Bills delayed ‘to make room for Lords reform’ – BBC News
“The government is putting promised legislation on hold to make room for House of Lords reform, MPs say.”
BBC News, 2nd May 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: bills
Legal aid is (almost) dead – The Guardian
“After a long fight and a knife-edge vote in the Lords last week, the Queen gave her assent today to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill (Laspo). A significant number of people will no longer have access to professional help with legal problems.”
The Guardian, 1st May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Legal aid for domestic violence victims should not be decided on luck – The Guardian
“It is surprising how many Liberal Democrat peers cravenly toed the government line when voting on the legal aid bill.”
The Guardian, 27th April 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Will the legal aid bill be the end of the ambulance-chasing lawyer? – The Guardian
“For all the scaremongering about a compensation culture, ignorance of rights causes more harm than the bringing of unmeritorious legal claims.”
The Guardian, 25th April 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Lords block legal aid bill again – The Guardian
“The government has suffered a fresh round of defeats in the House of Lords over austerity plans to cut legal aid, setting up a constitutional confrontation between the two houses of parliament.”
The Guardian, 23rd April 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Ken Clarke climbs down on legal aid for domestic violence – The Guardian
“Victims of domestic violence will be given greater access to legal aid to fund civil cases against abusive partners, Kenneth Clarke announced on Tuesday as the government made a U-turn on some of its controversial reforms. The justice secretary described the amendments to the legal aid, sentencing and punishment of offenders bill as ‘fairly formidable’.”
The Guardian, 17th April 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Bar Council Calls on Government to Accept Vital Legal Aid Amendments – The Bar Council
“As the House of Commons prepares today to consider amendments passed in the House of Lords to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Bill, the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has called on the Government to accept these vital changes.”
The Bar Council, 17th April 2012
Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk
‘Thousands of children’ to lose legal aid in shake-up – BBC News
“Thousands of children will lose access to legal aid under government plans to shake up the system, campaigners say.”
BBC News, 17th April 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Legal aid bill puts thousands at risk, says Citizens Advice – The Guardian
“Removal of specialist support leaves those wrongly assessed vulnerable to poverty and homelessness, campaigners warn.”
The Guardian, 16th April 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
The dangers of data snooping – UK Human Rights Blog
“Civil liberties and the coalition have been happily filling the political pages this week. The damning conclusion of the Joint Committee on Human Rights that there is no evidence to justify expanding closed proceedings (expertly dissected by Rosalind English earlier in the week) vied for column inches with leaks that the Government planned to introduce ‘real time’ monitoring of how we use the internet in the interests of national security.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 6th April 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
Old but not forgotten: spring cleaning the statute book – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
“Pub quizzes often include a round or two on old laws supposedly still in force – the likes of being able to drive livestock over London Bridge, or to have cakes and ale during exams, or whether the death penalty is still in force for arson in the Royal Docks. A number of future answers are about to be altered at the behest of the Law Commission, which has compiled a long list of statutory deadwood to be felled this summer by an axe in the form of the Statute Law (Repeals) Bill.”
Full story
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 4th April 2012
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Automatic porn censorship legislation proposed – OUT-LAW.com
“Internet service providers (ISPs) would be required to prevent customers accessing pornographic images unless those customers actively notify the ISPs that they want to access the material if draft new UK legislation being proposed receives backing.”
OUT-LAW.com, 4th April 2012
Source: www.out-law.com
19th Statute Law Repeals Report – Law Commission
19th Statute Law Repeals Report (PDF)
Law Commission, 4th April 2012
Bonfire of ‘dead wood statutes’ to claim 800 obsolete laws – Daily Telegraph
“A law passed in 1696 to raise funds for the rebuilding of St Paul’s Cathedral after the Great Fire of London is one of 800 obsolete Acts due to be wiped from the statute book this summer.”
Daily Telegraph, 2nd April 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
NHS reforms finally become law – The Independent
“The Government’s controversial reforms to the NHS became law today [27 March] after a tortuous 14-month passage through Parliament, when the Queen granted Royal Assent to the Health and Social Care Bill.”
The Independent, 27th March 2012
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Fresh series of defeats for proposals to cut access to legal aid for children – The Guardian
“The government has suffered a fresh series of defeats in the House of Lords over proposals to cut access to legal aid for children and in medical negligence cases.”
The Guardian, 27th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
The legal aid bill will enable multinationals to exploit the poor – The Guardian
“Victims of human rights abuses and environmental crimes in developing countries must have access to justice.”
The Guardian, 26th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Deferred prosecution agreement legislation to be introduced, Solicitor General says – OUT-LAW.com
“The Government will introduce new laws that enable businesses and prosecutors to negotiate the punishments those firms should face for unlawful activity before the end of this Parliament, a top legal advisor has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 22nd March 2012
Source: www.out-law.com
Justice reforms move to next stage – Ministry of Justice
“Plans for radical reforms to the justice system have moved another step forward in the Houses of Parliament.”
Ministry of Justice, 21st March 2012
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
No referral exemption for charities, Lords rule – Law Society’s Gazette
“The House of Lords has blocked attempts to exempt charities and trade unions from the referral fee ban. The house was debating proposed amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders bill.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 21st March 2012
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
