Campaigning and political activity by charities: guidance – Law & Religion UK

‘On 7 November, the Charity Commission issued updated guidance for England and Wales on Campaigning and political activity by charities. It follows the passing of the Elections Act 2022, which received Royal Assent on 28 April.’

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Law & Religion UK, 9th November 2022

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

New powers for forensic science regulator by end of March – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Forensic science witnesses in criminal justice cases can expect to be subject to the Forensic Science Regulator’s statutory regime by the end of March 2023, incumbent regulator Gary Pugh said today.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 4th November 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Junior lawyers won’t have to ‘turn in’ bullying workmates – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Junior lawyers will be exempt from a new professional obligation to report on anyone mistreating colleagues in the workplace, following a rethink by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. However, proposed changes to conduct rules that will give the regulator more scope to clamp down on bullying, harassment or discrimination have otherwise got the go-ahead.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 3rd November 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

GPs giving antidepressants to children against guidelines – The Guardian

Posted November 4th, 2022 in children, codes of practice, doctors, medicines, mental health, news by tracey

‘GPs are breaching medical guidelines by prescribing antidepressants for children as young as 11 who cannot get other help for their mental health problems, NHS-funded research reveals.’

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The Guardian, 4th November 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Belsner: Lawyers win in crucial costs recovery ruling – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 28th, 2022 in appeals, codes of practice, costs, damages, law firms, news, personal injuries, solicitors by tracey

‘Lawyers have won their appeal in a court ruling that will come as a massive relief across the personal injury market. Judges in the Court of Appeal ruled in Belsner v CAM Legal Services this morning that the firm’s personal injury client had made fair and reasonable deductions from her damages. The deductions were therefore lawful and did not need to be paid back.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 27th October 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

LSB to urge regulatory action in bid to strengthen professional ethics – Legal Futures

‘A greater focus on professional ethics among law students and qualified lawyers, with stronger supervision by regulators, is needed to uphold the rule of law, the Legal Services Board has said.’

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Legal Futures, 21st October 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

National blueprint for prosecuting rape takes a step closer with refreshed joint work pledge – Crown Prosecution Service

‘A blueprint for prosecuting rape and serious sexual offences has taken a significant step forward today – as new data reveals charge rates for rape have increased to 72.8%.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 20th October 2022

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

BSB publishes Report on Addressing Bullying and Harassment at the Bar and a Wellbeing Statement – Bar Standards Board

Posted October 7th, 2022 in barristers, bullying, codes of practice, equality, harassment, news, pupillage by tracey

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is today publishing two important documents which address culture at the Bar. The first is a Report on Addressing Bullying and Harassment at the Bar. Through its Addressing Bullying and Harassment at the Bar project, launched in 2019, and the 2020 report on Bullying, Discrimination and Harassment at the Bar, the BSB has sought to reduce the risks of bullying and harassment at the Bar, to ensure that effective systems are in place in chambers to handle reports of bullying and harassment, and to encourage the profession to tackle this issue effectively.’

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Bar Standards Board, 6th October 2022

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

The Victims Bill Is Flawed In Protecting Children And Survivors – Each Other

Posted October 6th, 2022 in bills, children, codes of practice, crime, news, select committees, victims by sally

‘The Justice Committee has pointed out flaws of the Victims Bill in a pre-legislative report that raises significant concerns for victims of crimes and abuse across the UK. The cross-party committee noted problems in the way “victims” are defined, a lack of enforcement powers and the need for additional funding and resources for the Bill to be effective. The report was published shortly after Dame Vera Baird KC recently announced her intention to stand down as Victims’ Commissioner, following the Bill’s intention to diminish the role.’

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Each Other, 5th October 2022

Source: eachother.org.uk

BSB plans “statement of good practice” for chambers – Legal Futures

Posted September 28th, 2022 in barristers, codes of practice, news by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is planning a “statement of consolidated good practice” for chambers, which not only sets out the minimum regulatory requirements but how to go “above and beyond” them.’

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Legal Futures, 28th September 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

King’s Bench Division Guide 2022 – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted September 26th, 2022 in codes of practice, courts, judiciary, news by sally

‘The King’s Bench Division Guide 2022 has been published, replacing the Queen’s Bench Division 2022 version.’

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Judiciary of England and Wales, 15th September 2022

Source: www.judiciary.uk

BSB to test if review and comparison websites work for barristers – Legal Futures

Posted September 23rd, 2022 in barristers, codes of practice, consumer protection, internet, news, pilot schemes by sally

‘Four lawyer review and comparison websites have agreed to join a Bar Standards Board (BSB) pilot on whether they can work for barristers and their consumers.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd September 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Avoiding the pitfalls of WhatsApp – Local Government Lawyer

‘Matthew Alderton examines past disciplinary cases, regulatory action and recent judicial review challenges that show the various dangers that public bodies could face by allowing staff to communicate via WhatsApp and other social media.social media.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 16th September 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

NEWS Flirting, banter and plying with drink: SRA sets out detailed sexual misconduct guidance – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority today set out in granular detail what will or may constitute sexual misconduct by solicitors, after a surge of complaints in the past five years.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 1st September 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

When Code and RAMS Collide – Local Government Lawyer

‘James Nelson takes a look at the High Court’s decision in Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Limited v London Borough of Hackney.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th August 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

What does UK law say about strikes? – OUP Blog

Posted August 16th, 2022 in codes of practice, employment, industrial action, news by sally

‘Every day there are reports of further strikes. Chaos on the railways, the London Underground brought to a standstill, airlines, teachers, the NHS: the list goes on. On one hand, people are fighting for their rights, some would say justifiably. On the other, employers are trying to keep things running. While strikes cause huge disruption for the public, they are also one of the few levers available to employees to bargain for their position.’

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OUP Blog, 11th August 2022

Source: blog.oup.com

Attorney General’s Guidance on Legal Risk – Attorney General’s Office

‘This Attorney General’s Guidance is for lawyers advising on lawfulness and legal risk in Government. It explains the common framework to assess risk across the Government Legal Profession.’

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Attorney General's Office, 2nd August 2022

Source: www.gov.uk

New guidance will ensure all forms of domestic abuse are recognised – Family Law

‘New statutory guidance on identifying and responding to domestic abuse and its impact on victims has been published on 8 July 2022, by the Home Office.’

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Family Law, 14th July 2022

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Statement on deliberately failing to attend court – Bar Standards Board

Posted June 24th, 2022 in barristers, codes of practice, news by tracey

‘Barristers who are not already instructed to appear at a hearing and who wish to refuse to work on a particular day or for a particular period are in general free to do so. Therefore, in principle, barristers can book a day in their professional diary as unavailable because they wish to participate in a protest on that day.’

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Bar Standards Board, 23rd June 2022

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

GPS tagging of migrants appears to contradict Home Office guidance – The Guardian

‘The Home Office appears to have contradicted its own guidance on GPS tagging, which prioritised “very high harm offenders”, after it announced the devices would be used on asylum seekers arriving in the UK.’

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The Guardian, 19th June 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com