Appeal court rules bedroom tax discriminatory in two cases – The Guardian

‘A victim of domestic violence and the grandparents of a severely disabled teenager have won court of appeal challenges over the lawfulness of the bedroom tax.’

Full story

The Guardian, 27th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

EVENT: LSE – A Question of Law and Wealth

Posted January 27th, 2016 in Forthcoming events by sally

‘The law plays a crucial part in the creation, proliferation, and distribution of wealth. Through private law institutions such as contract and property, but also through the criminal law (consider the numerous offences pertaining to wealth, such theft, fraud, money laundering) the law creates and regulates the categories making possible the exclusive relations between us and the world. In doing so the law also, at least indirectly, shapes social relations.

Questions of wealth creation and distribution have become particularly urgent since the beginning of the ongoing financial crisis. This also puts to the question the way in which law regulates wealth. Are corporations and financial markets sufficiently regulated? Is it even possible to regulate them by law? What protection does the law offer to the worse-off and especially those who financially depend on creditors? What role can the criminal law play in hindering aggressive corporate conduct especially in conditions of globalisation?’

Date: 2nd March 2016, 6.30-8.00pm

Location: Hong Kong Theatre, London School of Economics and Political Science, Clement House, London WC2A 2AE

Charge: Free

More information can be found here.

There are sound reasons to oppose a ‘love tax’ – once again the Lords is our best protection – The Independent

Posted January 27th, 2016 in benefits, families, news, parliament by sally

‘The background to stories of conflict between the two Houses of Parliament has changed during our lifetime. A generation ago, unelected members of the Upper House were notorious for streaming into London from their country seats to vote in vast numbers in favour of reactionary measures like the notorious poll tax, from which they stood to gain handsomely.’

Full story

The Independent, 26th January 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Philippines abuse: Paedophile Trevor Monk jailed – BBC News

‘A paedophile who filmed himself abusing young girls in the Philippines has been jailed for 19-and-a-half years.’

Full story

BBC News, 26th January 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MoJ and MoD join forces to protect soldiers from “parasitic litigation” – Litigation Futures

Posted January 27th, 2016 in armed forces, Iraq, law firms, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news, torture by sally

‘Justice minister Dominic Raab and armed forces minister Penny Mordaunt are to chair a working party looking at how to prevent “any malicious or parasitic litigation from being taken against our brave armed forces”, Mr Raab revealed yesterday.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 27th January 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Something to Declare – Nearly Legal

Posted January 27th, 2016 in appeals, housing, local government, news, tribunals by sally

‘The power for a local authority to make an HMO declaration under s255, Housing Act 2004 is not commonly used. This power arises where a property appears to be an HMO in all respects save that it is not being used solely as an HMO. In that case the property will not fulfil the tests for an HMO under s254 of the Act but can be declared to be an HMO by the local authority of they reasonably believe that the property has “significant use” as an HMO. The declaration as an HMO can be appealed to the FTT (and from there to the UT) and that appeal operated by way of a re-hearing of that decision.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 27th January 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Can schools ban the veil? – BBC News

Posted January 27th, 2016 in education, human rights, Islam, news, school children, school exclusions, teachers by sally

‘No-one knows how many adult women in the UK wear the full face covering known as the niqab.’

Full story

BBC News, 26th January 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Top UK judges denounce ‘dangerous’ increase in court fees – The Guardian

Posted January 27th, 2016 in budgets, courts, fees, judiciary, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

‘Court fee increases that were hastily introduced to plug a £100m hole in the Ministry of Justice’s budget were based on “hopeless” evidence, according to the most senior civil judge in England and Wales.’

Full story

The Guardian, 26th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK Government tells High Court: Same-sex couples may be shut out of Article 14 – UK Human Rights Blog

‘On 19-20 January, the England and Wales High Court (Mrs. Justice Andrews) heard the judicial review of the ban on different-sex civil partnerships brought by Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan. It was argued on behalf of the supposedly LGBTI-friendly UK Government (represented by Nicky Morgan, the Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities) that the High Court should follow two anti-LGBTI decisions from 2006.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 22nd Janaury 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

High Court: Wrong to assume it is “more improbable” that professionals will be dishonest – Legal Futures

Posted January 26th, 2016 in negligence, news, professional conduct, solicitors by sally

‘It would be wrong to assume that it is “inherently more improbable” that a professional person will be dishonest than anyone else, the High Court has said.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 26th January 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Motorcylist jailed after filming himself speeding over 150mph – The Independent

‘A motorcyclist has been jailed after filming himself speeding over 150mph.’

Full story

The Independent, 25th January 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Full inquest to be held for murdered teacher Ann Maguire – BBC News

Posted January 26th, 2016 in inquests, murder, news, teachers by sally

‘A coroner is to hold a full inquest into the death of a Leeds school teacher murdered in her own classroom.’

Full story

BBC News, 25th January 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Litvinenko – When real life is more fantastic than fiction – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted January 26th, 2016 in inquiries, murder, news, reports, spying by sally

‘The publication on Thursday of the long awaited report by Sir Robert Owen into the circumstances of the death of Alexander Litivenko from polonium poisoning on 23 November 2006 has (unsurprisingly) resulted in bitter criticism by the Russian Government of the Inquiry’s conclusions that the poisoning was probably directed by the Russian Federal Security Service, and probably approved by President Putin. The report is long (246 pages not including Appendices), but in page after page of readable and measured prose Sir Robert Owen tells the extraordinary story of Alexander Litvinenko’s death and the subsequent 9 year investigation into it.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 25th January 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Rulings rejecting taxi and chocolate bar shapes as trade marks reflect intentions of trade mark law, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 26th, 2016 in food, intellectual property, news, taxis, trade marks by sally

‘The strict circumstances in which shapes can benefit from trade mark protection have been reinforced by two new rulings issued by the High Court in London, an expert has said.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 22nd January 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Enhanced Criminal Records Check Mate – Panopticon

Posted January 26th, 2016 in criminal records, employment, news, regulations by sally

‘One might have thought, following the judgments of the Court of Appeal (noted here) and the Supreme Court (noted here) in R (T) v Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police [2014] UKSC 35, that there was little left to say about enhanced criminal records certificates (ECRC). After all, the Government had, with moderate grace, gone away after the Court of Appeal loss and drafted a revised set of rules in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2013 (SI 2013/1198) which sought to better implement the Article 8 ECHR balance between the needs of employers and the need for long-distant misbehaviour not to be a permanent stain. But that thought fatally undervalues the ingenuity of lawyers (as well as the breadth of application of the ECRC regime).’

Full story

Panopticon, 23rd Janaury 2016

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

District council defeats judicial review challenge over neighbourhood plan – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 26th, 2016 in judicial review, local government, news, planning, referendums by sally

‘Chichester District Council has successfully defended a judicial review challenge to a neighbourhood plan.’
Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 26th January 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

EVENT: UKLSA’s 5th Annual Equalities Conference: promoting equal access to the legal profession and justice

Posted January 26th, 2016 in Forthcoming events by sally

‘The UK Law Students’ Association is organising its 5th Annual Equalities Conference, hosted by the Law Society of England and Wales and supported by its Junior Lawyers Division.

The Conference promotes equal access to the legal profession and justice. It also provides key related information as well as networking opportunities.

Speakers include:

– Chantal-Aimee Doerries QC, Chairman of the Bar; Barrister, Atkin Chambers
– Hilary Heilbron QC, Barrister and Leading international Arbitrator, Brick Court
– Sir Robin Knowles CBE, High Court Judge; Chairman of Together for Short Lives; Chair of Trustees at Legal Advice Centre (University House).
– Fergus Randolph QC, Brick Court Chambers – Conference Chair
– Koser Shaheen, Attorney, Cleary Gottlieb; Vice Chair of the Ethnic Minority Lawyers Division
– Jonathan Smithers, President of the Law Society’

Date: 2nd February 2016, 5.15-8.45pm

Location: The Law Society – 113 Chancery Lane London WC2A 1PL

Charge: Free, registration required

More information can be found here.

EVENT: LawInSport Conference – Key Issues in Sports Law in 2016 and Beyond

Posted January 26th, 2016 in Forthcoming events by sally

‘LawInSport will be hosting its second annual sports law conference on the 24 & 25 February 2016 in London.

We will be bringing together thought leaders from sport, academia and the legal profession to share their views on what they consider to be the key sports law issues to watch in 2016 and beyond.

The sports scandals of 2015 have highlighted the important role sports lawyers can play in the development of sports governance, protecting the welfare of athletes and the rights of commercial partners.

Therefore we have put together panel sessions that will to cover the most pressing issues in sports law for 2016:

Anti-Doping – what is the future of anti-doping?
Media Rights – new distribution methods, regulation and legislation.
Commercial Contracts – sponsorship, merchandising and brand protection.
Athlete Rights – employment and representation contracts, handling disciplinary procedures and selection disputes.
Anti-Corruption – dealing with corruption, running investigations, gathering intelligence and taking action.
Governance – managing change, improving structures and processes, and dealing with greater scrutiny.’

Date: 24th & 25th February 2016

Location: Twickenham Stadium, TW2 7BA

Charge: See website for details

More information can be found here.

Domain names you can bank on – Technology Law Update

Posted January 26th, 2016 in domain names, internet, news, striking out by sally

‘Disputes over domain names tend to be dealt with outside of the normal court system, in panels run by dispute resolution service providers accredited by ICANN. So a decision of the UK court over as series of domain names including RBS group brands makes interesting reading.’

Full story

Technology Law Update, 22nd January 2016

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

Judges should be able to decline ‘unfair’ QASA evaluations, SRA says – Legal Futures

Posted January 26th, 2016 in advocacy, judges, news, quality assurance, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘Judges should be able to opt out of assessing advocates under the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) if they believe it would be unfair, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has said.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 26th January 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk