Will new conduct guidelines be a burden on smaller firms? – The Times

Posted June 26th, 2007 in news, professional conduct, solicitors by sally

“The code is the most fundamental change introduced so far by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), which has regulated the profession in England and Wales since January this year. The code replaces the Guide to the Professional Conduct of Solicitors (1999) and the Guide Online together with 10 other codes and rules (including the Solicitors’ Practice Rules 1990 and the Law Society’s Code for Advocacy) and introduces various changes. Although welcomed by larger firms, its requirements are onerous for smaller firms.”

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The Times, 26th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Father jailed for refusing to pay child maintenance despite ex-wife’s support – The Times

Posted June 26th, 2007 in child support, news, sentencing by sally

“A lawyer was jailed yesterday for refusing to pay child support to his former wife, despite her pleas that he should not be given a custodial sentence.”

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The Times, 26th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Families given chance to explain impact of crime – The Times

Posted June 26th, 2007 in dangerous driving, news, road traffic offences, victims by sally

“Families of people who are murdered or killed by dangerous driving will be able to have a statement about their loss read out in court, it was announced today.”

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The Times, 25th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Call for appeal over ‘pathetically lenient’ rape sentence – The Guardian

Posted June 26th, 2007 in news, rape, sentencing by sally

“The attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, is considering an appeal against a sentence given to a man for raping a 10-year-old girl.”

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The Guardian, 26th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Woman’s payout over ginger taunts – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 26th, 2007 in harassment, news, unfair dismissal by sally

“A red-headed waitress who was taunted about the colour of her hair was awarded £17,618 compensation by an employment tribunal yesterday.”

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Daily Telegraph, 26th June 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Barrister gets £1.1m in a year from legal aid – The Guardian

Posted June 26th, 2007 in barristers, legal aid, news, remuneration by sally

“A lawyer from Birmingham has become the most highly paid legal aid barrister in the country after pulling in more than £1.1m last year.”

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The Guardian, 26th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

3m crimes a year ‘left out of official figures’ – The Guardian

Posted June 26th, 2007 in corporate manslaughter, criminal justice, news, statistics by sally

“A fresh row over the government’s crime statistics broke out last night after two criminologists said the authoritative British Crime Survey excludes 3 million offences a year.”

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The Guardian, 26th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Rail crash trauma ‘made me a killer’ – The Times

Posted June 26th, 2007 in mental health, news by sally

“A man who claims he was turned into a killer by the trauma that he suffered in the Ladbroke Grove rail crash began an unprecedented claim for £300,000 in compensation yesterday.”

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The Times, 26th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Why Middle England is the new criminal class – The Times

Posted June 25th, 2007 in fraud, news, theft by sally

“They look down on council-estate dwellers as welfare-fiddling, light-fingered hoodies and chavs but it is the middle classes who are exposed today as Britain’s real habitual criminals.”

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The Times, 25th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

End attack on freedom of information, MPs tell ministers – The Independent

Posted June 25th, 2007 in freedom of information, news by sally

“Ministers must scrap controversial plans aimed at preventing the public obtaining damaging or embarrassing information about the Government and other public bodies, a parliamentary committee says.”

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The Independent, 25th June 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judge dies after fall from window of flat in exclusive London square – The Times

Posted June 25th, 2007 in judges, news by sally

“A Crown Court judge has died after falling from the window of his flat in an exclusive London square.”

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The Times, 25th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Risk checks ditched to ease jail crowding – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 25th, 2007 in news, probation, violent offenders by sally

“Tens of thousands of prisoners will be released without any checks on whether they pose a threat to the public.”

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Daily Telegraph, 25th June 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Demand grows for full Lockerbie inquiry – The Times

Posted June 25th, 2007 in evidence, news, terrorism by sally

“Pressure is growing for a full public inquiry into the Lockerbie disaster, in response to new evidence that suggests a miscarriage of justice took place in the trial of the Libyan convicted of the bombing.”

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The Times, 25th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Senior police officer raises doubts about the use of Asbos – The Independent

Posted June 25th, 2007 in ASBOs, news by sally

“A senior police officer has delivered a damning attack on Asbos. Chief Superintendent Neil Wain is believed to be the most senior serving police officer to break ranks and criticise the Government’s flagship crime-fighting policy.”

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The Independent, 25th June 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Alzheimer’s sufferers have their day in court over NHS drug veto – The Guardian

Posted June 25th, 2007 in medicines, news by sally

“People with Alzheimer’s disease and their carers will today protest outside the high court at the start of a major legal challenge to the body that decides which drugs people may be given on the NHS.”

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The Guardian, 25th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Magistrates’ jailing powers to be slashed – The Observer

Posted June 25th, 2007 in magistrates, news, sentencing by sally

“The Government will this week spark a new war with the judiciary by stripping England and Wales’s 30,000 magistrates of powers to hand out suspended jail terms, in a fresh bid to ease the prisons crisis.”

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The Observer, 24th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Law Lords leave elderly out in cold – The Observer

Posted June 25th, 2007 in care homes, elderly, human rights, news by sally

“A ruling leaves elderly and vulnerable people in private care homes with no protection from eviction or ill-treatment, writes Jon Robins.”

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The Observer, 24th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New law will see 3,000 more being sent to jail – Sunday Times

Posted June 25th, 2007 in criminal justice, news, violent offenders by sally

“Thousands more criminals will be sent to prison as a result of laws expected to be announced this week, Whitehall officials have privately admitted.”

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Sunday Times, 24th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Victim families get say in court – BBC News

Posted June 25th, 2007 in homicide, news, victims by sally

“Families of murder and manslaughter victims will be able to describe their grief and loss in court under a scheme being rolled out in England and Wales.”

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BBC News, 24th June 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sentencing change leads to £10m jail backlog – The Guardian

Posted June 25th, 2007 in news, prisons, sentencing by sally

“Ministers seriously underestimated the huge numbers of inmates who would clog up prisons under the new indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPPs) and will not be able to process them through the system for at least another two years, officials admitted yesterday.”

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The Guardian, 23rd June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk