General legal information

In this part of our blog we discuss general legal topics that have arisen in the media, as well as general questions about the law, our legal system, our court system, the criminal justice system, the legal profession and getting legal advice. Have a browse through here – you can find tips on choosing a lawyer, questions to ask your lawyer, and suggestions on legal avenues for resolving a dispute.

If you’re interested in learn more about the law and our legal system generally, this is the place for you – have a browse! If you need legal advice, Contact Law can put you in touch with a solicitor who specialises in your area of law.

Government’s legal aid reforms slammed down by House of Lords

This week the Coalition Government’s proposed changes to legal aid are being strongly rejected by the House of Lords. The Government’s Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill was drafted in the hope that it would cut millions of pounds and help the Government to get the deficit under control. However, campaigners and numerous [...]

Government cost-saving scheme delays court proceedings

The Ministry of Justice’s plan to save money by entering into a contract with Applied Language Solutions (ALS) has caused delays and cancellations of many proceedings after interpreters have failed to show up. Two weeks after the £300m private contract was launched, which was to provide interpreters to all courts in England and Wales, the [...]

Youth offenders’ incarceration “seldom serves their rehabilitation needs”

Research by the charity User Voice shows that incarceration, which offers few rehabilitation opportunities, may deteriorate young offenders’ wellbeing. According to the charity many youth offenders come from a turbulent background and have suffered abuse, experienced significant bereavement or had contact with mental health services. Reoffending rates amongst young offenders are high, with around 70% [...]

Women’s prisons creating self-harm environment

The vulnerable state of female prisoners is coming under scrutiny as one of the country’s most experienced prison governors, Clive Chatterton, has written a letter to the Justice Secretary, Ken Clarke, expressing his concern for the wellbeing of the female prison population. Chatterton recently retired from his final role as governor of Style’s women’s prison [...]

Amy Winehouse coroner resigns

The coroner who investigated the cause of death of Amy Winehouse has resigned after it emerged that she was appointed despite lacking the necessary qualification for practising in England and Wales. Solicitor Suzanne Greenaway was appointed by her husband, Coroner Dr Andrew Scott Reid, as assistant deputy coroner in 2009. She had previously practised in [...]

Legal services clients increasingly shop around for best deal

The Legal Services Consumer Panel has recorded an increased interest amongst clients to use comparison websites in finding legal services. Despite this, few solicitor firms act on requests generated through such sites. The Panel visited 16 random comparison websites for legal advice on wills and conveyancing. It found that not only did a minority of [...]

High Court judicial review of “menacing” twitter user

A man who was found guilty of menacing use of a social networking site, after he tweeted that he would blow-up an airport which had to close due to snowfall, has appealed his criminal conviction and the matter will today be considered by the High Court. In January 2010 Paul Chambers was planning a trip [...]

Judges consider bringing legal action against the Government over pensions

Several high-ranked judges are contesting proposed reforms to their pensions and have reportedly set up an action group and instructed top-legal counsel to get expert advice. Under the Pensions Act 2012, due to come into effect later this year, significant changes to judges’ pensions and their contributions will be instituted. The Act’s reforms are based [...]

Implementation of Government reforms delayed after strong opposition

The Government is struggling to impose some of its planned reforms. This week has already seen the Coalition Government announcing that it is delaying its planned changes on no-win, no-fee arrangements. Moreover, its Welfare Reform Bill is expected to come under strong criticism as it is debated in the House of Lords today. Yesterday the [...]

Law Society opens new section to support solicitor-advocates

The division between barristers and solicitors is still very much present in England, although the two legal professions are increasingly merging closer together with solicitors being able to partly represent clients in court and the public having increased direct access to barristers. The Law Society is now to launch an advocacy-support section, which will provide [...]

Higher standards imposed on prosecuting advocates

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is looking to improve the standard of prosecuting counsels after they observed several court hearings where the quality of work varied. Unfortunately, some prosecuting barristers did not perform at their best. In order to ensure that the quality of work remains high and consistent, the CPS has selected just over [...]

Scotland Yard removes Parliament Square demonstrators

Last night demonstrators camping by Parliament Square were removed by Scotland Yard officers, who were assisted by City of Westminster Council Clean Streets. Two people were arrested in connection with the operation and a third was issued with a court summons. Many of the campaigners set up tents in 2010 and formed what became known [...]

Supreme Court justice stresses the need to maintain separation of powers

The newest member of the United Kingdom Supreme Court, Lord Sumption, has stressed the importance of keeping the courts separate from political matters. According to Lord Sumption, there have been instances where the courts have ruled on political polices rather than “the application of government policy”. The new Supreme Court justice highlighted the fundamental principle, [...]

Government’s welfare reform quashed by House of Lords

Yesterday the Government’s planned welfare reforms were strongly attacked and voted down in the House of Lords. The Coalition Government wanted to introduce a scheme to means-test employment and support allowance payments for young disabled people as well as cancer patients and stroke survivors. Baroness Meacher, an independent Crossbencher, said that the reforms would leave [...]

Government called upon to reconsider legal aid cuts

Today the Government’s Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill reaches its committee stage in the House of Lords. It has already encountered wide opposition and it is likely to come under increased scrutiny today after an independent report was released yesterday. In the report, which was commissioned by the Law Society of England [...]

Watchdog calls for foreign intelligence information to remain secret in court proceedings

The Intelligence and Service Committee (ISC), the parliamentary watchdog for Britain’s Intelligence Service, is lobbying the Government to introduce measures which would prevent foreign intelligence from being publicly disclosed. The Committee is suggesting the introduction of “a statutory presumption against disclosure of any intelligence material, or [a] state secrets [privilege]”. According to the ISC, such [...]

No more pints between Met officers and reporters

The Met’s relationship with the media needs to change, according to new guidelines issued to Scotland Yard. Elizabeth Filkin, Former Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, has said that Met officers should avoid socialising over alcohol with reporters and keep a personal record of any such conversations. It is hoped that the result of Filkin’s investigation into [...]

Women’s groups call on Leveson inquiry to look into media’s portrayal of women

A number of women’s groups are insisting that the Leveson inquiry look into media’s portrayal of women. The Inquiry was set-up by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, after the News of the World phone hacking scandal and is to look at media practices and make recommendations as it sees fit. The groups, End of Violence [...]

Extensive reach of freedom of information laws causes unease amongst public officials

Last week the Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham, announced that all electronic material sent by public officials relating to government businesses is subject to freedom of information legislation. He specifically highlighted that this included information sent via private email addresses and text messages. The ruling has caused concern amongst ministers and public officials and an inquiry [...]

Government’s January 2012 plan: limit convicted criminals’ ability to claim compensation

In the first month of 2012 the Government intends to implement new measures that will significantly limit the ability of prisoners to claim compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. According to Justice Secretary Ken Clarke the new scheme is a step towards ensuring that victims receive compensation promptly and that money is not redirected [...]