University of Law revolutionises bar course, sets minimum 2:1 entry grade – The Lawyer

Posted September 1st, 2014 in fees, legal education, news, standards, universities by sally

‘The University of Law has unveiled plans to dramatically change its bar professional training course (BPTC) in a move to set it apart from its competitors.’

Full story

The Lawyer, 1st September 2014

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Judge reprimands lawyer for dressing like ‘something out of Harry Potter’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 1st, 2014 in barristers, court dress, news, peerages & dignities, solicitor advocates by sally

‘Judge David Wynn Morgan asks the lawyer, who had been referring to himself as Lord Harley, why he was wearing colourful ribbons and badges on his robes.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 29th August 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Judges at odds over relationship between budgeting and indemnity costs – Litigation Futures

Posted September 1st, 2014 in budgets, costs, indemnities, judges, news, pilot schemes, proportionality by sally

The High Court is at odds over the relationship between budgeting and indemnity costs, after one judge expressly disagreed with the view of another that the costs management order (CMO) should also be the starting point for an assessment of indemnity costs.

Full story

Litigation Futures, 1st September 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Rotherham: Yvette Cooper calls for change to law after abuse scandal – The Guardian

Posted September 1st, 2014 in bills, child abuse, news, police, prostitution, reports, statistics by sally

‘Mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse would be introduced by a Labour government to try to prevent a repeat of the Rotherham scandal and encourage a cultural shift where allegations from victims are treated seriously.’

Full story

The Guardian, 30th August 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Domestic abuse: how to tackle non-violent control – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘Those who abuse their partners through coercive and controlling behaviour, such as depriving them of money, could face prison under a proposed new offence. The government is seeking views on whether a specific, non-violent domestic abuse offence will help tackle the problem by making police take the crime more seriously and showing perpetrators and victims of abuse that such behaviour is wrong. Comments on the proposal are requested by 15 October 2014.’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 29th August 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Jamaican crook dodges deportation – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 1st, 2014 in assault, asylum, deportation, firearms, homosexuality, human rights, news, robbery, theft by sally

‘A ‘career criminal’ has avoided being removed to Jamaica after falsely claiming he was gay and would be persecuted in his home country.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 29th August 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

You’ve got absoutely nothing out of this – NearlyLegal

Posted September 1st, 2014 in abuse of process, banking, contracts, costs, housing, indemnities, mortgages, news, repossession by sally

‘For most parties that enter into litigation (save for those on CFAs and some who are legally aided) a win isn’t really a win unless the other side is also ordered to pay your costs. I say most, because certain litigants enter into litigation knowing that come what May their costs will be paid on the indemnity basis. They have the foresight (or more accurately the power) to draft contracts which provide that, in the event of litigation, the other side (often a borrower or a long leaseholder) will indemnify them for all their legal costs irrespective of whether they win or lose.’

Full story

NearlyLegal, 31st August 2014

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Lord Chancellors should be judges, APIL argues – Legal Futures

‘Lord Chancellors should be recruited from the judiciary and no longer combine the role with that of justice secretary, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has argued.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 29th August 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Portsmouth docks cocaine smuggling gang jailed – BBC News

Posted September 1st, 2014 in abuse of position of trust, drug trafficking, news, sentencing, ships by sally

‘Ten people have been jailed for up to 20 years for attempting to smuggle millions of pounds worth of cocaine in crates of bananas and pineapples.’

Full story

BBC News, 29th August 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Housing experts call for clampdown on rogue landlords – BBC News

Posted September 1st, 2014 in housing, landlord & tenant, news, rent, standards by sally

‘Housing experts have called for minimum standards to be better enforced in the private rental market to stop landlords exploiting vulnerable tenants.’

Full story

BBC News, 30th August 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Parents who lose objectivity – Education Law Blog

Posted September 1st, 2014 in anonymity, bullying, contracts, damages, fees, media, news, public interest, racism, school children by sally

‘It is not often that private law disputes between schools and parents are pursued to trial and judgment in the High Court, but St Christopher School (Letchworth) Ltd v Schymanski and Rao [2014] EWHC 2573 (QB) is one of those cases.’

Full story

Education Law Blog, 28th August 2014

Source: www.education11kbw.com

Are surrogates and parents losing out due to a lack of global surrogacy laws? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted September 1st, 2014 in children, international law, news, surrogacy by sally

‘A Thai surrogate mother, C, gave birth to twins on behalf of Australian nationals D and WF in an arrangement where C was paid £9,000. When one of the twins, G, was born with Down’s syndrome, C alleged that D and WF abandoned the baby boy, taking only the healthy sister back to Australia. D and WF deny this.’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 28th August 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Badger cull legal challenge in Somerset and Gloucestershire fails – BBC News

Posted August 29th, 2014 in agriculture, animals, judicial review, news by sally

‘A High Court bid to halt this year’s badger culling, which will take place without independent monitoring, has failed.’

Full story

BBC News, 29th August 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Supreme Court agrees to hear key case on intentional homelessness – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 29th, 2014 in appeals, homelessness, housing, local government, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Supreme Court has given an appellant permission to appeal a Court of Appeal ruling over the relevant time for a council to consider whether her homelessness was intentional.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 28th August 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Modern Slavery Bill: factsheets – Home Office

Posted August 29th, 2014 in bills, forced labour, news, trafficking in human beings by sally

‘These factsheets set out how the measures in the Modern Slavery Bill will help stamp out modern slavery.’

Full text

Home Office, 29th August 2014

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted August 29th, 2014 in legislation by sally

The Whole of Government Accounts (Designation of Bodies) Order 2014

The Children and Families Act 2014 (Transitional and Saving Provisions) (No. 2) Order 2014

The General Betting, Pool Betting and Remote Gaming Duties (Registration, Records and Agents) Regulations 2014

The Special Educational Needs (Code of Practice) (Appointed Day) Order 2014

The Payments to the Churches Conservation Trust Order 2014

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Yeo v Times Newspapers Ltd – WLR Daily

Posted August 29th, 2014 in defamation, juries, law reports by sally

Yeo v Times Newspapers Ltd: [2014] EWHC 2853 (QB); [2014] WLR (D) 383

‘Since all factual issues in a libel action were for the eventual substantive tribunal it was inappropriate that the outcome of a preliminary application for trial by jury in such an action should be informed by a decision as to whether the case was about factual allegations or about value judgments.’

WLR Daily, 20th August 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted August 29th, 2014 in law reports by sally

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Bailey & Anor v Barclays Bank Plc [2014] EWHC 2882 (QB) (27 August 2014)

High Court (Technology and Construction Court)

Kellie & Anor v Wheatley & Lloyd Architects Ltd [2014] EWHC 2886 (TCC) (27 August 2014)

Source: www.bailii.org

Deacon Alan Morris jailed for school sex abuse – BBC News

‘A deacon convicted of sexually abusing 10 boys at a Greater Manchester school has been jailed for nine years.’

Full story

BBC News, 28th August 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Four guilty of killing Dean Mayley in Greenford mugging – BBC News

‘Four teenagers have been convicted at the Old Bailey of killing a man with a mental age of nine who was stabbed during a mugging in west London.’

Full story

BBC News, 28th August 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk