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Signs of hope

13 June 2014 / Roger Smith
Issue: 7610 / Categories: Opinion , Human rights
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It’s not all doom & gloom for legal aid & human rights lawyers, says Roger Smith

Legal aid and human rights lawyers are having a pretty torrid time at the present. Thank heaven for three reasons to celebrate a bit of relief.

Steady as she goes

Labour proceeds with caution these days. Given that the Conservative Party sought to demonise Tony Blair as a swivel-eyed lefty, we can probably anticipate little let up as the election approaches in critique of Labour’s current leadership as much the same. This seems rather at odds with much of what senior Labour figures actually say. Certainly the shadow Lord Chancellor, Sadiq Khan, must be rather grateful for the rightwing press painting him as a radical firebrand, given what he actually says.

Khan used The Telegraph to announce a pretty mild Labour approach to the Human Rights Act, albeit that it was heralded with the momentous “Labour will shift power back to the courts”. His argument was that Labour was unhappy with any notion that the UK Supreme

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Freeths—Ruth Clare

Freeths—Ruth Clare

National real estate team bolstered by partner hire in Manchester

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

Partner appointed head of family team

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison

Firm strengthens agriculture and rural affairs team with partner return

NEWS
Conveyancing lawyers have enjoyed a rapid win after campaigning against UK Finance’s decision to charge for access to the Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has launched a recruitment drive for talented early career and more senior barristers and solicitors
Regulators differed in the clarity and consistency of their post-Mazur advice and guidance, according to an interim report by the Legal Services Board (LSB)
The Solicitors Act 1974 may still underpin legal regulation, but its age is increasingly showing. Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Morrison-Hughes of the Association of Costs Lawyers argues that the Act is ‘out of step with modern consumer law’ and actively deters fairness
A Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruling has reopened debate on the availability of ‘user damages’ in competition claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Edward Nyman of Hausfeld explains how the CAT allowed Dr Liza Lovdahl Gormsen’s alternative damages case against Meta to proceed, rejecting arguments that such damages are barred in competition law
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