Legal challenge against Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act reaches High Court – OUT-LAW.com

‘A legal challenge fronted by two UK MPs against communications surveillance laws passed last year has reached the High Court.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 4th June 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Education and Adoption Bill published – Education Law Blog

‘The Education and Adoption Bill was presented to Parliament on 3 June 2015. The proposed legislation would make the following changes to education law in England and Wales.No date has been announced yet for the second reading.’

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Education Law Blog, 4th June 2015

Source: www.education11kbw.com

Emergency surveillance law faces legal challenge by MPs – BBC News

‘The High Court is to hear a legal challenge to the government’s emergency surveillance law brought by two MPs.’

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BBC News, 4th June 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK Immigration: illegal working and EU reform – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted June 4th, 2015 in appeals, banking, bills, deportation, employment, immigration, landlord & tenant, news by sally

‘The Queen’s speech, which announces the Government’s agenda for the next five years, would not be the same without some proposals on immigration reform. We were not let down and the plan of attack will be a new Immigration Bill which will focus on illegal workers, overstayers and rogue employers.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 3rd June 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Bringing the statute book up to date – Law Commission

Posted June 3rd, 2015 in bills, news, repeals, statute law revision by sally

‘An Act from 1979 allowing referendums for a Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly is among legislation being recommended for repeal by the Law Commissions.’

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Law Commission, 3rd June 2015

Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk

Medieval laws face axe in legal pruning – The Guardian

Posted June 3rd, 2015 in bills, debts, news, repeals, statute law revision, treason by sally

‘Legislation dating back to the reign of King Henry II – preventing removal of debtors’ goods from beyond their native county – will shortly disappear from the UK’s lawbooks.’

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The Guardian, 3rd June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Education bill to close loopholes blocking academies expansion – The Guardian

‘The education secretary, Nicky Morgan, has vowed to “sweep away bureaucratic and legal loopholes” obstructing the takeover of as many as 1,000 struggling local authority schools in England and their rapid conversion into academies.’

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The Guardian, 3rd June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

It’s time to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted June 2nd, 2015 in bills, children, criminal responsibility, news, treaties by sally

‘Today, 2nd June, Lord Dholakia is presenting a Bill to Parliament with a view to raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility. Details of the proposal have not yet been released, but raising the age from 10 to 14 or 15 would be in line with recommendations from the United Nations. England and Wales (and Northern Ireland) currently have one of the lowest ages of criminal responsibility (ACR) in the world at just 10 years old. Scotland’s ACR used to be even lower at 8, until they increased the age to 12 in 2011.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 1st June 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Human Rights Act repeal would send wrong signal, says Tory peer – The Guardian

Posted June 2nd, 2015 in bills, human rights, legislation, news, repeals, treaties by sally

‘A Conservative former lord chancellor has opposed calls for Britain to withdraw from the European convention on human rights, arguing that it would send out the wrong signal.’

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The Guardian, 1st June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lord Falconer: government must clean up assisted dying legal mess – The Guardian

‘Shadow justice secretary pushing private member’s bill that he hopes could reform a law he sees as no longer enforceable.’

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The Guardian, 1st June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Michael Gove determined to scrap the Human Rights Act – even if Scotland retains it – Independent

Posted June 1st, 2015 in bills, constitutional law, devolution, human rights, news, Scotland by michael

Scotland could be allowed to retain the Human Rights Act even if Westminster sidelined the European Court in favour of an “English” Bill of Rights, according to new plans being considered by Michael Gove.

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Independent, 31st May 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Devolution at the heart of UK government’s first legislative programme, expert says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 29th, 2015 in bills, devolution, local government, news by sally

‘The UK’s new Conservative government will “set in motion the biggest transfer of power from Westminster and Whitehall in history”, an expert has said, after it committed to regional devolution in England and more powers for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 29th May 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Laughing gas sales to be outlawed in government’s legal highs clampdown – The Guardian

Posted May 29th, 2015 in bills, drug abuse, drug offences, news by sally

‘The sale of laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, the second most popular recreational drug in Britain, is to be banned in the government’s clampdown on legal highs, Home Office ministers have announced.’

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The Guardian, 29th May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ban on legal highs would technically cover alcohol, cigarettes and coffee – The Guardian

Posted May 28th, 2015 in alcohol abuse, bills, drug offences, news, smoking by sally

‘A new blanket ban on legal highs is to be so widely drawn that its provisions could be used to outlaw alcohol, tobacco, coffee and many other widely-used items, ministers have acknowledged.’

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The Guardian, 27th May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The government’s data law – an attack on encryption? – BBC News

‘Overdue modernisation of the way the authorities monitor criminals and terrorists – or a Snooper’s Charter eroding our basic liberties? The proposal outlined in the Queen’s Speech to “modernise the law on communications data” will divide opinion. But prepare for another long battle over the way that law is framed and the balance it strikes between privacy and public safety.’

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BBC News, 27th May 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Child sex abuse live streams loophole to be closed – BBC News

‘The UK’s government aims to tackle the spread of child sexual abuse imagery online by closing a legal loophole.’

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BBC News, 27th May 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Queen’s Speech: New online data terror powers proposed – BBC News

‘Planned new laws to give police and spies stronger powers to “target the online communications” of terrorist suspects are in the Queen’s Speech.’

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BBC News, 27th May 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The assisted dying debate – BBC News

Posted May 27th, 2015 in assisted suicide, bills, euthanasia, news, parliament, statistics by sally

‘Nearly 300 Britons have travelled to Zurich to die with the help of the Swiss suicide group Dignitas.’

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BBC News, 26th May 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Attempt to scrap Human Rights Act will not get past Lords, Falconer warns Gove – The Guardian

‘A new British bill of rights is expected to be included in the Queen’s speech, but shadow lord chancellor says upper house would be within its rights to reject it.’

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The Guardian, 22nd May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New law will force councils to merge services to improve adoption rates – The Guardian

Posted May 26th, 2015 in adoption, bills, local government, news, social services by sally

‘Councils will be forced to merge services in order to speed up adoption rates, according to plans to be set out in the Queen’s speech next week. Adoption is “happening at too small and localised a scale”, the Department for Education said, and mergers would slash waiting times by increasing the pool of potential adopters.’

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The Guardian, 23rd May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk