Legal aid bill suffers ninth Lords defeat – The Guardian

Posted March 15th, 2012 in bills, legal aid, news, parliament by sally

“The government’s embattled legal aid bill has suffered its ninth defeat in the House of Lords as peers voted against the mandatory use of telephone advice lines.”

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The Guardian, 14th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MPs’ caseloads will bear the brunt of legal aid cuts – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 15th, 2012 in bills, legal aid, news, parliament, reports by sally

“MPs will face a ‘rising tide of need’ from constituents with unmet legal needs if the government’s legal aid cuts are implemented, according to a report published today [14 March] by the Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) group.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 14th March 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal aid reforms: peers inflict fresh defeats on government – The Guardian

Posted March 8th, 2012 in appeals, benefits, bills, legal aid, news, parliament by sally

“Government plans for saving £350m a year in legal aid expenses suffered fresh defeats in the House of Lords after peers overturned a series of cost-saving proposals.”

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The Guardian, 7th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid bill defeated in Lords – The Guardian

Posted March 6th, 2012 in bills, domestic violence, legal aid, news, parliament by sally

“Government attempts to save £350m by limiting the availability of legal aid have suffered a succession of defeats in the House of Lords.”

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The Guardian, 5th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Intelligence chiefs to give evidence in public for first time – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 13th, 2012 in disclosure, intelligence services, news, parliament by sally

“Intelligence chiefs will be questioned in public for the first time to ensure that the secret services cannot escape the scrutiny of ‘open democracy’, a leading MP said yesterday.”

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Daily Telegraph, 12th February 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Jane Clough campaign: Bail law changes backed by House of Lords – BBC News

Posted February 9th, 2012 in appeals, bail, bills, news, parliament by sally

“The House of Lords has backed changes to the bail laws following a campaign by the parents of the murdered Lancashire nurse Jane Clough.”

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BBC News, 9th February 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The legislation gap: does slow and steady really win the race? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted February 3rd, 2012 in bills, news, parliament, statutory interpretation by sally

“An analysis by the Times (‘Legislation gap makes light work for MPs’, 27 January) has revealed that MPs have spent a mere 24% of their time in the last four months considering government legislation. During the same period in the previous year, the figure was 62%.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 2nd February 2012

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk/

Coalition overturns Lords amendments on welfare and bans further dissent – The Guardian

Posted February 2nd, 2012 in bills, news, parliament by sally

“Government uses rare parliamentary procedure to annul seven adjustments to reform and prevent further challenges from peers.”

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The Guardian, 1st February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Assessment of FOI regime should be based on evidence not emotion, watchdog says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 1st, 2012 in consultations, freedom of information, news, parliament by sally

“MPs reviewing the UK’s freedom of information (FOI) regime should assess its success based on evidence and facts, the Information Commissioner has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 1st February 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Lords inflict triple welfare bill defeat on government – The Guardian

Posted January 12th, 2012 in benefits, bills, news, parliament by sally

“The government’s plans to reform welfare were badly hit on Wednesday when it suffered three defeats in the House of Lords on proposed benefit cuts.”

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The Guardian, 11th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Parliament’s moral duty on assisted dying – The Guardian

Posted January 3rd, 2012 in assisted suicide, euthanasia, news, parliament, reports by tracey

“There has been a lull in the media recently about the rights and wrongs of assisted dying, but the conflict is sure to break out again with the imminent publication of the report from Lord Falconer’s commission, established to consider changes to the law.”

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The Guardian, 1st January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MPs’ expenses: Margaret Moran ‘not fit to stand trial’, court told – The Guardian

Posted December 16th, 2011 in expenses, false accounting, fitness to plead, mental health, news, parliament by tracey

“Judge to decide on whether former Labour MP accused of falsely claiming £80,000 expenses should face trial.”

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The Guardian, 15th December 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MPs’ expenses: jailed trio ordered to pay back legal costs – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 16th, 2011 in costs, expenses, false accounting, news, parliament, repayment by tracey

“Three former Labour MPs who were jailed for fiddling their expenses have been ordered to pay back a total of £125,000 – less than half of the money spent on their court cases.”

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Daily Telegraph, 15th December 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Peers who fail to repay wrongly claimed expenses to be banned from Lords – The Guardian

Posted December 14th, 2011 in debts, expenses, news, parliament, repayment by sally

“Disgraced peers who fail to repay wrongly claimed expenses are to be barred from returning to parliament.”

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The Guardian, 14th December 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Peers ‘should end Downton Abbey-style succession rules’ – BBC News

Posted December 7th, 2011 in news, parliament, peerages & dignities, succession by sally

“The House of Lords is being urged to end rules which deny most hereditary peerages to women.”

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BBC News, 7th December 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Gary McKinnon gets MPs’ backing in extradition debate – The Guardian

Posted December 6th, 2011 in computer crime, extradition, news, parliament, treaties by sally

“MPs have urged the government to improve safeguards for British citizens wanted by authorities overseas by reforming extradition laws, indicating the strength of political feeling in support of Gary McKinnon, who has been battling for six years against a US extradition bid to face hacking charges.”

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The Guardian, 6th December 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MPs may be breaking law in offering work to unpaid interns – The Guardian

Posted November 28th, 2011 in minimum wage, news, parliament by sally

“Scores of MPs, from millionaire Tory cabinet members to Labour backbenchers, may have broken minimum wage law by taking on unpaid interns, according to legal advice to ministers.”

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The Guardian, 27th November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

European judge slams UK ‘xenophobia’ – The Guardian

Posted November 24th, 2011 in human rights, judges, news, parliament by sally

“Europe’s most powerful judge has publicly complained about ‘senior members’ of the UK government fostering hostility towards the European Convention on Human Rights.”

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The Guardian, 23rd November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lords give legal aid bill ‘a good bashing’ – The Guardian

Posted November 24th, 2011 in bills, legal aid, news, parliament by sally

“In a marathon debate, the Lords focused on government plans to surgically remove the area of the legal aid scheme that relates most directly to the poor and vulnerable.”

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The Guardian, 23rd November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

“Is this possible?” – The Guardian

Posted November 23rd, 2011 in bills, legal aid, news, parliament, sentencing by sally

“Highlights from the Lords debate on the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders bill, in which 54 peers spoke.”

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The Guardian, 22nd November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk