All News articles – Page 1759
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News
BVT – we’re listening
I would like to reassure Rodney Warren (see [2009] Gazette, 11 June, 11) that we are actively engaging with representative bodies to ensure providers are prepared for change, should best value tendering (BVT) progress.
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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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Cash-strapped charities reassess their spending on professional services
Charities are increasingly feeling the impact of the recession, with more than half reporting a drop in income at the same time as demand for their services increases. This is forcing them to make painful decisions about drawing on reserves, dropping projects, selling property and shedding staff.
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How green was my council chamber
The Law Society council is off on its travels, but members don’t need to worry about anti-malarials yet. As ardent Obiter readers will remember, back in February the council decided that it should become more geographically adventurous in its choice of meeting venues. This month, the topic came up for ...
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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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Why are common law lawyers the hardest hit?
We read every week in the legal press about solicitors suffering in the current crisis: lay-offs, short-time and pay-cuts. There have been stories about trainees receiving the bad news by voicemail, and a US lawyer laying off his own wife.
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Reaffirming parliament’s stance on contracts
The recent Court of Appeal case of Trident Turboprop (Dublin) Ltd v First Flight Couriers Ltd ([2009] 1 AII ER (Comm) 16) will be of interest to both litigators and non-litigators. Although the main issue of appeal was whether the particular lease agreements in question fell within section 26 of ...
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News
What's cooking?
We’re not sure what Jeanette Miller, founding president of the Association of Motoring Offence Lawyers, was discussing with TV chef Marco Pierre White, but the pair seemed to be enjoying themselves at a charity event at the Lancashire County Cricket Club. Miller admitted to finding the youngest ever Michelin 3-star ...
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In-house counsel lobby for trade secrets protection
A coalition of major international corporations is to lobby the European Parliament and commission in an attempt to secure better protection for trade secrets, the Gazette has learned. In-house counsel from the 10-strong coalition of companies assert that trade secrets do not receive adequate protection in ...
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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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Criminal procedure
Confiscation orders – Drug trafficking – Market value – Statutory interpretation – Proceeds of crime R v Islam: HL (Lords Hope of Craighead, Walker of Gestingthorpe, Mance, Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Baroness Hale of Richmond): 10 June 2009 ...
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Objective selection criteria for redundancy
Getting older presents one with a number of oddities to deal with. Just how much chestnut rinse looks ‘natural’? (The answer, of course, is none.) Where is the door to my office? That kind of thing.
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News
Practitioners divided over implications of trial without jury
Criminal practitioners are divided over the implications of the Court of Appeal’s decision to allow a judge alone to hear the retrial of a robbery case. Last week the lord chief justice ruled that the risk of jury tampering was sufficient to allow the trial of ...
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Tribunals in Wales face major shake-up
Tribunals in Wales face substantial reform after their supervisory body found them lacking in independence, openness, impartiality and efficiency.
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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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Local government
Torts – Emergency powers – Interference with goods – Local authorities’ powers and duties Infolines Public Networks Ltd v Nottingham City Council: CA (Civ Div) (Sir Andrew Morritt [Chancellor], Lords Justice Keene, Elias): 11 June 2009 ...
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Local government
Education – Home tuition – Special educational needs – Statements – Local authority’s obligations R (on the application of TM) v Hounslow London Borough Council: CA (Civ Div) (Lords Justice Thomas, Aikens, Patten): 11 June 2009 ...
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Tributes paid to solicitor-judge Henry Hodge
The lord chief justice has led tributes to Sir Henry Hodge, one of the first solicitors to become a High Court judge, who died last week aged 65. Lord Judge said that Hodge had been ‘an outstanding president of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, a ...
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News
HIP search myth
While applauding the caution that Mark Williams advocates regarding ‘cut-price HIPs’ (see [2009] Gazette, 18 June, 13), it is important that the old but popular myth about personal search is reviewed.
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Human rights
Closed material – Disclosure – Non-derogating control orders – Right to fair trial – Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 Secretary of State for the Home Department (appellant) v (1) AF (2) AM (3) AN (respondents): AE (appellant) v Secretary ...