Day: 24 September 2007

Consultation on fast track processing of Patents & Trade Marks – UK Intellectual Property Office

Posted September 24th, 2007 in consultations, patents, trade marks by sally

“The Gowers Report on Intellectual Property recommended that the UK Intellectual Property Office provide new accelerated services for processing patent and trade mark applications. We have considered these recommendations and are now consulting on proposed new fast track services for patents and trade marks, both of which will be available to all applicants upon payment of a fee.”

Consultation Document (pdf and Word)

UK Intellectual Property Office, 21st September 2007

Source: www.ipo.gov.uk

New laws give shareholders more power to sue directors for negligence – The Times

Posted September 24th, 2007 in company directors, negligence, news by sally

“Disgruntled shareholders in Northern Rock and other troubled British companies looking to pin blame on senior management will receive a boost next month with the introduction of new laws making it easier to sue individual company directors. ”

Full story

The Times, 24th September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

BPP handed degree-giving breakthrough

Posted September 24th, 2007 in legal education, news by sally

“BPP Law School has been granted degree-awarding status in a move that makes the group the UK’s first private-sector company able to award the qualification.”

Full story

Legal Week, 24th September 2007

Source: www.legalweek.com

BSB ups compensation levels – The Lawyer

Posted September 24th, 2007 in barristers, compensation, news by sally

“The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has increased the amount of compensation consumers can get when barristers provide inadequate services, from £5,000 to £15,000.”

Full story 

The Lawyer, 24th September 2007

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Drive to ensure safer roads – Ministry of Justice

Posted September 24th, 2007 in press releases, road traffic offences by sally

“Bad driving is an area of particular concern to the public and today’s provisions in the Road Safety Act 2006 tighten up legislation and ensure offenders do not escape justice.”

Press release

Ministry of Justice, 24th September 2007

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Multimillion pound “shambolic” penal agency to be axed – The Observer

Posted September 24th, 2007 in news, prisons, probation, rehabilitation by sally

“The government was accused last night of presiding over a ‘shambolic penal policy’ after it emerged it is to dismantle its multibillion pound flagship programme to protect the public and cut crime.”

Full story

The Observer, 23rd September 2007

Source: http://observer.guardian.co.uk 

NHS is facing £4.5bn compensation bill over babies damaged at birth by hospital “blunders” – The Observer

Posted September 24th, 2007 in birth, compensation, doctors, midwives, negligence, news by sally

“The NHS is facing £4.5bn in compensation claims over alleged blunders by midwives and doctors that have left babies suffering severe brain damage, The Observer can reveal.”

Full story

The Observer, 23rd September 2007

Source: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/ 

BSB voices doubts over government’s plans for quality assurance in criminal defence work – Bar Standards Board

Posted September 24th, 2007 in barristers, press releases by sally

“The Bar Standards Board, which regulates 14,000 barristers in England and Wales, has expressed its reservations about plans to introduce a quality assurance scheme for criminal defence work.”

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 20th September 2007

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Inheritance tax “snaring 135 homes a day” – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 24th, 2007 in inheritance tax, news by sally

“More than 135 homes a day will be trapped in the inheritance tax net over the next year, according to research by Britain’s biggest mortgage lender.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 24th September 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

eBay “sells software that spies on your PC” – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 24th, 2007 in computer crime, news, privacy by sally

“Hacking kits, enabling criminals to break into personal email and bank accounts, are being sold on eBay, online security experts have warned. Anyone wanting to obtain private information from a computer can buy the spying software for as little as £10.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 24th September 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Sex offender doctors “free to treat patients” – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 24th, 2007 in doctors, news, sexual offences by sally

“Eleven doctors are still free to work in the NHS despite being convicted of sex and child pornography offences, The Daily Telegraph can reveal today.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 24th September 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Change to powers of attorney keep solicitors busy – The Guardian

Posted September 24th, 2007 in news, powers of attorney, solicitors by sally

“Solicitors will be working flat out this week to draw up powers of attorney for sick or elderly people before a more complex replacement costing up to 10 times as much comes into force next Monday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th September 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Tough new penalties come into force for driving offences – The Guardian

Posted September 24th, 2007 in news, road traffic offences by sally

“Drivers who fail to identify who was behind the wheel when a speeding offence is committed face a heavier penalty under law changes that come into force today. The clampdown on driving offences includes higher maximum fines for careless driving and refusing to stop when flagged down by police.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th September 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Royal Mail set to close its final-salary pensions to all employees – The Times

Posted September 24th, 2007 in news, pensions, postal service by sally

“Royal Mail plans to close its final-salary pension scheme to all employees in a move that could plunge the business further into industrial turmoil.”

Full story

The Times, 24th September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Brown lifts ban that prevented ministers from taking seat on company boards – The Times

Posted September 24th, 2007 in company directors, ministers' powers and duties, news by sally

“Gordon Brown was under pressure last night to explain why he has lifted a ban on ministers holding directorships as it emerged that his trade minister was listed on the board of a cleaning company, The Times can disclose.”

Full story

The Times, 22nd September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Failure to save dying boy prompts call to scrap “community” police – The Times

Posted September 24th, 2007 in community support officers, news by sally

“As police chiefs publicly defended the actions of two community support officers who stood by while a ten-year-old boy drowned, calls grew from inside the force for the posts to be scrapped.”

Full story

The Times, 22nd September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk