Bar Council warns of threat to judiciary from lack of diversity among QCs – Litigation Futures

Posted January 13th, 2016 in diversity, judiciary, news, queen's counsel by sally

‘The senior judiciary “may not reflect the communities it seeks to serve” because of a lack of ethnic minority and female QCs, the Bar Council has warned.’

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Litigation Futures, 13th January 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.co.uk

Sentences for data thieves ‘not tough enough’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 13th, 2016 in data protection, fines, news, sentencing by sally

‘The information commissioner has repeated calls for stronger sentencing powers for data thieves.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 12th January 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Past deception to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain may lead to status being revoked – Free Movement

Posted January 13th, 2016 in identity fraud, immigration, news by sally

‘The case of Huang & Ors, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (“No Time Limit” Transfer: Fraud) (IJR) [2015] UKUT 662 (IAC) arises from the provision of false or incorrect identity information by asylum seekers who were initially refused asylum but who were then never removed and were later granted status under the Legacy amnesty backlog clearance programme.’

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Free Movement, 12th January 2016

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Compulsory use of new format bill of costs postponed indefinitely – Litigation Futures

Posted January 13th, 2016 in costs, electronic filing, news by sally

‘The plan to make the new electronic bill of costs mandatory in the Senior Courts Costs Office has been shelved indefinitely because of the “major implications” it would have for the profession.’

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Litigation Futures, 13th January 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.co.uk

Hidden rise in violent crime driven by growth in violence against women – The Guardian

Posted January 13th, 2016 in crime, domestic violence, news, statistics, violence, women by sally

‘Women are bearing the brunt of an invisible rise in violent crime, a new analysis shows. Domestic violence and violence against women have increased since 2009, researchers found, pushing up overall levels of violent crime.’

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The Guardian, 13th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

CPS lacks empathy with crime victims and witnesses, report finds – The Guardian

Posted January 13th, 2016 in Crown Prosecution Service, news, reports, victims, witnesses by sally

‘Letters the Crown Prosecution Service sends to victims of crime often lack empathy and contain template paragraphs that sometimes fail to convey basic information, according to an official inspectorate report.’

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The Guardian, 13th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘English votes’ rules used for first time in House of Commons – BBC News

Posted January 13th, 2016 in bills, devolution, news, parliament by sally

‘New “English votes for English laws” rules have been implemented in the House of Commons for the first time.’

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BBC News, 12th January 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Corset ad promising ‘sexy, tiny waist’ banned for being irresponsible – The Guardian

Posted January 13th, 2016 in advertising, complaints, media, news by sally

‘A TV ad showing women using a corset to squeeze their waists to a “sexy, tiny” size has been banned for being irresponsible.’

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The Guardian, 13th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Man sentenced for selling monkey heads – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 13th, 2016 in animal cruelty, animals, news, pornography, sentencing, suspended sentences by sally

‘George Bush from Erith is given a suspended prison sentence after admitting selling monkey heads on eBay and also possessing animal porn.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Set up online courtrooms to cut lawyers out of legal process, says official report – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 13th, 2016 in consultations, electronic filing, news, reports, small claims by sally

‘Senior judge says civil cases up to £25,000 should be carried out in ‘paperless’ courts with most work done by admin staff rather than judges or lawyers.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Fitness-to-plead court test out of date, says Law Commission – BBC News

Posted January 13th, 2016 in fitness to plead, Law Commission, mental health, news by sally

‘New tests should be introduced to assess whether a defendant facing criminal charges is mentally fit to stand trial, the Law Commission says.’

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BBC News, 13th January 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

BuzzFeed breaks UK ad rules over misleading advertorial – The Guardian

Posted January 13th, 2016 in advertising, codes of practice, complaints, internet, news by sally

‘BuzzFeed has broken the UK advertising rules for failing to make it clear that an article on “14 laundry fails” that promoted Dylon was an online advertorial paid for by the dye brand.’

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The Guardian, 13th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Theresa May faces scrutiny over snooper’s charter implications – The Guardian

Posted January 13th, 2016 in bills, internet, investigatory powers, news, parliament, privacy, telecommunications by sally

‘MPs and peers are to challenge the home secretary, Theresa May, on the privacy implications and detailed operation of her snooper’s charter legislation when she appears before the bill’s parliamentary scrutiny committee.’

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The Guardian, 13th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Maximising Fixed Costs – In the Protocol and out of it – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted January 12th, 2016 in barristers, civil procedure rules, costs, London, news, solicitors by sally

‘With costs for low value PI claims being stripped to bare bones and further cuts on the horizon, maximising fixed costs is essential. In this article, Jasmine Murphy asks the question: Have we all been missing a trick? The trick in this case is another eighth of the costs allowed in fixed costs cases.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 4th January 2016

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

The “Investment Mis-Selling” Controversy – What Should Footballers do Next? – Littleton Chambers

Posted January 12th, 2016 in financial regulation, fraud, negligence, news, sport by sally

‘This article by Daniel Northall was first produced for and published by LawinSport.com . Daniel examines the legal implications of the recent controversy1 concerning the mis-selling of investments2 to high net worth individuals, notably footballers.3 Specifically, it explores the nature of the problem, including the investments made, how they might come to be mis-sold, and the avenues available to a footballer who has sustained substantial losses through mis-sold investments. It will be particularly relevant to footballers and their professional advisors.’

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Littleton Chambers, 12th January 2016

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

A House Reasonably So Called – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted January 12th, 2016 in appeals, enfranchisement, housing, news by sally

‘Andy Creer looks at the decision in Jewelcraft Ltd v Pressland [2015] EWCA Civ 1111.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 8th January 2016

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

David Bedenham Discusses a Recent FTT Decision Relating to Carbon Credit Missing Trader Fraud and Assessment Time Limits – 11 KBW

Posted January 12th, 2016 in emissions trading, fraud, news, time limits, tribunals by sally

‘Missing trader (or ‘MTIC’) fraud has blighted various trade sectors from mobile phones and CPUs to platinum and carbon credits. It is in the latter sector that we have seen some of the largest denials of input tax based on the Kittel principle.’

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11 KBW, 5th January 2016

Source: www.11kbw.com

Privacy watchdog attacks snooper’s charter over encryption – The Guardian

‘The information commissioner’s office has heavily criticised the draft Investigatory Powers bill for attacking individuals’ privacy, particularly in relation to the apparent requirement on communication providers to weaken or break their data encryption at the government’s request.’

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The Guardian, 12th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid billing delay ‘stay of execution’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 12th, 2016 in computer programs, costs, legal aid, news by sally

‘The government may be underestimating the severity of problems with its new digital legal aid billing system, solicitors have warned.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 12th January 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Sham bride whose crime ‘struck at heart of immigration system’ is jailed – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 12th, 2016 in fraud, immigration, marriage, news, sentencing by sally

‘Babysitter who claimed she was pressured into taking part in sham marriage to man in Blackburn is sentenced to six months in prison.’

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Daily Telegraph, 11th January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk