NCVO report attacks ‘crude’ implementation of payment by results contracts – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 31st, 2013 in charities, contracting out, contracts, news, public procurement, reports by michael

“There is general support among charities for ‘payment by results’ but its implementation has often been ‘crude’ and ‘seriously flawed’, a report for the National Council for Voluntary Organisations has argued.”

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 30th October 2013

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

QASA claimants lose bid to cut costs exposure – Legal Futures

Posted October 31st, 2013 in barristers, costs, news, protective costs orders, quality assurance by michael

“Mr Justice Bean refused to amend the protective costs order (PCO) granted earlier this month by Mr Justice Ouseley, which at £150,000 was 10 times greater than that the four claimants – who are supported by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) – had sought.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 31st October 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Plan to publish historical police records announced – Home Office

Posted October 31st, 2013 in archives, disclosure, documents, news, police, publishing by michael

“Proposals for making historical police records public were announced today by the Home Office following a recommendation by the Hillsborough Independent Panel.”

Full story

Home Office, 31st October 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Public register to boost company transparency – Department for Business, Innovation and Skills & Prime Minister’s Office

Posted October 31st, 2013 in company law, disclosure, news, shareholders by michael

“Details of who really owns and controls UK companies will be made publicly accessible, the Prime Minister announced at the Open Government Partnership summit.”

Press release

BIS and Prime Minister’s Office, 31st October 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-innovation-skills

Government publishes list of planning regulations to be simplified – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 31st, 2013 in news, planning, regulations by michael

“The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has published a list of planning regulations which will be improved or scrapped as part of its red tape challenge.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 30th October 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

R (on the application of Reilly and another) (Respondents) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Appellant) – Supreme Court

R (on the application of Reilly and another) (Respondents) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Appellant) [2013] UKSC 68 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 30th October 2013

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Respondent) v James (Appellant) – Supreme Court

Posted October 31st, 2013 in appeals, hospitals, law reports, medical treatment, mental health, Supreme Court by michael

Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Respondent) v James (Appellant) [2013] UKSC 67 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 30th October 2013

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Regina (Youssef) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs – WLR Daily

Regina (Youssef) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [2013] EWCA Civ 1302 ;   [2013] WLR (D)  412

“The Foreign Secretary had acted lawfully by applying a test of reasonable grounds for suspecting that the claimant met the criteria for designation on a UN Security Council’s consolidated list of persons to be treated as associated with an Islamic terrorist group . The law did not require the Foreign Secretary to stymie the designation because other states relied on evidence obtained by torture. That any review by the court of the designation decision was by way of the conventional rationality test.”

WLR Daily, 29th October 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Mary Roberts murder trial: Andrew Ratcliffe jailed for life – BBC News

Posted October 31st, 2013 in assault, murder, news, sentencing, sexual offences by michael

“A ‘sexually obsessed’ man has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 23 years for murdering a woman at a Bury St Edmunds pub.”

Full story

BBC News, 30th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Hundreds of Italian couples accused of fraudulently getting ‘quickie divorces’ in UK – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 31st, 2013 in divorce, fraud, news by michael

“Britain’s top family judge has been asked to cancel 180 divorces after being told the UK courts have been exploited in a massive ‘fraud’ by Italians seeking a quick end to their marriages.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 30th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Tyseley ‘honour killing’ father jailed for blaze murder – BBC News

Posted October 31st, 2013 in arson, attempted murder, attempts, families, murder, news, sentencing by michael

“A man who killed his wife and injured three daughters by setting his house on fire in a so-called honour killing plot has been jailed for life.”

Full story

BBC News, 30th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Press regulation royal charter given go-ahead by the Queen – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2013 in appeals, charters, media, news, Privy Council by michael

“A landmark reform of press regulation, enshrined in a royal charter, was finally sealed by the privy council on Wednesday [30th October] in a brief private ceremony, hours after the high court had quickly dismissed a last-minute legal attempt to block it by most
newspaper groups.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police ethics ‘fall well short’, warns report – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 31st, 2013 in news, police, professional conduct, reports by michael

“Police have ‘fallen well short’ on standards of behaviour and ethics, warns report commissioned by Police Federation in wake of Plebgate affair.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 30th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Televising of court of appeal proceedings starts this week – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2013 in appeals, courts, media, news, trials by michael

“Proceedings in the court of appeal are due to be televised from Thursday [31st October], casting aside decades of judicial suspicion about the impact of cameras in the courtroom.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government fail to overturn Poundland work scheme ruling – BBC News

Posted October 31st, 2013 in appeals, employment, human rights, news, social security, Supreme Court by michael

“The government has lost a Supreme Court appeal over a ruling its flagship ‘back to work’ schemes were legally flawed.”

Full story

BBC News, 30th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Four admit to phone-hacking plots in Coulson and Brooks eras – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2013 in conspiracy, corruption, interception, media, news, telecommunications by michael

“Three former news editors from the News of the World have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hack mobile phones during a six-year period when Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson were editing the Sunday title, it was disclosed in court.”

Full story

The Guardian, 31st October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Football fans who sang Stephen Lawrence abuse song jailed – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2013 in costs, disqualification, news, racism, sentencing, sport, suspended sentences by michael

“Six Charlton Athletic supporters received prison sentences for causing racially aggravated fear of violence on train.”

Full story

The Guardian, 31st October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Breathing a sigh of relief…? – Zenith Chambers

Posted October 30th, 2013 in appeals, civil procedure rules, costs, enforcement, news, practice directions by sally

“By the Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2013 CPR r. 3.9 was substantially amended with effect from 1st April 2013. The ‘new’ rule reads as follows:
‘3.9 (1) On an application for relief from any sanction imposed for a failure to comply with any rule, practice direction or court order, the court will consider all the circumstances of the case, so as to enable it to deal justly with the application, including the need –
(a) for litigation to be conducted efficiently and at proportionate cost; and
(b) to enforce compliance with rules, practice directions and orders.
(2) An application for relief must be supported by evidence.'”

Full story (PDF)

Zenith Chambers, 25th October 2013

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk

Solicitors’ indemnity insurance: Is the withdrawal of insurers creating a black hole for policyholders? – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted October 30th, 2013 in disclosure, indemnities, insurance, Law Society, news, solicitors by sally

“Professional indemnity insurance (‘PII’) cover for solicitors is notoriously forgiving to policyholders on the issue of non-disclosure.”

Full story

Hardwicke Chambers, 18th October 2013

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

The Relevance of Health and Safety Regulations After the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 – Zenith Chambers

“As a result of EERA 2013 there is no civil liability for breach of the Regulations made
under the Health and Safety at Work Act in accidents that occur on or after the 1st October 2013. However the Regulations remain in force. The key question for all practitioners is how far do they remain relevant to issues of civil liability?”

Full story (PDF)

Zenith Chambers, 25th October 2013

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk