Category: news

Impact of legal aid cuts on the Citizens Advice Bureau – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted July 17th, 2014 in citizens advice bureaux, law centres, legal aid, news, universities by sally

‘The cuts in legal aid for professional advice wrought by Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) may be seen to have increased the opportunities – and workload – for volunteers and charities. Indeed, there are reports that the government intends to fill the gap regarding divorce by setting up law centres run by students. However, the cuts, often portrayed as affecting “fat cat” lawyers, can harm charitable and volunteer services as can be seen through the example of Citizens Advice Bureaux up and down the country.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exhchange, 15th July 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Wrotham Park damages for breach of restrictive covenants and illegitimate competition? The Court says yes in One Step (Support) Ltd –v- Morris-Gardner & Anor [2014] EWHC 2213 – Employment Law Blog

Posted July 17th, 2014 in competition, contract of employment, damages, employment, law reports, news, restrictive covenants by sally

‘In Wrotham Park v Parkside Homes [1974] 1 WLR 798, the Court declined to order a land-owner to destroy a property he had built on his land in breach of a covenant in favour of his neighbour. Instead, it awarded the neighbour damages in lieu of an injunction under Lord Cairns’ Act, in such sum “as might reasonably have been demanded by the [covenantee] … as the quid pro quo for relaxing the covenant” (815). The Court assessed the damages as a modest percentage of the profit anticipated (“with the benefit of foresight”) by the contract breaker. Employment lawyers have sought to exploit Wrotham Park for some time now, particularly following the seminal judgments of the House of Lords in AG v Blake [2001] 1 AC 268, where it was held that in exceptional circumstances (where conventional remedies had no value) the contract breacher could be required to account for the fruits of his breach of contract.’

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Employment Law Blog, 15th July 2014

Source: www.employment11kbw.com

Criminal bar takes QASA challenge to appeal court – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 17th, 2014 in appeals, barristers, news, quality assurance by sally

‘The criminal bar has begun the next stage of its challenge to the introduction of the controversial Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA).’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 16th July 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Hairdresser Hollie Gazzard murder: Ex-boyfriend jailed for life – BBC News

Posted July 17th, 2014 in domestic violence, murder, news, police, professional conduct, sentencing by sally

‘A man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death at the hairdressers where she worked has been jailed for life.’

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BBC News, 16th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Manchester Airport tyre blast: Lufthansa and Storm Aviation pay damages – BBC News

Posted July 17th, 2014 in accidents, aircraft, compensation, news, personal injuries by sally

‘An engineer who lost an arm and a leg when a tyre on an aircraft exploded at Manchester Airport has been awarded about £600,000 in damages.’

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BBC News, 16th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Borrower wins court reprieve over £13,000 debt due to ‘illegible documents’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 17th, 2014 in consumer credit, debts, documents, news by sally

‘ When Harry Moore was taken to court over spiralling credit card debts, he faced losing both his home and business. Mr Moore, 43, had built up a balance of more than £13,000 on an MBNA credit card, and had failed to meet repayments. His debts were passed from MBNA to a debt recovery agency, Hillesden Securities, which in November 2013 took him to court. But the case was thrown out – because the orginal agreement was “impossible to read”.’

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Daily Telegraph, 16th July 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

19,000 more parents in child cases with no lawyer – BBC News

Posted July 17th, 2014 in arbitration, family courts, legal aid, legal representation, litigants in person, news by sally

‘More than 19,000 more parents appeared in civil courts with no lawyer in cases about children, in the year after legal aid cuts, it has emerged.’

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BBC News, 16th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police fear being overwhelmed as 660 suspects are arrested over paedophilia – The Guardian

Posted July 17th, 2014 in child abuse, indecent photographs of children, internet, news, police by sally

‘Britain’s senior police officers said they were at risk of being overwhelmed by an unprecedented number of child abuse investigations after the arrest of 660 suspected paedophiles.’

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The Guardian, 16th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Peers criticise government over emergency data laws – BBC News

Posted July 17th, 2014 in bills, electronic mail, interception, news, parliament, telecommunications by sally

‘The government has come under fire in the Lords over emergency legislation giving the security services access to people’s phone and internet records.’

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BBC News, 16th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lindsay Sandiford case: Bali death row drugs trafficker review call – BBC News

Posted July 16th, 2014 in death penalty, drug trafficking, fees, jurisdiction, legal aid, legal representation, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘The UK Supreme Court has called on the British government to review the case of a grandmother facing execution in Indonesia on drug charges.’

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BBC News, 16th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The non-residents legal aid case – LC advised to go for the ball, not for his opponent’s shins – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted July 16th, 2014 in human rights, jurisdiction, legal aid, news, ultra vires by sally

‘Public Law Project v Secretary of State for Justice [2014] EWHC 2365. Angela Patrick of JUSTICE has provided an excellent summary of this important ruling, which declared a proposed statutory instrument to be ultra vires the LASPO Act under which it was to have been made. The judgment is an interesting one, not least for some judicial fireworks in response to the Lord Chancellor’s recourse to the Daily Telegraph after the hearing, but before judgment was delivered.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 15th July 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Plan to stop non-residents getting Legal Aid is unlawful, rules High Court – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted July 16th, 2014 in Administrative Court, consultations, equality, human rights, interpretation, jurisdiction, legal aid, news, ultra vires by sally

‘House of Lords is scheduled to vote on the Government’s proposals for a residence test for access to legal aid, Angela Patrick, Director of Human Rights Policy at JUSTICE considers today’s judgment of the Divisional Court in PLP v Secretary of State for Justice.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 15th July 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Record number of data complaints made to ICO – BBC News

Posted July 16th, 2014 in appeals, complaints, data protection, disclosure, fines, news, nuisance, privacy, statistics by sally

‘The UK’s information commissioner has called for better funding for the country’s data regulator amid a record number of cases.’

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BBC News, 15th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Concrete tomb murderer Sebastian Bendou sentenced – BBC News

Posted July 16th, 2014 in murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘A man convicted of murdering his friend by bludgeoning him to death with a hammer and burying him in a concrete tomb has been jailed for life.’

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BBC News, 15th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lee Rigby killer Michael Adebowale allowed to appeal – BBC News

Posted July 16th, 2014 in appeals, armed forces, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘Michael Adebowale, who was given a 45-year prison sentence for the murder of soldier Lee Rigby, has been given permission to appeal against his sentence.’

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BBC News, 15th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Assisted dying: leading doctors call on Lords to back legalisation – The Guardian

Posted July 16th, 2014 in assisted suicide, bills, doctors, news, parliament by sally

‘Twenty-seven leading figures write to every peer urging them to back Lord Falconer’s private members bill on assisted dying.’

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The Guardian, 15th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lib Dems reject Lord Rennard bid to overturn suspension – BBC News

Posted July 16th, 2014 in appeals, disciplinary procedures, harassment, news, political parties, sexual offences by sally

‘Liberal Democrat officials have rejected an attempt by Lord Rennard to overturn his suspension from the party.’

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BBC News, 16th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Watchdog gets new powers to close failing care homes – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 16th, 2014 in care homes, elderly, news, ombudsmen, standards by sally

‘Failing care homes will be put on “special measures” and closed down if they fail to improve, under new powers given to watchdogs in the wake of a series of scandals.’

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Daily Telegraph, 16th July 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Emergency surveillance bill clears Commons – The Guardian

Posted July 16th, 2014 in bills, data protection, electronic mail, intelligence services, interception, internet, investigatory powers, news, police, privacy, terrorism by sally

‘Controversial emergency surveillance legislation has cleared the Commons after an extended sitting and angry exchanges alleging an abuse of parliament.’

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The Guardian, 16th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid residence test ‘discriminatory and unlawful’, high court rules – The Guardian

Posted July 15th, 2014 in appeals, civil justice, legal aid, news, regulations, ultra vires by sally

‘The government’s attempt to introduce a residence test for legal aid has been struck down by the high court on the grounds that it is discriminatory and unlawful.’

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The Guardian, 15th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk