Legal aid bill is law – the fight back starts now – The Guardian
“Now the legal aid bill is law, how do we preserve access to justice?”
The Guardian, 3rd May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Category: news
Appeal court backs law firm in ‘you’re fired’ retainer row – Law Society’s Gazette
“Solicitors are entitled to suspend work for clients who have not paid their bill in accordance with the contractual term of business agreed, the Court of Appeal has ruled in a key case on retainers.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 2nd May 2012
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Pressing the case – Sir Stephen Sedley’s proposals for statutory media regulation – Legal Week
“The Leveson Inquiry has invited evidence and submissions from the public as well as from the core participants. Although not reported widely in the media, last October the recently retired Lord Justice of Appeal, Sir Stephen Sedley, made his own submission to the Leveson Inquiry. In this submission, Sir Stephen proposes his own model of statutory regulation of the media.”
Legal Week, 2nd May 2012
Source: www.legalweek.com
Time, time, time, look what’s become of me – UK Human Rights Blog
“In law, time can be everything. Every lawyer will have experienced waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat at the realisation that a time limit has been missed. Courts often have the discretion to extend litigation time limits, such as under rule 3.1 of the Civil Procedure Rules, but simple mistakes by lawyers rarely generate sympathy from judges. Even scarier, judges sometimes do not even have the power to extend time at all, however unfair the circumstances. The idea is to encourage certainty and predictability in the legal system.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 2nd May 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
Man jailed for life for killing again two decades after first murder – The Guardian
“An investigation is under way into the monitoring of a convicted killer who murdered for a second time after being freed from prison.”
The Guardian, 2nd May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Clarke asks top judges to probe disclosure sanctions – Law Society’s Gazette
“Justice secretary Kenneth Clarke has asked two senior judges to review sanctions for disclosure failures in criminal trials, to ‘mitigate the resource burden’ imposed by disclosure.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd May 2012
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Extradition: where and why? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
“The past few months have seen a great many column inches dedicated to the issue of extradition. The dismissal of the extradition challenges by Abu Hamza and others has led to many commentators heaping praise on the ECtHR for making the correct choice in granting the extradition of these men to the US. The attempt by the Home Secretary to deport Abu Qatada to Jordan continues to stimulate debate and raise erudite procedural issues.”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 2nd May 2012
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Bills delayed ‘to make room for Lords reform’ – BBC News
“The government is putting promised legislation on hold to make room for House of Lords reform, MPs say.”
BBC News, 2nd May 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
JAC commissioner: ‘let solicitors become judges’ – Law Society’s Gazette
“The newly-appointed solicitor commissioner to the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) has expressed scepticism about targets and quotas for diversity as well as the ‘tipping point’ method of favouring under-represented groups.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd May 2012
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
When does an expert report constitute “independent evidence” of torture? – UK Human Rights Blog
“Whether expert evidence relied upon by an asylum seeker amounted to ‘independent evidence’ of torture was the key issue before the Court of Appeal in this case . The issue arose in the context of AM’s claim against the Home Office for wrongful imprisonment contrary to the UK Border Agency’s Enforcement Instructions and Guidance. The Guidance, which contains the policy of the Agency on detentions (amongst other things), says that where there is ‘independent evidence’ that a person has been tortured, that person is suitable for detention only in ‘very exceptional circumstances’.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 2nd May 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
Abu Qatada appeal hearing due next Wednesday – The Guardian
“European human rights judges will decide next Wednesday whether Abu Qatada’s appeal against his deportation from Britain should be allowed to go ahead.”
The Guardian, 2nd May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Hundreds still to face courts in London over riots – BBC News
“Hundreds of cases of people accused of being involved in last summer’s London riots are still being prepared for trial, the BBC has learned.”
BBC News, 3rd May 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Are you the new pupil? One sugar, please love – The Guardian
“Sexism at the bar may be more subtle, but female pupils still get asked to book flights, babysit and told to ‘heel'”
The Guardian, 3rd May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Murder most foul”: The right to life investigating homicide – UK Human Rights Blog
“In what circumstances is a criminal trial not sufficient to discharge the State’s duties under Article 2, the right to life, towards a victim of murder? The High Court held last week in this tragic case that a Coroner unlawfully and unreasonably decided not to resume an inquest into the death of a teenage girl where her killer had been ruled unfit to plead at the Old Bailey and handed an indefinite hospital order.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 1st May 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
England’s most prolific criminal has 567 convictions – Daily Telegraph
“England’s most prolific criminal has almost 600 convictions to his name, official figures have disclosed.”
Daily Telegraph, 1st May 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Yes, come to the library! Browse and borrow, and help make sure it’ll still be here tomorrow… – UK Human Rights Blog
“‘Yes, come to the library! Browse and borrow, and help make sure it’ll still be here tomorrow…’ Thus concludes “Library poem”, penned by Children’s Laureate and Gruffalo creator Julia Donaldson, the latest high profile recruit to the campaign against planned library closures.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 2nd May 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘Living wills’ need to be completely clear, rules judge – Daily Telegraph
“‘Living wills’ that stipulate exactly how a person wants to die should be drawn up with absolute clarity, a judge has ruled after concluding a 67-year-old man with motor neurone disease had made a ‘valid decision’ to refuse treatment.”
Daily Telegraph, 1st May 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Crackdown on whiplash injury claims – The Independent
“Whiplash injury claims cost insurers more than £2 billion last year – adding around £90 to the
cost of a typical car insurance policy, the AA has revealed.”
The Independent, 2nd May 2012
Source: www.independent.co.uk
London 2012: Legal bid over Olympics flats missile plan – BBC News
“An east London resident wants to take legal action after his apartment complex was earmarked for the use of surface-to-air missiles during the Olympics.”
BBC News, 1st May 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Internet freedom ‘under threat from hasty legislation in UK and US’ – The Guardian
“Head of global media observation group says many countries are trying to restrict internet freedom in name of security.”
The Guardian, 1st May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
