New rules use government buying power against tax avoidance – HM Treasury

Posted February 14th, 2013 in consultations, news, public procurement, regulations, tax avoidance by sally

“New rules that will allow government departments to ban companies and individuals which take part in failed tax avoidance schemes from being awarded Government contracts have been unveiled by Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander and Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude today.”

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HM Treasury, 14th February 2013

Source: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk

Whistleblowers and press ‘threatened by proposed new police powers’ – The Guardian

Posted February 14th, 2013 in consultations, investigatory powers, media, news, police, whistleblowers by sally

“The government is proposing to make it easier for the police to seize confidential material from journalists, it emerged on Wednesday night. Legal experts warned that the plans risked trampling on long-standing protections from the state.”

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The Guardian, 13th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Council tax challenge goes to the Court of Appeal – BBC News

Posted February 12th, 2013 in appeals, benefits, consultations, council tax, local government, news, poverty by tracey

“A single mother is taking her legal battle over a north London council’s plans
to make people on benefits contribute to their council tax bill to the Court of
Appeal.”

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BBC News, 12th February 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

High Court legal bid to save Leeds child heart surgery – BBC News

Posted February 11th, 2013 in children, consultations, hospitals, judicial review, medical treatment, news by sally

“The High Court is due to hear a legal challenge over plans to end child heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary.”

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BBC News, 11th February 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Service charge consultation becomes an even larger elephant trap (The Chancellor’s valedictory hand grenade) – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted February 8th, 2013 in consultations, landlord & tenant, news, service charges by sally

“On 21 December 2012, Sir Andrew Morritt, then Chancellor of the High Court, handed down judgment in Phillips & Goddard v Francis & Francis [2012] EWHC 3650 (Ch), a case which has dramatic ramifications for residential landlords and managing agents. The state of the legislation and its most recent judicial interpretation will see landlords bogged down in consultations and applications for dispensation, and at risk of being unable to recover legitimate expenditure. ”

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Hardwicke Chambers, 30th January 2013

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Snooper’s charter rests on ‘pretty heroic assumptions’, MI5 boss told MPs – The Guardian

“The government’s plans to track everybody’s web and mobile phone use rest on some ‘pretty heroic assumptions’, the head of MI5 has told MPs and peers.”

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The Guardian, 5th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Dog attack law to be extended to cover incidents on private property – The Guardian

Posted February 6th, 2013 in consultations, dogs, electronic monitoring, news by sally

“The government has announced plans to extend legal protection over dog attacks to cover incidents on private property.”

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The Guardian, 6th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

DPP publishes new Code for Crown Prosecutors following public consultation – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted January 31st, 2013 in codes of practice, consultations, Crown Prosecution Service, news by sally

“The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, QC, has today published a new edition of the Code for Crown Prosecutors, the overarching document that guides prosecutors and police in deciding whether or not to charge a suspect.”

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Crown Prosecution Service, 28th January 2013

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Lawyers on the line: high-speed rail plan faces 10-year delay – The Independent

Posted January 29th, 2013 in consultations, delay, judicial review, news, planning, railways by sally

“Britain’s HS2 high-speed rail line could be delayed for a decade as a unified coalition of Conservative councils, MPs and environmental groups threaten disruptive legal action.”

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The Independent, 28th January 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Ministry of Justice publishes final DBA and success fee cap regulations – Litigation Futures

Posted January 23rd, 2013 in advocacy, consultations, damages, fees, news, regulations by sally

“Signs of life from the Ministry of Justice over getting on with implementing the Jackson reforms emerged yesterday with publication of two draft statutory instruments that will come into force on 1 April.”

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Litigation Futures, 23rd January 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

The Low Commission: ‘no magic solution’ – LegalVoice

Posted January 16th, 2013 in budgets, consultations, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

“The Low Commission on the Future of Advice and Legal Support will take evidence over the next year on the impact of the government’s funding cuts, writes Vicky Ling. The Commission will focus on social welfare law covering advice and legal representation on law relating to asylum, benefits, community care, debt, employment, housing, immigration and other areas of public law, such as special educational needs and judicial review.”

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LegalVoice, 15th January 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Final Legal Education and Training Review report delayed – Legal Futures

Posted January 14th, 2013 in consultations, legal education, news, reports by tracey

“Completion of the much-anticipated Legal Education and Training Review (LETR) has been delayed, it has emerged. The academic team compiling the report after 18 months of research and consultation was meant to have delivered it by the end of 2012.”

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Legal Futures, 14th January 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Transforming Rehabilitation – a revolution in the way we manage offenders – Ministry of Justice

Posted January 10th, 2013 in consultations, news, probation, rehabilitation by sally

“‘Transforming Rehabilitation – a revolution in the way we manage offenders’ describes the Government’s proposals for reforming the delivery of offender services in the community to reduce reoffending rates whilst delivering improved value for money for the tax payer.”

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Ministry of Justice, 9th January 2013

Source: www.consult.justice.gov.uk

Government consults on extending producers and performers’ rights in sound recordings – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 9th, 2013 in consultations, contracts, copyright, EC law, interpretation, news by sally

“The Government is consulting on new laws which would extend producers’ and performers’ rights in sound recordings from 50 to 70 years.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 9th January 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

In Defence of Rights – London Review of Books

Posted January 9th, 2013 in consultations, human rights, legislation, news by sally

“We [Philippe Sands and Helena Kennedy] were appointed to the Commission on a Bill of Rights in March 2011 by Nick Clegg. The circumstances were not auspicious, and we were concerned from the outset that our composition – all white, almost all male, almost all lawyers and London-based – would undermine our ability to speak with any legitimacy. The Conservatives had come into government committed to tearing up the Human Rights Act, an early product of the previous Labour government seen by many of the new government’s Tory supporters (and some in the media) as little more than a charter for foreign terrorists and local criminals. The Liberal Democrats, on the other hand, strongly supported the Act and the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights that it introduced into UK law. There were eight members, under the chairmanship of Leigh Lewis, a retired senior civil servant who was hopeful that we might exceed the miserably low expectations of most commentators and come up with something useful.”

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London Review of Books, 3rd January 2013

Source: www.lrb.co.uk

Probation service ‘revolution’ means wholesale privatisation – The Guardian

Posted January 9th, 2013 in competition, consultations, contracting out, news, probation, recidivists by sally

“The justice secretary, Chris Grayling, is to outline plans for the wholesale outsourcing of the probation service with private companies and voluntary sector organisations to take over the rehabilitation of the majority of offenders by 2015.”

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The Guardian, 9th Januaury 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Pub industry adjudicator plans put forward – BBC News

“The government has announced plans for an independent adjudicator in the pub industry to help struggling landlords.”

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BBC News, 8th January 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Law Commission Consultation on Marital Property : FLBA Response – Family Law Bar Association

Posted January 8th, 2013 in barristers, consultations, Law Commission, matrimonial home, news by sally

“Download the FLBA Response to the Law Commission Consultation on Matrimonial Property, Needs and Agreements.”

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Family Law Bar Association, 7th January 2013

Source: www.flba.co.uk

Government plan for mesothelioma claims process draws heavy fire from claimant lawyers – Litigation Futures

Posted December 20th, 2012 in cancer, compensation, consultations, delay, fees, news by tracey

“Lawyers acting on the new system for dealing with mesothelioma claims will be paid on fixed-fee basis, the government announced yesterday.”

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Litigation Futures, 19th December 2012

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Academies in court: recent case law – 11 KBW

“This paper concentrates on three recent cases concerning different aspects of the emerging law on Academies:
(1) Consultation on Academy conversions under s.5 Academies Act 2010 (‘the 2010
Act’);
(2) The extent of the obligation on Academies (both pre and post 2010 Act) to admit
children with a statement of Special Educational Needs (‘SSEN’); and
(3) The new Academy ‘presumption’ in s.6A of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.”

Full story (PDF)

11 KBW, 4th December 2012

Source: www.11kbw.com