“An official report into Britain’s involvement in rendition and torture since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US has yet to be published more than nine months after it was completed and delivered to David Cameron.”
The Guardian, 4th April 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Nearly one in three civil legal aid practitioners reckon the LASPO cuts leave them at risk of redundancy. A report drawing on an on-line survey of 674 individuals working in legal aid found that almost two-thirds of specialist advisers felt at risk of redundancy (63.4%) and almost half of those fearing redundancy (44.8%) had more than 10 years’ experience.”
Legal Voice, 5th April 2013
Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk
“The three executives who ran HBOS bank in the runup to its near-catastrophic collapse have been slated for their ‘colossal failure’ of management in a scathing report which calls for them to be held to account by the City regulator.”
The Guardian, 4th April 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Last week, the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee published their report, Do We Need A Constitutional Convention For the UK? (HC 2012-13 371). It is an interesting document, mainly because its very existence shows that the idea of a constitutional convention is becoming more mainstream within Westminster. But the report raises many questions, not all of which are fully answered. The central thrust of the report is that considering the raft of changes made to the constitution since 1997, particularly devolution, ‘it is time to conduct a comprehensive review so that the Union can work well in the future’ (para 111), and that this review should take the form of a ‘constitutional convention to look at the formal constitutional structure of the UK’.”
UK Constitutional Law Group, 3rd April 2013
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
“On 21st March 2013 the House of Commons Justice Committee published a report about the ICO, recommending, among other matters, that the ICO should be given the power to carry out compulsory data protection audits of NHS Trusts and local authorities. With uncanny speed, on 25th March 2013 the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) published a consultation document on the proposed extension of the ICO’s compulsory audit powers to cover NHS bodies. Despite the coincidence of timing, the MOJ’s proposal is not in fact a response to the Justice Committee’s report, but is prompted by a recommendation from the ICO itself.”
Panopticon, 28th March 2013
Source: www.panopticonblog.com
“The former chief constable of West Yorkshire Police, Sir Norman Bettison, would
‘have a case to answer for gross misconduct’ over his dealings with his police
authority in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster, the police watchdog said
today.”
Daily Telegraph, 28th March 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“In March 2012 the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Education, asked Lord Carlile to conduct an independent review of the case of the ‘J’ children in Edlington. The ‘J’ children had committed a very serious assault on two young victims in April 2009, having assaulted another young victim the previous weekend.”
Department for Education, March 2013
Source: www.education.gov.uk
“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today published a discussion document on ‘Reforming civil litigation’, which reflects the recommendations of a Working Group including the chairs of the Chancery Bar Association, Commercial Bar Association and the Technology and Construction Bar Association.”
The Bar Council, 25th March 2013
Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk
“The involvement of solicitors and barristers in crafting witness statements in big-ticket litigation has neutered the current regime and it should be replaced by a system of witness summaries and live evidence-in-chief, a Bar Council working party has recommended.”
Litigation Futures, 26th March 2013
Source: www.litigationfutures.co.uk
“On 21st March 2013 the House of Commons Justice Committee published a report (HC 962) on the functions, powers and resources of the Information Commissioner. It is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the current role and future prospects of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).”
Panopticon, 25th March 2013
Source: www.panopticonblog.com
“Female offenders should receive more targeted support to break the cycle of crime and abuse many of them face, Justice Minister Helen Grant said today.”
Ministry of Justice, 22nd March 2013
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
“The report into the police shooting of Mark Duggan will finally be completed next month, over a year later than it was first promised, the police watchdog has announced.”
The Guardian, 25th March 2013
Source:www.guardian.co.uk
“Government has accepted, in part, the recommendations we made in our report Intestacy and Family Provision Claims on Death.”
Intestacy and Family Provision Claims on Death
Law Commission, 21st March 2013
Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk
“The Commission delivered its Report – A UK Bill of Rights? – The Choice Before Us – to the Government in December 2012. It is an odd document, dominated by the lack of agreement in the Commission as to the role that any human rights’ instrument in Britain should play. That was unsurprising since at the inception of the Commission the Coalition partners appeared to want it to play two different roles – defending or attacking the HRA. From the very outset the Commission and the idea of a Bill of Rights (BoR) was relied upon by Cameron and other senior Conservatives to allay anger in the Conservative party, and among some voters, directed at decisions made under the Human Rights Act. David Cameron announced the Commission’s inception in March 2011 at Prime Ministers’ Questions as a reaction to criticism of the decision of the Supreme Court that sex offenders should be able to challenge their inclusion on the Sex Offenders’ register. He indicated that a BoR would address the concerns expressed (17.3.11; see the Telegraph in relation to R and Thompson v SSHD). The idea that a BoR could right the wrongs of the HRA – would provide a panacea for the HRA’s ills – had apparently been embedded in the Conservative party psyche for some years: David Cameron in a speech to the Centre for Policy Studies in 2006 Balancing freedom and security – A modern British Bill of Rights said that the HRA should be repealed: ‘….The Human Rights Act has a damaging impact on our ability to protect our society against terrorism…. . I am today committing my Party to work towards the production of a Modern Bill of Rights’. In contrast, the 2010 Liberal Democrat election manifesto promised to ‘Ensure that everyone has the same protections under the law by protecting the Human Rights Act.'”
UK Constitution Law Group, 21st March 2013
Source: www.ukconstitutionllaw.org
“Public inquiries should avoid the atmosphere of a ‘mock trial’ in order to improve dialogue among participants, according to a study.”
The Guardian, 21st March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Victims of disability hate crime are being let down by the criminal justice system and attacks are not being properly recorded, according to a report by three official inspectorates.”
The Guardian, 21st March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“NHS doctors are more likely to allow patients to die if they suffer from a mental disability, a damning Government-backed report suggests.”
Daily Telegraph, 19th March 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“The Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission have today recommended reforms to provide better protection for consumers from unfair charges in small print.”
Law Commission, 19th March 2013
Source: www.justice.gov.uk/lawcommission
“Consumers need more protection against hidden charges often tucked away in the
small print, according to two bodies responsible for promoting law reform.”
BBC News, 19th March 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
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