Bar Standards Board seeks views on Bar Transfer Test – Bar Standards Board
“The Bar Standards Board has issued a consultation reviewing the Bar Transfer Test (BTT).”
Bar Standards Board, 22nd June 2012
Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk
Category: consultations
Former prisons inspector condemns probation service reform plans – The Guardian
“Lord Ramsbotham, a former prisons inspector, has condemned government plans to overhaul the probation service and promised to lead a rebellion of peers and politicians unless they are rewritten.”
The Guardian, 24th June 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Bar Council Responds to Consultation on Separate Legal Jurisdiction for Wales – The Bar Council
“The Bar Council has responded to the Welsh Government’s consultation on whether there should be a separate legal jurisdiction for Wales. The Bar Council does not express a view on this matter, which is essentially a political question, but it seeks to identify a number of practical issues relevant to arguments for and against the proposition.”
The Bar Council, 20th June 2012
Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk
Lawyers slam shared parenting plan – Law Society’s Gazette,
“Lawyers have described government plans to introduce a legal presumption of shared parenting after relationship breakdown as ‘unnecessary political posturing’ that could detract from children’s wellbeing.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 20th June 2012
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
QASA – and what it means to you – LegalVoice
“New rules for solicitors (and registered European lawyers) who want to undertake criminal advocacy form January 2013 will require them to notify the Solicitors Regulation Authority under the new Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (Crime) arrangements, writes Anne-Marie Lynch. The scheme opens on July 2nd 2012 and will be open for notifications until 21st September 2012. It will introduce a system for accreditation for criminal advocacy work in the Crown and magistrates’ courts.”
LegalVoice, 20th June 2012
Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk
Civil partnerships should have been called marriage, says top divorce lawyer – Daily Telegraph
“The debate over same-sex unions could have been avoided if civil partnerships had been described as marriage by the Government, a top divorce lawyer has said.”
Daily Telegraph, 18th June 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Bringing electoral law up to date – Law Commission
“In a consultation opening today (15 June), the Law Commission is asking which of the rules governing elections and referendums should be reviewed as part of its electoral law reform project. Electoral law in the UK is spread across 25 major statutes. It has become increasingly complex and fragmented and, according to the Commission, needs to be simplified, modernised and rationalised in order to benefit the electorate, administrators, and candidates.”
Law Commission, 15th June 2012
Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk
Consultation paper on extending the SRA’s compensation fund for ABS beyond the end of the year – Legal Services Board
“The intention of this consultation document is to ensure that there are adequate compensation arrangements for SRA regulated ABS firms after 31 December 2012.
Also included in the document is a draft Order published in accordance with section 70 of the LSA.”
Legal Services Board, 14th June 2012
Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk
Proposals to enable children to see both their parents are launched – Ministry of Justice
“Plans to strengthen the law so children continue to see both parents if they separate have been put forward by ministers today.”
Ministry of Justice, 13th June 2012
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
Government plans for overhauling the child protection system published – Family Law Week
“The Government has published its plans to overhaul the child protection system. It proposes to scrap unnecessary instruction manuals and replace them with short, precise guidance and checklists listing roles and responsibilities.”
Family Law Week, 13th June 2012
Source: www.familylawweek.com
IPO seeks new patent revocation powers as means for helping small businesses – OUT-LAW.com
“The circumstances in which the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) can initiate proceedings to revoke a patent on the strength of a non-binding opinion it was asked to submit on the patentability of an invention should be expanded, it has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 14th June 2012
Source: www.out-law.com
Parents’ access rights after divorce enshrined in law – The Guardian
“The right of both divorced fathers and mothers to see their children is to be enshrined in law for the first time as part of changes to family justice, despite warnings from the government’s independent review and lawyers that it would ‘clog the courts’.”
The Guardian, 13th June 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Gay marriage gets ministerial approval – The Guardian
“Ministers have pledged to push through legislation to give same-sex couples equal rights to get married despite mounting opposition from within the Conservative party and the threat of a split with the Church of England.”
The Guardian, 12th June 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
No reprieve for Specialist Support Service – Law Society’s Gazette
“The Specialist Support Service (SSS) will be scrapped at the end of this month, the Legal Services Commission has announced following a consultation.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 12th June 2012
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Will the European Court force churches to perform gay marriages? – UK Human Rights Blog
“The Government’s Consultation on Equal Civil Marriage ends on Thursday 14 June: you can fill in the brief online survey here if you haven’t already. In the meantime, the Church of England is on the front pages this morning with its own response, which amongst other things, warns that ‘it seems extremely doubtful’ that the European Court of Human Rights ‘would uphold the right of a state to retain gender inequality in civil partnerships once the state had legislated for equal marriage’.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 12th June 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
Ministry of Justice call for contributions to the Red Tape Challenge – Ministry of Justice
“The Ministry of Justice has invited interested parties to respond to the legal services section of the Government’s ‘Red Tape Challenge’ consultation, identifying which regulations they believe should be improved, retained or scrapped.”
Ministry of Justice, 8th June 2012
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
The Law Commission’s review of Health and Social Care Regulation – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
“I attended an interesting seminar yesterday evening hosted by Blake Lapthorn solicitors. Frances Patterson QC, one of the Law Commissioners, spoke about the LC’s current review of Health and Social Care Regulation.”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 30th May 2012
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
New tool to tackle economic crime – Attorney General’s Office
“Plans for a new tool to tackle economic crime were published today for consultation by Solicitor General Edward Garnier QC and Justice Minister Crispin Blunt.”
Attorney General’s Office, 17th May 2012
Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk
Owners of dangerous dogs face stiffer sentences – The Guardian
“More owners of dangerous dogs will be imprisoned, under guidelines issued to judges and magistrates by the Sentencing Council.”
The Guardian, 15th May 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Removing full right of appeal for family visitors – UK Border Agency
“A clause in the Crime and Courts Bill, published today, will remove the full right of appeal for those applying to enter the UK as a family visitor. Subject to Parliamentary approval and Royal Assent, this change is expected to come into force by 2014. Refused applicants will still be able to appeal on limited grounds of human rights or race discrimination.”
UK Border Agency, 10th May 2012
Source: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk
