LSB attacks “arbitrary nature” of separate business rule – Legal Futures

‘The Legal Services Board (LSB) has attacked the “arbitrary nature” of the separate business rule used by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and said the list of what is permitted and what is not is “confusing”.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 10th October 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court: reasons for withdrawal of part 36 offers must be disclosed – Litigation Futures

Posted October 9th, 2014 in disclosure, evidence, news, part 36 offers by sally

‘Judges who give permission for the withdrawal of part 36 offers must disclose the arguments and evidence behind their decisions, the High Court has ruled.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 9th October 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Revised transparency code for local government in England in force next month – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 6th, 2014 in budgets, codes of practice, disclosure, local government, news, parking by sally

‘A revised Local Government Transparency Code is to come into force in England next month, the Department for Communities and Local Government has announced.’

Full story

Local Government, 3rd October 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court slaps down legal aid reform – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The lord chancellor acted ‘unlawfully’ in the way he consulted on controversial plans to shake up criminal legal aid, the High Court ruled today [19 September].’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 19th September 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Supreme Court clarifies continuing police disclosure obligations – RPC Privacy Law

‘The recent Supreme Court judgment in the case of R (on the application of Nunn) v Chief Constable of Suffolk Constabulary and another sheds further light on the continuing duty of the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to disclose information in criminal cases post-conviction.’

Full story

RPC Privacy Law, 19th September 2014

Source: www.rpc.co.uk

Statutory register of government lobbyists will preserve legal professional privilege – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 19th, 2014 in disclosure, law firms, lobbying, news, privilege by sally

‘Law firms that lobby the government on behalf of clients will not need to disclose any information protected by legal professional privilege (LPP) when a new statutory register is up and running, the UK government has confirmed.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 18th September 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

In re X (Adopted Child: Access to Court File) – WLR Daily

Posted September 15th, 2014 in adoption, birth certificates, disclosure, family courts, grandparents, law reports by sally

In re X (Adopted Child: Access to Court File)[2014] EWFC 33; [2014] WLR (D) 390

‘Since FPR 2010 r 14.24 was not subject to the qualification that it applied only “in exceptional circumstances” there was nothing which required the same approach to apply in the case of an application under rule 14.24 (or its predecessors) as applied in the case of an application under section 79(4) of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 although, given the context, an application under rule 14.24 should always be approached with an appropriate degree of caution.’

WLR Daily, 9th September 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Former Times lawyer loses appeal against SDT – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A former legal director of Times Newspapers Ltd was guilty of “recklessly” rather than “knowingly” misleading the court in relation to litigation over revelations about the “NightJack” blogger, the High Court has ruled.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 12th September 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Domestic Violence Update – the latest developments practitioners need to know about – Family Law Week

‘Mandip Ghai, solicitor and legal officer, with Rights of Women, updates practitioners on developments in the prevention of domestic violence.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 11th September 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Woman wins permission to look at late father’s adoption files – The Guardian

Posted September 10th, 2014 in adoption, birth certificates, disclosure, documents, family courts, grandparents, news by sally

‘A woman has been granted permission to look at court files relating to her father’s adoption to discover the identity of her grandmother, in a ground-breaking judgment that sets a precedent for revealing secret family histories.’

Full story

The Guardian, 9th September 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Data protection and journalism – ICO publishes guidance – Panopticon

‘The Information Commissioner has today published his keenly anticipated guidance on ‘Data Protection and Journalism: A Guide for the Media’. The guidance has been published following a lengthy consultative process and in response to a recommendation made in the Leveson report.’

Full story

Panopticon, 4th September 2014

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Fraud divorce case goes to Supreme Court – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The ex-wife of a businessman who claims her former husband cheated her out of millions in their divorce settlement has won the right to take her case to the Supreme Court.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 5th September 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal Update: disclosure, formats and context – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Disclosure of information about children, pursuant to a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FoI), is always a difficult issue and the natural reaction of public authorities is to err on the side of caution.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 1st September 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Accountant’s reports safe from public exposure after FoI ruling – Legal Futures

‘The Law Society’s freedom of information adjudicator has rejected a bid to open up public access to accountant’s reports submitted to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 20th August 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Failure to cooperate’ case prompts ombudsman review – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) is to review its internal investigations guidance after a barrister was cleared of misconduct due to its own “failure to cooperate” with the disciplinary process.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 19th August 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

City firms face massive disclosure challenge after privilege ruling – Litigation Futures

‘Three City firms – Clyde & Co, Stephenson Harwood and Addleshaw Goddard – face a combined disclosure exercise which could last for months and cost £2.5m after a High Court ruling on legal professional privilege.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 18th August 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Baby removed from mother at birth: a look at reporting restrictions orders – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘M, who was 24-years-old, was in the late stages of her first pregnancy (X County Council v M). She suffered from persecuting delusions including a belief that mental health services were “murderers” and would murder her and her unborn child. The local authority applied to the court for permission not to disclose to M the care plan for the removal of her baby at birth. They also applied for a reporting restrictions order. The Family Division held that despite the fact that both orders sought were draconian, the orders would be granted in the circumstances of the case.’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 14th August 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Legal privilege, Articles 6 and 8, and iniquity – UK Human Rights Blog

‘JSC BTA Bank v. Ablyazov et al 8 August 2014, Popplewell J. What you say to your lawyers is truly confidential; no-one, not even a regulator or prosecutor can see it. This is protected by the right to privacy under Article 8, and the right to a fair trial under Article 6 (which includes the right to access to lawyers). Well, that is the general rule. And this case reminds us that there is an exception to this – when the relationship between client and lawyer is affected by “iniquity”.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 12th August 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Police forced to name undercover officers who duped women – The Guardian

Posted August 15th, 2014 in disclosure, environmental protection, news, police, psychiatric damage, women by sally

‘Metropolitan police lose legal fight over keeping secret the names of officers who fathered children with their ‘targets’

Full story

The Guardian, 15th August 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The iniquity exception – legal privilege and the long-running Ablyazov litigation – Legal Week

‘What you say to your lawyers is truly confidential; no-one, not even a regulator or prosecutor can see it. This is protected by the right to privacy under Article 8, and the right to a fair trial under Article 6 (which includes the right to access to lawyers).’

Full story

Legal Week, 13th August 2014

Source: www.legalweek.com