Children deserve better from family justice system – Ministry of Justice

Posted March 31st, 2011 in children, delay, family courts, press releases, reports by sally

“The family justice system needs significant reform to tackle delays and ensure that children and families get the service they deserve, says an independent panel set up to review how the system works.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 31st March 2011

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Adult Social Care – Final Report Page – Law Commission

Posted March 31st, 2011 in consultations, Law Commission, reports, social services by sally

“On 31 March 2011, we published the Consultation Analysis, which is an analysis of the responses received to our consultation paper.  It summarises the views of consultees in relation to the 57 provisional proposals and 25 consultation questions put forward.”

Full analysis

Law Commission, 31st March 2011

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk

Greater protection for children – Home Office

Posted March 31st, 2011 in criminal records, press releases, sexual offences by sally

“Sex offender disclosure scheme will operate in all forces in England and Wales by April.”

Full press release

Home Office, 28th March 2011

Source: www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Update from the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Bar Council – The Bar Council

Posted March 31st, 2011 in barristers, consultations, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, press releases by sally

“None of us, at the self-employed or employed Bar, has escaped the consequences of the coalition Government’s measures to reduce the national deficit. But the publicly funded Bar is bearing the brunt of cuts in public expenditure. This follows the cuts in legal aid announced by the last Government and the proposals for radical change in the publicly funded legal services market, the subject of recent consultation by the Ministry of Justice. We wanted to give you a short update on developments which affect so many practitioners and indeed the future of the Bar as a whole.”

Full press release

The Bar Council, 29th March 2011

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Literary agent jailed for cheating would-be authors out of thousands – The Guardian

Posted March 31st, 2011 in news, publishing, sentencing, theft by sally

“A literary agent who duped budding authors and investors into handing over more than £500,000 for non-existent film and book deals has been jailed for six years. Robin Price, a former cinema manager from north Devon, claimed he had contacts in Hollywood including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Johnny Depp.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Kenneth Clarke denies weakening new anti-bribery law – The Guardian

Posted March 31st, 2011 in bribery, corruption, legislation, news by sally

“Ministers have been accused of undermining the long delayed legislation intended to crack down on payments of bribes by business executives. Anti-corruption campaigners claim the government has surrendered to lobbying by business groups, creating loopholes that will allow dishonest companies to continue paying bribes to foreign politicians and officials.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Daniyal Shahzad to be deported to Pakistan after lies – BBC News

Posted March 31st, 2011 in deceit, deportation, immigration, news by sally

“A teenager will be deported to his home country of Pakistan after lying about his past in a bid for UK residency.”

Full story

BBC News, 30th March 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Network Rail pleads guilty over Potters Bar crash – BBC News

Posted March 31st, 2011 in accidents, health & safety, news, railways by sally

“Network Rail has admitted breaching safety regulations over the Potters Bar train crash which claimed seven lives.”

Full story

BBC News, 30th March 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

House of Lords report attacks ‘complacency’ of Big Four auditors in financial crisis, urges competition investigation – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 31st, 2011 in auditors, competition, financial regulation, news, reports by sally

“The House of Lords has recommended that Britain’s competition authorities investigate the world’s ‘Big Four’ auditing firms who failed to warn regulators about banks before the financial crash.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph 30th March 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Grandparents to get legal powers over access in divorce battles – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 31st, 2011 in arbitration, children, divorce, grandparents, news by sally

“Grandparents will get new legal powers to guarantee them access to their grandchildren following divorce battles under proposals unveiled today, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 31st March 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Expert witness immunity removed – The Independent

Posted March 30th, 2011 in expert witnesses, immunity, news, Supreme Court by sally

“Expert witnesses have lost their 400-year-old immunity from being sued in the civil courts.”

Full story

The Independent, 30th March 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

The cost of clamping down on ‘no win, no fee’ legal arrangements – The Guardian

Posted March 30th, 2011 in costs, fees, news, personal injuries by sally

“Ken Clarke’s announcement on Tuesday that the government is to reform the costs of civil litigation has been portrayed as a crackdown on lawyers’ fees. That always makes a pleasing headline but the reality is that the justice secretary wants the public to do it for him.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted March 30th, 2011 in legislation by sally

The Financial Assistance Scheme (Revaluation and Indexation Amendments) Regulations 2011

The Pension Protection Fund (Pension Compensation Cap) Order 2011

The Apprenticeships (Issue of Apprenticeship Certificates) (England) Regulations 2011

The Immigration (Designation of Travel Bans) (Amendment No.3) Order 2011

The Apprenticeships (Transitional Provision for Existing Vocational Specifications) (England) Order 2011

The Local Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2011

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011

The Council Tax (Discount Disregards) (Amendment) Order 2011

The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2011

The Aerodromes (Designation) (Detention and Sale of Aircraft) (England and Wales) (Amendment) Order 2011

The Penalties, Offshore Income etc. (Designation of Territories) Order 2011

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Regina (MK (Tunisia)) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily

Posted March 30th, 2011 in appeals, immigration, law reports by sally

Regina (MK (Tunisia)) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2011] EWCA Civ 333; [2011] WLR (D) 106

“A claimant whose leave to remain in the country was cancelled while he was out of the country did not thereby lose his in-country right of appeal, and he could therefore return to exercise that right of appeal against the cancellation.”

WLR Daily, 25th March 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

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

Regina (Save Britain’s Heritage) v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and another – WLR Daily

Posted March 30th, 2011 in appeals, EC law, judicial review, law reports, planning by sally

Regina (Save Britain’s Heritage) v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and another [2011] EWCA Civ 334; [2011] WLR (D) 107

“Demolition works were capable of constituting a project for the purposes of article 1(2) of Council Directive 85/337/EEC on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment.”

WLR Daily, 25th March 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

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

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted March 30th, 2011 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

(H) v R. [2011] EWCA Crim 730 (29 March 2011)

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Football Dataco Ltd & Ors v Sportradar GmbH & Anor [2011] EWCA Civ 330 (29 March 2011)

Schütz (UK) Ltd v Werit (UK) Ltd [2011] EWCA Civ 303 (29 March 2011)

Gemstar- Tvguide International Inc & Ors v Virgin Media Ltd & Anor [2011] EWCA Civ 302 (29 March 2011)

Faulkner, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for Justice the Parole Board [2011] EWCA Civ 349 (29 March 2011)

Brookes v HSBC Bank Plc [2011] EWCA Civ 354 (29 March 2011)

Lee v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2011] EWCA Civ 348 (29 March 2011)

High Court (Administrative Court)

Mehmet, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2011] EWHC 741 (Admin) (29 March 2011)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Moore v Williamson & Ors [2011] EWHC 672 (Ch) (29 March 2011)

High Court (Family Division)

DE v AB [2010] EWHC 3792 (Fam) (30 November 2010)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Bank Leumi (UK) Plc v Wachner [2011] EWHC 656 (Comm) (22 March 2011)

Source: www.bailii.org

MPs warn against legal aid reforms in divorce cases – The Guardian

Posted March 30th, 2011 in divorce, domestic violence, legal aid, news by sally

“Making eligibility for legal aid in divorce and custody cases dependent on accusations of domestic violence will create a ‘perverse incentive’ that encourages false allegations, according to a group of MPs.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Superinjunction scores legal first for nameless financier in libel action – The Guardian

Posted March 30th, 2011 in anonymity, defamation, freedom of expression, injunctions, internet, news by sally

“A wealthy financier involved in a family dispute has made British legal history by winning anonymity in a libel case. This latest court attempt to censor internet material has led to claims that free speech is being further eroded in Britain.”

Full story

The Guardian, 29th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Guidance notes on Bribery Act suggest common sense will rule – The Independent

Posted March 30th, 2011 in bribery, corruption, legislation, news by sally

“The Government’s guidance on the controversial Bribery Act is to offer an olive branch to business as its publication today kicks off the three-month countdown to the act becoming law.”

Full story

The Independent, 30th March 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Forensics cut will be ‘disastrous’ for victims of injustice – The Guardian

“Miscarriages of justice will not be corrected and public confidence in the criminal justice system will be damaged if proposed changes to the forensic science service go ahead, according to Richard Foster, chairman of the criminal cases review commission.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk