‘The House of Lords Constitution Committee today publishes its report on the Wales Bill. The history of the Bill is a somewhat chequered one, a Draft Bill published in October 2015 having been subjected to excoriating criticism by (among others) the Assembly’s Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee. The centrepiece of the Bill is intended to be the shift from the ‘conferred powers’ model of devolution that presently operates in Wales to a ‘reserved powers’ model akin to that which is found in Scotland. However, the Constitution Committee concludes that ‘the current implementation of the reserved powers model in the Wales Bill undermines its key advantages: namely providing the devolved legislature with constitutional space to legislate and allowing for a relatively clear and simple division of powers’. In this post, we highlight a number of concerns raised by the Committee in its report, and conclude with some broader reflections on what the Wales Bill tells us about the state of the UK’s territorial constitution and the approach to constitutional design adopted in respect of it.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 28th October 2016
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
‘The number of people becoming insolvent across England and Wales leapt by a fifth in the third quarter of 2016, with experts warning that the numbers could continue to increase as the cost of living rises following the UK’s Brexit vote.’
The Guardian, 28th October 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘”Modernised and consolidated” insolvency rules, which will come into force in England and Wales on 7 April 2017, have just been published.’
OUT-LAW.com, 28th October 2016
Source: www.out-law.com
‘Judges have refused to overturn guilty verdicts in a “joint enterprise” challenge by men convicted of group attack murders.’
BBC News, 31st October 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘More than 5,000 children have been strip-searched by police in two years, figures revealed, as South Wales Police paid compensation to an innocent 12-year-old who was searched without escort.’
Daily Telegraph, 30th October 2016
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘A couple who ran a diamond trading business have been jailed for laundering about £50m for organised crime gangs in less than two years.’
The Guardian, 28th October 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Ten years ago, five women died after being snatched off the streets of Ipswich and murdered.’
BBC News, 30th October 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The legal challenges follow a Supreme Court decision in February that the application of the law on joint enterprise, otherwise known as common enterprise, had taken ‘a wrong turn’ and been misinterpreted for 30 years.’
The Independent, 31st October 2016
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘A former Nottingham City Council social worker has failed in her bid to persuade the High Court to lift a nine month’s suspension of her registration imposed by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).’
Local Government Lawyer, 28th October 2016
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Suicides in prison have reached “epidemic” proportions, with rates of self-harm and violence soaring to unprecedented levels. In addition, experts say the situation in women’s jails is now worse than a decade ago, when a landmark report was commissioned amid widespread concerns about deteriorating standards.’
The Guardian, 29th October 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘In SG v Denbighshire County Council and B (SEN) (Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Provision – naming school) [2016] UKUT 460 (AAC), the Upper Tribunal gave guidance on the approach to be taken where parents cannot agree on the choice of school to be named in Part 4 of a statement of special educational needs (“the Statement”).’
Education Blog, 31st October 2016
Source: www.education11kbw.com
‘A couple who have been living together for the past six years will this week demand the right to a civil partnership, arguing that they face discrimination under the present law, which gives gay couples the option of marriage or a civil partnership but denies the latter to heterosexual couples.’
The Guardian, 30th October 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘The Catholic church could face a compensation bill of millions of pounds following a test case on sexual abuse at a former children’s home which opens on Monday.’
The Guardian, 31st October 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘New rules forcing broadband firms to be clearer in adverts on the costs of their contracts have come into effect.’
BBC News, 31st October 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A decision on whether to launch a new inquiry into the “battle of Orgreave”, one of the most brutal episodes during the 1984 miners’ strike, is due to be announced by the home secretary, Amber Rudd.’
The Guardian, 31st October 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘From finance to healthcare, technology has transformed the way we live, work and play, with innovative solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. Can it also have a role in how we make our laws?’
Date: 14th November 2016, 2.00-6.00pm
Location: Aldersgate Room, Central Hall Westminster, Storey’s Gate, London SW1H 9NH
Charge: Free, registration required
More information can be found here.
‘This year’s Orwell Lecture ‘The Right to Dissent (and the Left too)’ will be delivered by Ian Hislop.’
Date: 15th November 2016, 6.30-8.30om
Location: UCL Cruciform Building, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT
Charge: Free, registration required
More information can be found here.
‘The government has said it is dropping the education bill unveiled in this year’s Queen’s speech, abandoning several proposals that had proved to be unpopular. However, it said it would press ahead with plans for more grammar schools.’
The Guardian, 27th October 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
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