

“It is now almost 6 months since the Brave New World of Jackson. This article considers the impact of the reforms and stated ‘culture change’.”

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Zenith Chambers, 25th October 2013

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk

Jackson: six months on – New Law Journal

Posted October 30th, 2013 in appeals, budgets, civil procedure rules, claims management, costs, news, time limits by sally

“Dominic Regan serves up a survival guide.”

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New Law Journal, 29th October 2013

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Keynote Address to The Motor Accidents Solicitors Society – Speech by Mr. Justice Foskett

Posted October 29th, 2013 in costs, news, personal injuries, solicitors, speeches by sally

Keynote Address to The Motor Accidents Solicitors Society (PDF)

Speech by Mr. Justice Foskett

The Motor Accidents Solicitors Society, 25th October 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

The Sinister Side of Restorative Justice – Criminal Law and Justice Weekly

Posted October 29th, 2013 in costs, fines, news, penalties, rehabilitation, restorative justice by sally

“Restorative justice offers many benefits but is it in danger of being mishandled, asks Tracey McMahon.”

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Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 26th October 2013

Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk

High Court overturns current practice when calculating one-fifth rule – Litigation Futures

Posted October 29th, 2013 in costs, news, precedent, solicitors by sally

“Costs that are disallowed for want of retainer should not form part of a costs judge’s calculations in applying the one-fifth rule, the High Court has said.”

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Litigation Futures, 28th October 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

PGF II SA v OMFS Co 1 Ltd – WLR Daily

PGF II SA v OMFS Co 1 Ltd [2013] EWCA Civ 1288 ; [2013] WLR (D) 405

“As a general rule, complete silence in the face of a serious invitation to consider alternative dispute resolution amounted to unreasonable conduct and the judge in his discretion could impose costs sanctions.”

WLR Daily, 23rd October 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

More than a slip ‘twixt cup and lip – UK Human Rights Blog

“Technical evidence can sometimes be crucial to judicial decisions and this case shows how dramatic the consequences are for a family if evidence is unreliable. If the respondent in this case had not put probity before its commercial interests, a mother would have been deprived of the care of her child. Hence the importance of publishing the judgment.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 25th October 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Lord McAlpine settles libel action with Alan Davies over Twitter comment – The Guardian

Posted October 25th, 2013 in costs, damages, defamation, internet, news by sally

“Lord McAlpine has settled his libel action with Alan Davies over a tweet relating to false child sex abuse allegations, with the comedian agreeing to pay £15,000 in damages and issuing a warning to users of the social media service.”

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The Guardian, 24th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Richard III on the move again – pitched into the current judicial review debate – UK Human Rights Blog

“The Plantagenet Alliance Ltd (R o.t.a) v. Secretary of State for Justice and others, Haddon-Cave J, 18 October 2013 (PCO), and on permission, 15 August 2013. I posted here on the original judgment giving the Plantagenet Alliance permission to seek judicial review of the Secretary of State’s decision to re-bury Richard III in Leicester. At the time, the judge had made a full Protective Costs Order in favour of the Alliance, so that it would not have to pay costs if it lost. The judge had also ordered what he envisaged to be a short hearing to determine in what sum the Alliance’s costs should be capped. if it won.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd October 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Ministry stands by Grayling evidence after bar chief challenge – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 23rd, 2013 in barristers, budgets, costs, fees, Ministry of Justice, news, select committees by tracey

“Evidence given to MPs by Chris Grayling has sparked a spat between the Bar Council and Ministry of Justice.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 22nd October 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

MoJ decides against increase in small claims track limit – Law Society’s Gazette

“The Ministry of Justice will today confirm there is to be no increase in the small claims court limit.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 23rd October 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk