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Oliver Gayner & Hugh Tomlinson QC reflect on a busy first term for the Supreme Court

Charity evolved from an individual’s determination to help those not provided for by the state.

John Keown believes post Purdy guidance threatens public safety & undermines justice

Peter Vaines explains the Queen’s speech

The Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill had its second reading last month. It is the latest instalment in a programme of constitutional reform, which the government has been pursuing in a leisurely and random fashion since it came into power in 1997.

Jennifer James believes a lot can be learned from our Euro neighbours

It is one thing for the courts to protect citizens from the arbitrary use of prosecutorial discretion resulting in abuse of process; quite another to require prosecutors to spell out the public interest criteria they will apply in relation to particular crimes, not least to particular instances of particular crimes. Circumstances are infinitely variable, especially when a case is hypothetical. Ms Purdy may never be assisted in suicide, by her husband or anyone else. For all we know, she may—like Mrs Pretty—end up dying a natural death in an English hospice. In short, Purdy seems unprecedented, unsound and unconstitutional.

Geoffrey Bindman warns against underestimating the power of the ballot box

A new chapter in legal history began today, 1 October 2009, when the new Supreme Court of the UK opened for business.

A senior judge has warned that the new Supreme Court will be more powerful than the House of Lords appellate committee.

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—Michael Conway

Birketts—Michael Conway

IP partner joins team in Bristol to lead branding and trade marks practice

Blake Morgan—Daniel Church

Blake Morgan—Daniel Church

Succession and tax team welcomes partner inLondon

Maguire Family Law—Jennifer Hudec

Maguire Family Law—Jennifer Hudec

Firm appoints senior associate to lead Manchester city centre team

NEWS
Ministers’ proposals to raise funds by seizing interest on lawyers’ client account schemes could ‘cause firms to close’, solicitors have warned
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has not done enough to protect the future sustainability of the legal aid market, MPs have warned
Writing in NLJ this week, NLJ columnist Dominic Regan surveys a landscape marked by leapfrog appeals, costs skirmishes and notable retirements. With an appeal in Mazur due to be heard next month, Regan notes that uncertainties remain over who will intervene, and hopes for the involvement of the Lady Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls in deciding the all-important outcome
After the Southport murders and the misinformation that followed, contempt of court law has come under intense scrutiny. In this week's NLJ, Lawrence McNamara and Lauren Schaefer of the Law Commission unpack proposals aimed at restoring clarity without sacrificing fair trial rights
The latest Home Office figures confirm that stop and search remains both controversial and diminished. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort University analyses data showing historically low use of s 1 PACE powers, with drugs searches dominating what remains
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