SRA: Legal Services Act regime “struggling to remain relevant” – Legal Futures

‘The rate of change in the legal market makes it “increasingly difficult” for the regulatory framework laid down by the Legal Services Act to remain relevant, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 20th April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law Commissions call for single, consistent legislative framework for elections – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 18th, 2020 in elections, Law Commission, news, statute law revision by sally

‘Electoral legislation that originates from the Victorian era is “out-dated, confusing and no longer fit for purpose”, the Law Commissions of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission have said in a report calling for the adoption of a single, consistent legislative framework.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 17th March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Cybercrime laws need urgent reform to protect UK, says report – The Guardian

Posted January 22nd, 2020 in computer crime, internet, news, public interest, statute law revision by sally

‘Britain’s cyber-defences are being endangered by the outdated Computer Misuse Act, which prevents investigators from dealing effectively with online threats while over-punishing immature defendants, according to a legal report.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 22nd January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Criminalising the possession of “terrorist propaganda”: a human rights analysis – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The Home Office is proposing to legislate for a new criminal offence relating to the “possession of the most serious material glorifying or encouraging terrorism”.’

Full Story

UK Human Rights Blog, 21st January 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Leasehold reform plans branded ‘nothing more than tinkering’ – The Guardian

Posted January 10th, 2020 in consultations, housing, human rights, Law Commission, leases, news, statute law revision by tracey

‘The Law Commission has set out a range of proposals which it said will make it cheaper for Britain’s 4 million leaseholders to buy their freehold or extend their lease. However, the reforms were immediately branded by campaigners as “nothing more than tinkering”.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 9th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Call for law change over increase in homophobic hate crimes in London – BBC News

‘Homophobic hate crimes in London have increased by 55% in five years, prompting calls for changes to the law. Latest figures show there were 3,111 hate crimes based on sexual orientation in the 12 months up to October. Shaun Bailey, the Conservative candidate for mayor of London, called for new laws and tougher sentencing for homophobic attacks.’

Full Story

BBC News, 10th January 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Consumer Credit Act must be modernised urgently, says trade body – OUT-LAW.com

‘The next UK government must act urgently to bring consumer credit laws up to date, a trade body has said. The Finance and Leasing Association (FLA) said that lenders were prevented by the Consumer Credit Act (CCA) from stepping in to help customers in financial difficulty quickly enough, while requiring them to send “old fashioned and severely worded letters”.’

Full Story

OUT-LAW.com, 13th December 2019

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Consider decriminalisation to tackle drug death ‘crisis’, say treatment providers in unprecedented plea – The Independent

‘The future government has been urged to consider every available measure to curb the current drug death “crisis”, including decriminalisation, in an unprecedented plea from the UK’s major drug treatment providers.’

Full Story

The Independent, 2nd December 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Coroner urges Home Secretary to review domestic abuse laws after man bludgeons wife to death – Daily Telegraph

‘A man has been cleared of a criminal offence over a video that showed a model of a building marked “Grenfell Tower” being burned, while a group of friends laughed and joked.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 22nd August 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Parliamentary group calls for overhaul of whistleblowing legislation – OUT-LAW.com

‘A group of politicians has recommended an extensive overhaul of whistleblowing legislation, including the creation of a legal definition for the term “whistleblower”.’

Full Story

OUT-LAW.com, 6th August 2019

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

New Sentencing Code to help prevent unlawful sentences being handed out – Law Commission

Posted November 22nd, 2018 in Law Commission, press releases, sentencing, statute law revision by tracey

‘A new Sentencing Code will reduce the number of unlawful sentences being handed out and save £250 million over ten years, the Law Commission has announced today. When they sentence offenders, judges have to contend with more than 1,300 pages of law filled with outdated and inaccessible language. This law is contained in over 65 different Acts of Parliament, and has no coherent structure. This makes it difficult for judges to identify and apply the law they need, which can slow the process of sentencing and lead to mistakes.’

Full press release

Law Commission, 22nd November 2018

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk/

Not with a Whisper but a Bang: the new insurance laws in a Professional Indemnity Context – Hailsham Chambers

‘The changes of last August and the impending Enterprise Act 2016 changes for May of next year will transform the way we have to look at insurance contracts generally and, if our insurer clients’ underwriting departments have not substantially rewritten their proposal forms and policy documents, we can anticipate a few years of ongoing law making.’

Full Story

Hailsham Chambers, 3rd November 2017

Source: www.hailshamchambers.com

Discount Rate and Accommodation Claims: Is there a will and is there a way – Byrom Chambers

‘On 07.09.2016, the Lord Chancellor announced his much awaited response to the Consultation commenced by his predecessor following the decisions made on 27.02.2017 to lower the discount rate from 2.5% to -0.75%.’

Full Story

Byrom Street Chambers, September 2017

Source: www.byromstreet.com

Trans women need access to rape and domestic violence services. Here’s why – The Guardian

Posted November 22nd, 2017 in domestic violence, gender, news, rape, statute law revision, transgender persons, women by sally

‘All women face similar dangers, whether trans or not, and it’s distressing that some people seek to drive a wedge between our rights.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 21st November 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

New research supports calls for no-fault divorce – Family Law

‘A landmark report published today by the Nuffield Foundation calls for an end to fault-based divorce law in England and Wales.’

Full Story

Family Law, 30th October 2017

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Government: ‘now is not the right time’ for review of marriage law – Family Law

‘The Government has informed the Law Commission that ‘now is not the right time’ for a full review of marriage law.’

Full Story

Family Law, 27th October 2017

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Jack Simson Caird: The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill: Constitutional Change and Legal Continuity – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘Nine months after Theresa May first announced that there would be a ‘Great Repeal Bill’, and three and a half months after triggering Article 50, the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill (EUW Bill) was published on 13 July 2017. The Bill is a complex mixture of constitutional change and legal continuity. This post highlights some of its main elements.’

Full Story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 18th July 2017

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

The Insolvency Rules 2016: an assault on red tape? – Hardwicke Chambers

‘The long-awaited overhaul of the Insolvency Rules 1986 (IR 1986) is now complete, and the Insolvency Rules 2016 (IR 2016) came into force on 6 April 2017. The journey to this point has not been without its difficulties and it would be fair to say that many had anticipated them being in force some time earlier. Perhaps unusually for provisions so overtly procedural in their nature, IR 2016 have also proved to be somewhat controversial.

Full Story

Hardwicke Chambers, 14th June 2017

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Robert Craig: Zombie Prerogatives Should Remain Decently Buried: Replacing the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (Part 1) – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘In the light of widespread dissatisfaction with the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (‘FTPA’), the Conservative party manifesto states, at page 43, “We will repeal the Fixed-term Parliaments Act”. This post explores the constitutional implications if, as seems likely, the Conservative Government continues to command a majority in the House of Commons after the election and seeks to convince Parliament to repeal the Act.’

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 24th May 2017

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Victorian abortion law ‘breaches human rights’ – The Guardian

Posted November 21st, 2016 in abortion, human rights, news, statute law revision by sally

‘A campaign to push for abortion to be removed from the justice statutes and decriminalised is to be launched this month by the country’s newest political party.’

Full story

The Guardian, 20th November 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk