Most senior judge attacks legal aid plans – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 25th, 2011 in budgets, legal aid, news by sally

“Cuts to legal aid will have ‘serious implications for the quality of justice’, the country’s most senior judge warned yesterday in a scathing attack on Kenneth Clarke’s plans.”

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Daily Telegraph, 24th February 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Related link: Q&A: Legal Aid

Phone hacking: now judge tells police to stop protecting names – The Independent

Posted February 25th, 2011 in disclosure, interception, news, police, privacy, telecommunications by sally

“The likelihood of further News of the World (NotW) journalists being dragged into the phone-hacking scandal increased yesterday when a judge ruled that names believed to belong to the paper’s employees should no longer be blanked out on key documents.”

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The Independent, 25th February 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Stop and search numbers fall after change to counterterrorism powers – The Guardian

Posted February 25th, 2011 in news, statistics, stop and search, terrorism by sally

“The number of stops and searches by police under controversial counterterrorism laws has fallen sharply since the government curtailed the scope of the powers.”

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The Guardian, 24th February 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid cuts will cost more in long run, say judges – The Guardian

Posted February 24th, 2011 in family courts, judiciary, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

“Courts could grind to a standstill as hundreds of thousands of people represent themselves in legal cases, senior judges have warned.”

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The Guardian, 24th February 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Julian Assange extradition decision: full judgment – The Guardian

Posted February 24th, 2011 in EC law, extradition, judgments, news, sexual offences, warrants by sally

“Read the judgment ordering the Wikileaks founder to be extradited to Sweden to face allegations of rape and sexual assault.”

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The Guardian, 24th February 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Campaigners launch legal challenge to library closures – The Guardian

Posted February 24th, 2011 in judicial review, libraries, local government, news by sally

“Libraries are set to be a legal testing-ground for David Cameron’s vision of the ‘big society’, with lawyers arguing that the prime minister’s ‘vague notions’ are not enough to fulfil councils’ legal obligations to their library services.”

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The Guardian, 24th February 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Man admits ‘horrific’ attack on cat – The Independent

Posted February 24th, 2011 in alcohol abuse, animal cruelty, news, suspended sentences by sally

“A man killed a cat when he picked it up by a hind leg and swung it head-first into a wall at least four times, a court has heard.”

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The Independent, 24th February 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Julian Assange should face extradition, judge rules – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 24th, 2011 in EC law, extradition, news, sexual offences, warrants by sally

“WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to Sweden to face sex offence charges, a judge ruled today.”

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Daily Telegraph, 24th February 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Millionaire found guilty of murdering wife – The Independent

Posted February 24th, 2011 in murder, news by sally

“A retired American millionaire who stabbed his wife to death as he battled to stop her benefiting from their impending divorce was convicted of murder today.”

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The Independent, 24th February 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Making the would-be barristers of tomorrow face harsh realities of today – The Guardian

Posted February 24th, 2011 in barristers, inns of court, legal education, news by sally

“A conference on the future of legal education debates curbing the ambitions of law schools as only one in eight graduates becomes a lawyer.”

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The Guardian, 24th February 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Human rights court reforms called into question by London’s litigators – Legal Week

Posted February 24th, 2011 in courts, human rights, judgments, judiciary, news by sally

“City litigators have questioned Justice Secretary Ken Clarke’s calls to reform the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the wake of its ruling that serving prisoners should be given the right to vote.”

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Legal Week, 22nd February 2011

Source: www.legalweek.com

Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted February 24th, 2011 in consultations, judiciary, legal aid, news by sally

“The judiciary’s co-ordinated response to the Government’s legal aid consultation paper is published today. It was drawn up by a sub-committee of the Judges’ Council (the body which represents all levels of the judiciary, and is chaired by the Lord Chief Justice).”

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Judiciary of England and Wales, 24th February 2011

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Judge criticises CPS for prosecuting man for pictures available in bookshops – Daily Telegraph

“A top judge has queried why a man was prosecuted for possessing ‘indecent’ images of children – when the photos were available for sale in a string of respectable mainstream bookshops.”

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Daily Telegraph, 24th February 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Justice system delays endemic, research shows – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 24th, 2011 in criminal justice, criminal procedure, delay, legal profession, news, police, probation by sally

“Law Society research submitted to the government last week has identified a ‘lack of communication’ pervading the justice system that is causing delays throughout the process.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 24th February 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

MPs’ expenses: David Chaytor to challenge sentence – BBC News

Posted February 24th, 2011 in appeals, expenses, false accounting, news, sentencing by sally

“Former Labour MP David Chaytor has launched a bid to challenge his jail sentence for fiddling his expenses.”

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BBC News, 23rd February 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bar leaders warn of impact of tuition hikes on diversity – Legal Week

Posted February 24th, 2011 in barristers, education, equality, fees, news, universities by sally

“Leading figures at the Bar including former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer, Bar council chairman Nicholas Green QC and chair of the Bar Standards Board Baroness Ruth Deech have called for the Bar to take action to improve diversity in anticipation of hikes in university tuition fees.”

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Legal Week, 24th February 2011

Source: www.legalweek.com

George Davis in court 40 years after robbery that sent him to jail – The Guardian

“Judges will finally decide whether ‘George Davis Is Innocent OK’ as they look again at notorious miscarriage of justice case.”

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The Guardian, 24th February 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

How a lawyer can change their specialist practice area – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 24th, 2011 in legal profession, news, solicitors by sally

“It is a common observation among middle-aged lawyers that the increasing need to specialise very early in a legal career has changed the face of the profession. Time spent in a more general or rounded practice has been much reduced, leading to a situation where lawyers are making key decisions about their future specialism much earlier.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 24th February 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Plymouth hospital threatened with safety prosecution – BBC News

Posted February 24th, 2011 in health & safety, hospitals, news, standards by sally

“The Plymouth NHS Hospitals Trust must improve safety – including preventing swabs being left in patients – or risk prosecution, a watchdog has said.”

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BBC News, 23rd February 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Crisis of identity: why English law needs to protect our personalities – The Guardian

Posted February 24th, 2011 in confidentiality, defamation, freedom of expression, media, news by sally

“Portrayals of real people in docudramas and novels have made millions for authors and film-makers. But what of their subjects?”

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The Guardian, 23rd February 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk