The law-making process: could do better! – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted October 31st, 2011 in employment, government departments, legislative drafting, news, tribunals by sally

“‘Good regulation is a good thing’ is the trite introduction to the government’s red tape challenge, before saying we have too much of the other sort. The proposition is that reducing the quantity of regulation is the answer. This is myopic because if quantity is one possible burden on business, so is poor quality law. Poor quality is not about political or policy disagreements, but simply the production of badly-drafted law that is difficult to understand, because it is too complex or simply unclear.”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 28th October 2011

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Jonathan Djanogly faces inquiries into legal aid profits – The Guardian

Posted October 12th, 2011 in bills, conflict of interest, government departments, inquiries, legal aid, news by sally

“Jonathan Djanogly, the justice minister, has admitted for the first time to MPs that inquiries had been launched by his own department and the Cabinet Office following an investigation by the Guardian that revealed he could personally profit from changes he was piloting in the Commons.”

Full story

The Guardian, 11th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Jonathan Djanogly forced to act over conflict of interest claims – The Guardian

Posted October 10th, 2011 in bills, conflict of interest, government departments, legal aid, news by sally

“The justice minister Jonathan Djanogly has been forced to publicly declare in the parliamentary register that his controversial stakes in the insurance industry have been placed in a ‘blind trust’, after a Guardian investigation revealed that he could personally profit from legislation he is piloting in the Commons.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Councils and police rebuked for hi-tech snooping on public – The Independent

“Britain’s surveillance watchdog has reprimanded police forces, councils and government departments for overusing powers intended to clamp down on terrorism to snoop on members of the public.”

Full story

The Independent, 17th July 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Alignment of prosecutions between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Crown Prosecution Service – Attorney General’s Office

“The Attorney General and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced today the transfer of Defra’s prosecution function to the CPS and the remainder of their legal team to the Treasury Solicitor’s Department.”

Full statement

Attorney General’s Office, 12th July 2011

Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

Government IT plans need more security information, says Parliamentary committee – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 7th, 2011 in data protection, government departments, internet, news by sally

“Government plans to make more services available online and to use cloud computing to deliver public services need to be clearer on how information will be protected, a House of Commons committee has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 7th July 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Government supports more efficient dispute resolution – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 23rd, 2011 in arbitration, dispute resolution, government departments, news by sally

“The Government has signed the first Dispute Resolution Commitment (DRC), which requires all departments and agencies to use mediation, arbitration and conciliation wherever possible before taking disputes to court.”

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Ministry of Justice, 23rd June 2011

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Unnecessary tribunals wasting taxpayers’ money, watchdog warns – The Guardian

Posted June 14th, 2011 in appeals, government departments, news, reports, tribunals by sally

“Government departments and agencies are costing the taxpayer huge sums each year by making incorrect decisions which are then overturned by tribunals, an official report has concluded.”

Full story

The Guardian, 14th June 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Solicitor General: Speech to Annual Conference of the Institute of Money Laundering Prevention Officers – Attorney General’s Office

“Solicitor General: Speech to Annual Conference of the Institute of Money Laundering Prevention Officers on 16th May 2011.”

Full speech

Attorney General’s Office, 16th May 20111

Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

Judges accuse Ministry of Defence of stifling challenges over treatment of detainees – The Guardian

“The Ministry of Defence has been condemned by the high court for stifling legal challenges over the treatment of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

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The Guardian, 12th May 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government loses abortion battle – BBC News

Posted April 20th, 2011 in abortion, freedom of information, government departments, news, statistics by sally

“The Department of Health has lost a court battle to keep secret some details on abortion statistics.”

Full story

BBC News, 20th April 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ruling on late abortion figures challenged in court – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 18th, 2011 in abortion, freedom of information, government departments, news, statistics by sally

“The Department of Health is making a High Court challenge today to stop figures being published on the number of late abortions on ‘less than perfect’ foetuses with physical abnormalities, including cleft palate and club foot.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 18th April 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Kenyans sue UK for alleged colonial human rights abuses – The Guardian

Posted April 6th, 2011 in disclosure, government departments, human rights, Kenya, news by sally

“Highly embarrassing colonial-era files detailing the British army’s repressive tactics against Mau Mau insurgents in Kenya during the 1950s will be revealed in a landmark compensation case.”

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The Guardian, 5th April 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid cuts: penny-wise and pound-foolish – The Guardian

Posted April 1st, 2011 in budgets, government departments, legal aid, news by sally

“Cutting funds for the poor and vulnerable to defend their rights will simply push the costs on to other government departments.”

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The Guardian, 1st April 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Foreign Office issues guidance on torture – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in government departments, news, torture by sally

“The Foreign office has issued guidance to all its staff for the first time on how to spot signs of torture.”

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Daily Telegraph, 22nd March 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Opening up public bodies to public scrutiny – Ministry of Justice

Posted January 10th, 2011 in freedom of information, government departments, news by sally

“New plans to extend the scope of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) to open up government and other bodies to public scrutiny, were unveiled by the Ministry of Justice today.”

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Ministry of Justice, 7th January 2011

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

George Osborne to be investigated by watchdog over cuts – The Guardian

Posted November 26th, 2010 in budgets, equality, government departments, news, statutory duty by sally

“Equality commission set to launch formal assessment into the Treasury’s conduct prior to last month’s spending review.”

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The Guardian, 26th November 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government publishes open data licence – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 7th, 2010 in copyright, database right, government departments, news by sally

“The Government has published the details of a licence which allows the re-use of public and Government information on a perpetual, royalty-free basis regardless of any copyright or database rights that exist in the material.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 7th October 2010

Source: www.out-law.com

Tribunal orders Government department to release IT contract details – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 24th, 2010 in disclosure, freedom of information, government departments, news, tenders, tribunals by sally

“The Information Tribunal has ordered a Government department to publish most of the till-now withheld details of a major IT contract after ruling that the public interest was served better by disclosure than secrecy.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 24th September 2010

Source: www.out-law.com

Solicitor General: speech to the ALBA summer conference – Attorney General’s Office

“New Solicitor General Edward Garnier QC MP addresses the Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association about the role of the Law Officers.”

Full speech

Attorney General’s Office, 17th July 2010

Soruce: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk