News

HMG’s Balance of Competences Review 2013 – 2014
The Government is conducting a two yearlong, detailed review of who does what between the EU and the UK , which should result in a set of open-ended reports across the subject areas. The current list and sequencing of reports is provided in a table on the FCO website, see: 

• http://bit.ly/LhYRyz 

Legal aid
Echoing the stance taken by the President of the Law Society, the Lord Chancellor, when giving his evidence on Transforming Legal Aid  to the Justice Select Committee on 3 July, created clear blue water between price competitive tendering (PCT) and cuts to fees paid under criminal legal aid. 

Judiciary
Baroness Hale of Richmond, the only female Supreme Court Justice, has been appointed Deputy President of the Supreme Court, following the retirement of Lord Hope in June. 

Judiciary
“We may well have something to learn from online dispute resolution on e-Bay and elsewhere,” Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court, told the Institute for Government on 18 June, when discussing how judges and lawyers could help to make litigation more proportionate. 

Record ULS referrals
A record number of offenders were referred to the Attorney General’s Office last year, according to statistics released on unduly lenient sentences (ULS) referred to the Court of Appeal. In 2012, 435 sentences were referred as possibly unduly lenient, compared to 377 in 2011 and 342 in 2010. Of the 435 referrals, 344 were eligible for consideration. Eighty eight offenders were referred to the Court of Appeal and 82 cases heard in court. Permission was granted in 73 cases and 62 offenders saw their sentence increase.
 

January issue: 28 November 

2003
The South Eastern Circuit Bar Mess series of lectures on ‘The Art of Advocacy’
CPD accredited – 8 hours. Cost: £15.00 

The first comprehensive review of legal education and training across the entire professional spectrum for 40 years has been published. The report has been welcomed by the Bar Standards Board (BSB), which will now be considering its recommendations over the coming months. 

It will be easier for barristers to set up legal businesses after the Bar Standards Board agreed to make the criteria for approving new entities more flexible. 

Civil
Five Court of Appeal judges have been designated to hear appeals arising from the Jackson Review reforms.