Prominent legal figures give their predictions for 2011 – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 6th, 2011 in legal profession, news by sally

“No one from whom the Gazette sought a prediction sees the year ahead as dull – 2011, according to lawyers, people who provide services to the legal profession, a government minister, and the profession’s leaders, will be a year in which the economic context will remain extremely challenging. Firms’ finances will come under close scrutiny, serious new competitors will emerge, and lawyers will be moving firms in ever greater numbers. And there is, of course, huge concern about the future provision of legal aid.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 6th January 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

28,000 prisoners will have right to vote – The Guardian

Posted January 6th, 2011 in elections, human rights, news, prisons by sally

“More than 28,000 prisoners are to win the right to vote, new figures showed yesterday, as David Cameron faces a growing revolt from the Tory right against the lifting of the 140-year-old ban on inmates voting in British elections.”

Full story

The Guardian, 5th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ratcliffe coal protesters spared jail sentences – The Guardian

Posted January 6th, 2011 in demonstrations, environmental protection, news, sentencing, trespass by sally

“Environmental activists who planned to shut down a coal-fired power station near Nottingham were spared jail today after a judge declared they acted with ‘the highest possible motives’.”

Full story

The Guardian, 5th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ex-KGB agent sues MI5 over ‘privacy breach’ – The Independent

Posted January 6th, 2011 in harassment, intelligence services, interception, news, privacy by sally

“A former senior KGB agent is suing MI5 over invasion of his privacy, alleging his family members were victims of a campaign of harassment and unlawful surveillance.”

Full story

The Independent, 6th January 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Chancery Lane warns against publication of complaints – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 6th, 2011 in complaints, law firms, minorities, news, solicitors by sally

“Reporting the names of lawyers and law firms who have been the subject of complaints by the public will disproportionately affect sole practitioners and black and minority ethnic (BME) lawyers, according to the Law Society.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 5th January 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Human embryos ‘at risk of losing legal protection’ in research – The Guardian

Posted January 6th, 2011 in embryology, news by sally

“The human embryo may be in danger of losing the special status that guards it against use in anything other than important and necessary research, under proposals due out next week.”

Full story

The Guardian, 5th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Freedom of Information could cover hundreds more bodies – BBC News

Posted January 6th, 2011 in freedom of information, news by sally

“Hundreds more organisations could be made subject to Freedom of Information laws, Deputy PM Nick Clegg is to say.”

Full story

BBC News, 6th January 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prosecution of driver who warned others of speed trap defended by CPS – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 5th, 2011 in news, prosecutions, speed cameras by sally

“The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has defended its decision to prosecute a driver who flashed his lights at other motorists to warn them of a mobile police speed trap.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 5th January 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Family mediation – an alternative to courts – Ministry of Justice

Posted January 5th, 2011 in dispute resolution, divorce, news by sally

“The first working day of the year is when lawyers, marriage counsellors and family mediators report the most enquiries from people intending to separate — which has sometimes led to it being coined ‘Divorce Day’ by the media.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 4th January 2011

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Most child offenders should not face court, says report – BBC News

Posted January 5th, 2011 in children, criminal justice, Crown Court, news by sally

“The government is being urged to end Crown Court trials for children in England and Wales.”

Full story

BBC News, 5th January 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Huscroft v P & O Ferries Ltd – WLR Daily

Posted January 5th, 2011 in civil procedure rules, costs, law reports, payment into court by sally

Huscroft v P & O Ferries Ltd [2010] EWCA Civ 148; [2010] WLR (D) 348

“CPR r 3.1(3), which permitted a court to attach conditions to the making of an order, was intended to control the future conduct of proceedings and not to punish previous misconduct.”

WLR Daily, 4th 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.

Regina v C – WLR Daily

Posted January 5th, 2011 in bad character, criminal records, evidence, law reports by sally

Regina v C [2010] EWCA Crim 2971; [2011] WLR (D) 347

“Where a defendant wished to challenge evidence of earlier convictions which the Crown sought to deploy as relevant to the question of whether the defendant was responsible for the commission of the offences for which he was on trial, the defendant’s bare assertion that he did not commit those earlier offences was inadequate; it was essential that the defendant provide a detailed defence statement identifying all the ingredients of the case which he proposed to advance for the purpose of discharging the evidential burden of proving that he did not commit the earlier offences.”

WLR Daily, 23rd December 2010

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.

Women win £200,000 payout over pill implant pregnancies – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 5th, 2011 in compensation, contraception, medical treatment, news, pregnancy by sally

“Nearly £200,000 in compensation has been paid to women who have become pregnant or been hurt after they were fitted with a popular contraceptive implant.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 5th January 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Parliament’s expenses watchdog launches review – BBC News

Posted January 5th, 2011 in consultations, expenses, news, parliament by sally

“Parliament’s expenses watchdog is launching a public consultation after criticism over the way it is run.”

Full story

BBC News, 5th January 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

For richer, but not necessarily for poorer – pre-nups to become law – The Independent

Posted January 5th, 2011 in divorce, Law Commission, news, prenuptial agreements by sally

“Spectacular divorce battles like that which ensued after the break-up of Sir Paul McCartney and the model Heather Mills, costing the former Beatle £24.3m, are expected to be consigned to history after the Law Commission produces its long-awaited report on ‘pre nup’ agreements next week.”

Full story

The Independent, 5th January 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Max Mosley’s privacy campaign reaches Strasbourg – The Guardian

Posted January 4th, 2011 in freedom of expression, human rights, injunctions, media, news, privacy by sally

“Max Mosley, the former president of motorsport’s governing body the FIA and winner of a famous privacy victory over the News of the World, goes to the European court of human rights next week to seek a major restraint on press freedom.”

Full story

The Guardian, 4th January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted January 4th, 2011 in law reports by sally

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Abdulla & Ors v Birmingham City Council [2010] EWHC 3303 (QB) (17 December 2010)

High Court (Administrative Court)

Young v Oxford City Council [2010] EWHC 3337 (Admin) (17 December 2010)

Cordant Group Plc, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills & Anor [2010] EWHC 3442 (Admin) (30 December 2010)

Smout v The Welsh Ministers & Ors [2010] EWHC 3307 (Admin) (15 December 2010)

Government of South Africa v Dewani [2010] EWHC 3398 (Admin) (10 December 2010)

Guntrip, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for Justice & Anor [2010] EWHC 3188 (Admin) (09 December 2010)

High Court (Technology and Construction Court)

Redwing Construction Ltd v Wishart [2010] EWHC 3366 (TCC) (22 December 2010)

Walter Llewellyn & Sons Ltd & Anor v Excel Brickwork Ltd [2010] EWHC 3415 (TCC) (22 December 2010)

Source: www.bailii.org

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted January 4th, 2011 in legislation by sally

The Family Procedure Rules 2010

The Criminal Procedure (Amendment No. 2) Rules 2010

The Legislative and Regulatory Reform (Regulatory Functions) (Amendment) Order 2010

The Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) (Asbestos) Regulations 2010

The Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (Directions to OFCOM) Order 2010

The Education (Local Authority and School Performance Targets) (Revocation and Amendment) (England) Regulations 2010

The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (London City Airport) (Revocation) Regulations 2010

The Education (Reintegration Interview) (Wales) Regulations 2010

The Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010 (Commencement No. 3 and Savings Provision) Order 2010

The Education (Parenting Contracts and Parenting Orders) (Wales) Regulations 2010

The Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) and Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) (Amendment) Regulations 2010

The Higher Education (Basic Amount) (England) Regulations 2010

The Higher Education (Higher Amount) (England) Regulations 2010

The Academies Act 2010 (Commencement and Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Order 2010

The Designation of Schools Having a Religious Character (Independent Schools) (England) (No. 4) Order 2010

The Police Authority (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2010

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Man who threw snowball at police faces second court hearing – The Guardian

Posted January 4th, 2011 in assault, news, police, prosecutions by sally

“Dean Smith charged with common assault and case adjourned to give CPS time to decide whether to proceed with case.”

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Britain’s anti-terror control orders condemned as ‘trademark of despots’ – The Guardian

Posted January 4th, 2011 in control orders, human rights, news, terrorism by sally

“A powerful coalition of human rights groups has intensified pressure on the government to abandon its use of control orders, as ministers continue to wrangle over whether to scrap the controversial counter-terrorism measure.”

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd January 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk