A step closer to the legalisation of assisted suicide? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted January 6th, 2012 in assisted suicide, news by tracey

“The Commission on Assisted Dying, set up in September 2010 and chaired by former Lord Chancellor Charles Falconer, has issued its monumental report on assisted dying in England and Wales.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 5th January 2012

Source: http://ukhumanrightsblog.com

 

Unison pension adverts investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 6th, 2012 in advertising, news, pensions, trade unions by tracey

“Public sector union Unison is being investigated by the ASA after three advertisements it placed in the national press were described as ‘misleading’ and ‘inaccurate.’ ”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 5th January 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ofqual to launch probe into teachers’ exam seminars – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 6th, 2012 in examinations, news, teachers by tracey

“The qualifications regulator is to launch an official investigation into exam seminars staged to help teachers improve GCSE and A-level results amid concerns the system is open to abuse.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 6th January 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Views sought on UK’s copyright licensing system – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 6th, 2012 in copyright, licensing, news by tracey

“Creative industry representatives have been asked to give their views on whether the UK’s current copyright licensing system is fit for the digital age.”

Full  story

OUT-LAW.com, 5th January 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Image processing software not excluded from patentability, IPO rules – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 6th, 2012 in computer programs, news, patents by tracey

“A computerised method of processing images and categorising features within it into database-searchable words is not excluded from patentability, a hearing officer at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has ruled.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 5th January 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Is the regulation of cosmetic surgery only skin-deep? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted January 6th, 2012 in cosmetic surgery, news by tracey

“Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has said that he hopes the government review into the rupture rate of a make of faulty breast implants will report by the end of the week.”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 5th January 2012

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Cameron extends PI fees cap in attack on ‘albatross’ safety culture – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 6th, 2012 in fees, health & safety, legal profession, news, personal injuries by tracey

“David Cameron today announced plans to cap lawyers’ fees from personal injury claims at £25,000. Speaking to an audience of small companies, the prime minister launched an attack on the so-called compensation culture and blamed it for holding back the growth of UK businesses.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 5th January 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Burglars jailed after Salford homeowner killed raider – BBC News

Posted January 6th, 2012 in burglary, murder, news, self-defence, sentencing by tracey

“Three men have been jailed for aggravated burglary at the home of a man who fatally stabbed one of four intruders in Greater Manchester.”

Full story

BBC News, 5th January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Poor teachers ‘will slip through the net’ under reforms – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 6th, 2012 in disciplinary procedures, news, professional conduct, teachers by tracey

“Hundreds of poor teachers are likely to be allowed to remain in the classroom under Government plans to scrap the profession’s official regulator, it is feared.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 6th January 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Coalition plans to kill off ‘health and safety monster’ with limits on lawyers’ fees – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 6th, 2012 in fees, health & safety, insurance, legal profession, news, personal injuries by tracey

“David Cameron said the move would provide protection for employers facing claims over workplace accidents and help end a ‘culture of fear’ among businesses over health and safety. Insurance companies suggested the change could lead to reduced premiums for motorists by reducing the number of ‘friviolous’ damages claims arising from traffic accidents. Existing limits on legal fees in personal injury cases will now be extended to claims for up to £25,000, officials said. For the first time, caps on lawyers’ fees will also apply to claims brought against employers.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 6th January 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Stephen Lawrence murder sentences to be reviewed by attorney general – The Guardian

Posted January 5th, 2012 in attorney general, murder, news, sentencing, young offenders by tracey

“Dominic Grieve to look into leniency of sentences handed to Gary Dobson and David Norris after receiving complaint.”

Full story

The Guardian, 5th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Church of England calls assisted suicide plan morally unacceptable – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 5th, 2012 in assisted suicide, Church of England, news, reports by tracey

“The Rt Rev James Newcome, Bishop of Carlisle, said the best safeguard for vulnerable people would be to keep the existing law in place. He also claimed the Commission on Assisted Dying, a group of peers and academics chaired by the former Labour minister Lord Falconer, was a ‘self-appointed’ group that excluded anyone who objected to legalising assisted suicide.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 5th January 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Regina v James and another – WLR Daily

Posted January 5th, 2012 in appeals, confiscation, law reports, sentencing by tracey

Regina v James and another; [2011] EWCA Crim 2991;  [2011] WLR (D)  389

“Expenditure on scales, machinery parts, rent and wages for casual workers were not sums obtained as a result of or in connection with criminal conduct, in this case the evasion of excise duty on tobacco products, and therefore did not amount to a benefit from criminal conduct for the purposes of section 76(4) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.”

WLR Daily, 21st December 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted January 5th, 2012 in law reports by tracey

Thewlis v Groupama Insurance Company Ltd [2012] EWHC 3 (TCC) (05 January 2012)

Source: www.bailii.org.uk

Delaney v Pickett and another – WLR Daily

Posted January 5th, 2012 in appeals, defences, drug abuse, ex turpi causa, law reports, negligence, news, road traffic by tracey

Delaney v Pickett and another; [2011] EWCA Civ 1532;  [2011] WLR (D)  390

“In looking to the possible application of the defence of ‘ex turpi’ in a claim of negligence arising out of a road traffic accident it could be crucial to ask whether the injury in issue was truly a consequence of the claimant’s unlawful act or whether it was a consequence of the unlawful act only in the sense that it would not have happened if the claimant had not been committing an unlawful act. In other words, could one say that, although the damage would not have happened but for the tortious conduct of the defendant, it was caused by the criminal act of the claimant; or was the position, rather, that, although the damage would not have happened without the criminal act of the claimant, it was caused by the tortious act of the defendant ?.”

WLR Daily, 21st December 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Tim Martin Interiors Ltd v Akin Gump LLP – WLR Daily

Posted January 5th, 2012 in appeals, costs, law reports, news, solicitors, third parties by tracey

Tim Martin Interiors Ltd v Akin Gump LLP; [2011] EWCA Civ 1574;  [2011] WLR (D)  39

“As regards quantification and repayment, a third party assessment under section 71 of the Solicitors Act 1974 was of limited use to a third party, since, after payment, it was not possible to require solicitors to pay to the third party money which they had received from their client and which the client was bound to pay them, merely because the third party was not liable to pay the same amount to the client.”

WLR Daily, 21st December 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Ryanair Holdings Ltd v Office of Fair Trading and another – WLR Daily

Posted January 5th, 2012 in airlines, appeals, competition, law reports, limitations, news, tribunals by tracey

Ryanair Holdings Ltd v Office of Fair Trading and another; [2011] EWCA Civ 1579;  [2011] WLR (D)  392

“The Competition Appeal Tribunal Rules granted a power to suspend the running of time, with regard to an investigation by the OFT, as a matter of urgency and in order to protect the public interest.”

WLR Daily, 21st December 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Padden v Bevan Ashford (a firm) – WLR Daily

Posted January 5th, 2012 in appeals, law reports, negligence, solicitors by tracey

Padden v Bevan Ashford (a firm); [2011] EWCA Civ 1616;  [2011] WLR (D)  393

“A solicitor who certified in a mortgage that a client had been given appropriate legal advice about the mortgage and, to the best of his knowledge, had understood the effect of the mortgage and was not acting under undue influence or a misrepresentation, was under an obligation to have advised that client or to have taken steps to satisfy himself that she had been properly advised on those matters. His obligation went well beyond simply advising her not to sign documents disadvantageous to her.”

WLR Daily, 21st December 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted January 5th, 2012 in legislation by tracey

The Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Michael Todd QC on UK legal services – Ministry of Justice

Posted January 5th, 2012 in legal services, press releases by tracey

“Michael Todd QC, the Chairman of the Bar Council, explains why we have a legal services sector to be proud of and why he believes we can all invest in its future.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 4th January 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk