Final Report of the Vulnerable Witnesses and Children Working Group – Judiciary of England & Wales
‘Final Report of the Vulnerable Witnesses and Children Working Group.’
Judiciary of England and Wales, 17th March 2015
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
Category: consultations
Managing Cuts: Lawful decision-making, PSED and consultation – Thirty Nine Essex Street
‘In recent years there have been an increased number of challenges to local authority decisions made under the pressure of increasingly tight and potentially unmanageable
financial constraints. Many of these legal challenges have centred on alleged failures to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) together with alleged deficiencies in the consultation process. As financial pressures continue, and further cuts are required, this paper discusses the lessons to be learned from the cases so far, and offers practical tips for lawful decision-making in these difficult times.’
Full story (PDF)
Thirty Nine Essex Street, February 2015
Source: www.39essex.com
Advising witnesses on the defence case: what are the issues? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
‘The CPS have recently been running a consultation entitled “Speaking to Witnesses at Court”. The consultation period ended on Monday 16th March, and we await their response.’
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 18th March 2015
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Enforcing family financial orders – Law Commission
‘Every year, thousands of separating couples apply to the courts for financial orders, either because they cannot agree or to turn an agreement into an order so as to make it enforceable. The courts can order a person to make financial provision for a former spouse or civil partner. Sometimes the courts also make orders for the benefit of the children. The orders are made to help make sure that the needs of both partners and their children are met and, where possible, to maintain their living standards.’
Law Commission, 11th March 2015
Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk
Bitcoin: Government to regulate cryptocurrency to avoid money laundering, says Treasury – The Independent
‘The Government is to regulate bitcoin exchanges to stop their use as money laundering hubs, the Treasury said today.’
Full story
The Independent, 18th March 2015
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Dangerous dogs sentencing consultation begins – BBC News
‘People who breed dogs to be aggressive or used as weapons could be among those most severely punished under new dangerous dog sentencing guidelines. ‘
BBC News, 17th March 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Richard Clayton QC: Fairness, Consultation, and the Supreme Court: There Is (Sometimes) an Alternative – UK Constitutional Law Association
‘In the last few years Austerity Britain has generated a large number of judicial review challenges to public spending cuts, particularly against local authorities. Many cases allege that the public body has consulted unlawfully. The legal principles involved have been firmly established. However, in October 2014 the Supreme Court in R (Moseley) v Haringey LBC [2014] 1 WLR 394 added a new ingredient to the mix, and the courts are still in the process of working out the implications of that decision.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 16th March 2015
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
SRA overrides opposition to ditch insolvency regulation – Law Society’s Gazette
‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority has ignored most respondents to its consultation on ceasing to regulate insolvency practitioners (IPs) and will press ahead with the plan.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 12th March 2015
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Elderly given power to decide where to die – Daily Telegraph
‘Government consultation document sets out plans to give patients more powers to plan and make decisions about their “end of life care”.’
Daily Telegraph, 12th March 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Law firms and medical agencies launch judicial review over whiplash reforms – Litigation Futures
‘A group of personal injury firms and medical reporting agencies has pushed ahead with its plan to issue an application for judicial review against the government, challenging its reforms to medical reporting in whiplash cases.’
Litigtation Futures, 3rd May 2015
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
Reforming Electoral Law – UCL Constitution Unit
‘Electoral law in the UK has grown complex, voluminous, and fragmented, with many statutes and secondary legislation governing a long list of elections and referendums. The twin aims of the project are to ensure, first, that electoral laws are presented within a rational, modern legislative framework, governing all elections and referendums under statute; and second, that the law governing the conduct of elections and referendums is modern, simple, and fit for purpose. The Law Commission have recently published the Electoral Law Consultation Paper, which sets out provisional proposals and consultation questions for reform of electoral law.’
Henni Ouahes – Reforming Electoral Law
Nicholas Paines QC – Reforming Electoral Law
UCL Constitution Unit, 28th February 2015
Source: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Council defeats High Court challenge to consultation on adult care cuts – Local Government Lawyer
‘The High Court has rejected a legal challenge to Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council’s consultation on its proposal to cut its adult social care budget for 2015/16.’
Local Government Lawyer, 20th February 2015
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Collective redundancies: Is a return to normality on the horizon? – The Futures of Law
‘Those responsible for employment decisions in firms and businesses with multiple office locations will have been relieved that the Advocate General recommended a reversal of the Employment Appeal Tribunal’s interpretation of ‘one establishment’ in the Woolworths cases (USDAW v Ethel Austin Ltd (In administration) UKEAT/0547/12/kn[2013] IRL886) when his opinion was handed down on 5 February 2015. However, as the European Court of Justice is not obliged to follow the AG’s opinion, we still have some time to wait for further clarity on this issue.’
The Futures of Law, 19th February 2015
Source: www.blogs.lexisnexis.co.uk
Legal challenge over London garden bridge plans – The Guardian
‘A legal challenge is being launched in the high court against plans to build the garden bridge over the river Thames.’
The Guardian, 17th February 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Driverless cars legal review – only one step on the journey – Technology Law Update
‘The UK government has reported on its major review of the legal framework for the next stage for driverless cars. In The Pathway to Driverless Cars the Department for Transport sets out government thinking on what needs to change to support testing soon to be rolled out on British roads, and to pave the way for increasing autonomy into the future.’
Technology Law Update, 11th February 2015
Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk
‘Significant’ changes to public procurement rules to be introduced in weeks – OUT-LAW.com
‘A raft of major changes to the regulation of procurement in the public sector in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is set to be introduced later this month.’
OUT-LAW.com, 9th February 2015
Source: www.out-law.com
Advocate general: Employment Appeal Tribunal was wrong in ‘Woolworths’ collective redundancy case – OUT-LAW.com
‘UK rules limiting collective consultation requirements to cases where an employer was proposing 20 or more redundancies “at one establishment” are compatible with EU law, according to an adviser to the EU’s highest court.’
OUT-LAW.com, 5th February 2015
Source: www.out-law.com
Speaking to witnesses at court: consultation – Attorney General’s Office
‘We are committed to giving an excellent service to all victims and witnesses who attend court as part of our overall commitment to support victims and witnesses effectively throughout their time in the criminal justice system. The aim of this consultation is to ask for responses to the draft guidance which sets out the role played by prosecutors at or before court in ensuring that witnesses give their best evidence. This is a core part of the prosecutor’s job and will, if done properly, impact positively on both the quality of the witness’s evidence in court and the perception of the service they receive from us.’
Attorney General’s Office, 19th January 2015
Source: www.gov.uk/ago
First judicial review over 2014 Act duties to disabled children reaches court – Local Government Lawyer
‘A High Court judge will this week hear what is being billed as the first judicial review to consider local authorities’ duties to disabled children following reforms brought in under the new Children and Families Act.’
Local Government Lawyer, 29th January 2015
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
