BIALL Wallace Breem Award 2012

Posted June 21st, 2012 in inns of court, libraries, news by sally

The BIALL Wallace Breem Award 2012 has been awarded to the team at Inner Temple Library.

Margaret Clay and Tracey Dennis received the award at the BIALL Annual Dinner which took place at the Europa Hotel, Belfast, on Friday 15th June.

The award reflects the team’s considerable contribution to the legal information profession via three sources in particular.

Firstly, the publication ‘Transcripts of Judicial Proceedings in England and Wales: a Guide to Sources‘. This was first published in 2006 and a new edition was published in 2011. The guide provides invaluable information on how to find transcripts of judicial proceedings of courts and tribunals in England and Wales in an easy-to-use format. The guide is compiled and updated by contacting service providers directly in order to ensure that the information given about their services is as accurate as possible.

Secondly, a daily current awareness blog. This provides up-to-date information on new case law, changes in legislation, and legal news relating to England and Wales. Users can receive updates via email, RSS or Twitter and a version of the blog is also available for mobile devices. Currently the blog attracts 20,000 visits per month from over 100 countries and has 2,000 subscribers and 2,430 followers on Twitter. The Times described the blog as “An extremely useful digest of latest resolutions and legal news stories from around the web, updated regularly.”

Thirdly, the AccessToLaw Database which provides annotated links to selected UK, Commonwealth and international legal websites. Over 1400 sites are currently included. These are mainly legal, government and parliamentary sites with a particular emphasis on those which contain substantive law or related materials, or which will help the legal practitioner to find such information. New sites are added regularly, and existing site entries are checked and updated every three months.

Nominating the winner, Elaine Wintle of Blackstone Chambers felt that ‘the quality of the work that they do, under considerable budgetary constraints, deserves an accolade’.

The judging panel agreed and were pleased to acknowledge the achievements of the team at Inner Temple Library.

Text taken from the BIALL website.

Bar Council Responds to Consultation on Separate Legal Jurisdiction for Wales – The Bar Council

Posted June 21st, 2012 in consultations, jurisdiction, news, Wales by sally

“The Bar Council has responded to the Welsh Government’s consultation on whether there should be a separate legal jurisdiction for Wales. The Bar Council does not express a view on this matter, which is essentially a political question, but it seeks to identify a number of practical issues relevant to arguments for and against the proposition.”

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The Bar Council, 20th June 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

New family visit visa appeal regulations – UK Border Agency

Posted June 21st, 2012 in appeals, families, immigration, news, visas by sally

“The government laid the Immigration Appeals (Family Visitor) Regulations 2012 in Parliament on 18 June 2012, which set out who qualifies for a full right of appeal against refusal of a visa to visit family in the UK.”

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UK Border Agency, 18th June 2012

Source: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

Lawyers slam shared parenting plan – Law Society’s Gazette,

Posted June 21st, 2012 in consultations, divorce, news, parental rights by sally

“Lawyers have described government plans to introduce a legal presumption of shared parenting after relationship breakdown as ‘unnecessary political posturing’ that could detract from children’s wellbeing.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 20th June 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Rights holders groups campaign for private copying exception to exclude cloud storage – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 21st, 2012 in copyright, internet, news by sally

“Limits should be placed on any new ‘private copying’ exemption introduced under UK copyright law to prevent individuals copying digital content into cloud storage services for private use, rights holder groups have said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 20th June 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Shifting the burden: support for stress – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 21st, 2012 in law firms, legal profession, mental health, news, solicitors by sally

“The suicide last year of a senior local authority solicitor who felt unable to cope with the demands placed on him following a 30% cut to his department’s budget shocked the profession.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 21st June 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Court of Appeal in key corporate veil ruling – The Lawyer

Posted June 21st, 2012 in appeals, assets recovery, company law, fraud, news by sally

“The Court of Appeal has clarified its position on piercing the corporate veil rejecting an appeal against brought by state-owned Russian bank VTB Capital against Nutritrek International.”

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The Lawyer, 20th June 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Lesley Dunford found guilty of daughter’s manslaughter – BBC News

Posted June 21st, 2012 in homicide, news, sentencing by sally

“A woman has been sentenced to seven years in prison for the manslaughter of her three-year-old daughter at their home in East Sussex.”

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BBC News, 20th June 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

QASA – and what it means to you – LegalVoice

“New rules for solicitors (and registered European lawyers) who want to undertake criminal advocacy form January 2013 will require them to notify the Solicitors Regulation Authority under the new Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (Crime) arrangements, writes Anne-Marie Lynch. The scheme opens on July 2nd 2012 and will be open for notifications until 21st September 2012. It will introduce a system for accreditation for criminal advocacy work in the Crown and magistrates’ courts.”

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LegalVoice, 20th June 2012

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Publishing names of individuals in breach of proposed new financial services laws may break data protection laws, EU watchdog says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 21st, 2012 in data protection, EC law, financial regulation, news by sally

“Financial services regulators may breach data protection laws if they are forced to publish the details of individuals who breach proposed new EU rules affecting credit institutions, a privacy watchdog has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 21st June 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Census faces high court challenge over right to privacy – The Guardian

Posted June 21st, 2012 in census, data protection, disclosure, news, privacy, third parties by sally

“A high court judge will be told on Thursday that the 2011 census was unlawful because a provision in the act that governs it allows data to be passed to third parties.”

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The Guardian, 21st June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Pirate Bay says BT block already breached – BBC News

Posted June 21st, 2012 in copyright, internet, news, political parties by sally

“BT has joined other UK internet service providers (ISPs) in blocking access to The Pirate Bay, a ban the group says users have already circumvented.”

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BBC News, 20th June 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Hillsborough disaster’s families to get access to secret documents – The Guardian

Posted June 21st, 2012 in disclosure, documents, families, freedom of information, news, sport by sally

“Families bereaved by the Hillsborough tragedy have learned that they will get access to secret police and government documents within three months after a long campaign for the papers to be released.”

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The Guardian, 20th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Banking giant faces landmark mis-selling case – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 21st, 2012 in banking, financial regulation, news by sally

“Key defences relied on by banks in interest rate swap (IRS) mis-selling claims are set to be tested in court this October when the claim of business-owner Sara Pearson against Barclays comes to trial.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 21st June 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Combating corruption in a global business environment – forthcoming HLE panel discussion – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted June 21st, 2012 in bribery, competition, corruption, enforcement, legislation, news by sally

“According to the Ministry of Justice, it was hoped that the Bribery Act 2010 would ‘provide a more effective legal framework to combat bribery in the public or private sectors’ and ‘help tackle the threat that bribery poses to economic progress and development around the world’.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 20th June 2012

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Businesses will be able to challenge supermarkets’ potentially uncompetitive land use restrictions – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 21st, 2012 in competition, land registration, news, restrictive covenants by sally

“Businesses will be able to challenge land use restrictions put in place by major supermarkets to limit local competition from rival grocery outlets, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has announced.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 20th June 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Husband and wife jailed for insider dealing – The Guardian

Posted June 21st, 2012 in insider dealing, news, sentencing by sally

“An investment banker and his wife were behind bars last night after netting £1.5m from insider dealing in one of the biggest cases ever pursued by the Financial Services Authority.”

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The Guardian, 20th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Extradition judges condemn US order – The Independent

Posted June 21st, 2012 in extradition, human rights, news, sexual offences by sally

“Senior judges are seeking assurances from the US government that a man facing extradition accused of child sex crimes will not be placed on a controversial sex offenders treatment programme.”

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The Independent, 20th June 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Supreme Court backs extraditions involving children – BBC News

Posted June 21st, 2012 in extradition, news, parental rights, Supreme Court by sally

“Extraditions to the US and Europe should go ahead, even when a suspect has children in the UK, the UK Supreme Court has ruled.”

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BBC News, 20th June 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The quality of advocacy – BBC Law in Action

Posted June 20th, 2012 in advocacy, fees, legal profession, news, quality assurance by sally

“As the lines blur between the work of solicitors and barristers , Joshua Rozenberg asks whether a cheaper service provides better value for money or is it leading to poor representation in court and ultimately miscarriages of justice? He discusses the issues with Baroness Deech of the Bar Standards Board, a solicitor advocate Sundeep Bhatia and Elisabeth Davies, Chair of the Consumer panel at the Legal Services Board. He also speaks to senior appeal court judge Lord Justice Moses and asks about the best way to assess quality and what dangers lie ahead if suffers.”

Listen

BBC Law in Action, 19th June 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk