Denham ‘crash for cash’ men jailed for Baljinder Gill death – BBC News
“Three men who deliberately caused a car crash that led to another collision in which a woman died have been jailed.”
BBC News, 15th February 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
New patent law will help UK business – The Independent
“British inventors and entrepreneurs will be able to save thousands of pounds in the cost of patenting their new ideas under rules to be agreed by Vince Cable this week.”
The Independent, 17th February 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Rape suspects ‘should not be named’ – The Guardian
“Anti-rape campaigners have dismissed proposals for alleged rapists to be granted anonymity to avoid lasting stigma if they are cleared.”
The Guardian, 17th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Supreme court denies government pressure to select a woman – The Guardian
“The UK supreme court has denied rumours that it has come under pressure from the government to select a woman for appointment to one of three current vacancies.”
The Guardian, 15th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
European Court awards damages to prisoner after Parole Board backlog – UK Human Rights Blog
“On 29 January the Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights held that convicted rapist Samuel Betteridge’s Article 5(4) rights had been breached due to delays in his cases being considered by the Parole Board, and awarded him damages for his ‘frustration’.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 15th February 2013
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
LSB recommends regulation of will-writing activities – Legal Services Board
“The Legal Services Board is today [13 February] recommending to the Lord Chancellor that will writing activities should be made subject to regulation, so that the significant risks consumers currently face when using these critical services is reduced.”
Full story (PDF)
Legal Services Board, 13th February 2013
Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk
Disgraced peer Lord Hanningfield wins damages from Essex Police over arrest – The Independent
“A former Tory peer who was jailed over the parliamentary expenses scandal has won £3,500 damages from Essex Police.”
The Independent, 15th February 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Google countersues BT over patents – The Guardian
“Web giant calls telecoms company’s lawsuit ‘meritless’, and claims its own intellectual property has been infringed.”
The Guardian, 14th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Command Papers – official-documents.gov.uk
Scotland analysis: Devolution and the implications of Scottish independence, Cm 8554 (PDF)
Publication of Draft Legislation Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions), Cm 8563 (PDF)
Transforming Youth Custody: Putting education at the heart of detention, Cm 8564 (PDF)
Source: www.official-documents.gov.uk
Subsidiaries as “branches” for undertakings: a new route to jurisdiction under Article 5(5) of the Brussels Regulation? – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers
“Stand alone, follow on and hybrid damages claims arising out of multijurisdictional cartels are generating some of the most novel and interesting current problems in conflicts of laws, both in relation to issues of jurisdiction and applicable law. On the jurisdictional side conventional wisdom has it that there are three main routes by which Claimants can seize English jurisdiction.”
Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 14th February 2013
Source: www.competitionbulletin.com
Google must act quickly on libellous Blogger posts, says appeal court – The Guardian
“Google may have to act quicker to remove potentially libellous posts from its Blogger platform following a court of appeal ruling in London.”
The Guardian, 14th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
What is a good reason for departing from a mandatory costs budget? A practical view from the Bar – Littleton Chambers
“The costs budgeting provisions of the Jackson Report are among the most significant issues facing litigators today. One key concern has been that parties and their legal advisers face having otherwise recoverable costs disallowed if they fail to comply with the requirements concerning costs budgets. Those concerns were heightened by the decision in Sylvia Henry v News Group Newspapers Ltd [2012] EWHC 90218 (Costs) to disallow £268,832 of costs on the grounds that the claimant had failed to comply with rules concerning costs budgeting in PD 51 (see Legal update, Costs management: first decision under Defamation Proceedings Pilot Scheme). Those rules formed part of the Defamation Proceedings Pilot Scheme, on which the case was the first decided authority. The decision was taken to have considerably wider significance because of the similarity between the provisions of that pilot scheme and the main elements of the impending Jackson reforms.”
Full story (PDF)
Littleton Chambers, 6th February 2013
Source: www.littletonchambers.com
Bypassing lawyers would save £1.5bn, insurer claims – Law Society’s Gazette
“Removing lawyers altogether from the small-claims process would save each motorist an average £60 a year on their car insurance premiums, a major insurer today [14 February] claimed.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 14th February 2013
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Bradford prostitute rape gang members jailed – BBC News
“Three members of a gang who targeted and raped prostitutes in Bradford have been jailed for 12 years.”
BBC News, 14th February 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Bloody Sunday families offered £50,000 compensation by MoD – The Guardian
“The families of those shot dead by Parachute Regiment soldiers on Bloody Sunday in 1972 have been offered around £50,000 each in compensation by the Ministry of Defence.”
The Guardian, 14th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk
The Food Safety (Sampling and Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2013
The Civil Legal Aid (Preliminary Proceedings) Regulations 2013
The Finance Act 2009, Section 101 (Tax Agents: Dishonest Conduct) (Appointed Day) Order 2013
The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Schemes for Assisting Persons to Obtain Employment) Regulations 2013
The Electricity (Competitive Tenders for Offshore Transmission Licences) Regulations 2013
The Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (Commencement No. 11) Order 2013
The Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Transitional Provision) (England) Regulations 2013
The Immigration (Procedure for Marriage) (Amendment) Regulations 2013
The Immigration (Procedure for Formation of Civil Partnerships) (Amendment) Regulations 2013
The Public Bodies (Abolition of the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board) Order 2013
The Legislative Reform (Hallmarking) Order 2013
Source: www.legislation.gov.uk
Family Rights at Work – Cloisters
“The Government has published its response to the ‘Modern Workplaces’ consultation on the overhaul of family rights at work, including shared parental leave, extended flexible working and new rights for surrogate parents. Rachel Crasnow explains the issues.”
Cloisters, 17th January 2013
Source: www.cloisters.com
Met police loses bid to overturn award to autistic teenager – The Guardian
“The court of appeal has rejected an attempt by the Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe to overturn an award of £28,250 in damages to a severely autistic teenager who was put in handcuffs and leg restraints and held in a police van after jumping into a swimming pool.”
The Guardian, 14th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Commission launches guidance on managing religion or belief in the workplace – Equality and Human Rights Commission
“Equality and Human Rights Commission has published new guidance today to help employers and employees deal with the expression of religion or belief at work and avoid conflict and costly court cases.”
14th February 2013
Source: www.equalityhumanrights.com
