Jack Simson Caird: A Proposal for a Code of Legislative Standards? – UK Constitutional Law Group

“On the 20 of May the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee (the PCR) published its report on legislative scrutiny standards titled ‘Ensuring standards in the quality of legislation’. The Report contains two eye catching and ambitious proposals for parliamentary reform: the creation of a joint committee on legislative standards and the adoption of a code of legislative standards. This blog is about the second of these proposals. The proposal is a significant one, and if implemented it would dramatically improve the information available to parliamentarians in their scrutiny of government bills. The PCR’s code is in effect a series of questions and demands for information relating to the content and to the timetable of a bill, that the government would answer within the explanatory notes to a bill. In this blog post, I draw attention to the code proposed by the PRC and I offer a critique of their approach, and in particular of the decision not to include substantive legislative standards.”

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UK Constitutional Law Group, 14th June 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Liverpool crime matriarch and two sons jailed over conspiracy to import drugs – The Guardian

Posted June 17th, 2013 in conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering, news, sentencing by sally

“Key members of one of Merseyside’s most notorious crime families are behind bars after admitting to running a multi-million pound drug smuggling and money-laundering racket.”

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The Guardian, 14th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Social media advertisers responsible for user generated content they ‘positively invite’, says CAP – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 17th, 2013 in advertising, codes of practice, consumer protection, internet, news by sally

“Advertisers that encourage users of social media to respond to promotional questions they pose are responsible for ensuring that the content those users submit complies with UK advertising rules, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 14th June 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Why are vulnerable women still being jailed? – The Guardian

Posted June 17th, 2013 in inquests, mental health, news, prisons, suicide, women by sally

“Suicide case highlights dangers of unsafe prisons, say campaigners.”

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The Guardian, 16th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid cuts ‘end high-profile BME cases’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 17th, 2013 in budgets, legal aid, legal representation, minorities, news by sally

“High-profile cases such as those of murder victims Stephen Lawrence and Victoria Climbié would not have been taken up by lawyers if the government’s legal aid cuts had been in place, a prominent solicitor-advocate has warned.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 17th June 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

SDT rulings send out warning to law firms over relationships with debt recovery companies – Legal Futures

“Law firms must not allow arrangements with debt recovery companies to compromise their independence, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned, after two solicitors were fined heavily for allowing litigation to be carried out in their name.”

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Legal Futures, 17th June 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Private enforcement: the Commission speaks at last – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

“The trio of documents published by the Commission last week mark an important moment in private competition enforcement in the EU. After years of debate and consultation, it is now clear that, whilst the Commission is determined to take some important steps to assist claimants in private actions, it is not prepared to bring about the sorts of fundamental changes which would be needed to realise the full potential of private enforcement.”

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Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 15th June 2013

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

Sir Mark Hedley: The judge who opened the doors to Britain’s most secretive court – The Independent

“Sir Mark Hedley decided that the public should know about the judiciary’s highly sensitive rulings. He tells Emily Dugan why.”

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The Independent, 16th June 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Care Quality Commission monitoring deaths in homes – BBC News

Posted June 17th, 2013 in care homes, elderly, news, quality assurance, statistics by sally

“Death rates in care and nursing homes in England are to be monitored by the Care Quality Commission to try to identify problems at an earlier stage.”

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BBC News, 17th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ian Brady in prison transfer tribunal – The Independent

Posted June 17th, 2013 in mental health, murder, news, transfer of prisoners, tribunals by sally

“Moors Murderer Ian Brady is scheduled to go before a tribunal later today in his bid to be transferred to a prison to die.”

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The Independent, 17th June 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

The laws that allow intelligence agencies to spy on foreign diplomats – The Guardian

“The powers that allow Britain’s intelligence agencies to spy on individuals, including foreign diplomats, were set out in the 1994 Intelligence Services Act (ISA). They were framed in a broad way to allow those involved in espionage to conduct all manner of operations with ministerial authority, and the types of techniques used during the G20 summit four years ago suggest a creativity and technological capability that Ian Fleming could only have dreamed of.”

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The Guardian, 16th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prison experts urge replacement of run down ‘dungeons’ with ‘superjails’ – the Guardian

Posted June 17th, 2013 in budgets, news, prisons by sally

“More than 30 ‘run down and poorly located’ jails, including some of the prison system’s most famous names – Dartmoor, Holloway, Pentonville, Wandsworth and Wormwood Scrubs – should be shut down and replaced with a new generation of ‘superjails’, according to prison experts.”

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The Guardian, 17th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Louis Theroux conman pleads guilty to Somerset fraud – BBC News

Posted June 14th, 2013 in fraud, impersonation, news by sally

“A man who claimed to be TV presenter Louis Theroux to stay in a pub free of charge has pleaded guilty to fraud.”

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BBC News, 14th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

What are secret courts and what do they mean for UK justice? – The Guardian

Posted June 14th, 2013 in closed material, intelligence services, news, private hearings by sally

“The Justice and Security Act was given parliamentary approval on 25 April this year. One of the main justifications for expanding so-called secret courts was to prevent intelligence provided by US sources being exposed in British courts.”

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The Guardian, 14th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bristol sex abuse supply teacher John Alway jailed – BBC News

Posted June 14th, 2013 in news, sentencing, sexual offences, teachers by sally

A supply teacher who sexually abused at least seven girls at four schools has been jailed for more than 10 years.

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BBC News, 14th June 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Stripping Away the Veil of Deceit: Prest v Petrodel – Family Law Week

Posted June 14th, 2013 in company law, divorce, financial provision, matrimonial home, news by sally

“John Wilson QC of 1 Hare Court analyses the Supreme Court’s judgment in the landmark case of Prest v Petrodel and considers its implications for family lawyers.”

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Family Law Week, 14th June 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.com

Feeling like burning down some mosques in Portsmouth, anyone want to join me?’: Woman avoids jail after post-Woolwich Facebook comments – The Independent

“A 24-year-old woman who posted racist comments on Facebook following the death of Drummer Lee Rigby has avoided a jail sentence.”

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The Independent, 14th June 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Couple jailed after letting 40 teens film them having sex in public – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 14th, 2013 in news, outraging public decency, sentencing by sally

“A drunken couple have been jailed after ‘playing to an audience’ by allowing a crowd of up to 40 teenagers to film them having sex in public.”

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Daily Telegraph, 14th June 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Paul Gascoigne launches libel action against Daily Star – The Guardian

Posted June 14th, 2013 in defamation, media, news, privacy by sally

“Paul Gascoigne has launched a six-figure legal claim against the Daily Star over a leaked mobile phone video allegedly stolen from his flat.”

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The Guardian, 14th June 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Crime in Context speech – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 14th, 2013 in crime, news, recidivists, rehabilitation, speeches by sally

“Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP’s ‘Crime in Context’ speech. Originally given at Civitas. This is the text of the speech as drafted, which may differ slightly from the delivered version.”

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Ministry of Justice, 13th June 2013

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