How the self-employed criminal bar intends to compete with solicitors – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 27th, 2011 in barristers, criminal justice, legal services, news, solicitors by sally

“There are probably about 5,000 self-employed barristers and 1,000 higher court advocates active in criminal defence work. While the number of firms has dwindled substantially in the last few years, the number of barristers has increased, notwithstanding the fact that the work has diminished, mainly through the Crown Prosecution Service taking 25% of it in-house.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 27th January 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Chancery Lane hails landmark ruling on access to justice – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 27th, 2011 in costs, fees, news, solicitors by sally

“Solicitors must be allowed to shoulder the risk of adverse costs orders on behalf of their clients to ensure proper access to justice, the Court of Appeal ruled today.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 26th January 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Reforms set out for employment tribunals – The Independent

Posted January 27th, 2011 in employment tribunals, fees, news, unfair dismissal by sally

“The Government today put forward plans to increase the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims from one to two years and suggested fees for taking employment tribunal cases under plans to reform the system.”

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The Independent, 27th January 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Jackson attacks government’s partial reform plan – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 27th, 2011 in civil justice, costs, news by sally

“Lord Justice Jackson criticised the way the government plans to implement his reforms to civil justice costs in a sternly worded letter to the justice secretary last week.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 27th January 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Government lays ISP copyright notification plans before Parliament – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 27th, 2011 in copyright, internet, news by sally

“The Government has laid before Parliament its proposal on how the controversial copyright infringement notification system proposed in last year’s Digital Economy Act (DEA) will work.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 26th January 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Bill gives heads powers to exclude violent pupils – The Guardian

Posted January 27th, 2011 in bills, education, news, school exclusions by sally

“Headteachers will be given greater powers to exclude violent and aggressive pupils in a series of major school reforms published today.”

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The Guardian, 27th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

College of Law launches two-year law degree – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 27th, 2011 in legal education, news by sally

“The College of Law has developed a two-year law degree that will focus on improving students’ employment prospects and practical legal skills while covering the curriculum in the same depth as a traditional three-year course, it said this week.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 26th January 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

DPP’s power to block war crimes arrests is in the public interest – The Guardian

Posted January 27th, 2011 in Crown Prosecution Service, news, prosecutions, public interest, war crimes by sally

“The director of public prosecutions has disclosed how he proposes to use unique new powers enabling him to block the arrest of visiting foreigners accused of war crimes abroad.”

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The Guardian, 26th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

CPS opens specialist Appeals Unit – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted January 27th, 2011 in appeals, Crown Prosecution Service, news by sally

“The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has established a specialist Appeals Unit that will take on new cases in the appeal courts, including all work involving the Criminal Cases Review Commission and Unduly Lenient Sentences.”

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Crown Prosecution Service, 26th January 2011

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Joint independent expert advisory group – Bar Standards Board

Posted January 27th, 2011 in advocacy, news by sally

“The Joint Advocacy Group (JAG), set up by the Bar Standards Board (BSB), Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and ILEX Professional Standards (IPS) to devise a scheme for the quality assurance of advocates, has established an independent expert advisory group to be chaired by Lord Justice Thomas.”

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Bar Standards Board, 26th January 2011

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Polytunnels could become widespread after court ruling – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 27th, 2011 in areas of outstanding natural beauty, environmental protection, news by sally

“Polytunnels could become widespread in the English countryside after the Court of Appeal allowed their use in an area of outstanding natural beauty, conservationists fear.”

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Daily Telegraph, 27th January 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Control orders: home secretary tables watered-down regime – The Guardian

Posted January 27th, 2011 in control orders, news, terrorism by sally

“The control order regime is to become a watered-down but permanent part of the British justice system later this year under the reform of counter-terrorism laws detailed today (26 January) by the home secretary, Theresa May.”

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The Guardian, 26th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Mercy killing’ husband George Webb freed from prison – The Guardian

Posted January 27th, 2011 in assisted suicide, diminished responsibility, homicide, news, suspended sentences by sally

“Appeal judges overturn the custodial sentence for the manslaughter of his ill wife in favour of a suspended term.”

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The Guardian, 26th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Council boss cleared of sex charge – The Independent

Posted January 27th, 2011 in news, rape by sally

“A council chief executive was cleared today of raping a female colleague he met when she was drunk in a bar.”

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The Independent, 26th January 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Ruby Thomas given seven years for homophobic attack on Ian Baynham – The Guardian

Posted January 27th, 2011 in homicide, homosexuality, news, sentencing by sally

“A former public school pupil who took part in the ‘mindless, drink-fuelled’ and fatal homophobic beating of a civil servant, stamping on him and kicking him as he lay unconscious in Trafalgar Square, today began a seven-year sentence in a young offenders’ institution after being sentenced for manslaughter.”

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The Guardian, 26th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted January 26th, 2011 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Wilson, R v [2011] EWCA Crim 16 (25 January 2011)

Earle v R. [2011] EWCA Crim 17 (25 January 2011)

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

TW v A City Council & Ors [2011] EWCA Civ 17 (20 January 2011)

Sibthorpe & Anor v London Borough of Southwark [2011] EWCA Civ 25 (25 January 2011)

Barratt & Anor v Ashford Borough Council [2011] EWCA Civ 27 (25 January 2011)

High Court (Chancery Division)

McCullough v Armstrong [2011] EWHC 67 (Ch) (21 January 2011)

Clark & Anor, R. v [2011] EWCA Crim 15 (25 January 2011)

Source: www.bailii.org

Tesler v Government of the United States of America – WLR Daily

Posted January 26th, 2011 in extradition, joint enterprise, law reports by sally

Tesler v Government of the United States of America [2011] EWHC 52 (Admin); [2011] WLR (D) 14

“The requirement in s 137(2)(a) of the Extradition Act 2003 for conduct to have occurred in a category 2 territory in order to constitute an extradition offence in relation to that territory was capable of being satisfied by acts performed entirely outside the territory where the perpetrator was participating in a joint enterprise with another person in the territory an object of which was to benefit that other person.”

WLR Daily, 25th January 2011

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Counter terrorism review set to be published – BBC News

Posted January 26th, 2011 in news, terrorism by sally

“The government is set to publish its long-awaited proposed reforms to counter terrorism powers.”

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BBC News, 26th January 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MI5 and MI6 secrecy move ‘threatens press freedoms’ – The Guardian

Posted January 26th, 2011 in freedom of expression, intelligence services, media, news, private hearings, torture by sally

“Proposals by MI5 and MI6 to extend courtroom secrecy to civil trials would unfairly restrict the right of the media to act as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the public, the supreme court heard today (25 January).”

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The Guardian, 25th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

IPCC probes Luton park siege shooting case – BBC News

Posted January 26th, 2011 in complaints, firearms, news, police by sally

“An independent watchdog is looking into the fatal shooting of a man during a police stand-off at a park in Luton.”

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BBC News, 25th January 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk