BSB’s monitoring programme improves compliance, shows new report – Bar Standards Board

Posted March 18th, 2013 in barristers, complaints, consultations, news, ombudsmen, statistics by sally

“A new report published recently by the Bar Standards Board shows the benefits of its recent monitoring programme.”

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Bar Standards Board, 15th March 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Streamlined employment tribunal system will “weed out weak claims” says Government – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 18th, 2013 in claims management, employment tribunals, fees, news, striking out by sally

“The Government has set out plans to ‘streamline’ the employment tribunal system, which will include a new power to ‘strike out’ claims with little chance of success before they proceed to a full hearing.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 18th March 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Activist ‘shocked’ at conviction for yelling at David Cameron – The Guardian

Posted March 18th, 2013 in costs, demonstrations, fines, harassment, news, public order by sally

“A woman has described her shock after being found guilty of a public order offence for telling David Cameron he had ‘blood on his hands’.”

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The Guardian, 16th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Unbundling’ the new craze as lawyer-backed family mediation service launches – Legal Futures

Posted March 18th, 2013 in dispute resolution, divorce, fees, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“A lawyer-backed service that supports divorcing couples during mediation, charging fixed fees to halve the cost, is being billed as a possible lifeline for family legal aid lawyers after 1 April.”

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Legal Futures, 18th March 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Article 8, Undue Influence and much, much more… – NearlyLegal

“The recent case of Birmingham CC v Beech contains a wealth of legal issues but sadly for the Defendant, none of them was decided in her favour. Mrs Beech’s parents had been joint tenants of a 3 bedroom property at 31 Tilshead Close, Birmingham since 1967. Mrs B’s father passed away in 1994 and her mother succeeded to the tenancy. Mrs B moved in to the property with her new partner in 2007 in order to provide care for her mother. Between 2008 and 2009, five offers of accommodation were made to Mrs B and these were refused for a variety of reasons. Mrs B’s request for her name to be added to the tenancy for Tilshead Close was also refused.”

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NearlyLegal, 17th March 2013

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Prisoners charge £200 to take speeding points – Daily Telegraph

“Prison inmates are offering to take points for motorists caught speeding as part of a thriving scam, the Daily Telegraph has learned.”

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Daily Telegraph, 16th March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Supreme Court could use secret evidence in landmark case – Daily Telegraph

“The Supreme Court could use secret evidence in a ruling for the first time in a landmark case this week despite previously banning such material from civil courts.”

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Daily Telegraph, 18th March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Manipulation of NHS figures to become criminal offence – The Guardian

Posted March 18th, 2013 in criminal responsibility, fraud, hospitals, news, statistics by sally

“Fiddling figures from NHS hospitals will become a criminal offence, Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, is to announce.”

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the Guardian, 16th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Not good’: Ofsted gives a mixed verdict on education reforms in major setback for Michael Gove – The Independent

Posted March 18th, 2013 in education, government departments, news, ombudsmen, reports by sally

“Michael Gove’s flagship education project has been dealt an embarrassing blow after inspectors demanded that three of the new wave of ‘free schools’ must improve their teaching, leadership and pupil performance. In the first official verdict on the Education Secretary’s free schools programme, Ofsted inspectors have ruled that three of the first nine institutions to be examined are “not good” schools.”

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The Independent, 17th March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

The three women fighting to clear their loved ones’ names – The Guardian

Posted March 18th, 2013 in appeals, evidence, families, joint enterprise, miscarriage of justice, murder, news by sally

“What is it like if your brother or son is convicted of murder when you are convinced they are innocent? We meet three women who have fought for years to prove their loved ones’ innocence.”

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The Guardian, 16th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Public bodies ‘spending millions to snoop’ – BBC News

“A wide range of public bodies are using private detectives to do their surveillance work, with many using security firms to dodge legal restrictions, a campaign group says.”

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BBC News, 17th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

No sick pay, no maternity pay: Chancellor targets employers’ tax loophole that damages teachers’ and nurses’ rights – The Independent

Posted March 18th, 2013 in budgets, children, income tax, maternity leave, national insurance, news, sick leave by sally

“A tax loophole which allows firms to dodge around £100 million a year in National Insurance will be closed in the Budget, it was announced.”

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The Independent, 16th March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Inquest to open into death of prisoner convicted of stealing gingerbread man – The Guardian

Posted March 18th, 2013 in death in custody, inquests, mental health, news, prisons, theft by sally

“The inquest into the death in prison of a man convicted of stealing a gingerbread man during the riots in 2011 opens in London on Monday. James Best, 37, had a history of mental illness and physical problems, which his foster family say were not addressed by the prison.”

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The Guardian, 17th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Stafford hospital nurse who treated overdose twins allowed to keep working – The Guardian

Posted March 15th, 2013 in disciplinary procedures, news, nurses by sally

“A nurse who helped treat twins who died from a huge overdose of morphine at the scandal-hit Stafford hospital has been allowed to keep working.”

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The Guardian, 15th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Stephen Lawrence killer drops appeal against conviction – The Guardian

Posted March 15th, 2013 in appeals, murder, news, racism by sally

“Gary Dobson, who was given life sentence for murder last year, has abandoned battle against conviction, officials say.”

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The Guardian, 15th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

£1million compensation for man who fell in pothole – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 15th, 2013 in compensation, health & safety, news, personal injuries, roads by sally

“A man who suffered a brain injury after tripping in a pothole has won an
estimated an estimated £1 million in damages.”

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Daily Telegraph, 15th March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Atiya Anjum-Wilkinson: Father in court bid for access – BBC News

Posted March 15th, 2013 in child abduction, contact orders, news by sally

“A father who was jailed after abducting his daughter and taking her to Pakistan
for three years has appeared in court to make a bid for access to the child.”

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BBC News, 15th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Setback for high speed rail after High Court ruling – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 15th, 2013 in consultations, environmental protection, judicial review, news, railways by sally

“The Government’s HS2 high-speed rail scheme suffered a setback today when the
High Court ruled that the consultation process for compensating those affected
by the multibillion-pound project ‘was so unfair as to be unlawful’.”

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Daily Telegraph, 15th March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ipswich School teacher William Stansbury jailed over indecent photos – BBC News

Posted March 15th, 2013 in indecent photographs of children, news, sentencing, teachers by sally

“A former senior teacher at a Suffolk private school has been jailed for
possessing more than 40,000 indecent images of children.”

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BBC News, 15th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Carmarthenshire blogger loses libel case against council chief – BBC News

Posted March 15th, 2013 in damages, defamation, news by sally

“A blogger who sued a council chief executive for libel says she is ‘absolutely devastated’ after losing the case and being told to pay him £25,000 damages when he counter-sued.”

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BBC News, 15th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk