Victory for Theresa May after drug dealer convicted of attempted murder loses human rights bid to avoid deportation – Daily Telegraph

‘A foreign drug dealer convicted of attempted murder is not entitled to avoid deportation under human rights laws because he has British children, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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Daily Telegraph, 25th May 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

UK fraud costing ‘£193bn a year’, new study suggests – BBC News

Posted May 26th, 2016 in fraud, identity fraud, news, reports, statistics, tax evasion by sally

‘The annual cost of fraud in the UK has been estimated at £193bn – equal to nearly £3,000 per head of population – according to a new report.’

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BBC News, 25th May 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Dangerous’ police recording system putting children at risk, MPs say – The Guardian

‘At least 10,000 children who go missing could be at “terrible risk” because a “dangerous” police recording system means they fall off the radar, an all-party group of MPs has said. Ann Coffey, the Labour chair of the all-party inquiry, said that a new “absent” category introduced in the police recording system was dangerous and should be scrapped.’

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The Guardian, 26th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Staff ‘told not to take action against probation breaches’ – BBC News

Posted May 26th, 2016 in enforcement, news, probation, rehabilitation, reports by sally

‘Probation officers are being told not to take action against offenders who breach sentence terms, because their companies risk being fined, a watchdog in England and Wales has said.’

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BBC News, 26th May 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal highs ban unenforceable, claim pharmacologists, forensics experts and lawyers – The Independent

Posted May 26th, 2016 in drug abuse, drug offences, enforcement, news, prosecutions by sally

‘A blanket ban on legal highs has come into force amid warnings it is “unworkable” and drug dealers will be able to escape prosecution.’

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The Independent, 26th May 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Elderly couple who cut wealthy neighbour’s grass verge for 12 years given land in ‘squatters’ rights’ ruling as opponent faces £250,000 legal bill – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 26th, 2016 in adverse possession, appeals, costs, elderly, land registration, news by sally

‘A couple who cut a grass verge outside their wealthy neighbour’s home for 12 years have been given the land by a judge in a “squatters’ rights” ruling following a lengthy court battle.’

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Daily Telegraph, 26th May 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The women forced to give birth in front of male prison guards – The Independent

Posted May 26th, 2016 in birth, news, pregnancy, prison officers, prisons, privacy, reports, women by sally

‘The Government is coming under pressure to justify why it imprisons pregnant women and their babies, after a report suggested that the practice can cause significant harm to infants and mothers without benefiting public safety.’

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The Independent, 26th May 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Watchdog to ban penalties for savers accessing pensions – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 26th, 2016 in fees, financial regulation, news, penalties, pensions by sally

Penal charges applying to people who want to access their retirement savings are to be banned by the City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority.’

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Daily Telegraph, 26th May 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted May 25th, 2016 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Source: www.bailii.org

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted May 25th, 2016 in law reports by sally

High Court (Administrative Court)

High Court (Chancery Division)

High Court (Commercial Court)

High Court (Family Division)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

High Court (Technology and Construction Court)

Source: www.bailii.org

New judgment ‘kills’ unbundled legal services – Law Society’s Gazette

‘An appeal court ruling last week appears to have delivered a serious blow to solicitors seeking to offer ‘unbundled’ services without being held liable for matters beyond those in their client retainer.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 24th May 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Online Court will include “limited” legal costs to aid unbundled advice, says Briggs – Legal Futures

Posted May 25th, 2016 in budgets, civil justice, costs, courts, internet, legal aid, news by sally

‘The new Online Court will not ban lawyers and there will be “a very limited element of fixed costs” so litigants can get initial legal advice – but not the full “over-expensive” service, Lord Justice Briggs said yesterday.’

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Legal Futures, 24th May 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Ombudsman warns on financial appointee role after council told to repay £12k – Local Government Lawyer

‘A local authority has agreed to repay nearly £12,000 to a disabled woman for whom it was acting as financial appointee, following an investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 24th May 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Censorship or justified Concern? – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Mrs Justice Whipple dismissed one claim for judicial review, and refused permission to bring a further claim, in respect of decisions made by Southampton University regarding a proposed conference on the legality of the existence of Israel under international law. She held that the University had lawfully withdrawn its permission to hold the conference in April 2015, and refused permission to challenge the University’s subsequent decision to require the conference organisers to meet the conference’s security costs as a condition of allowing the conference to take place at a later date. The conference organisers had claimed that both decisions represented an unlawful interference with their Article 10 right to free expression and Article 11 right to free assembly.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 24th May 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Contracts with ‘no oral variation’ clauses can “in principle” be varied orally, says Court of Appeal – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 25th, 2016 in appeals, contracts, news by sally

‘Clauses in commercial contracts preventing variation other than in writing are “in principle” unenforceable, given that parties to such contracts generally have the freedom to agree to vary whatever terms they choose, according to three senior judges.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 24th May 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Chambers in “widespread non-compliance” with diversity rules, study finds – Legal Futures

‘Large numbers of barristers’ chambers are flouting an obligation to publish diversity data and the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has been “unsophisticated” in its implementation of Legal Services Board (LSB) diversity rules, an influential academic has charged.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd May 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Council appeals to Court of Appeal in dispute over houses in multiple occupation and bedroom sizes – Local Government Lawyer

‘Nottingham City Council has applied to the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal after the Upper Tribunal dismissed its challenge to terms of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licences that restricted the occupation of bedrooms to a particular type of occupier.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 23rd May 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Inside the special prison unit where rehabilitation rules the roost – The Guardian

Posted May 25th, 2016 in bills, mental health, news, prisons, rehabilitation, statistics, women by sally

‘HMP New Hall pioneers care and support for women with complex needs. The justice minister, Michael Gove, should sit up and take notice for his prison reforms.’

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The Guardian, 24th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Money down the drain – Nearly Legal

Posted May 25th, 2016 in costs, easements, housing, local government, news, nuisance, waste, water by sally

‘Nuisance cases are tricky. There is a lot to establish for causation, for liability and for loss. This case is perhaps a cautionary tale about the need to be constantly alert to changes in the facts and expert opinion as they emerge over the course of the case. It is also an object example of litigation between neighbours that got completely, astonishingly, out of hand in relation to the initial objectives.’

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Nearly Legal, 25th May 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Judges who viewed porn at work rebuked by SRA – Legal Futures

‘One of three judges removed from the bench last year for viewing pornography from a work computer, along with another who resigned before he was removed, have accepted rebukes from the Solicitors Regulation Authority for their conduct.’

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Legal Futures, 25th May 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk