MPs reject backbench bid to amend abortion laws – BBC News
‘MPs have defeated a cross-party bid to clarify in law that abortion on the grounds of gender alone is illegal in the UK.’
BBC News, 24th February 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
PPI problems still the cause of most complaints to financial ombudsman – The Guardian
‘Complaints about payment protection insurance (PPI) are still making up two-thirds of all the cases being dealt with by the financial ombudsman, which named Lloyds and Barclays as Britain’s two “most complained-about” financial firms.’
The Guardian, 24th February 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Sir Cliff Richard’s privacy was ‘violated’ by police deal with BBC, report claims – Daily Telegraph
‘A damning report has alleged that ‘incompetent’ police chiefs violated Sir Cliff Richard’s privacy by disclosing details of a raid on his home to the BBC’
Daily Telegraph, 23rd February 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Egregious Failures by a Local Authority : Damages under the Human Rights Act in Care Proceedings: Northamptonshire County Council v AS and Ors (Rev 1) [2015] EWHC 199 (Fam)
‘On 30 January 2015 Mr Justice Keehan handed down his judgment in Northamptonshire County Council v AS and Ors (Rev 1) [2015] EWHC 199 (Fam). It is another case where the Local Authority having breached parties Articles 6 and 8 rights in care proceedings the court awarded damages within care proceedings.’
The World of Family Law (Garden Court Chambers), 23rd February 2015
Source: www.gcfamily.wordpress.com
Quite like a whale – Panopticon
‘As my colleague Robin Hopkins has warned, the decision of the Upper Tribunal in Fish Legal looks like a pretty big beast: sixty pages on whether water companies are public authorities for the purposes of the Environmental Information Regulations, applying the CJEU’s lengthy ruling on the points of principle (for which, see this post by Chris Knight).’
Panopticon, 24th February 2015
Source: www.panopticonblog.com
‘Victims’ law’ proposals from Labour panel – BBC News
‘There needs to be a “cultural shift” in the way victims of crime in England and Wales are treated, a panel of criminal justice experts has said.’
BBC News, 24th February 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
High Court dismisses landowners’ challenge to Tottenham Hotspur FC stadium CPO – OUT-LAW.com
‘The High Court has dismissed a challenge to the land acquisition order that will allow Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (THFC) to complete the redevelopment of the site of its north London stadium, according to reports.’
Full story
OUT-LAW.com, 23rd February 2015
Source: www.out-law.com
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
