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Opinion

Marking National Asbestos Awareness Day

You may wonder why we need to mark this day, today. Wasn’t asbestos phased out decades ago? Surely it’s no longer a problem? Asbestos is such a versatile mineral that…

September 2, 2015
Opinion

Pay As You Go Justice

Court fees in civil courts were recently dramatically increased. For the highest value claims it can now cost up to £10,000 to start a claim in court. These fees don’t…

August 27, 2015
Opinion

Extradition – paying the ultimate price?

During my time as a trainee solicitor, I have been fortunate enough to gain experience in the relatively niche area of extradition law. I had never studied or had any…

August 27, 2015
Opinion

Retaliatory Evictions: a reassuring change in the law for tenants

“But if I complain, the landlord will just kick me out”: I have lost count of the number of times a client has informed me of disrepair at their home…

August 27, 2015
Blog

Fixed Costs Proposal – 7 out of top 10 highest charging Firms are defence firms !

The Government’s proposal to enforce fixed costs in clinical negligence cases is based upon the flawed assertion that the costs of claimants’ solicitors are excessively high and disproportionate. Figures recently…

August 26, 2015
Blog

I.T comes to small claims or does it?

In February 2015, the Civil Justice Council issued a report on Online Dispute Resolution for low value civil claims. If implemented this would amount to a revolution in the UK…

August 25, 2015
Opinion

Costs and clinical negligence: a voice of reason?

It is heartening to read the article by Catherine Dixon in the Law Society Gazette  criticising the Department of Health’s proposal to cap the costs of clinical negligence claims. Catherine…

August 24, 2015
Opinion

Letter to The Independent, published on 17th August 2015

The HM Chief Inspector of Prisons report into conditions at Yarl’s Wood (12 August) will come as no surprise to those defending the human rights of people in immigration detention.…

August 21, 2015
Opinion

Government announces another in increase in court fees!

The Government has just announced another raft of increases in court fees. The fee for issuing a divorce petition now goes from £410 to £550. The fee for issuing a…

August 21, 2015
Opinion

Cosmetic Surgery – At Last the GMC Issues Guidance

The cosmetic surgery industry is currently unregulated. There has been talk since around 2005 about regulation but nothing up until now has happened so the recent draft Guidance for cosmetic…

August 21, 2015
Opinion

The cost of protecting your data

We have seen a marked increase in clients wanting to bring a claim for the misuse and/or mishandling of their personal data. The starting point is that under the Data…

August 21, 2015
Blog

Sex – Don’t Sext

There is a growing concern amongst factions of the criminal law community and civil liability groups regarding the rising trend of teenagers being labelled sex offenders for sending sexually explicit…

August 19, 2015
Blog

The Croydon Private Property Rented License Scheme

As part of a bid to tackle rogue landlords, Croydon Council has pushed forward with a scheme to designate the borough a Private Rented Property License Area. This means that…

August 18, 2015
Opinion

Right to Buy: Aspiration or Social Cleansing?

Another day, another dramatic, divisive social policy. The Conservatives are pushing ahead with plans to extend ‘right to buy’- traditionally the right of long term council tenants to buy their…

August 17, 2015
Blog

Fixed costs will impact access to justice and lead to long term deterioration of healthcare in the UK

Proposals to enforce fixed costs in clinical negligence cases will deny those who have suffered life changing injuries access to redress and will prevent failings in our healthcare services from…

August 13, 2015
Blog

A businessman whose commodity happens to be cocaine…

In Layer Cake (2004) Daniel Craig’s character told us “that one day, all this drug monkey business will be legal”. Eleven years later and it’s still not. In fact, earlier…

August 12, 2015
Opinion

Housing and the Immigration Bill 2015

As we’re sure many other housing law practitioners will agree, we all love a good challenge. It is imperative and all the more rewarding in the current political climate with…

August 7, 2015
Opinion

No Safety Net for Justice

In the latest ruling in the ongoing battle to secure access to justice in the face of cuts to legal aid, both the Exceptional Case Funding (‘ECF’) scheme and the…

August 6, 2015
Opinion

New court charges – a further blow to our justice system

On 13th April this year the then Justice Secretary Chris Grayling brought in new court charges for those convicted at magistrates’ or crown courts. The new charges are payable on…

August 6, 2015
Blog

New Lasting Power of Attorney forms from 1 July 2015

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) promised it would simplify the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) forms following responses to its 27 July 2013 consultation. The aim was to…

August 5, 2015
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