Linford Christie lawyers outpaced by Mitchell penalty – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 11th, 2014 in budgets, civil procedure rules, costs, news, time limits by sally

‘Filing a costs budget even just a day late does not count as a “trivial” breach of rules, a county court has ruled.’

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Law society’s Gazette, 11th February 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Women bishops law: Church asked to back fast-track scheme – BBC News

Posted February 11th, 2014 in Church of England, equality, news, women by sally

‘The general synod will be asked to approve plans later which could see the first woman bishop in the Church of England appointed by Christmas. It will be asked to fast-track the revision of the latest proposals and to cut the time given to individual dioceses to consider them. That could lead to a final vote in July and legislation in November.’

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BBC News, 11th February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Joanna Dennehy ditch murders: Pair guilty of aiding Peterborough killer – BBC News

‘Two men have been found guilty of helping triple killer Joanna Dennehy during her 12-day spree of violence.’

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BBC News,  10th February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Trade unions challenge coalition sell-off of Britain’s probation service – The Guardian

Posted February 11th, 2014 in contracting out, international law, news, probation, trade unions by sally

‘Government plans to privatise the probation service amount to a breach of the international laws on forced labour, according to a union legal challenge that is being launched on Monday.’

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The Guardian, 10th February 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prince Harry death plot criminal jailed for three years – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 11th, 2014 in attempts, guilty pleas, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘A convicted criminal who plotted to kill Prince Harry has been jailed for three years. Ashraf Islam, 31, said he had a ”moral right to judge” the royal because he disagreed with the work of the British Armed Forces, of which Prince Harry is a member.’

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Daily Telegraph, 10th February 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Smoking in cars carrying children to be banned – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 11th, 2014 in bills, children, health, news, smoking by sally

‘MPs vote overwhelmingly in favour of banning smoking in cars carrying children after David Cameron says “time has come” to make it illegal.’

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Daily Telegraph, 10th February 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Judicial review reforms will discourage “ill-conceived and vexatious claims”, experts say – OUT-LAW.com

‘Changes to the rules governing judicial review (JR) claims will ensure that those challenging the decisions of public bodies face a “fair level of financial risk”, the Government has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 7th February 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Councils win High Court case over allocation of EU structural funds – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 10th, 2014 in budgets, EC law, local government, news by sally

‘Nine local authorities have won a High Court challenge over the Government’s regional allocation of EU structural funds for 2014-2020.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th February 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Solicitor struck off for practising while suspended – Legal Futures

Posted February 10th, 2014 in costs, disciplinary procedures, licensing, news, public interest, solicitors by sally

‘A Birmingham solicitor has been struck off for practising while suspended, including appearing in court.’

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Legal Futures. 10th February 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal Futures interview lands Bar Council chief in hot water with LSB – Legal Futures

Posted February 10th, 2014 in barristers, Legal Services Board, news, regulations by sally

‘Comments made by the new Bar Council chairman in an interview with Legal Futures have led the Legal Services Board (LSB) to doubt whether the Bar Council truly accepted the recent findings that it improperly influenced its regulatory arm.’

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Legal Futures, 10th February 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Grayling’s proposals for environmental and planning judicial review – UK Human Rights Blog

‘At first sight, proposals full of sound and fury, and signifying not a great deal for planning and environmental challenges. There are some slippery costs changes which we need to look at, but some of the potentially more concerning proposals do not fully apply to this area, as I shall explain. There are also some perfectly sensible proposals about harmonising planning challenges which lawyers have been advocating for years.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 9th February 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Use of disclosed documents – Panopticon

Posted February 10th, 2014 in civil procedure rules, closed material, disclosure, documents, injunctions, news by sally

‘The important general principle is of course that a party to whom a document has been disclosed in litigation may use that document only for the purpose of the proceedings in which it is disclosed. There are, nonetheless, three significant exceptions to that principle, set out in CPR r31.22(1).’

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Panopticon, 7th February 2014

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

What’s in a name? – Court of Appeal gives judgment in Edem – Panopticon

Posted February 10th, 2014 in appeals, data protection, interpretation, names, news, privacy by sally

‘Deciding whether information which arguably relates to an individual amounts to their “personal data” for the purposes of s. 1(1) of the Data Protection Act 1998 is one of the more challenging aspects of the DPA regime. In making the judgment call in any particular case, data controllers have routinely looked to the guidance set out Auld LJ’s judgment in the well known case of Durant v Financial Services Act [2003] EWCA Civ 1746, [2011] 1 Info LR 1. In his judgment, Auld LJ indicated that there were two “notions” likely to be of assistance when it came to determining whether particular data was sufficiently “personal” that if tell within the scope of the DPA.’

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Panopticon, 7th February 2014

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

High Court to consider Data Protection Act bid to halt reporting of corruption allegations – Panopticon

‘Can the Data Protection Act 1998 (“DPA”) be used to prevent a respected NGO from reporting allegations of corruption by a multi-billion dollar international mining conglomerate? That is the stark question posed by Steinmetz and others v Global Witness Limited, a recently issued High Court DPA Claim.’

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Panopticon, 10th February 2014

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

CCTV warning notices non-compliant with data protection laws, says watchdog – OUT-LAW.com

‘The Government must take action to ensure that signs used to warn motorists that CCTV cameras are being used to monitor for parking offences are compliant with UK data protection laws, a watchdog has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 7th February 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

UNISON’s employment tribunal fees challenge dismissed, but impact of new regime not yet apparent, says High Court – OUT-LAW.com

‘A trade union’s legal challenge to the introduction of fees to bring a case to an employment tribunal has been dismissed by the High Court.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 10th February 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Deciding without a decision – NearlyLegal

‘R (on the application of PK) v Harrow LBC (2014) QBD Admin 30 January 2014. The Claimants were the children of M. The family was street homeless and destitute following eviction. It appears that Harrow had decided there was no duty to accommodate M, as the family was referred to Social Services.’

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NearlyLegal, 9th February 2014

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk/blog/

“Mandatory” mediation – not mandatory enough! – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted February 10th, 2014 in bills, case management, dispute resolution, divorce, domestic violence, legal aid, news by sally

‘In recent weeks there has been widespread reporting of government measures to introduce “mandatory mediation” for separating couples. This will be brought in under the Children and Families Bill, which is due to come into force in April. So, what exactly will the proposals mean? Will they actually result in couples moving away courts, and resolving their disputes through mediation, as the government wants?’

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Halsburys Law Exchange, 10th February 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Tube strikes – should the law be changed? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘We asked the business lobbying group CBI, the Institute of Directors (IOD) and Trade Union lawyer Richard Arthur for their views on reform of this prickly area of law.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 7th February 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted February 10th, 2014 in legislation by sally

The NHS Bodies (Transfer of Trust Property) Order 2014

The Industrial and Provident Societies and Credit Unions (Arrangements, Reconstructions and Administration) Order 2014

The Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Commencement No. 16 and Transitional and Transitory Provisions) Order 2014

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk