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Less is more

25 June 2009
Issue: 7375 / Categories: Legal News
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Government

There are too many laws and too many policy initiatives being launched, according to MPs.

A report by the Commons Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) into the state of government in Britain, published last week, concludes that many aspects of Britain’s governing structure and principles work well.
However, PASC warns there are too many ministers, which has resulted in an excessive number of initiatives being launched and laws being introduced. PASC urges government to concentrate less on responding to short-term political pressures and more on ensuring good basic administration. It suggests prime ministers appoint smaller governments, pass fewer new laws, and leave ministers in their posts for longer.
Tony Wright MP, Committee chair, says: “Now more than ever, there needs to be a wholesale change in the political culture to arrest the decline of public trust in government.

“In thinking about the nature of good government, we have gone back to first principles to propose a number of reforms to how Britain is governed. These are designed to encourage tighter, more focused government, and a stronger emphasis on achieving good basic administration and high standards in public life.”

Issue: 7375 / Categories: Legal News
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan—Andrew Savage

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan—Andrew Savage

Firm expands London disputes practice with senior partner hire

Druces—Lisa Cardy

Druces—Lisa Cardy

Senior associate promotion strengthens real estate offering

Charles Russell Speechlys—Robert Lundie Smith

Charles Russell Speechlys—Robert Lundie Smith

Leading patent litigator joins intellectual property team

NEWS
The government’s plan to introduce a Single Professional Services Supervisor could erode vital legal-sector expertise, warns Mark Evans, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, in NLJ this week
Writing in NLJ this week, Jonathan Fisher KC of Red Lion Chambers argues that the ‘failure to prevent’ model of corporate criminal responsibility—covering bribery, tax evasion, and fraud—should be embraced, not resisted
Professor Graham Zellick KC argues in NLJ this week that, despite Buckingham Palace’s statement stripping Andrew Mountbatten Windsor of his styles, titles and honours, he remains legally a duke
Writing in NLJ this week, Sophie Ashcroft and Miranda Joseph of Stevens & Bolton dissect the Privy Council’s landmark ruling in Jardine Strategic Ltd v Oasis Investments II Master Fund Ltd (No 2), which abolishes the long-standing 'shareholder rule'
In NLJ this week, Sailesh Mehta and Theo Burges of Red Lion Chambers examine the government’s first-ever 'Afghan leak' super-injunction—used to block reporting of data exposing Afghans who aided UK forces and over 100 British officials. Unlike celebrity privacy cases, this injunction centred on national security. Its use, the authors argue, signals the rise of a vast new body of national security law spanning civil, criminal, and media domains
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