Court grants woman right to die after ‘losing her sparkle’ – The Guardian

‘Woman known as C is described as “impulsive and self-centred” but competent enough to refuse dialysis after destroying kidneys in suicide attempt.’

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The Guardian, 2nd December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Appeal judges back legal aid residence test – Legal Voice

Posted December 1st, 2015 in appeals, civil justice, domicile, human rights, legal aid, news, ultra vires by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has unanimously ruled that the government’s proposed residence test for civil legal aid is lawful, overturning a judgment by the High Court last year which found the measure to be discriminatory and unlawful. The test, if implemented, will restrict public funding for legal representation in civil cases to individuals who can prove that they are lawfully resident in the UK and have been so for a 12 month period at some time in the past.’

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Legal Voice, 1st December 2015

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Resolving disputes over arbitration jurisdiction ‘good case management’ by English courts, experts say – OUT-LAW.com

‘By stepping in to resolve a dispute over the tribunal’s jurisdiction rather than leave the question to the tribunal, the English courts have in fact reinforced their commitment to support this form of dispute resolution.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 1st December 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

What’s all the fuss about the Lord’s prayer? Emma Fenelon – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted December 1st, 2015 in advertising, Church of England, equality, freedom of expression, news by sally

‘“I find your lack of faith disturbing” (Darth Vader). Digital Cinema Media (DCM), the media agency that supplies adverts to 80% of UK cinemas caused consternation last week when it announced its refusal to show a 60-second advert by the Church of England encouraging people to pray. The ad would have been guaranteed a sizable audience had it been permitted to air as planned before the upcoming Star Wars: the Force Awakens, advance ticket sales for which have broken all known records.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 1st December 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Ministers eye making legal regulators independent from professional bodies – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 1st, 2015 in barristers, consultations, legal profession, news, solicitors by sally

‘The Government will consult by Spring 2016 on making legal services regulators independent from their representative bodies, ministers have said. The Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills said in a 25-page paper, A better deal: boosting competition to bring down bills for families and firms, said the consultation would also cover the removal of barriers so that it becomes easier for alternative business structures, such as supermarkets and estate agents, to offer legal services like conveyancing, probate and litigation in England and Wales.’

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Full paper

Local Government Lawyer, 30th November 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

LSB joins solicitors in questioning government’s criminal advocacy plans – Legal Futures

Posted December 1st, 2015 in advocacy, consultations, criminal justice, Legal Services Board, news, solicitors by sally

‘The Legal Services Board (LSB) has joined solicitors in questioning government plans to introduce additional regulation of criminal advocacy.’

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Legal Futures, 1st December 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Profession set on collision course with government over independent regulation – Legal Futures

‘The government should return regulation to the legal profession’s representative bodies, rather than introduce full separation, the Law Society has said in response to yesterday’s surprise announcement from the Treasury that separation is now on the cards.’

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Legal Futures, 1st December 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Peter Hook sues New Order, claiming they ‘pillaged’ the group’s name – The Guardian

Posted December 1st, 2015 in artistic works, intellectual property, news by sally

‘Peter Hook is suing his New Order ex-bandmates for “many millions of pounds” in the high court, accusing them of secretly “pillaging” the group’s name and starving him of cash.’

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The Guardian, 30th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Law firm takes over investigation into Tory party bullying claims – The Guardian

Posted December 1st, 2015 in bullying, law firms, news, political parties by sally

‘Inquiry into allegations will be conducted ‘in its entirety’ by Clifford Chance as Lord Feldman agrees to distance himself from investigation.’

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The Guardian, 30th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Love-struck 78-year-old stole £160k from his mistress to lavish on Swedish aspiring celebrity (who’s 27) – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 1st, 2015 in news, theft by sally

‘A 78-year-old former Rotary Club president duped his lover out of £160,000 so he could fund the aspiring singing career of his 27-year-old mistress. Retired surveyor Peter Rex Lawrence left 80-year-old Sheila Losack, a retired civil servant with whom he enjoyed a 20 year extra-marital relationship, in financial ruin after plundering her savings to send to his new love interest.’

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Daily Telegraph, 30th November 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Police officers who stole £10,000 from drugs raid seizure are jailed – The Guardian

Posted December 1st, 2015 in corruption, news, police, sentencing, theft by sally

‘Two police detectives have been jailed for stealing at least £10,000 in cash that was seized during a raid on a suspected drug dealer.’

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The Guardian, 30th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Wales switches to organ donation opt-out – The Guardian

Posted December 1st, 2015 in consent, health, news, organ transplants, Wales by sally

‘Consent for organ donation switches from opt-in to “soft opt-out” in Wales from Tuesday. The Labour-led Welsh government claims the law change could lead to a 25% increase in the number of organs available.’

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The Guardian, 1st December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe may be moved to a normal jail – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 1st, 2015 in mental health, news, prisons, violent offenders by sally

‘Peter Sutcliffe is not mentally ill and should be moved out of psychiatric hospital, doctors claim.’

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Daily Telegraph, 30th November 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Cloud storage providers to face investigation by regulators – BBC News

Posted December 1st, 2015 in competition, complaints, consumer protection, internet, news by sally

‘An investigation is to be launched into whether internet users are being charged unfairly when they use cloud storage services. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said some providers may be breaching consumer laws.’

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BBC News, 1st December 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Austerity and Public Law: Richard Clayton QC: Accountability, Judicial Scrutiny and Contracting Out – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘Austerity Britain is shrinking the public sector and accelerating the process of contracting out services. However, the legal protections contracting out gives to service users are piecemeal and inadequate, raising very real concerns about how findings of unlawfulness are to be addressed.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 30th November 2015

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Twitter found to be unsuitable means of communicating FOIA request – RPC Data Law and Privacy

Posted November 30th, 2015 in anonymity, freedom of information, internet, news by sally

‘The First Tier Tribunal (Information Rights) (the Tribunal) has held that a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 made via Twitter is not valid.’

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RPC Data Law and Privacy, 27th November 2015

Source: www.rpc.co.uk

Defence of tender before claim – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 30th, 2015 in civil procedure rules, damages, defences, news, payment into court by sally

‘The common law defence of tender before claim is a defence that, before the claimant commenced court proceedings, the defendant had unconditionally offered the amount due to the claimant.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 30th November 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Emotions at work – New Law Journal

Posted November 30th, 2015 in judges, judiciary, news, professional conduct by sally

‘Dermot Feenan explores the topic of judicial tears.’

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New Law Journal, 26th November 2015

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

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Posted November 30th, 2015 in news by sally

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The dark face of our imperial past – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 30th, 2015 in armed forces, colonies, delay, human rights, inquests, inquiries, jurisdiction, news by sally

‘The Supreme Court has ruled that the United Kingdom was not obliged to hold a public inquiry into the shooting in December 1948 during the Malayan Emergency by British troops of 24 unarmed civilians at Batang Kali. The Court held that (1) the lapse of time meant that there was no Article 2 requirement to hold an inquiry; (2) a duty to hold an inquiry could not be implied into common law under the principles of customary international law; and (3) the decision not to hold an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 was not open to challenge on ordinary judicial review principles. However, the Supreme Court did hold that the deaths were within the United Kingdom’s jurisdiction for the purposes of the application of the ECHR.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 30th November 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com