All News articles – Page 1554

  • News

    New planning proposals risk ‘uncertainty and chaos’ in property market

    2011-02-07T00:00:00Z

    Proposed changes in the government’s Localism Bill could bring uncertainty and chaos to the property market, the Law Society has warned. The bill proposes changes to planning rules, including strengthening the power of local authorities to tackle abuses of the system. It ...

  • News

    Does threat to CFAs mean that libel redress will be only for the rich?

    2011-02-07T00:00:00Z

    The misuse of conditional fee agreements (CFAs) is one of the most significant causes of what is referred to as ‘the chilling effect’. Bad cases make bad law; bad CFA users make CFAs seem bad.

  • News

    Law Society launches legal aid campaign for the public

    2011-02-07T00:00:00Z

    The Law Society is to launch a high-profile campaign, ‘Sound off for justice’, this week – aimed at harnessing public opposition to legal aid cuts. The initiative will seek to raise awareness of what the cuts could mean for members of the public, in advance of ...

  • News

    Surge in disputes over trusts, figures show

    2011-02-04T00:00:00Z

    Legal disputes over trusts have soared by 238% during the recession, according to City firm Wedlake Bell. Figures from the Ministry of Justice show the number of claims in the High Court in London involving trusts rose to 44 in 2009, up from 13 in ...

  • News

    How Lotto rapist publicity has helped claimants seeking compensation

    2011-02-04T00:00:00Z

    The publicity generated by the Lotto rapist case, a newspaper favourite for many years, seems to be helping those who suffered serious crimes against their person. This week, national firm Thompsons said that this publicity, as well as the precedent it set, has helped a group of men win compensation ...

  • News

    Marketing collective for brain injury specialists to launch in April

    2011-02-04T00:00:00Z

    A nationwide network of specialist brain injury lawyers, The Brain Injury Group, is set to launch this April, the Gazette can reveal. The Brain Injury Group will work in tandem with other professional services that provide medical, rehabilitation, welfare and financial support to people who have ...

  • News

    Planning

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    Flats - Garages - Parking - Planning control Suburban Property Investment Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Anor: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justices Carnwath, Rimer, Sullivan): 19 January 2011 ...

  • News

    Moniker sellers

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    Obiter was intrigued to learn this week about the latest initiative to stem from James Mather, the solicitor behind website expert-answers.co.uk. Mather’s new venture is change-name.co.uk, a service that enables clients to change what they are called for a ...

  • News

    Libel tourist problem

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    Steven Heffer asserts that there is no evidence of a real problem of libel tourism. Here it is: in Akhmetov v Obozrevatel [2007], a Ukrainian oligarch sued in the English courts a Ukrainian website published in Ukrainian because it was accessed a few times in the UK.

  • News

    Personal injury

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    Negligence – Hospitality and leisure – Breach of duty of care – Foreseeability Everett and Anor v Comojo (UK) Ltd (T/A the Metropolitan and Ors): CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justices Rix, Richards, Lady Justice Smith): 18 January 2011 ...

  • News

    Girl power

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    The Law Society Art Group’s 51st exhibition concluded earlier this month with something of a victory for the ladies. The prize for most outstanding work went to Sandra Roche for her painting Flora and Red Pot (pictured), while Karen Corballis won best oil/acrylic, Jennifer Robinson best work on paper and ...

  • News

    Family law

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    From the theatre to the small screen, and a chance to appear in a forthcoming television programme. TV producers Shed Media are looking for ‘families of lawyers’ to appear in a new ‘factual series’. Whether the new show will be a David Attenborough-style documentary about ...

  • News

    Row erupts over police interpreters

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    Detainees at police stations in four areas of the north-west are at risk of miscarriages of justice due to the police forces’ use of inadequate interpreters, the Gazette has been told.

  • News

    Environment

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    European Union – Local government – Planning – Conservation Morge v Hampshire County Council: SC (Lords Walker, Brown, Mance, Kerr, Lady Hale): 19 January 2011 The appellant objector (M) appealed ...

  • News

    Criminal procedure

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    Sentencing - Discharge of jury - Disclosure - Jury tampering R v (1) John Twomey (2) Peter Blake (3) Barry Hibberd (4) Glen Cameron: CA (Crim Div) (Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge, Mr Justice Rafferty, Mr Justice Roderick Evans): ...

  • News

    Supreme Court issues guidance on courtroom twitter use

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    The Supreme Court has today given the ‘green light’ to allow people to ‘tweet’ from inside the courtroom. It has issued guidance on the use of live text-based communication by legal teams, journalists and members of the public of what is going on in court. ...

  • News

    Counter-terrorism and punishment without trial

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    by Corinna Ferguson, legal officer at Liberty It was surely not unreasonable to expect that the coalition government’s counter-terror review would put the final nail in the coffin of control orders. This flawed system for dealing with suspected terrorists has suffered numerous defeats in the courts, ...

  • News

    Fears grow over EU contract law 'confusion'

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    Magic circle firm Allen & Overy warned that a pan-European contract law could create ‘confusion and uncertainty’ for business, as the deadline for submissions to a European Commission consultation on the issue passed this week. The firm also criticised a lack of business representation on the ...

  • News

    Confessions of a divorce lawyer

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    Geoffrey Rutter’s comments on defended divorces remind me of the days when fashionable barristers could appear in lists of those about whom the readers of popular newspapers would like to read, writes James Morton. In 1935, barrister Norman Birkett appeared in 20th place, equal with the ...

  • News

    Competition law

    2011-02-03T00:00:00Z

    Transport - Abuse of dominant position - Causation - Coal industry Enron Coal Services Ltd (in liquidation) v English Welsh and Scottish Railway Ltd: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justice Jacob, Lloyd, Patten): 19 January 2011 ...