House of Lords will be able to vote on key NHS clause – The Guardian

Posted November 2nd, 2011 in bills, health, ministers' powers and duties, news, private equity, social services by michael

“Peers will be able to vote on the government’s controversial plan to hand over its ‘constitutional responsibility’ to provide NHS services to an unelected quango on Wednesday.”

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The Guardian, 2nd November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Squatting in residential buildings to become a criminal offence – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 1st, 2011 in bills, consultations, crime, news, squatting, trespass by sally

“Squatting in residential buildings is to become a criminal offence for the first time, the Government has announced.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 1st November 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill – BBC News

Posted November 1st, 2011 in bills, legal aid, news, sentencing by sally

“Watch live coverage of debate on the remaining stages of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill for the second day on 1 November 2011 from 2.30pm.”

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BBC News, 31st October 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Reveal Prince Charles’s input on planning law, government urged – The Guardian

“The government is facing growing pressure to reveal how the Prince of Wales has used his power of consent over draft legislation after it emerged ministers asked him to approve planning and construction laws because they might directly affect the private £700m property empire that provides his annual income.”

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The Guardian, 31st October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prince Charles consent law to remain – Downing Street – BBC News

Posted October 31st, 2011 in bills, news, royal family, veto by sally

“David Cameron has no plans to change laws which require the government to seek Prince Charles’s permission to pass legislation which could affect his private interests, Downing Street says.”

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BBC News, 31st October 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bill to allow homeowners to defend themselves and their property – The Independent

Posted October 27th, 2011 in bills, news, self-defence by sally

“People who feel threatened in their own homes will no longer have to flee and can stay to defend both themselves and their property under Government plans.”

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The Independent, 27th October 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Clarke: radical reforms will ensure people are protected – Ministry of Justice

Posted October 27th, 2011 in bills, fees, fines, news, self-defence, squatting by sally

“Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke announced tough measures to better protect people from intruders, dangerous criminals and excessive no-win no-fee legal costs.”

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Ministry of Justice, 26th October 2011

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Allegedly defamatory comments from named authors should stay online, say MPs – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 21st, 2011 in anonymity, bills, complaints, defamation, internet, judges, news by sally

“Web hosts and ISPs should be allowed to keep allegedly defamatory comments online as long as the author of the comment is identified and a notice of complaint is published alongside the comment, a Parliamentary committee has recommended.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 20th October 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Legal aid: the right to a fair trial – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted October 21st, 2011 in bills, human rights, legal aid, news, trials by sally

“Under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Art 6 ‘Right to a fair trial’, ‘equality of arms’ is implicitly granted in respect of both criminal charges and civil rights and obligations. By ensuring the entitlement of a ‘fair and public hearing’, it is presumed that legal aid funding will be afforded to those individuals who would suffer injustice otherwise.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 19th October 2011

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Libel reform: final report of the joint committee on the draft defamation bill – The Guardian

Posted October 19th, 2011 in bills, defamation, news, trial without jury by sally

“Read MPs and peers’ verdict on the government’s plans to reform libel law.”

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The Guardian, 19th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Libel reform: juries should be dropped for most trials, says committee – The Guardian

Posted October 19th, 2011 in bills, defamation, news, trial without jury by sally

“Libel trials by jury should be abolished for all but exceptional cases involving public figures, a parliamentary committee has recommended.”

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The Guardian, 19th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Three articles on the Localism Bill – 11 KBW

Posted October 19th, 2011 in bills, local government, news by sally

Localism Bill: Senior Pay and Referenda (PDF)

The Localism Bill and the General Power of Competence (PDF)

Localism Bill: Commercial Purpose, Governance and Conduct (PDF)

11 KBW, 12th October 2011

Source: www.11kbw.com

Society calls for delay to legal aid bill – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 18th, 2011 in bills, legal aid, ministers' powers and duties, news by sally

“The Law Society today called on the government to delay passage of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, after Jonathan Djanogly was stripped of responsibility for regulating claims management companies.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 18th October 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Jonathan Djanogly faces inquiries into legal aid profits – The Guardian

Posted October 12th, 2011 in bills, conflict of interest, government departments, inquiries, legal aid, news by sally

“Jonathan Djanogly, the justice minister, has admitted for the first time to MPs that inquiries had been launched by his own department and the Cabinet Office following an investigation by the Guardian that revealed he could personally profit from changes he was piloting in the Commons.”

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The Guardian, 11th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Freedoms Bill may infringe on individuals’ privacy rights, Parliamentary committee says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 12th, 2011 in bills, data protection, DNA, human rights, news, police, privacy by sally

“Parts of a proposed civil rights law threaten the UK’s compliance with human rights obligations and infringe on individuals’ rights, Parliament’s Human Rights Joint Committee has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 11th October 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Police to track criminals whose DNA is not on database – BBC News

Posted October 12th, 2011 in bills, disclosure, DNA, homicide, news, police, sexual offences by sally

“Police could take DNA samples from up to 13,000 people convicted of serious offences like murder, manslaughter and rape, whose profiles are not on record.”

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BBC News, 11th October 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Jonathan Djanogly forced to act over conflict of interest claims – The Guardian

Posted October 10th, 2011 in bills, conflict of interest, government departments, legal aid, news by sally

“The justice minister Jonathan Djanogly has been forced to publicly declare in the parliamentary register that his controversial stakes in the insurance industry have been placed in a ‘blind trust’, after a Guardian investigation revealed that he could personally profit from legislation he is piloting in the Commons.”

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The Guardian, 9th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid bill ‘contravenes UN convention’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 22nd, 2011 in bills, domestic violence, legal aid, news, sex discrimination by sally

“The government’s plans to remove legal aid in private law family cases will place the UK in breach of its obligations under a United Nations convention to prevent discrimination against women, the Gazette has been told.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 22nd September 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Government proposes single catch-all consumer protection law – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 21st, 2011 in bills, consumer protection, news by michael

“The Government has proposed centralising all existing UK consumer protection laws and regulations under a new Consumer Bill of Rights.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 21st September 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Bid to exempt Trafigura-type claims from reform fails – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 15th, 2011 in bills, civil justice, fees, human rights, legal aid, news by sally

“Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs have rejected an amendment to legislation that would exempt claims brought by foreigners against UK multinationals from civil litigation reforms. The Public Bill Committee debated the amendment to the Legal Aid, Punishment of Offenders and Sentencing Bill, tabled by Labour MP Kate Green, yesterday.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 14th September 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk