Gay snub Cornish B&B owners lose Supreme Court appeal – BBC News

‘The owners of a Christian guesthouse who were ordered to pay damages for turning away a gay couple have lost their UK Supreme Court fight.”

Full story

BBC News, 27th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Court of Appeal upholds strict costs rule in Mitchell case – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 27th, 2013 in appeals, budgets, costs, defamation, fees, media, news, solicitors, time limits by sally

‘The Court of Appeal today upheld a strict costs judgment in a landmark case which establishes the court’s post-Jackson hardline approach to costs budgeting.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 27th November 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Command Papers – official-documents.gov.uk

Posted November 27th, 2013 in parliamentary papers by sally

The Government response to the HS2 design refinement consultation, Cm 8758 (PDF)

HS2 property and compensation for London-West Midlands: decision document – impact on social rented housing, Cm 8757

HS2 property and compensation for London-West Midlands: decision document – properties above tunnels, Cm 8756 (PDF)

Source: www.official-documents.gov.uk

Court of Appeal awards council 50% of costs in youth cuts case – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 27th, 2013 in appeals, budgets, costs, education, local government, news, young persons by sally

‘A council has been told it can recover half of its legal costs in a case where the Court of Appeal ruled that a 70% cut to youth services was unlawful but refused to grant relief to the claimant.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 25th November 2013

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court rejects claim council owed duty to use general power of competence – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 27th, 2013 in children, housing, human rights, immigration, local government, news, statutory duty by sally

‘The High Court has dismissed a claimant’s argument that a London borough had a duty to use the general power of competence to provide her with accommodation and subsistence support.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 26th November 2013

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Thousands of ‘right to buy’ negligence cases piling up against conveyancers – Legal Futures

‘Law firms are facing thousands of claims for professional negligence over their involvement in “right to buy” work, it has emerged.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 27th November 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Update for the profession: Criminal Very High Cost Cases (VHCCs) Contracts – The Bar Council

Posted November 27th, 2013 in barristers, codes of practice, contracts, costs, press releases by sally

‘Update for the profession: Criminal Very High Cost Cases (VHCCs) Contracts.’

Full text

The Bar Council, 26th November 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Government to legislate to cap the cost of payday loans – OUT-LAW.com

‘The Government will introduce legislation to cap the cost of payday loans to borrowers, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 27th November 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

FCA consults on “fairer and more transparent” rules on use of client commissions by investment managers – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 27th, 2013 in consultations, financial regulation, financial services ombudsman, news by sally

‘Stricter rules on what costs of trade-related services can be passed on to clients of investment managers in the form of commission payments have been proposed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 27th November 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

On families, powers and duties to accommodate – NearlyLegal

‘R (on the application of MK) v Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council. A judicial review raising the extent of a Council’s duties and powers under s.17 Children Act 1989 and s.1 Localism Act 2011 (the general power of competence) in providing housing for someone not otherwise eligible for housing assistance.’

Full story

NearlyLegal, 26th November 2013

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

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted November 27th, 2013 in legislation by sally

The Special Measures for Child Witnesses (Sexual Offences) Regulations 2013

The Taxation of Chargeable Gains (Gilt-edged Securities)  (No. 2) Order 2013

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted November 27th, 2013 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Makdessi v Cavendish Square Holdings BV & Anor (Commital) [2013] EWCA Civ 1540 (26 November 2013)

Makdessi v Cavendish Square Holdings BV & Anor (Appeal) [2013] EWCA Civ 1539 (26 November 2013)

AA (Iran), R (on the application of) v Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) & Anor [2013] EWCA Civ 1523 (26 November 2013)

High Court (Chancery Division)

JSC BTA Bank v Ablyazov [2013] EWHC 3691 (Ch) (26 November 2013)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Bannai v Erez [2013] EWHC 3689 (Comm) (26 November 2013)

Source: www.bailii.org

Andrew Mitchell condemns police and CPS over plebgate – The Guardian

‘In a press conference, Mitchell condemned the police for failing to arrest Rowland or to interview him under caution, and attacked the Crown Prosecution Service for failing to get to the bottom of what had happened.’

Full story

The Guardian, 26th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Drugs and prostitutes’ banker George Kalmar jailed – BBC News

Posted November 27th, 2013 in banking, fraud, news, sentencing by sally

‘A former executive at global financial services firm Morgan Stanley has been jailed for embezzling almost £400,000 to fund a lavish lifestyle.’

Full story

BBC News, 26th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK governments blocked investigations into Malaysian massacre cover-up – The Guardian

Posted November 27th, 2013 in appeals, armed forces, colonies, government departments, homicide, inquiries, news, police by sally

‘British governments blocked two police investigations into the covering up of the killing by British troops of 24 unarmed rubber plantation workers during counterinsurgency operations in Malaysia nearly 65 years ago, the appeal court heard on Tuesday.’

Full story

The Guardian, 26th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ministers defeated in Lords over licences for bankers – BBC News

‘The government has been defeated in the House of Lords over its plans for reforming the banking system. A Labour amendment to the Financial Services Bill, which would introduce a licensing system for senior bankers, was passed by five votes.’

Full story

BBC News, 26th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police launch criminal investigation into cancer scandal – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 27th, 2013 in cancer, criminal justice, delay, hospitals, inquests, medical treatment, news, police by sally

‘Police launch a criminal investigation into the alleged manipulation of cancer waiting lists at a hospital.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 26th November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Justice costs: Fury as lawyers’ fees top £850 an hour – The Independent

Posted November 27th, 2013 in budgets, costs, fees, law firms, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

‘Britain’s biggest law firms are shamelessly exploiting the maxim that “you get what you pay for”, with hourly fees at record levels of £850 an hour, according to new research.’

Full story

The Independent, 26th November 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Cyclist who fled after hitting girl, nine, faces jail – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 27th, 2013 in bicycles, children, grievous bodily harm, news, wanton and furious driving by sally

‘ A cyclist who left a nine-year-old girl with life-threatening injuries after knocking her down on a pedestrian crossing is facing jail. Philip Benwell, 38, was charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Leila Crofts by “wanton and furious” cycling under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 26th November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

EU migrants: David Cameron sets out more benefit restrictions – The Guardian

Posted November 27th, 2013 in benefits, bills, EC law, employment, enforcement, fines, housing, immigration, news, statistics by sally

‘David Cameron made a fresh effort to assuage public concern about a wave of migration from Bulgaria and Romania on Tuesday when he announced a series of benefit restrictions on all EU migrant workers, including a ban on access to housing benefit for all new arrivals and a three-month ban before jobseeker’s allowance can be claimed.’

Full story

The Guardian, 27th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk