Car smoking ban comes into force – BBC News
‘A law banning smoking in vehicles carrying children has come into force in England and Wales.’
BBC News, 1st October 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
UK consults on ‘improvements’ to environmental costs protection rules – OUT-LAW.com
‘The UK government has begun a preliminary consultation on changes to the costs protection rules in environmental cases in England and Wales. The Environmental Costs Protection Regime is designed to ensure that it is not “prohibitively expensive” for campaigners and members of the public to challenge the decisions of public bodies. Improvements to the regime are needed to address concerns raised by the European Commission over the UK’s approach to the rules, particularly the fact that they do not take into account challengers’ individual financial circumstances. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) upheld the Commission’s case in February 2014.’
OUT-LAW.com, 30th September 2015
Source: www.out-law.com
SRA asks public for help in how it should judge solicitors’ behaviour – Legal Futures
‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) yesterday launched a massive public opinion poll to help it determine the correct baseline of solicitors’ behaviour on which it should base regulatory decisions.’
Full story
Legal Futures, 1st October 2015
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
US-style class actions introduced in UK – BBC News
‘A newly introduced law allows British courts to hear US-style class actions – where one or several people sue on behalf of a much larger group.’
BBC News, 1st October 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Part 3 of the 2015 Immigration Bill – enforcement – Free Movement
‘Part 3 of the Immigration Bill gives a host of new, wide powers to immigration officers.
A person with leave to enter arrives in at the airport. Schedule 19(1) and (2) – the first section of Part 3 – gives immigration officers the power to curtail leave, rather to simply determine whether leave has been given and act accordingly. So someone arriving in the UK even with the appropriate leave will now have a lingering uncertainty as to whether they will be allowed in. This is likely to affect few migrants, but is indicative of the greater powers given to immigration officers throughout the Bill.’
Free Movement, 1st October 2015
Source: www.freemovement.org.uk
Right to 30-day refund becomes law – BBC News
‘New consumer protection measures – including longer refund rights – have come into force under the Consumer Rights Act.’
Full story
BBC News, 1st October 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
UK e-cigarette firm fights EU vaping laws in European court – The Guardian
‘A British company is taking its challenge against EU proposals on e-cigarette production, sales and marketing to the European court of justice.’
The Guardian, 1st October 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
EVENT: The Ninth Annual Hart Judicial Review Conference
‘Hart Publishing is pleased to invite you to the ninth annual Hart Judicial Review Conference. The conference promises to be of extremely high quality, with an excellent chair and panel of speakers dedicated to analysing developments in Judicial Review in 2015.’
Date: 11th December 2015, 8.45am-5.00pm
Location: The Cavendish Conference Centre, 22 Duchess Mews, London, W1G 9DT
Charge: DELEGATE FEE – £380 + £76 VAT*= £456, EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT – 15% off bookings made by 23rd October
£323 + £65 VAT*= £388
More information can be found here.
Civil court fee increases a ‘serious own goal’ – City lawyers – Law Society’s Gazette
‘Further civil court fee increases could force international businesses to take their legal work outside the UK, City lawyers have warned.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 29th September 2015
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Deport first, appeal later–the effects explained – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
‘Deport first, appeal later is part of the current strategy to cut net migration. As set out in the Immigration Bill 2015-16, the rule has been extended to all immigration appeals and judicial reviews, including where a so-called family life is involved, apart from asylum claims.’
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 30th September 2015
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Jayden Parkinson: Police employee cleared of misconduct – BBC News
‘A Thames Valley Police employee has “no case to answer” for misconduct over the investigation into the disappearance of Jayden Parkinson, watchdogs said.’
BBC News, 30th September 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Prison smoking ban begins in 2016 despite fears of unrest – The Guardian
‘A complete ban on smoking in prisons in England and Wales is to be phased in from January, despite warnings from prison governors that it risked making jails more unstable.’
The Guardian, 29th September 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
A & M v Royal Mail Group – ATE Premiums and Success Fees Under CPR 21 – Zenith PI Blog
‘A and M, aged 12 and 4 respectively, brought claims in damages for personal injuries and consequential losses sustained in a road traffic accident on the 31st July 2013. Agreement was reached with the insurers for the Defendant for both general damages and special damages through the usual minor injury claim portal process. Naturally, that agreement was subject to the ultimate approval of the Court pursuant to Part 21 CPR. DJ Lumb at the County Court Sitting at Birmingham was able to provisionally approve awards of £2115 and £2065 respectively on 14th August 2015. In addition, the Defendant agreed to pay the fixed recoverable costs calculated in accordance with CPR Part 45. The case had progressed in the standard way up until this point.’
Zenith PI Blog, 29th September 2015
Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com
Woman jailed for stabbing to death convicted paedophile – The Guardian
‘A woman has been jailed for three-and-a-half years for manslaughter, after stabbing a convicted paedophile to death.’
The Guardian, 29th September 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
CJC “conceptually” against new financial information rules for judicial review claimants – Litigation Futures
‘The Civil Justice Council (CJC) has made it clear that it remains “conceptually” opposed to the new financial information rules for judicial review applicants, despite their passage into law in the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015.’
Litigation Futures, 29th September 2015
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘Infosecurity’ not distinctive enough for trade mark protection, says court – OUT-LAW.com
‘The UK-based organiser of the international ‘Infosecurity’ conference series has failed in its attempt to register the name as a trade mark, after an EU court found that it had “not acquired distinctive character through use”.’
Full story
OUT-LAW.com, 29th September 2015
Source: www.out-law.com
Report on ABS benefits says England and Wales experience “inconclusive” – Legal Futures
‘A report on alternative business structures (ABS) has issued a cautious verdict on majority non-lawyer ownership, judging the model to be as yet unproven, based on the experience so far in England and Wales and Australia.’
Full story
Legal Futures, 28th September 2015
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Magistrate quits after being suspended for paying a penniless asylum seeker’s fine out of his own pocket – Daily Telegraph
‘Nigel Allcoat said he had performed a humanitarian act in order to prevent reoffending and that his treatment ‘beggared belief’.’
Daily Telegraph, 29th September 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Marie Black gets life term for child abuse – BBC News
‘A woman at the centre of a “gruesome” child sex abuse ring which passed children round “like toys” has been given a life sentence.’
BBC News, 28th September 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
