Ofcom to probe Channel 4’s UKIP drama – BBC News
‘Media watchdog Ofcom says it will investigate the Channel 4 docudrama UKIP: The First 100 Days for breaches of the broadcasting code.’
BBC News, 23rd February 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
I did not enter journalism to become a criminal, says Sun’s royal editor – The Guardian
‘The Sun’s royal editor has said he “did not come into journalism to become a criminal”, telling jurors he would not have touched a story with “a barge pole” if he thought it meant breaking the law.’
The Guardian, 23rd February 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Courtroom communications experts to double – Ministry of Justice
‘Victims and witnesses will be given more support than ever before with double the number of courtroom experts soon to be available.’
Ministry of Justice, 23rd February 2015
Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
Reforming Electoral Law – UCL Constitution Unit
‘Electoral law in the UK has grown complex, voluminous, and fragmented, with many statutes and secondary legislation governing a long list of elections and referendums. The twin aims of the project are to ensure, first, that electoral laws are presented within a rational, modern legislative framework, governing all elections and referendums under statute; and second, that the law governing the conduct of elections and referendums is modern, simple, and fit for purpose. The Law Commission have recently published the Electoral Law Consultation Paper, which sets out provisional proposals and consultation questions for reform of electoral law.’
Henni Ouahes – Reforming Electoral Law
Nicholas Paines QC – Reforming Electoral Law
UCL Constitution Unit, 28th February 2015
Source: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Regina (London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association and others) v Lord Chancellor; Regina (Law Society) v Lord Chancellor – WLR Daily
‘The conventional Wednesbury standard of judicial supervision applied to a decision, taken by the Lord Chancellor in the exercise of his discretion under section 2(1) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, which involved changes to the provision of criminal legal aid services by solicitors.’
WLR Daily, 18th February 2015
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Court Appeal overturns ruling that law firm wrongly paid out £2.3m from client account – Legal Futures
‘The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision that a Sussex law firm wrongly paid out £2.28m it had received from a group of investors in what turned out to be a doomed airport investment scheme.’
Legal Futures, 20th February 2015
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Personal injury: duty of care – Law Society’s Gazette
‘In December the High Court gave judgment in NA v Nottinghamshire County Council [2014] EWHC 4005 (QB). The claimant (who was born in 1977) said that while in her mother’s care she had suffered physical and emotional abuse, and that the defendant local authority had failed in their common law duty of care by failing either to remove her or protect her from the abuse.’
Full story
Law Society’s Gazette, 23rd February 2015
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
New public procurement rules bans use of PQQs for small value contracts – OUT-LAW.com
‘Public bodies can put “relevant” and “proportionate” questions to businesses looking to win low value goods or service contracts at an early stage of procurement without breaching new public procurement rules set to come into force later this month, the UK government has said.’
OUT-LAW.com, 20th February 2015
Source: www.out-law.com
Metal thefts ‘down by a third’ in England and Wales – BBC News
‘Metal thefts have fallen by a third in England and Wales since a new law to tackle the trade in stolen metal came into force, new figures show.’
BBC News, 21st February 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
SRA taken to task over perceived City bias – Law Society’s Gazette
‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has rebuked the Solicitors Regulation Authority for giving the impression that it treats City lawyers more leniently than solicitors from smaller firms in prosecuting allegations of lack of integrity.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 23rd February 2015
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Council defeats High Court challenge to consultation on adult care cuts – Local Government Lawyer
‘The High Court has rejected a legal challenge to Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council’s consultation on its proposal to cut its adult social care budget for 2015/16.’
Local Government Lawyer, 20th February 2015
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Southwark gatekeeping: All of the wrong – NearlyLegal
‘Courtesy of Hansen Palomares Solicitors comes news of this settled Judicial Review of LB Southwark’s gatekeeping practices on homeless applications. It appears, to put it mildly, that Southwark have had a range of what should have been obviously unlawful policies on homeless applications, and even put them into leaflets and their website.’
NearlyLegal, 22nd February 2015
Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk
Marriage tax allowance: how does it work? – The Guardian
‘Registration has opened for the new marriage tax allowance – a Conservative policy which will allow some couples to share part of their annual income tax allowance.’
The Guardian, 20th February 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Law in Tesco (not Tesco law) – The Future of Law
‘Family proceedings involving children where neither parent had legal representation, increased by 30% in the family court in 2013-14, revealed the National Audit Office last year in a report on legal aid.’
The Future of Law, 20th February 2015
Source: www.blogs.lexisnexis.co.uk
Two convicted murderers could be first same-sex couple to wed in a British prison – The Independent
‘Two convicted murderers are set to wed in prison on Monday, in what is believed to the first gay wedding in a British jail.’
The Independent, 20th February 2015
Source: www.independent.co.uk
How abuse trial exposed dark secret at top music schools – The Guardian
‘It was the trial of Michael Brewer in 2013 that exposed the dark secret of abuse at some of the UK’s most prestigious music schools. Brewer, a former head of music at Chetham’s in Manchester, was found guilty of indecently assaulting a pupil who was 14 at the time. His victim, Frances Andrade, a gifted violinist, killed herself after giving evidence against him, before he was sentenced to six years in jail.’
The Guardian, 20th February 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
More bereaved families to get legal aid at inquests if state was involved in death – The Guardian
‘More bereaved families will be entitled to legal aid at inquests after a high court judge ruled that official guidance on whether to provide support was “misleading and inaccurate”.’
The Guardian, 20th February 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
