Legal aid: Chris Grayling plans further cuts – BBC News
“Plans to make further savings to the £2bn bill for legal aid in England and Wales have been announced by Justice Secretary Chris Grayling.”
BBC News, 5th March 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: news
Court of Appeal downplays Aarhus – UK Human Rights Blog
“There have been important pronouncements over the years by the Aarhus Compliance Committee (ACC) about whether the UK planning system complies with the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (the Aarhus Convention).”
UK Human Rights Blog, 4th March 2013
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
Britain’s most senior judge takes aim at gender imbalance – The Guardian
“The stereotypical image of judges as male and white may be so deeply entrenched that there could be an ‘unconscious bias’ against women, the United Kingdom’s most senior judge has suggested.”
The Guardian, 5th March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Lettings agents ‘breaking the law’ by not revealing fees – The Independent
“Lettings agents have been accused of breaking the law by not revealing their fees to renters.”
The Independent, 5th March 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Why secret justice is bad for Britain – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
“As Parliament prepares to vote on the Justice and Security Bill today, Terry McGuinness outlines why Closed Material Procedures (CMP) are an affront to open justice.”
Garden Court Chambers Blog, 4th March 2013
Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com
Prison cuts ‘could lead to more crimes’ – Daily Telegraph
“Serial criminals could commit even more crimes, MPs have warned, because cuts to prison services risk rehabilitation programmes being scaled back.”
Daily Telegraph, 5th March 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Caste discrimination should be outlawed, say Lords – The Guardian
“The House of Lords voted on Monday to outlaw discrimination against people on the basis of their caste.”
The Guardian, 5th March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
QB Master warns of “blood on the floor” after 1 April – Litigation Futures
“The Jackson reforms will leave ‘blood on the floor’ and a lack of resources behind the reforms will leave courts and judges ‘overwhelmed’ by the extra workload, Master Cook of the Queen’s Bench Division has predicted.”
Litigation Futures, 5th March 2013
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
PPI complaints rise ‘unprecedented’, says ombudsman – BBC News
“The financial ombudsman service is taking on 2,000 new cases a day following payment protection insurance (PPI) complaints, with numbers rising at “unprecedented” rates.”
BBC News, 4th March 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Secret court hearing plans pushed through by government – The Guardian
“The government pushed through its plans for secret court hearings on Monday night, defeating amendments tabled by the Labour frontbench with significant majorities.”
The Guardian, 4th March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Voyeur Reverend Richard Lee walks free from court over indecent pictures of girls and woman – The Independent
“A Church of England vicar has walked free from court after admitting using secret cameras to spy on and film intimate pictures of three girls and a woman.”
The Independent, 4th March 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Children’s rights cited in legal challenge launched against ‘bedroom tax’ – The Guardian
“A legal challenge has been launched on behalf of 10 disabled and vulnerable children against the government’s so-called ‘spare bedroom tax’, which is expected to lead to a reduction in benefits for hundreds of thousands of people because they have at least one unused room.”
The Guardian, 5th March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Gordon Brown’s PCC complaint against Sunday Times rejected – the Guardian
“Gordon Brown’s complaint to the Press Complaints Commission over a Sunday Times story about the more than £2m in fees and expenses received since he stepped down as prime minister has been rejected.”
The Guardian, 4th March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Nicola Edgington jailed for 37 years for street decapitation, as report blames police blunders for attack – The Independent
“A woman who decapitated a stranger in the street was jailed for at least 37 years today.”
The Independent, 4th March 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“Can’t We Make the Local Authority Pay for It?” – Family Law Week
“Andrew Pack, care lawyer with Brighton & Hove City Council, considers the court’s powers to compel a local authority to meet the costs of a particular action.”
Family Law Week, 2nd March 2013
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
Revisions to the codes of practice for skilled migrant workers – UK Border Agency
“Today [1 March], the UK Border Agency is publishing a statement of intent, to help employers prepare for changes to the points-based system.
The statement announces changes to the codes of practice for skilled migrant workers from outside the European Economic Area. These will come into effect on 6 April 2013 and will also affect the timing of the applications for restricted certificates of sponsorship in March and April.”
UK Border Agency, 1st March 2013
Source: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk
Vernon Bogdanor – What Place for the Referendum in the UK? – UCL Constitutional Unit
“The referendum is an instrument of popular sovereignty, an institutional expression of the doctrine that political sovereignty derives from the people. In Britain, it has been used on a small range of issues, primarily to secure legitimacy. Some matters, especially those which involve a transfer of sovereignty, are so fundamental that the public may not accept a decision made by parliament alone as legitimate. In the 1970s, it has been suggested, Edward Heath took the British establishment into Europe, but it was left to Harold Wilson to bring the British people into Europe. Today, the establishment continues to favour membership, the people do not. That is the basic case for an `in-out’ referendum.”
UCL Constitution Unit, 1st March 2013
Source: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Ending the postcode lottery for inquests – Ministry of Justice
“Supporting bereaved families during an inquest will be at the heart of the new coroner system in England and Wales, Justice Minister Helen Grant said today.”
Ministry of Justice, 1st March 2013
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
Improving inquests – Ministry of Justice
“Supporting bereaved families during an inquest will be at the heart of the new coroner system.”
Ministry of Justice, 1st March 2013
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
