All Law Gazette articles in Archive – Page 1406
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Speaking out on immigration policy
It emerged this week that the UK Border Agency has lost track of 60,000 asylum seekers. On past form, rather than address failings at UKBA directly, the Home Office will carry on trying to look tough on asylum seekers and illegal immigration by announcing stricter rules for immigrants who require ...
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'Virtual’ visitor interrupts police interview
The security of the virtual court system has been called into question once again, after a video technician appeared on a virtual court monitor during a confidential police station consultation between a solicitor and his client and began talking to the pair, the Gazette has learned.
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'Wild west' lawyers
The alleged futility of the SRA’s ‘consultation’ made the letters page . This futility extends to the Legal Ombudsman too. On that date I attended a meeting with a diverse group of people with an interest in whether or not solicitors should be named when a ...
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Real property
Easements – Right to drive cattle Dewan & Ors v Lewis: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justices Carnwath, Elias, Pitchford): 9 December 2010 The appellants (D) appealed against a decision that ...
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Social security
Common law rights – Overpayment of benefits R (on the application of Child Poverty Action Group) v Secretary of State for Work & Pensions: Sup Ct (Lords Phillips (president), Rodger, Brown, Kerr, Sir John Dyson): 8 December 2010 ...
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Sentencing
Deterrence – Undue leniency Attorney General’s Reference (nos 37, 38 and 65 of 2010) sub nom R v (1) Shahawaz Ali Khan (2) Raza Ali Khan (3) Perveen Khan: CA (Civ Div) (Lord Justice Pitchford, Mr Justice Henriques, Judge ...
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Same-sex couples’ access to marriage is an important right
by Nichi Hodgson, freelance journalist Back in September, LGBT activist Peter Tatchell launched his ‘Equal Love’ campaign, which called for marriages and civil partnerships to be available to all British couples, regardless of their sexual orientation, contrary to current UK law.
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Are solicitors really better at drafting wills?
The hot topic in the field of wills right now is clearly the issue of whether will-writing should become a reserved activity; something that is on the Legal Services Board’s work agenda.
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Fraud hits record high, KPMG report claims
Fraud cases in the UK rose by 16% last year to reach a record total of 314 reported incidents, valued at £1.4bn, according to a report by KPMG.
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Lawyers' part in reducing clients' pension deficits
On 10 December 2010, Mr Justice Briggs ruled in the High Court that any Financial Support Direction (FSD) or Contribution Notice (CN) from The Pensions Regulator (TPR) issued against an insolvent company will rank as an administration expense, and therefore take priority over other liabilities such as bank loans. This ...
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SRA takes first steps in review of training and education
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has invited contractors to undertake its ‘fundamental’ review of the legal education and training system for lawyers in England and Wales. The SRA said that the review is designed ‘to ensure that the ethical standards and levels of competence of ...
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UK legal sector set to benefit from Hong Kong investment
A surge in foreign direct investment in Hong Kong presents key opportunities for the UK legal sector, Law Society president Linda Lee said last week on returning from a mission to the territory. Lee said Hong Kong could serve as a gateway to mainland China for ...
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Law firms’ poor use of Twitter risks 'damaging their brand’
Two-thirds of top-50 law firms have a Twitter account, but some may be 'damaging their brand’ by failing to tweet anything at all, a report has suggested. The study by web consultancy Intendance found that 66% of firms had set up at least one account ...
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Reasons for lawyers to love the EU
At a time when political rhetoric on Europe is increasing in volume, not only because of the troubles in the eurozone but also because of the European Union (Referendum Lock) Bill going through parliament, I think it is time to put forward the other side of the argument. A number ...
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CCBE president pledges to promote access to legal aid
The new president of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) has pledged to promote access to legal aid across Europe during his year in office.
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Court rules in ‘landmark’ discrimination case
Two devout Christian hotel owners discriminated against two gay civil partners by refusing to let them share a double bed in their hotel, Bristol County Court ruled today. Judge Rutherford held that the owners, who had a policy of not allowing unmarried partners to share double ...
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Short sentences for young offenders ‘inefficient’
The chair of the government spending watchdog has criticised the use of short sentences for young offenders as being inefficient. At a Public Accounts Committee evidence session last week, Margaret Hodge said that the Youth Justice Board could ‘save a lot of money and get better ...
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Resolve now to beat the January 2012 cashflow crunch
The date 31 January is usually a firm’s tightest cashflow point, with partners’ tax, a quarter’s VAT and quarter’s rent all payable within five weeks of each other in most cases. Exacerbated by the fact that cash in-flows are usually very quiet in December and January, firms often face a ...
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House calls
Justice secretary Ken Clarke and justice minister Jonathan Djanogly appeared in the House of Commons to answer MPs’ questions last week, in an apparently lively session.
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Tribunals Service reports rise in cases
The Tribunals Service received 220,400 new claims in the second quarter of last year, from 1 July to 30 September 2010, representing an 11% increase over the same period in 2009, the latest available statistics have revealed. However, the Service also increased the number of cases ...