Pensioner ‘cannot pay’ Lewes hospital eviction bill – BBC News

Posted October 12th, 2016 in costs, elderly, hospitals, news, repossession by sally

‘A pensioner evicted from the hospital bed she occupied for 14 months has said she cannot pay the £8,000 legal bill she faces. Diane Price, 79, was transferred to a rehabilitation unit at Lewes Victoria Hospital in East Sussex after breaking her leg in a car crash last May. She refused to leave despite doctors telling her she should return home. Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust won a possession order in the High Court to free up her bed.’

Full story

BBC News, 11th October 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prison inquiry demanded by governors after ‘unprecedented’ rise in violence – BBC News

Posted October 12th, 2016 in inquiries, news, prisons by sally

‘The Prison Governors Association has called on the government to set up an independent public inquiry into the state of prisons in England and Wales.’

Full story

BBC News, 12th October 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Vulnerable children left at risk by ‘horrifying’ state of social services, government watchdog finds – The Independent

Posted October 12th, 2016 in children, education, local government, news, reports, social services by sally

‘Vulnerable children are being left at risk of harm due to the dire state of social services, a report from the Government’s spending watchdog has found.’

Full story

The Independent, 11th October 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Great British Bake Off an example of the legal challenges in protecting TV formats, say experts – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 11th, 2016 in copyright, intellectual property, media, news, trade marks by sally

‘The recent sale of rights to broadcast The Great British Bake Off has highlighted the legal challenges facing broadcasters keen to protect their rights and interests in TV formats.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 10th October 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Sionaidh Douglas-Scott: The ‘Great Repeal Bill’: Constitutional Chaos and Constitutional Crisis? – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘On October 2, Theresa May set out plans for a ‘Great Repeal Bill’ to be included in the next Queen’s Speech. There is very little detail currently available, but it appears this Bill is intended to remove the European Communities Act (ECA) 1972 from the statute book following completion of the Brexit negotiations. It would also incorporate current applicable EU law into an Act of Parliament and then allow the government to decide if/when to repeal, amend or retain individual measures in the future, following Brexit.’

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 10th October 2016

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

English court dismisses ‘notice to quit’ served on tenant before land registered – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 11th, 2016 in land registration, landlord & tenant, news, notification by sally

‘A ‘notice to quit’ served on a tenant farmer by the new owner of the land was invalid, as the new owner had given notice before its ownership was properly registered with the Land Registry, the High Court has ruled.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 10th October 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Sergeant jailed for ‘horrifying’ machete attack on fellow soldier – The Guardian

Posted October 11th, 2016 in armed forces, news, offensive weapons, sentencing, wounding by sally

‘An army colour sergeant has been jailed for eight years for a “horrifying” machete attack on a fellow soldier, as it was revealed he had previously served time for the culpable homicide of his uncle.’

Full story

The Guardian, 10th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New High Court judgment on privacy and data protection damages – Panopticon

Posted October 11th, 2016 in compensation, damages, data protection, news, privacy by sally

‘One of the major evolving issues in privacy and data protection law concerns the assessment of damages: when someone suffers a breach of their privacy or DP rights, how do you go about deciding how much money to award them by way of compensation?’

Full story

Panopticon, 10th October 2016

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Direct access website founder urges barristers to focus on broader expertise, not advocacy – Legal Futures

Posted October 11th, 2016 in advocacy, barristers, legal services, news by sally

‘Lawyers who don’t believe the “writing is on the wall” that unregulated legal services will increase “may find themselves on the wrong side of history”, the founder of direct access website Absolute Barrister has warned.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 11th October 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Controversial snooping technology ‘used by at least seven police forces’ – The Guardian

Posted October 11th, 2016 in interception, investigatory powers, London, news, police, privacy, telecommunications by sally

‘Controversial surveillance technology that indiscriminately harvests information from mobile phones is being used by at least seven police forces across the country, a far larger number than previously known, according to police documents.’

Full story

The Guardian, 10th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Trading standards body in court threat over cuts and statutory duties – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has warned councils to “think carefully about their statutory duties when making cuts – or risk being hauled before the courts”.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 10th October 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Orgreave police ‘told to use as much force as possible’ – BBC News

Posted October 11th, 2016 in industrial action, miners, news, police by sally

‘The government is considering a review of what happened in 1984 during the miners’ strike when violent clashes took place between the police and miners on the picket line at Orgreave.’

Full story

BBC News, 10th October 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal aid cuts creating two-tier justice system, says Amnesty – The Guardian

Posted October 11th, 2016 in children, civil justice, legal aid, legal representation, news, reports by sally

‘Cuts to legal aid are far worse than anticipated and are creating a “two-tier” system which denies the poorest people access to justice, warns a critical report by Amnesty International.’

Full story

The Guardian, 11th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

In the Tribunals… – Nearly Legal

Posted October 10th, 2016 in costs, landlord & tenant, news, rent, service charges by sally

‘Ms K had a weekly tenancy of a flat (initially her daughter’s flat but assigned to her in 2014 by mutual exchange). The tenancy agreement provided for the payment of rent and also a weekly payment for service charge, originally £14.60. In 2015 the service charge was raised to £16.22. The tenancy agreement specified payment of the service charge but the space for the services to be provided was left blank.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 10th October 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Watchdog: more than half of failing care providers have not improved – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 10th, 2016 in care homes, hospitals, news, reports, standards by sally

‘More than half of failing NHS hospitals, care homes and GP practices have deteriorated or made no improvement since being inspected by watchdogs, official figures

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 7th October 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

High Court warning to lawyers over fair treatment of litigants in person – Litigation Futures

Posted October 10th, 2016 in case management, delay, litigants in person, news, practice directions, service by sally

‘The High Court has issued a warning to lawyers over dumping legal documents on litigants in person (LiPs) at the door of the court.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 6th October 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Police say they are becoming emergency mental health services – The Guardian

Posted October 10th, 2016 in budgets, mental health, news, police by sally

‘Police say they are being relied on as an emergency mental health service and that cuts in psychiatric provision are probably to blame, the Guardian has learned.

Full story

The Guardian, 9th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New bill of costs set to become compulsory from October 2017 – Litigation Futures

Posted October 10th, 2016 in civil procedure rules, costs, news by sally

‘The new format bill of costs is set to become compulsory in a year’s time after the rule committee decoupled it from mandatory use of the J-Codes, it has emerged.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 6th October 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Top law firm accused of ‘taking the p—‘ after telling lawyers to charge clients for time spent on toilet – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 10th, 2016 in fees, law firms, news by sally

‘Lawyers at a top international firm were told to charge clients even when they were taking toilet breaks – because they would still be thinking about work.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 7th October 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

A provider of free Wi-Fi can be ordered to impose controls to stop copyright infringement – Technology Law Update

Posted October 10th, 2016 in copyright, EC law, internet, news by sally

‘A case brought by Sony Music over illegal music downloads using a free WiFi service has led to a surprisingly restrictive conclusion from the EU court. The court ruled that a Berlin business-owner Tobias McFadden, who provided an unprotected free Wi-Fi network to the public,

– is not responsible for copyright infringement by a user of the WiFi, but
– can be required to take steps to control misuse of the service and ordered to pay associated costs.’

Full story

Technology Law Update, 7th October 2016

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk