Last 3 months headlines – Page 1559

  • News

    Local government – Taxi! Breach of consultation and apparent bias, please

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    Taxis take you wherever you want to go, but Newport City Council’s taxi ride to the Administrative Court didn’t end well for the authority.

  • News

    Planning

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    Local government – Certificates of lawful use – Change of use – Deception Welwyn Hatfield Council v (1) Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (2) Alan Beesley: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justice Pill, Mummery, Richards): 29 ...

  • News

    Human rights

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    Deformation – Breach of confidence – Freedom of expression – Injunctions LNS v Persons Unknown: QBD (Mr Justice Tugendhat): 29 January 2010 The applicant (X) applied for an injunction ...

  • News

    One rule for all

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    Mr Digby-Bell’s letter of 11 February, continuing the debate about time-based charging, suggests that clients whose matters proceed in a manner without complication should subsidise the transactions of other clients where problems may occur.

  • News

    Supply and demand

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    I must confess I do not agree with the sympathy expressed for trainees (‘Trainees facing exploitation on qualifying’, [2009] Gazette, 11 February, 1).

  • News

    Fighting prejudice

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    While I accept the views of business minister Pat McFadden in his article ‘Breaking the class ceiling’, I would like to add that the only way in which equality can be achieved in the legal profession is by eradicating racism and discrimination, which are an inherent part of the profession.

  • News

    Tools of the trade

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    I write further to Pat McFadden's article entitled ‘Breaking the class ceiling’ (see [2010] Gazette, 11 February, 10).

  • News

    Reaction to terrorism judgments has not inspired confidence

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    Maintaining the rule of law in the face of international terrorism is the greatest challenge our legal system faces. Over the past few weeks, the courts have shown themselves capable of delivering robust judgments. It’s what happened afterwards that inspires rather less confidence.

  • News

    A work in progress: creating a diverse judiciary is neither easy nor painless

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    by Baroness Prashar, chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission Our judicial appointments system – established under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 – was designed to enhance judicial independence and excellence, and the judiciary’s legitimacy, by making the judiciary more reflective of contemporary society.

  • News

    Law firms must make the effort to inculcate a culture of equality at all levels

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    by Jill Andrewan employment partner at Marriott Harrison. She is the author of ‘Discrimination issues for law firms’, Practice Management Handbook (Law Society 2009), and editor of the Law Society’s forthcoming publication, Managing People in Legal Businesses Many law firms pay thousands of pounds to PR ...

  • News

    Ensuring firms pay the right fee for regulation will be no easy task

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority had no real choice but to press on with its reforms of the practising certificate fee this week, under growing pressure from solicitors in the employed sector who now make up a meaty 26% of the profession. But there is a ...

  • News

    ‘Stretched resources’ to blame for poor CPS performances

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    ‘Stretched resources’ at the frontline across the Crown Prosecution Service in London have resulted in ‘poor’ performance ratings for five boroughs and lower than average conviction rates in the capital, according to the organisation’s chief inspector. Reports of inspections in nine London boroughs by the HM ...

  • News

    Companies face publicity threat over corporate manslaughter

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    Judges will have the power to force companies convicted of corporate manslaughter to ­publicise their conviction after new measures came into force this week. Courts will be able to hand out publicity orders to companies and public bodies where gross corporate health and safety failures caused ...

  • News

    Microsoft to outsource general legal work to India

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    Software giant Microsoft will begin outsourcing general legal work to India after signing a deal with legal process outsourcing (LPO) company CPA Global. The news comes as CPA outlined plans to expand its Indian workforce from 600 to 1,000 by the end of 2011, and hinted at opening another outsourcing ...

  • News

    Survey reveals civil legal aid solicitors are ‘starved of cash'

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    A survey of law firms carried out by the newly launched Alliance for Legal Aid (AfLA) has revealed solicitors doing civil legal aid work are being ‘starved of cash to assist clients in desperate need’. AfLA launched this week to voice concerns about the provision of ...

  • News

    Insurance tracking plans welcomed by personal injury lawyers

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    Personal injury lawyers have welcomed government plans to help people obtain compensation if they cannot trace their employers’ liability insurance policies. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched a consultation on setting up an Employers’ Liability Tracing Office (ELTO), which will manage an electronic ...

  • News

    Miners' solicitors bombard government with FoI requests

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    The government has been overloaded with freedom of information (FoI) requests made by solicitors acting for former coal miners ahead of the first coordinated negligence action for alleged under-settlement of government compensation claims. In a letter to coalfield communities MPs, seen by the Gazette, junior energy ...

  • News

    Government ‘actively assessing’ Jackson report

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    The government and the opposition have hinted that they would implement some of Lord Justice Jackson’s recommendations on civil litigation costs, following the first parliamentary exchange on the judge’s report since its publication a month ago. Justice secretary Jack Straw said: ‘Lord Justice Jackson’s proposals… are ...

  • News

    Conveyancing solicitors ‘failing’ clients over survey advice

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    Conveyancing solicitors are running the risk of potential negligence actions by failing to advise buyers to obtain a survey before purchasing a property, an expert has claimed. Mike Ockenden, chief executive of the Federation of Property Information Providers, said: ‘The Council of Mortgage Lenders’ handbook recommends ...

  • News

    Cafcass in ‘meltdown’, report claims

    2010-02-18T00:00:00Z

    The organisation tasked with safeguarding the interests of vulnerable children is in ‘meltdown’, a report has suggested. However, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) has hit back at the claims, which it says are ‘not based on fact’ and undermine the ...