Last 3 months headlines – Page 1168

  • News

    Copyright

    20 May 2013

    Infringement – Photograph Sheldon v Daybrook House Promotions Ltd: Patents County Court: 8 May 2013 The claimant, a professional photographer, brought a claim for infringement of copyright against the defendant ...

  • News

    7,000 lawyers to hit the streets for free legal advice

    20 May 2013

    The lord chief justice, the president of the Supreme Court, the master of the rolls, the attorney general and the director of public prosecutions will be leading some 7,000 legal professionals in the largest organised gathering of lawyers in the UK. The ninth London Legal ...

  • News

    Pannone turns to fixed-price mediation post-Jackson

    20 May 2013

    Four out of five commercial disputes are capable of being resolved through fixed-priced mediation, according to a firm unveiling a two-tier service today. Manchester firm Pannone says it has responded to the Jackson reforms and the possibility of compulsory mediation with a service that settles ...

  • News

    Mass meeting of barristers takes a stand on QASA

    20 May 2013

    The largest of the six bar circuits has voted to boycott the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) – which the circuit leader vowed ‘will be defeated’. At a ‘unique’ meeting attended by some 400 barristers in London on Saturday, Sarah Forshaw QC, leader of the ...

  • News

    Overwhelming public backing for legal aid: poll

    2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Government claims that the legal aid system has lost credibility with the public are rebutted by a survey published today showing that seven out of 10 adults fear that criminal legal aid cuts could lead to innocent people being convicted of crimes they did not commit.

  • News

    Statutory wills

    20 May 2013

    In a very helpful judgment, Behrens J reviewed the recent decisions on statutory wills and produced a summary of how to make a decision that is in P's best interests, in the context of a statutory will. The statutory provisions The law ...

  • News

    Fight PI changes, says MASS chair

    2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

    A figurehead for the claimant personal injury sector has urged solicitors not to give up opposing further changes to the system. Craig Budsworth, chairman of the Motor Accident Solicitors Society (MASS), told today’s Manchester Law Society conference that the fight against increases to the small-claims limit ...

  • News

    ‘Google’ asylum refusals

    20 May 2013

    Home Office officials are resorting to searching the internet for reasons to refuse asylum, entry clearance and leave to remain applications – and copying and pasting the resulting text into refusals, the Gazette has been told. Philip Trott, head of immigration at Bates, Wells Braithwaite, ...

  • News

    Injunction to prevent ‘defamatory’ employment tribunal evidence refused

    20 May 2013

    The High Court recently refused (among other things) to grant an interim injunction in libel and harassment to a former council employee, Ayodele Adele Vaughan (the claimant) concerning evidence she anticipated being given in forthcoming employment tribunal (ET) proceedings.

  • News

    ‘Christmas tree’ bills

    2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

    According to the official summary (slightly paraphrased) the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act exists to make provision about the Green Investment Bank; employment law; to establish the Competition and Markets Authority and to abolish the Competition Commission and the Office of Fair Trading; to amend the Competition Act 1998 and ...

  • News

    Poor will suffer from court fee changes, MoJ warned

    2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Government plans to means-test waivers for civil court or tribunal fees could impact the most deprived and vulnerable sections of society, the Civil Justice Council has warned. The advisory group of judges, academics and lawyers, chaired by the master of the rolls (pictured), said there were ...

  • News

    PCT will mean the death of Welsh justice, lawyers warn

    2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

    The government’s plans for price-competitive tendering (PCT) will have a ‘devastating’ impact on firms and chambers in Wales, leaving clients represented by English firms and without Welsh language provision, lawyers have warned. Their concerns come as solicitors and barristers unite today staging a demonstration in Westminster ...

  • News

    Small business spurning legal services – LSB research

    2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Just one in eight small businesses will turn to a solicitor to solve a legal problem despite many suffering financial loss as a result. Research published today by the Legal Services Board found only 12% of legal problems resulted in demand for advice from solicitors’ firms. ...

  • News

    HMRC proposes crackdown on LLP ‘disguised employment’

    2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Some members of limited liability partnership (LLP) firms could face higher tax and national insurance deductions under government proposals for tackling ‘disguised employment’ published this week. The consultation follows an announcement in the budget that the government would examine removing the presumption of self employment ...

  • News

    Paying the price

    20 May 2013

    Not a great week for our beloved uber-regulator, the Legal Services Board. First, the lord chancellor flicks away its impassioned case for the regulation of will-writing like a speck of dust from the irreproachable Mechlin lace at his wrists. All the board’s chairman David Edmonds ...

  • News

    Where was the LASPO dissent?

    2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

    I thought I was dreaming when I switched on my radio this morning. Three pinches and a cold shower later and I knew it was true: a legal aid issue was the headline new story on Five Live (the baby prefers Nicky Campbell to John Humphries). ...

  • News

    Hundreds attend legal aid protest rally

    2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Over 500 lawyers attended a mass rally at parliament today to protest over criminal legal aid reforms which ‘strike a dagger through the British justice system’. Gerry Conlon, one of the Guildford Four and Breeda Power, daughter of one of the Birmingham Six, were also ...

  • News

    Westminster legal aid protest: images

    2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Over 500 lawyers attended a mass rally at parliament today to protest over the planned criminal legal aid reforms. Here is a selection of images of those who came to raise their voices against the changes. ...

  • News

    Fore play

    20 May 2013

    Its 200 members have found an esoteric use for wood and iron. It was begun in 1962, since then it has travelled all over the UK and the rest of Europe. And it regularly uses the homonyms for ‘for’ and ‘tea’. It is, of course, ...

  • News

    Privatising the courts

    2013-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Last year the government fattened up the Royal Mail for privatisation by imposing a 30% hike in the cost of a first-class stamp - its biggest price rise for 37 years. Job done. Annual profits have soared, it was disclosed this week. The Queen’s head is duly on the block, ...