Extensions of time and adjournment of face-to-face hearings for Covid-19 reasons – Parklane Plowden Chambers

Posted May 6th, 2020 in adjournment, chambers articles, coronavirus, courts, delay, news, time limits by sally

‘In the challenging and constraining times imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, it can be difficult to comply with case management directions. Although the parties may agree extensions of time of up to 56 days if they do not imperil a hearing date, applications continue to be necessary where the extension may impact on a court hearing.’

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Parklane Plowden Chambers, 28th April 2020

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

“Justice Delayed is Justice Denied” The Covid-19 Effect – St Ives Chambers

‘Conducting litigation in lockdown is presenting a number of challenges for civil litigators. The shift, practically overnight, to remote working is requiring lawyers to rapidly adapt their ways of working. The word from the top is that the wheels of justice must continue to turn. The default position now is that hearings should take place remotely wherever possible.’

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St Ives Chambers, 27th April 2020

Source: www.stiveschambers.co.uk

Coronavirus: Courts must resume to deal with ‘backlog of cases’ – BBC News

‘Victims are being left in “distressing limbo” due to a growing backlog of cases during the coronavirus pandemic, a top Cardiff barrister has warned.’

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BBC News, 3rd May 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Windrush backlog reaches 3,720 cases, Home Office reveals – The Guardian

‘Lawyers and campaigners have expressed concern about a large backlog of unresolved Windrush cases, revealed in fresh Home Office figures, two years after Amber Rudd resigned as home secretary amid the emerging scandal.’

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The Guardian, 30th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Coronavirus could cause ‘unprecedented’ backlog of court cases – The Guardian

Posted April 29th, 2020 in barristers, budgets, coronavirus, courts, criminal justice, delay, news, prisons, statistics by sally

‘The coronavirus outbreak could lead to court case delays of up to six months and record prisoner numbers once the lockdown has been lifted, according to a leading Whitehall thinktank.’

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The Guardian, 29th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge sounds warning about ‘lazy’ solicitors over years of inactivity – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A High Court judge has narrowly allowed a case to survive despite a wait of almost three years following the identification of a party. Solicitors for the claimant in Gregory v H J Haynes had applied for the limitation period to be extended after a fruitless search for the defendant’s insurer had taken them past the initial three-year limitation date.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 28th April 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Hearing in biggest ever group litigation to go ahead remotely – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The High Court has ruled that a hearing related to the biggest class action in history can go ahead remotely, in another sign of judges’ acceptance of a new default position during the coronavirus crisis.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 22nd April 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Non-jury trials could help clear coronavirus backlog, says QC – The Guardian

Posted April 27th, 2020 in coronavirus, courts, criminal justice, delay, juries, news, trials by sally

‘Defendants should be allowed to opt for trial by judge rather than in front of a jury, a prominent human rights lawyer has proposed, as a means of partially restarting the criminal justice system.’

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The Guardian, 26th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Conveyancers calls on government to extend furlough scheme – Legal Futures

Posted April 24th, 2020 in conveyancing, coronavirus, delay, employment, housing, news, remuneration, stamp duty by sally

‘The furlough scheme should be extended for property businesses, like conveyancers, where income required to pay staff will not be available for months after work is undertaken once lockdown is lifted, the government has been told.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

McFarlane: Remote hearing on future of child a step too far – Legal Futures

‘It is not appropriate for a 15-day hearing into whether a mother has harmed her seven-year-old daughter to be held remotely, the president of the Family Court has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 22nd April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Whiplash reforms delayed until April 2021 – Legal Futures

Posted April 22nd, 2020 in accidents, coronavirus, damages, delay, news, personal injuries, road traffic by sally

‘The whiplash reforms have been delayed until April 2021 due to the coronavirus crisis, the Lord Chancellor announced today.’

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Legal Futures, 21st April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Covid-19 – Delayed appeals: arbitrate or mediate? – 33 Bedford Row

‘Many small to medium sized businesses will, thankfully, rarely be involved in litigation. As a result, they will have little experience of what is to follow once they commence a dispute resolution process regardless of the nature of that process. In many cases, disputes will be addressed via litigation[1]. In many instances the perceived wrong done by the other side will drive the dispute forward. It is only perhaps when some of the initial expectation of a quick positive trial outcome fades, whilst the pre-trial process winds on, that parties will wonder ‘should this have gone on for so long’ and/or ‘was there a quicker way to do this?’ Nevertheless, once litigation is commenced it takes on an energy of its own and many parties are able to see the case through to an initial judgment. Matters may thereafter get more complex as (further) fatigue potentially sets in.’

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33 Bedford Row, 10th April 2020

Source: www.33bedfordrow.co.uk

The Release of Prisoners (Alteration of Relevant Proportion of Sentence) Order 2019 – An Update – St Ives Chambers

‘As of 1st of April 2020, the Government’s election pledge of delaying the release point of serious sexual and violent offenders came into force by way of the Release of Prisoners (Alteration of Relevant Proportion of Sentence) Order 2019.’

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St Ives Chambers, 10th April 2020

Source: www.stiveschambers.co.uk

Three Month Moratorium on Consumer Credit Debts – Henderson Chambers

‘The Covid-19 crisis has led the Financial Conduct Authority to issue authoritative guidance to consumer credit lenders which will oblige them to grant a three month moratorium on debts and to reduce interest costs.’

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Henderson Chambers, 9th April 2020

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Fine for barrister who took 15 months to pay fine – Legal Futures

‘An unregistered barrister and solicitor who took 15 months to pay a £500 fine levied by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has been reprimanded – and ordered to pay another £500.’

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Legal Futures, 15th April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal realities of an ‘extension’ to the football season – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 9th, 2020 in contract of employment, contracts, coronavirus, delay, news, sport by sally

‘The football world, like almost every other sector of the economy, is grappling with the unprecedented impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In English football, the official position remains as set out in the joint statement issued by the main professional stakeholders on 20 March 2020: football is currently suspended but ‘all options’ are being explored ‘to find ways of resuming the season when conditions allow’.’

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7th April 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Tribunal rejects SRA deal with flight delay solicitor – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has taken the unusual step of rejecting an agreement between the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and a solicitor who broke the rules through his involvement with flight delay compensation claims.’

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Legal Futures, 7th April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Tribunal stays information rights cases for 28 days – Local Government Lawyer

‘The First-Tier Tribunal General Regulatory Chamber (Information Rights) has – with immediate effect – stayed for a period of 28 days all proceedings under section 48 of the Data Protection Act 1998, section 162 of the Data Protection Act 2018 and section 57 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd April 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Blackpool rail delay compensation scammer jailed – BBC News

Posted April 6th, 2020 in compensation, delay, fraud, imprisonment, news, railways, sentencing by sally

‘A conman funded a “lavish lifestyle” that included trips to Las Vegas by scamming rail delay compensation schemes out of £40,000.’

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BBC News, 3rd April 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

How will law exams be affected by coronavirus? – The Guardian

Posted April 3rd, 2020 in coronavirus, delay, examinations, internet, legal education, news by sally

‘Bar exams have been delayed until August, but trainees have called on regulators to move their assessments online.’

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The Guardian, 3rd April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com