East Europeans jailed for fraud over £750,000 ‘benefit tourists’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 5th, 2013 in benefits, conspiracy, fraud, news, sentencing, social services by sally

“Three Eastern Europeans who flew friends and family into Britain and claimed £750,000 in tax credits have been jailed for a total of 12 years.”

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Daily Telegraph, 4th November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Views sought on guideline hourly rates – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted November 4th, 2013 in consultations, law firms, news, remuneration by sally

“The Costs Committee of the Civil Justice Council (CJC) has issued a call for evidence to assist it in making recommendations for Guideline Hourly Rates (GHR) for 2014.”

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Judiciary of England and Wales, 1st November 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Attorney General urges barristers to think again over QASA boycott and returning legal aid briefs – Legal Futures

Posted November 4th, 2013 in advocacy, barristers, news, quality assurance by sally

“The Attorney General has urged barristers not to boycott the controversial Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA), and warned that if they refuse instructions they have already accepted in protest at the new legal aid rates, the government may ‘look elsewhere’.”

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Legal Futures, 4th November 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Major shake up to prisoner incentives – Ministry of Justice

Posted November 4th, 2013 in disciplinary procedures, news, prisons, rehabilitation by sally

“Significant reforms to the Incentive and Earned Privileges (IEP) policy across prisons in England and Wales have been brought into force today.”

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Ministry of Justice, 1st November 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Legislation strengthens independent oversight of undercover police operations – Home Office

Posted November 4th, 2013 in investigatory powers, news, police, professional conduct by sally

“Policing Minister announces the government’s intention to increase the independent supervision of undercover operations.”

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Home Office, 31st October 2012

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Education and training: learning curve – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 4th, 2013 in legal education, news, solicitors by sally

“The profession’s regulators face complex and overlapping challenges in creating a legal education system which shifts the focus from the ‘journey’ to the point of qualification.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 4th November 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Anything Goes? – Criminal Law and Justice Weekly

Posted November 4th, 2013 in enforcement notices, guilty pleas, judicial review, magistrates, news, planning by sally

“Has Rahmdezfouli stemmed the march against formalism, asks Dan Bunting.”

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Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 2nd November 2013

Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk

Government launches probe into maternity discrimination at work after surge in complaints – The Independent

Posted November 4th, 2013 in news, pregnancy, sex discrimination, unfair dismissal by sally

“The Government has launched a £1m investigation into the discrimination faced by women in pregnancy and its impact on families and the economy.”

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The Independent, 4th November 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

New disqualification rules to apply to lay employees – Bar Standards Board

Posted November 4th, 2013 in barristers, barristers' clerks, disqualification, news, professional conduct by sally

“The new Code of Conduct for barristers contains new rules that will allow the Bar Standards Board (BSB) to disqualify a lay employee working in chambers.”

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Bar Standards Board, 4th November 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Report calls for female genital mutilation to be treated as child abuse – The Guardian

Posted November 4th, 2013 in child abuse, female genital mutilation, news, reports by sally

“Thousands of girls in danger of genital mutilation are being failed by the health and justice systems, a coalition of health professionals has warned in a report that recommends aggressive steps to eradicate the practice in the UK.”

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The Guardian, 4th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Supreme Court weighs in on patient’s best interests and the meaning of futility – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 4th, 2013 in appeals, hospitals, medical treatment, mental health, news by sally

“The Supreme Court has given judgment in the first case to come before it under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The sole judgment was given by Lady Hale (Deputy President of the Court), with whom Lord Neuberger, Lord Clarke, Lord Carnwath and Lord Hughes.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 3rd November 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Visitor bond scheme to be scrapped by government – BBC News

Posted November 4th, 2013 in immigration, indemnities, news by sally

“Plans for a £3,000 ‘security bond’ for some ‘high risk’ overseas visitors to the UK are to be abandoned, the Home Office has confirmed.”

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BBC News, 3rd November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ban court witnesses from giving evidence in veil, says Ken Clarke – The Guardian

Posted November 4th, 2013 in court dress, evidence, Islam, news, witnesses by sally

“The former justice secretary Ken Clarke has rekindled the debate about wearing veils in court by claiming that a proper trial is impossible if a defendant is ‘in a kind of bag’.”

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The Guardian, 3rd November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Special report: Haringey children’s services – ‘They said things would change after Baby Peter’ – The Independent

Posted November 4th, 2013 in child abuse, child cruelty, local government, news, social services by sally

“The council that repeatedly promised to protect its children following the deaths of Baby Peter and Victoria Climbié has launched yet another serious case review (SCR) into a child abuse case, The Independent on Sunday can reveal. The new investigation has started only a month after the publication of Haringey’s last SCR into Child T, a three-year-old who was beaten so badly with a belt, stick and cable that he was hospitalised yet was still returned to the family home, where the abuse continued. The latest investigation is the council’s sixth known SCR – investigations into serious incidents of child abuse – since the report into Baby Peter’s death was published in 2009.”

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The Independent, 3rd November 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Prosecute professionals who stay silent on child abuse claims – Keir Starmer – The Guardian

Posted November 4th, 2013 in child abuse, news, prosecutions, small claims, social services, teachers, witnesses by sally

“Teachers and health workers should be prosecuted for failing to alert the police to allegations of child abuse, according to the former director of public prosecutions, who is calling for an overhaul of the law to prevent more victims from slipping through the net.”

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The Guardian, 4th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid cuts criticised by Treasury Counsel and Bar Council – BBC News

Posted November 4th, 2013 in barristers, budgets, legal aid, news by sally

“Government plans to cut legal aid in criminal cases have been criticised by an elite group of barristers used by it to prosecute the most serious crimes.”

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BBC News, 2nd November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

I swear that the current procedure for taking oaths in court needs reform – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted November 4th, 2013 in Christianity, criminal procedure, Islam, magistrates, news, oaths, trials, witnesses by sally

“Do you object to swearing an oath on the Bible? Sorry, I hope that question didn’t put you off your stride when settling down to read this article. It’s the same question witnesses are asked when they’re about to give evidence in criminal trials.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 1st November 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Holmanleaze mosque graffiti artist spared jail – BBC News

“A man who spray painted offensive graffiti on a mosque has been ordered to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work.”

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BBC News, 1st November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Al Quaida list and the use of prerogative powers – UK Human Rights Blog

“There was nothing unlawful in the Foreign Secretary’s decision to allow a UK resident to be added to the UN’s Consolidated List of members of Al-Quaida and its associates.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 1st November 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

MoD lawyers soar as Armed Forces’ budgets cut – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 4th, 2013 in armed forces, budgets, human rights, legal profession, news by sally

“Number of military lawyers employed by the Ministry of Defence has risen by nearly half in recent years.”

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Daily Telegraph, 1st November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk