Twisting arms: court referred and court linked mediation under judicial pressure – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in dispute resolution, reports by traceydennis

“This report evaluates a) a quasi-compulsory mediation programme and b) a voluntary mediation scheme.  The results describe the uptake of mediation, user experiences, and the potential of mediation to offer savings to the justice system.”

Full report

Ministry of Justice, 21st May 2007

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Towards a More Representative and Inclusive Bar Council – Report of the Kennedy Working Group – Bar Council

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in barristers, press releases by traceydennis

“Reforms to make the Bar Council more representative and inclusive of the 14,800 barristers it serves were published today by an independent working group chaired by Sir Paul Kennedy.”

Full story

Bar Council, 23rd May 2007

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Evidence of the Lord Chief Justice before the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in judiciary by traceydennis

“The judiciary is an independent arm of the state and is fundamental to the rule of law. It is not a privilege for the judiciary but is an essential requirement for every citizen to ensure the fair and impartial resolution of disputes. The administrative system that supports the judiciary underpins that independence. Judicial independence cannot exist on its own – judges must have the loyal staff, buildings and equipment to support the exercise of the independent judicial function”

Evidence of the Lord Chief Justice

Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, 22nd May 2007

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

 

Judge criticises “namby pamby” Asbos – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in ASBOs, news by traceydennis

“A judge has attacked the “namby pamby state” which imposes unenforceable Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) on offenders.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 23rd May 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Majority in poll back laws to protect gays – Reuters News

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in homosexuality, news, sexual orientation discrimination by traceydennis

“The vast majority of Britons support new legislation to protect gays from discrimination and would not mind if a member of their family was homosexual, a survey showed on Wednesday.”

Full story

Reuters News, 23rd May 2007

Source: http://uk.reuters.com

Speeding drivers with loophole lawyers to face police challenge – The Times

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in news, road traffic offences, speed cameras by traceydennis

“Drivers who challenge speed camera fines will face a new team of expert witnesses dedicated to the task of rebutting spurious arguments put forward by so-called loophole lawyers”

Full story

The Times, 23rd May 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

An over-complex privacy law may trigger new legislation – The Independent

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in human rights, news, privacy by traceydennis

“The Human Rights Act created a right to privacy but case law has made it difficult to define what it is.”

Full story

The Independent, 23rd May 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Chancellor will block moves to water down FOI – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in freedom of information, news by traceydennis

“Gordon Brown is poised to kill off moves by the Lord Chancellor to water down the Freedom of Information Act, it became clear last night.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 23rd May 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Woman “harassed” by bank wins settlement – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in harassment, news by traceydennis

“A mother who sued a bank for allegedly harassing her over charges incurred in connection with her overdraft has settled the case out of court.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 23rd May 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Refusal to extradite would be within federation’s legal rights – The Times

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in extradition, news, Russia by traceydennis

“The Russian Federation is within its legal rights to refuse the extradition of Andrei Lugovoy even though it has signed up to extradition arrangements under the Council of Europe.”

Full story

The Times, 23rd May 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Judges fail to back new ministry – BBC News

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in judges, Ministry of Justice, news by traceydennis

“Senior judges have refused to back government plans to set up the new Ministry of Justice,  it has emerged.”

Full story

BBC news, 23rd May 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Crimes backlog four times worse – BBC News

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in criminal justice, criminal records, news by traceydennis

“The number of serious offences committed by Britons abroad which the Home Office failed to record was four times higher than first thought”

Full story

BBC news,  23rd May 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ministers lose manslaughter vote – BBC News

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in corporate manslaughter, news, prisons by traceydennis

“The government has been defeated in the Lords over plans to exclude prisons from its Corporate Manslaughter Bill.”

Full story

BBC news, 23rd May 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Soham criminal records deadline missed again – Reuters

Posted May 22nd, 2007 in criminal records, news by sally

“Potential killers may be slipping through the judicial net because the government has again missed a deadline, set in the wake of the Soham schoolgirl murders, for speeding up the recording of criminal convictions.”

Full story

Reuters, 22nd May 2007

Source: www.reuters.com

Hips delayed until August – The Guardian

Posted May 22nd, 2007 in home information packs, news by sally

“The government said today it would delay the introduction of controversial home information packs until August, following a last-minute legal challenge by critics of the legislation.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd May 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Revenue and Customs Commissioners v. William Grant & Sons Distillers Ltd.; Small (Inspector of Taxes) v. Mars UK Ltd. – WLR Daily

Posted May 22nd, 2007 in corporation tax, law reports by sally

Revenue and Customs Commissioners v. William Grant & Sons Distillers Ltd.; Small (Inspector of Taxes) v. Mars UK Ltd. [2007] UKHL 15

“Where the taxpayer companies carried forward in their tax computations the element of depreciation in fixed assets that related to production of unsold stock as part of the cost of unsold stocks they did not infringe the prohibition of deductions for the depreciation of capital assets in s 74(1)(f) of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 (as renumbered by s 144(2) of the Finance Act 1994).”

WLR Daily, 28th March 2007

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.

Lay and others v. Drexler and others – WLR Daily

Posted May 22nd, 2007 in landlord & tenant, law reports by sally

Lay and others v. Drexler and others [2007] EWCA Civ 464

“Where a tenant had filed an acknowledgment of service indicating an intention to take a new lease in response to his landlord’s application to the court to grant a new lease under the amended provisions of s 24(1) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, subsequent notice to the court that the tenant no longer wanted a new tenancy was similar to filing of a notice to discontinue a claim for a new lease justifying an order that the tenant should pay the costs of the entire proceedings to the landlord.”

WLR Daily, 18th May 2007

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

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

AWB Geneva SA and another v. North America Steamships Ltd. – WLR Daily

Posted May 22nd, 2007 in conflict of laws, insolvency, jurisdiction, law reports by sally

AWB Geneva SA and another v. North America Steamships Ltd. [2007] EWHC 1167 (Comm) 

“A party to a contract that was subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English High Court could not restrain the other party’s foreign trustee in bankruptcy from seeking an order in foreign insolvency proceedings that certain conditions precedent to liability under the contract should cease to apply.”

WLR Daily, 17th May 2007

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.

‘Unfair’ bank charges left me penniless, barrister tells court – The Independent

Posted May 22nd, 2007 in banking, news by sally

“A bank customer was so denuded of money by ‘disproportionate and unfair’ charges that he was left penniless on his 30th birthday, a court heard yesterday.”

Full story

The Independent, 22nd May 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

High Court delays casino decision – Reuters

Posted May 22nd, 2007 in gambling, news by sally

“The high court delayed a decision on Monday which could cast further doubt over government plans to build a new wave of Las Vegas-style casinos.”

Full story

Reuters, 22nd May 2007

Source: www.reuters.com