Chilcot report on Iraq war delayed until after general election – The Guardian

Posted January 21st, 2015 in delay, elections, inquiries, Iraq, news, public interest, reports, war by sally

‘The six-year-long British inquiry into the 2003 Iraq invasion and its aftermath will not be published before the general election, prompting an outcry from those demanding that the long overdue reckoning should be put before the voters.’

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The Guardian, 21st January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Magna Carta: The Medieval Context and the Part Played by William Marshal – Gresham College

Posted January 20th, 2015 in judges, legal history, magna carta, news, speeches by sally

‘Modern understanding of Magna Carta has begun to mythologize the creation and signing of the charter. Lord Igor Judge, Former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales places Magna Carta in its historical context as simply another Charter in an age when charters were “created like confetti”. As well as the byzantine politics and open warfare that led to the creation of Magna Carta, Lord Judge highlights the real hero of 1215, William Marshal, whose tireless campaigning and statecraft lead to the adoption of Magna Carta, ejected the French from British soil and secured the Plantagenet dynasty’s hold on the throne.’

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Gresham College, 14th January 2015

Source: www.gresham.ac.uk

Proposals for further reforms to court fees – Ministry of Justice

Posted January 20th, 2015 in civil justice, consultations, courts, fees, news, repossession by sally

‘In Part 1 of the Government response to the consultation ‘Court fees: proposals for reform’, we set out our decision to consider alternatives to the proposed fee increase for divorce.’

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Ministry of Justice, 16th January 2015

Source: https://consult.justice.gov.uk

Terror suspects and criminals to be stripped of human rights – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 20th, 2015 in bills, deportation, human rights, news, terrorism by sally

‘The draft bill, to replace the Human Rights Act, would allow British judges to ignore the European Court of Human Rights’

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Daily Telegraph, 20th January 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

“Tesco Law” in theory will be “Asda Law” in reality – The Future of Law

Posted January 20th, 2015 in alternative business structures, law firms, news by sally

‘In the run up to the Legal Services Act and its “aftermath” the name that came to symbolise the supposed rise of consumer brands entering the legal market was Tesco.’

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The Future of Law, 19th January 2015

Source: www.blogs.lexisnexis.co.uk

Judge orders father to take his children to church – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 20th, 2015 in appeals, children, custody, divorce, freedom of expression, judges, news by sally

‘Child care proceedings challenged after judge tells father he has a legal requirement to take his sons to Catholic mass.’

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Daily Telegraph, 19th January 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Cost of PI claims dropping fast, actuaries confirm – Litigation Futures

Posted January 20th, 2015 in costs, fees, news, personal injuries by sally

‘Legal fees for personal injury cases worth up to £100,000 fell by 65% in 2013, with an overall reduction of 14% in the cost of third-party injury claims, the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries has reported.’

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Litigation Futures, 19th January 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

New exclusions guidance – Education Law Blog

Posted January 20th, 2015 in education, news, regulations, school exclusions by sally

‘The Government has published new statutory guidance: Exclusion from maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England. It applies to exclusions that occur after 5 January 2015, replacing the previous 2012 guidance.’

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Education Law Blog, 18th January 2015

Source: www.education11kbw.com

Lawyers join forces with journalists and social workers to protest against government snooping

Posted January 20th, 2015 in consultations, intelligence services, investigatory powers, news, police, privacy by sally

‘The Law Society and Bar Council have joined forces with the British Association of Social Workers and National Union of Journalists to form the ‘Professionals for Information Privacy Coalition’, and express their concern over the controls in place on how the government snoops on professionals.’

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Legal Futures, 20th January 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

On-call solicitor plan adopted with ‘cavalier disregard for fairness’ – The Guardian

Posted January 20th, 2015 in criminal justice, law firms, legal representation, news, solicitors by sally

‘A theoretical business model adopted by the justice secretary to employ on-call solicitors was selected with “cavalier disregard” for fairness and real-world experience, the high court has heard.’

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The Guardian, 19th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Harley Street doctor suspended over Botox practices – BBC News

‘A leading Harley Street cosmetic doctor has been suspended for 12 months after being found to have acted “dishonestly” and encouraging nurses to obtain Botox illegally.’

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BBC News, 19th January 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Breck Bednar murder: PCC links lack of action on mother’s warning to cutbacks – The Guardian

Posted January 20th, 2015 in complaints, murder, news, police, recidivists, sexual grooming by sally

‘The mother of a schoolboy murdered by a teenager he met online has criticised a police and crime commissioner for suggesting that cutbacks were to blame for the police’s failure to act on her warnings about her son’s killer.’

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The Guardian, 19th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Justice under threat’ as defendants face court alone due to legal aid cuts – The Independent

Posted January 20th, 2015 in criminal justice, legal aid, legal representation, litigants in person, news by sally

‘The principle of fair justice is being undermined by the growing number of criminal defendants forced to represent themselves in court, magistrates from across the country warn in a survey to be released today [19 January].’

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The Independent, 19th January 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

7/7 widow Louise Gray jailed for stealing son’s compensation – BBC News

Posted January 20th, 2015 in compensation, families, news, sentencing, theft by sally

‘The widow of a victim of the 7/7 London bombings has been jailed for stealing £43,000 from her son’s compensation.’

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BBC News, 19th January 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Female genital mutilation: NHS doctor becomes first person to stand trial for involvement in the unpopular practice – The Independent

Posted January 20th, 2015 in doctors, female genital mutilation, news by sally

‘Female genital mutilation: NHS doctor becomes first person to stand trial for involvement in the unpopular practice.’

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The Independent, 19th January 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Attempt to ban performing artist’s abuse memoir ‘threatens free speech’ – The Guardian

Posted January 20th, 2015 in appeals, freedom of expression, injunctions, news, publishing, Supreme Court by sally

‘An attempt to prevent a performing artist from publishing his memoir on the grounds that its contents would be distressing for his son to read has opened up “a new, substantial and unpredictable threat to freedom of expression”, lawyers representing free speech campaigners have told the UK supreme court.’

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The Guardian, 19th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Grime Rap ‘Gangbo’ appeal fails in High Court – Diarmuid Laffan – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted January 19th, 2015 in appeals, bills, gangs, human rights, injunctions, interpretation, news, police by sally

‘Chief Constable of the Greater Manchester Police v Scott Calder [2015]. The Greater Manchester Police (‘GMP’) have been unsuccessful in an attempt to obtain an Injunction to Prevent Gang-Related Violence (“IPGV” or “Gangbo”) against Scott Calder. The application was based on police intelligence and the lyrics of Mr Calder’s YouTube Grime Rap videos. On 14 January 2015, Mr Justice Blake dismissed the GMP’s appeal to the High Court, and in doing so laid out guidance on the purpose and ambit of the IPGV legislation, which is currently being substantially amended by Parliament.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 19th January 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Male circumcision can be part of “reasonable parenting”, but no form of FGM is acceptable – Family Court – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted January 19th, 2015 in children, expert witnesses, family courts, female genital mutilation, news by sally

‘B and G (Children) (No.2) [2015] EWFC 3. Contemplating the details of different forms of female genital mutilation is not for the faint hearted. But that is what the courts and the relevant experts have to do, not only to protected alleged victims but to defend the interests of those suspected of perpetuating the procedure, whether it is a question of criminal liability under the FGM Act 2003, or determining that a threshold of harm has been passed so as to initiate care proceedings if the victim is a child.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 18th January 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

General damages are not reduced because of age: the law set out with clarity – Zenith PI Blog

Posted January 19th, 2015 in damages, elderly, medical treatment, negligence, news, personal injuries by sally

‘There are many reasons why personal injury litigators should read the decision of Judge Curran QC (sitting as a judge of the High Court) in Miller -v- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust [2014] EWHC 3772 (QB). One of the reasons is the detailed analysis of the argument that damages for pain and suffering should automatically be reduced because of a claimant’s age. As the judgment shows age can be an aggravating factor, not a matter that leads to a reduction in the award.’

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Zenith PI Blog, 17th January 2015

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

Government set to hike general civil application fees – Litigation Futures

Posted January 19th, 2015 in budgets, civil justice, consultations, costs, courts, fees, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

‘The government has dropped plans for “enhanced” court fees specifically for commercial cases, but is now targeting increased fees for the hundreds of thousands of general civil applications made each year.’

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Litigation Futures, 19th January 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com