Top judge calls for fixed legal fees to cut bills – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 18th, 2013 in barristers, costs, fees, judges, legal representation, news, solicitors by sally

“Lord Neuberger, president of the Supreme Court, wants to see lawyers paid fixed sums to prevent spiralling legal costs.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 15th November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Philpott fire deaths appeal planned to be shown on TV

Posted November 18th, 2013 in appeals, arson, homicide, media, news, video recordings by sally

“The appeal hearing for Mairead Philpott and Paul Mosley, convicted of killing six children in a Derby house fire, is expected to be filmed for television.”

Full story

BBC News, 15th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Cadbury’s purple mark and Mattel’s Scrabble tile mark are tricky to register – Technology Law Update

Posted November 18th, 2013 in appeals, news, trade marks by sally

“The Court of Appeal has recently handed down judgements in Société des Produits Nestlé SA v Cadbury UK Limited and JW Spear & Sons Limited, Mattel Inc & Mattel UK Limited v Zynga Inc, which emphasise the importance of complying with the conditions of Article 2 of the Trade Marks Directive 2008/95/EC as being a ‘sign’ capable of graphic representation.”

Full story

Technology Law Update, 15th November 2013

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

Extradition: why the government is wrong to remove the automatic right to appeal – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

“The government has come under fire from extradition and human rights practitioners for seeking to remove the automatic right of appeal in extradition cases.”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 15th November 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Mental impairment. How does the employer know? Cox v Essex County Fire and Rescue Service – 13 KBW Employment

“When facing a reasonable adjustments claim one of the first lines of defence for an employer is knowledge. An employer can avail itself of the defence of lack of knowledge of the disability (s.20 of Sch 8 of the Equality Act 2010) if it did not know, and could not reasonably have been expected to know, that the person had a disability. The defence is an impenetrable shield and often forms a key battleground at trial.”

Full story

13 KBW Employment, 18th November 2013

Source: www.13kbwemployment.wordpress.com

Romany Travellers win permission for judicial review over site provision – Local Government Lawyer

“A High Court judge has given a group of Romany Travellers permission for a judicial review over a council’s decision to evict them from an unauthorised site on Green Belt land.”

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 18th November 2013

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Google and Microsoft agree measures to block abuse images – BBC News

Posted November 18th, 2013 in child abuse, indecent photographs of children, internet, news by sally

“Leading search engine companies Google and Microsoft have agreed measures to make it harder to find child abuse images online.”

Full story

BBC News, 18th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judge sums up divorce tycoon Scot Young as a ‘fraudster’ – The Independent

Posted November 18th, 2013 in bankruptcy, divorce, fraud, news, solicitors by sally

“The bankrupt tycoon embroiled in Britain’s most high-profile divorce has been labelled a ‘fraudster’ in a separate High Court judgment. Scot Young, a property and telecoms magnate in the middle of an acrimonious battle against his estranged wife, has been caught up in separate litigation involving a former lawyer and one of his alleged creditors.”

Full story

The Independent, 17th November 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

GMC welcomes Europe language rules – BBC News

Posted November 18th, 2013 in doctors, EC law, immigration, news, standards by sally

“Doctors and other professionals moving from Europe to work in the UK will have their fluency in English checked under new rules governing language skills and other safety issues.”

Full story

BBC News, 15th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

No 10 rejects call to lower age of consent – The Guardian

Posted November 18th, 2013 in age of consent, news, taxation by sally

“Downing Street and Nick Clegg have joined forces to reject a call by a leading public health official to consider lowering the age of consent to 15.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Royal Marines challenge naming ruling after Afghan case – BBC News

Posted November 18th, 2013 in Afghanistan, anonymity, appeals, armed forces, courts martial, murder, news by sally

“Five Royal Marines have lodged a challenge against a ruling they can be named, after one of them was convicted of the murder of an Afghan insurgent, the Judicial Office has said.”

Full story

BBC News, 15th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Update law on child cruelty’: Family experts demand changes to increase protection for minors – The Independent

Posted November 18th, 2013 in child cruelty, mental health, news, police, psychiatric damage, statistics by sally

“Emotional cruelty to children should be made illegal, according to almost 70 per cent of police officers in England and Wales.”

Full story

The Independent, 17th November 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Gay rights group challenges Charity Commission refusal – The Guardian

Posted November 18th, 2013 in appeals, charities, homosexuality, human rights, news, public interest by sally

“A human rights organisation that supports gay and lesbian individuals in countries where homosexuality is outlawed has been denied charitable status on the grounds that it is not sufficiently of ‘public benefit’.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Awful conflict’: Judge despairs as couple’s divorce after 43 years leads to £700,000 bill – The Independent

Posted November 18th, 2013 in costs, dispute resolution, divorce, judges, news by sally

“A wealthy family seems to be ‘tearing itself apart’ in a legal battle which has already cost more than £700,000, a High Court judge has said.”

Full story

The Independent, 15th November 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Barristers threaten strike action over cuts to legal aid – The Guardian

Posted November 18th, 2013 in barristers, budgets, demonstrations, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“Criminal barristers are threatening strike action if the government does not drop plans to slash legal aid, a senior QC has said.”

Full story

The Guardian, 16th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Doctors, nurses and managers to face five years in jail if they neglect patients – The Guardian

“Doctors, nurses and NHS managers will face up to five years in jail if they are found to have wilfully neglected or mistreated patients under a new law aimed at stopping a repeat of the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal.”

Full story

The Guardian, 16th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police officer sacked for misconduct involving vulnerable person – The Guardian

Posted November 15th, 2013 in disciplinary procedures, news, police, professional conduct, victims by sally

“Essex police dismiss unnamed constable who tried to start a relationship with a victim and sent her sexually suggestive messages.”

Full story

The Guardian, 15th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

British Airways stewardess attacked pilot lover, court hears – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 15th, 2013 in costs, news, sentencing, suspended sentences, wounding by sally

“The senior British Airways cabin crew member smashed a glass in the pilot’s face when he told her their affair was over.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 15th November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Command papers – official-documents.gov.uk

Posted November 15th, 2013 in parliamentary papers by sally

Government response to the Justice Committee’s fifth report of session 2013-14: older prisoners, Cm 8739 (PDF)

Source: www.official-documents.gov.uk

Regulation fees paid by claims management companies – Ministry of Justice

Posted November 15th, 2013 in claims management, consultations, fees by sally

“This consultation invites views on the fees for applications for authorisation and annual fees for the regulation year 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 for claims management companies.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 15th November 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice