Laing v The Queen – WLR Daily

Posted May 28th, 2013 in appeals, human rights, law reports, Privy Council, reasons, trials by sally

Laing v The Queen [2013] UKPC 14; [2013] WLR (D) 198

Although the giving of reasons for dismissing an appeal against conviction was an important part of an appellant’s entitlement to a fair hearing of the appeal, if the conviction were otherwise sound it did not have to be quashed simply because of the failure to give reasons.

WLR Daily, 14th May 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Maintenance Pending Suit Revisited – Family Law Week

Posted May 28th, 2013 in family courts, financial provision, news by sally

“Alexander Chandler of 1 King’s Bench Walk, Temple, London revisits and updates an article originally published in February 2010 in light of changes brought about by the Family Procedure Rules 2010.”

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Family Law Week, 24th May 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Action to tackle drug cutting agents – Home Office

Posted May 28th, 2013 in consultations, crime prevention, drug trafficking, enforcement, news by sally

A consultation was launched today on whether powers to seize substances used by criminals to mix with illegal drugs and maximise their profits should be strengthened.

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Home Office, 28th May 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Companies will not be forced to publish results of equal pay audits, says Government – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 28th, 2013 in company law, data protection, disclosure, equal pay, news, publishing, reports by sally

“Companies that are required to undertake equal pay audits would not be required to make the results of those audits public, the Government has proposed.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 28th May 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Courts may be privatised to save Ministry of Justice £1bn – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 28th, 2013 in charters, courts, government departments, news by sally

“The courts may be privatised in a justice shake-up that could save the Ministry of Justice £1 billion a year.”

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Daily Telegraph, 28th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Shared ownership, Art 8 and A1P1 – NearlyLegal

Posted May 28th, 2013 in appeals, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, news, repossession by sally

“The entrepreneurialisation of social housing over the last twenty years has led to a diversity in the types of shared ownership. Of course, the standard leasehold type (what in the old days was called DIYSO) predominates, but there are a multitude of other types. In Ker v Optima Community Association [2013] EWCA Civ 579, the Court of Appeal had to deal with one of these other types in Optima’s claim for possession; but in quite odd circumstances for, by the time of the hearing of the appeal, Ms Ker had accepted that the property was unaffordable for her so that she had to give up possession. What was in issue seems to have been whether she was entitled to return of some of the amounts she had paid. Patten LJ, who gave the only substantive judgment, held that she did not have such a claim and ordered possession.”

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NearlyLegal, 25th May 2013

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Bipolar patient has capacity to decide to terminate pregnancy – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 28th, 2013 in abortion, Court of Protection, mental health, news by sally

“The patient in this case was a 37 year old highly intelligent graduate who worked in IT. For the past 8 years she presented with symptoms which were diagnosed as those of bi-polar disorder. She had been detained under compulsory or similar powers at various times in Italy, in France and here in England.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 24th May 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Law centres: living on the age – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 28th, 2013 in law centres, legal aid, news by sally

“Last week’s London Legal Walk, coming weeks after swingeing legal aid cuts were introduced, could be read as a show of strength by the whole legal community. Some 7,500 lawyers and staff from firms, legal departments and chambers of all sizes walked to raise funds to support local advice agencies. At the time of writing, an impressive £575,000 was raised. But that in no way comes near the amount taken out of scope by ministers.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 27th May 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Law firms have ‘unconscious bias’ that stops women from getting promoted, says senior City lawyer – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 28th, 2013 in employment, equality, law firms, news, sex discrimination, women by sally

“As Lady Justice Hallett, a senior woman judge, warns the ‘frenetic’ pace of life holds women back, a leading lawyer and diversity consultant to the top legal institutions says there is an ‘unconscious bias’ against women in the legal profession.”

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Daily Telegraph, 24th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

National College of Legal Training terminates LPC and GDL – The Lawyer

Posted May 28th, 2013 in legal education, news, universities by sally

“National College of Legal Training (NCLT) is to stop teaching the legal practice course (LPC) and graduate diploma in law (GDL), blaming market conditions and a drop in the number of students for its decision.”

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The Lawyer, 24th May 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

‘We’re at the cliff edge now’ – LegalVoice

“‘Unity is our secret weapon’ was the key message that emerged from this week’s unprecedented meeting of 1,000 defence lawyers who voted unanimously backing a motion that price competitive tendering was ‘not the way forward’, writes Jon Robins.”

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LegalVoice, 24th May 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Bye bye England: what will happen to Community Trade Marks and Community Registered Designs if the UK or another Member State says “Good-bye”? – Technology Law Update

Posted May 28th, 2013 in EC law, licensing, news, trade marks by sally

“With the recent debates about an in-out EU referendum rumbling on, the relationship between the UK and the EU is under continuing scrutiny. The political and economic issues of a withdrawal may take newspaper headlines, but the impact on Community trade marks and registered designs should not be forgotten either.”

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Technology Law Update, 24th May 2013

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

Sex abuse victims thwarted by out-of-date law – BBC News

Posted May 28th, 2013 in child abuse, news, sexual offences, time limits, victims by sally

“An old law may stop women in England and Wales, who were groomed for sex as teenage girls before 2004, from bringing charges against the people who took advantage of them. The issue was highlighted when two women were told they could not press charges because they did not report the abuse to the police within 12 months of it happening.”

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BBC News, 25th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Electronic plagiarism? The dangers of the cut-and-paste – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 28th, 2013 in appeals, judgments, judiciary, news, plagiarism by sally

“A judge hears a case and accepts one party’s version. That party provides a convincing closing speech (in a Word document) which the judge lifts, makes some modifications, and circulates as his judgment.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 26th May 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Four in 10 people think judges are too soft in manslaughter cases – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 28th, 2013 in burglary, homicide, news, reports, sentencing by sally

“Four in 10 people think judges should give tougher sentences in some violent cases such as manslaughter, a Ministry of Justice study has suggested.”

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Daily Telegraph, 24th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

BSB decision to stop former chief constable self-funding pupillage upheld – Legal Futures

Posted May 28th, 2013 in barristers, equality, news, police, pupillage by sally

“A barristers’ chambers which offered an unfunded pupillage to a former police chief constable has lost its appeal against a Bar Standards Board decision that the move ran foul of equality rules designed to stop ‘rich kids’ from self-funding.”

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Legal Futures, 28th May 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Too soon? – NearlyLegal

Posted May 28th, 2013 in housing, injunctions, judicial review, local government, news by sally

“Unusually, this is a published Judicial Review permission decision. Further, Anthony Thornton QC J has ‘certified that this judgment may be cited and referred to in other cases or situations. This direction is made pursuant to paragraph 6.1 of the Practice Direction (Citation of Authorities) [2001] 1 WLR 1001, CA.’. Why will become clear.”

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NearlyLegal, 27th May 2013

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Maesteg killing: Stuart Worvell jailed for 12 years for manslaughter – BBC News

Posted May 28th, 2013 in homicide, news, sentencing by sally

“A man who stabbed to death a passer-by who called at his home near Bridgend has been sentenced to 12 years for his manslaughter.”

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BBC News, 24th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Diabetic driver jailed for impaling pedestrian – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 28th, 2013 in dangerous driving, disqualification, health, news, sentencing by sally

“A driver who failed to tell the DVLA that he had diabetes has been jailed for six months and banned from driving for three years leaving a pedestrian impaled on the railings after losing control of his car when his blood-sugar level plummeted.”

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Daily Telegraph, 27th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Rochdale Council leaders ‘let down’ groomed girls – BBC News

Posted May 28th, 2013 in local government, news, reports, sexual grooming, social services, victims by sally

“Former senior managers at Rochdale Borough Council did not do enough to stop the grooming and sexual abuse of children, a report has found.”

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BBC News, 24th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk