Magistrates should be allowed to work past the age of 70 to solve staffing problems, MPs claim – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 19th, 2016 in elderly, judiciary, magistrates, news, reports, retirement, select committees by sally

‘Magistrates should not be forced to retire at 70 if keeping them on would solve the recruitment crisis, a committee of MPs have said.’

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Daily Telegraph, 19th October 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Magistrates’ courts need ‘younger, more diverse recruits’ – BBC News

Posted October 19th, 2016 in elderly, judiciary, magistrates, news, young persons by sally

‘Too many magistrates in England and Wales are “old and white”, one of the youngest justices in the country says.’

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BBC News, 19th October 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Barristers say ‘over-reaction’ to Ched Evans case counterproductive – The Guardian

Posted October 19th, 2016 in barristers, news, rape, sexual offences, victims, women by sally

‘Leading criminal barristers are concerned that victims of sexual attacks may be “scared off” from coming forward by the “over-reaction” of some women’s rights campaigners following the Ched Evans rape verdict.’

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The Guardian, 18th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

EVENT: Refugee Law Initiative – ‘One Protocol yet to be drafted’? What treaty law can and cannot do to advance refugee protection

Posted October 18th, 2016 in Forthcoming events by sally

‘The International Refugee Law seminar series at the Refugee Law Initiative provides a public space for discussion, promotion and dissemination of research between academics, practitioners, students and others with an interest in the refugee and forced migration field. This 7th annual seminar series addresses the theme of: ‘Protection in the context of large-scale movements of refugees and migrants’.’

Date: 24th October 2016, 6.00-8.00pm

Location: Senate House, Room 349, London, WC1E

Charge: Free, registration required

More information can be found here.

EVENT: IALS – Artificial Intelligence: Oh, really? And why judges and lawyers are central…

Posted October 18th, 2016 in artificial intelligence, Forthcoming events by sally

‘Humans have made life very complicated. Software code now controls our lives, in power stations, refineries, medical devices, and banking to mention just a few areas. Motor vehicles are largely controlled by software, and aircraft totally controlled by software. People have been injured and killed because of the failure of software. The concept of artificial intelligence was first considered as the topic of a proposal dated 31 August 1955 for a “2 month, 10 man study of artificial intelligence be carried out during the summer of 1956 at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire”. Governments have provided highly significant amounts of taxpayers money to fund people to conduct research in this area, and the spin-off technology is now used everyday. This seminar will consider the meaning of intelligence; some definitions of artificial intelligence and how to test for artificial intelligence, outlining the criticisms, and will then consider how judges and lawyers should be responding to the new world in which we live.’

Date: October 2016, 12.00pm-2.00pm

Location: Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, 17 Russell Square, Charles Clore House, London WC1B 5DR

Charge: Free, registration required

More information can be found here.

EVENT: IALS – Doing Women’s Legal History

Posted October 18th, 2016 in Forthcoming events by sally

‘As we approach the centenary in 2019 of women’s admission to the legal profession in the UK and Ireland, lawyers and legal scholars have initiated several projects to mark this achievement which aim to uncover and recover the history of women’s experiences of law. These include the Women’s Legal Landmarks project, the First 100 Years project and the First Women Lawyers in Great Britain and the Empire Symposium series. This is a golden age for legal scholars undertaking historical work on women and law and for historians working on legal issues.’

Date: 26th October 2016, 10.00am-5.00pm

Location: Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, 17 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DR

Charge: Standard Rate: £75.00; Student Rate: £35.00

More information can be found here.

New birth injuries compensation scheme announced – BBC News

Posted October 18th, 2016 in birth, compensation, consultations, news, personal injuries by sally

‘Parents in England whose children are injured at birth may benefit from a new government compensation scheme.’

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BBC News, 17th October 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Crackdown on rogue landlords to include new minimum bedroom size – The Guardian

Posted October 18th, 2016 in housing, landlord & tenant, licensing, news by sally

‘A new minimum bedroom size and the extension of licensing to thousands more properties are to form part of a government crackdown on rogue landlords who cram tenants into overcrowded homes.’

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The Guardian, 18th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judges prepare profession for ODR across less complex cases and court administration in the cloud – Legal Futures

Posted October 18th, 2016 in courts, dispute resolution, internet, judiciary, legal profession, news, speeches, tribunals by sally

‘Online dispute resolution “will become the norm for much of the less complex work in civil, family and tribunals jurisdictions”, the Senior President of Tribunals said over the weekend.’

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Legal Futures, 17th October 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Compensation awarded for misuse of data processing powers – Panopticon

Posted October 18th, 2016 in compensation, data protection, news, police, psychiatric damage by sally

‘In my post on the TLT case last week, I mentioned a second recent judgment awarding compensation for a DPA breach. This is the judgment of the Central London County Court (HHJ Luba QC) in Andrea Brown v Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis and Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police.’

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Panopticon, 17th October 2016

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

UK security agencies unlawfully collected data for 17 years, court rules – The Guardian

‘British security agencies have secretly and unlawfully collected massive volumes of confidential personal data, including financial information, on citizens for more than a decade, senior judges have ruled.’

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The Guardian, 17th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

High Court judge dismisses planning claim as out of time – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 18th, 2016 in appeals, local government, news, planning, time limits by sally

‘Litigants whose claims are subject to strict time limits “must make arrangements to ensure that they attend the court office in good time so that they are not thwarted by unexpected problems”, a Deputy High Court judge has said in a planning case.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th October 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

The Ipswich murders, 10 years on: ‘We owed it to the women that nothing like it would happen again’ – The Guardian

Posted October 18th, 2016 in murder, news, prostitution, recidivists, women by sally

‘A decade since London Road was made notorious by the death of five sex workers, its residents have transformed the community and seen their story on stage and screen. But now, they fear government cuts will undo all the work.’

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The Guardian, 17th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Briggs urges barristers to embrace direct access – Legal Futures

Posted October 18th, 2016 in barristers, courts, dispute resolution, internet, news by sally

‘The Bar has nothing to fear from an online court, but it must take direct access “seriously”, Lord Justice Briggs has said.’

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Legal Futures, 18th October 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Hundreds of UK lawyers register in Ireland in Brexit insurance move – The Guardian

Posted October 18th, 2016 in brexit, courts, EC law, Ireland, legal profession, news, rights of audience, solicitors by sally

‘More than 700 British solicitors have applied to register with the Law Society of Ireland this year as lawyers scramble to secure professional rights of audience in European courts.’

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The Guardian, 17th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Budgeting “does not fetter” costs judge on detailed assessment – Litigation Futures

Posted October 18th, 2016 in budgets, civil procedure rules, costs, judges, news by sally

‘The budgeting regime does not fetter the powers and discretion of the judge at detailed assessment even if the receiving party comes in within the budgeted figures, a regional costs judge has ruled.’

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Litigation Futures, 14th October 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Should Waney Squier have been struck off over shaken baby syndrome? – BBC News

Posted October 18th, 2016 in appeals, disciplinary procedures, doctors, expert witnesses, news by sally

‘A doctor who disputed the existence of shaken baby syndrome has said she was struck off because her views challenged the establishment. Now she is appealing against the decision, as John Sweeney explains.’

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BBC News, 17th October 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Why the Higher Education and Research Bill must be amended – The Guardian

Posted October 18th, 2016 in bills, education, news, universities by sally

‘The Higher Education and Research Bill has to be amended before it undermines the autonomy and vitality of our universities and the UK research base.’

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The Guardian, 18th October 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Review of 10 killings uncovers failings at NHS mental health trust that ‘severely underestimated’ risk posed by patients – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 18th, 2016 in hospitals, mental health, news, reports by sally

‘A review of 10 killings – including that of a pensioner who was stabbed after a collision between two cars – has uncovered failings at a mental health trust.’

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Daily Telegraph, 18th October 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Cold case officer claims DNA law helps rapists avoid jail – BBC News

Posted October 18th, 2016 in DNA, news, police, rape by sally

‘Murderers and rapists are avoiding detection because police have to dispose of DNA samples, the head of a cold case unit has claimed.’

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BBC News, 18th October 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk