Current Awareness

‘A senior family law and Court of Protection barrister has been fined £1,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office for failing to keep clients’ sensitive personal information secure.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th March 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Budgeting uncertainty set to roll on until Merrix appeal – Litigation Futures

Posted March 20th, 2017 in appeals, budgets, costs, news, reasons, stay of proceedings by sally

‘The fall-out is continuing from the recent High Court decision that budgets bind the parties at detailed assessment unless there is good reason not to, although it seems clear that parties are waiting for a definitive ruling from the Court of Appeal.’

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Litigation Futures, 16th March 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

MPs launch inquiry into government’s personal injury reforms – Legal Futures

Posted March 20th, 2017 in bills, fraud, inquiries, news, personal injuries, road traffic, select committees, small claims by sally

‘MPs on the justice select committee have launched a “short” inquiry into the personal injury reforms contained in the Prisons and Courts Bill. The announcement comes ahead of the bill’s second reading – during which the principles behind it will be debated – on Monday.’

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Legal Futures, 17th march 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.com

News focus: ‘Virtual justice’ and the IT panacea – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 20th, 2017 in bills, courts, criminal justice, internet, Ministry of Justice, news, telecommunications by sally

‘Just over six years ago, a taxpayer funded independent study of a pilot “virtual court” concluded that: “A rollout based on the pilot’s performance and parameters is likely to cost more money than it saves. A break-even scenario may be achieved, but this is still likely to be a challenge.” ‘

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Law Society’s Gazette, 20th March 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Parental Alienation – learning from other jurisdictions and other disciplines – Family Law Week

Posted March 20th, 2017 in contact orders, families, foreign jurisdictions, news by sally

‘Joanna Abrahams, Head of Family Law, Setfords, considers possible ways to overcome problems of parental alienation.’

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Family Law Week, 19th March 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Police wind up Sir Edward Heath sex abuse inquiry – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 20th, 2017 in child abuse, inquiries, news, police, private investigators, sexual offences by sally

‘The £1 million police investigation into allegations that Sir Edward Heath was a paedophile is being wound up amid claims it has found no evidence to justify tarnishing the former prime minister’s reputation.’

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Daily Telegraph, 18th March 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Greedy treasurer jailed for selling sea rescue charity’s lifeboat on eBay – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 20th, 2017 in abuse of position of trust, charities, false accounting, fraud, news, sentencing by sally

‘A “greedy” treasurer sank her own sea rescue charity after selling its lifeboat on eBay.’

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Daily Telegraph, 19th March 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Dozens of crimes against MPs reported – BBC News

Posted March 20th, 2017 in freedom of information, malicious communications, news, parliament, police, threatening behaviour, women by sally

‘A police team created to handle crimes against MPs has dealt with 53 complaints since the murder of Jo Cox.’

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BBC News, 19th March 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New evidence links 1970s pregnancy test drug to life-changing birth defects – The Independent

Posted March 20th, 2017 in compensation, documents, medicines, news, personal injuries, pregnancy, victims by sally

‘New evidence has emerged linking the hormone-based drug Primodos to severe deformities or abnormalities in children, sparking fresh hope for families who have been campaigning for decades for compensation from its manufacturer.’

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The Independent, 19th March 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Rape victims to be spared ordeal of cross-examination in court – The Guardian

Posted March 20th, 2017 in cross-examination, news, rape, sexual offences, trials, victims, video recordings by sally

‘New measures to spare alleged rape victims from facing live cross-examination in court will be rolled out as part of changes being made by the justice secretary.’

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The Guardian, 19th March 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Greater protection for rape victims and children at risk of grooming – Ministry of Justice

Posted March 20th, 2017 in bills, children, cross-examination, Ministry of Justice, pilot schemes, press releases, rape, sexual offences, trials, victims, video recordings by sally

‘New offence of sexual communication with a child will be introduced, and measures to support victims of sex crimes accelerated.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 19th March 2017

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

NHS whistleblowers will get compensation if blacklisted by health service – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 20th, 2017 in compensation, employment, health, news, tribunals, whistleblowers by sally

‘NHS whistleblowers will be entitled to compensation if they are stopped from getting new jobs in the health service because of their disclosures, the government will announce.’

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Daily Telegraph, 20th March 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Mother jailed for hiding baby’s death in 2005 – BBC News

Posted March 17th, 2017 in concealing birth, news, sentencing by sally

‘A mother has been jailed for 21 months for covering up the death of her baby son for more than a decade.’

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BBC News, 17th March 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Tennis coach father John De’Viana cleared of cruelty – BBC News

Posted March 17th, 2017 in child abuse, news, sport by sally

‘A tennis coach father who was accused of abusing his daughters in a bid to make them champions of Wimbledon has been cleared of mistreating them.’

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BBC News, 17th March 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Robert Thomas and Joe Tomlinson: A Design Problem for Judicial Review: What We Know and What We Need to Know about Immigration Judicial Reviews – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted March 17th, 2017 in immigration, judicial review, news by sally

‘Immigration and asylum claimants often use judicial review to challenge immigration refusal decisions made by the Home Office. Immigration-related cases have, for a long time now, presented serious difficulties to the efficient management of the judicial review system in the UK.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 16th March 2017

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org/blog

Discretionary Housing Payments and long term awards – Nearly Legal

Posted March 17th, 2017 in benefits, disabled persons, housing, judicial review, news by sally

‘R (on the application of Halvai) v Hammersmith and Fulham LBC (2017) QBD (Admin) (Sara Cockerill QC) 09/03/2017. This was a judicial review of H&F’s refusal of Discretionary Housing Payments to Ms H. Ms H has severe autism and learning and behavioural difficulties. She requires one-to-one care, suffered from extreme anxiety and so had vital and complex accommodation needs, including a very quiet environment.’

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Nearly Legal, 14th March 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

CREDIT HIRE IN THE COURT OF APPEAL AGAIN – MCBRIDE –v- UK INSURANCE LIMITED; CLAYTON –v- EUI LIMITED [2017] EWCA Civ 144 – Zenith PI Blog

Posted March 17th, 2017 in insurance, news, road traffic by sally

‘As Flax LJ neatly states at the beginning of his leading unanimous Judgment, “These two appeals are the latest round in the long-running battle between the motor insurance market and the credit hire companies”. Both appeals concerned the question of the correct approach to the assessment of damages in respect of a pecunious claimant.’

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Zenith PI Blog, 16th March 2017

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com