Last 3 months headlines – Page 1622
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Best value tendering: working for nothing
Over the last couple of years, the Legal Services Commission has churned out consultation upon consultation about unpopular legal aid reforms. But, despite a severe case of consultation fatigue, over 1,000 groups or individuals responded to its second paper on best value tendering (BVT), demonstrating the strength of feeling within ...
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Top legal aid firm avoids closure by HMRC
Top London legal aid firm Duncan Lewis has avoided being shut down by HM Revenue & Customs after falling behind in tax payments because of delayed settlements from the Legal Services Commission. A petition to wind up Duncan Lewis, last year the highest earning civil legal ...
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Criminal solicitors raise fund for court challenge to BVT
Criminal solicitors have pledged contributions for a fighting fund to challenge the government’s introduction of best value tendering (BVT) for legal aid work, the Gazette has learned. A consultation on the scheme ended last week, after attracting more than 1,000 responses expected to be overwhelmingly critical.
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CPS launches national advocacy assessment
A national system of advocacy assessment will be introduced across the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure quality, the director of public prosecutions announced today. Keir Starmer QC (pictured) said the new advocacy quality management strategy will monitor performance and target training. It will be implemented ...
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Texting your clients should be normal practice, if you love them
Are you using text messaging to communicate with your clients? Most of us carry mobiles, so your text reaches your client instantly when there is something significant to report. In many cases, this can be more effective than phoning, when your client might not be available and neither are you ...
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Crime figures show drop in fraud and criminal damage
The number of people sentenced for fraud and criminal damage fell during the last quarter of 2008, while fewer juveniles and young adults were sent to prison, statistics released today reveal. Provisional Ministry of Justice data show that from October to December last year, 75,300 people ...
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SharePoint learns to love Firefox and Outlook
Most supplier conferences about their technology are not, let’s be honest, fun. They can often be interesting, however, and one I went to this week on Microsoft’s SharePoint document management/collaboration/etc business software was exactly that. It’s a technology which – once Microsoft has shaken out some obvious problems with it ...
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Information technology: data retention regulations
The contentious Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2009 came into force on 6 April, in the face of opposition from privacy campaigners and serious questions from lawyers. Billed as a vital tool in the fight against terrorism and other crime, the regulations stand accused of being yet another snoopers’ charter.
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Criminal evidence
Admissibility – Hearsay evidence - Witnesses – Need for evidence to show reasonable steps taken R v T(D): CA (Crim Div) (Lord Justice Thomas, Mr Justice King, Judge Moss QC): 4 June 2009 ...
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Immigration
France – Removal – Right to respect for private and family life – Member state’s assumption of responsibility for asylum claim R (on the application of Shayanth) v Secretary of State for the Home Department: QBD (Admin) (Mr Justice ...
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Civil procedure
Costs orders – Hourly fees – Lawfulness of reduced rate for travel and waiting time R (on the application of Schwartz) v Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court: QBD (Admin) (Lord Justice Sullivan, Mr Justice Wilkie): 3 June 2009 ...
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Family law
Care proceedings – Findings of fact – Non-accidental injury – Standard of proof Re D (Children) sub nom NH v (1) A County Council (2) NH (3) RD & SD: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justice Thorpe, Wall, Elias): ...
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Does the Coroners and Justice Bill go far enough - and is there enough money
In Charles Dickens’ Bleak House, the coroner’s court is in the back room of a pub, the Sol’s Arms (geddit?). The coroner is drunk and the inquest is held – and a verdict dispensed – while a game of skittles rattles in the background. Of course, this is Dickens at ...
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Bach handed compliment
Lord Bach, legal aid minister, must look forward to facing audiences of legal aid lawyers as much as Daniel looked forward to his engagement in the lions’ den. The minister has received a rough ride at events lately, but at the Legal Action Group’s conference ...
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Scourge of the establishment
Obiter enjoys needling the establishment – it’s part of the journalist’s job. But he’s never attained the heights of iconoclasm achieved by Heather Brooke, who 12 months ago wrote a piece about her High Court freedom of information (FoI) victory ...
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Bower power
Bruce Bower is the latest reader to join the select club of lawyers who have journeyed from Land’s End to John O’Groats by muscle power. Bower, a private client solicitor at Everys Solicitors in Devon, averaged 137 miles a day during the 956-mile journey and ...
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Attention deficit
Current debates about the judicial selection process are amusing Clive Jones, a consultant with Wrexham firm GHP Legal. He recalls, after some contested advocacy, being invited in to the private room of a senior county court judge and asked if he would consent to be recommended for appointment to judicial ...
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Memory lane
New plans for efficiently dealing with the complaints handling system. Television series review and benefits of membership to the Law Society.
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Addressing concerns about periodical payments in personal injury cases
The Court of Appeal in Thompstone determined that periodical payments for future losses for care and case management should be linked to an earnings index which annually has historically risen by 1-2.5% higher than the RPI.
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Open the cage
Last week’s front page: ‘Solicitors face road traffic fees cut’, ‘Final nail in the coffin of legal aid firms’, ‘Compensation fund levy could hit £875 in 2010’ (see [2009] Gazette, 11 June, 1). Open the cage and let me in! ...