Legal Features

Articles

New season, new HIPs

New HIP regulations, combined with important changes in local authority and personal search charges, are set to make this a seismic spring of change, says Andrew Lloyd

David Oldham on the erosion of the civil justice system

David Oldham has a mission, he says in the notes accompanying the news of his appointment as president of the association of district judges. “It is to persuade the government to return to funding our civil courts to a realistic level.”

Update: local government

Justin Bates discusses the strained relations between local authorities and government over the move towards unitary authorities, and disputes between authorities over provision of services to asylum seekers

The recovery position

The current climate is likely to create more work for litigators but lawyers themselves could increasingly end up as defendants in professional negligence claims brought by lenders, says Georgina Squire

Making the most of mediation

Gary Webber shares his tips on how, as representative of a party at a mediation, you can help the mediator help the client

Update: family (children)

Lord Laming's latest report on England's child protection system highlights ongoing deficiencies in the system and advocates, among other recommendations, the abolition of court fees. Noel Arnold reviews the findings

Being unreasonable

Why are the mentally ill so very unreasonable?

The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007

Awareness of the damage that forced marriage can cause to individuals has grown in recent years, and now the Forced Marriages Act recognises for the first time the abuse of power by those enforcing their wishes against family members. Cris McCurley reports