Society urges super-regulator to delay advocacy scheme – Law Society’s Gazette
“The Law Society’s chief executive has urged super-regulator the Legal Services Board to delay implementation of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA), in recognition of the ‘profound...
View ArticleEddie Stobart drives into legal aid row – The Guardian
“A subsidiary of the haulage firm Eddie Stobart has emerged as a leading contender in bidding for a new generation of criminal legal aid contracts that would deprive defendants of the right to choose...
View ArticleLegal aid tendering: will it actually work? – The Guardian
“The MoJ’s public consultations on legal aid reforms show they are open-minded, but if the aim remains to reduce spending, what about the cost to justice?” Full story The Guardian, 8th May 2013 Source:...
View ArticleBar Council Publishes Legal Aid Consultation Core Case – Family Law Bar...
“The Bar Council has published a document summarising it’s core case in respect of the current consultation in respect of legal aid. Read that document here. The proposals include the introduction of...
View ArticleUndermine Legal Aid and you put our entire justice system at risk – The...
“Now top legal talent will find the prospect of working in criminal courts less attractive.” Full story The Independent, 14th May 2013 Source: www.independent.co.uk
View ArticleLegal profession joins forces to oppose unreasonable legal aid proposals –...
“Representatives of the Law Society and the Bar Council have joined forces with wider practitioner bodies to oppose the Ministry of Justice Consultation on proposed savage cuts to the funding of the...
View Article‘We’re at the cliff edge now’ – LegalVoice
“‘Unity is our secret weapon’ was the key message that emerged from this week’s unprecedented meeting of 1,000 defence lawyers who voted unanimously backing a motion that price competitive tendering...
View ArticleMiddle-class families face ruin under legal aid reforms, top lawyer warns –...
“Middle class families face bankruptcy and miscarriages of justice under reforms which threaten to undermine the Britain’s legal system, one of the country’s most senior lawyers has warned.” Full story...
View ArticleBSB wades into legal aid row – Legal Futures
“The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has waded into the controversy over government plans to introduce price competitive tendering (PCT) in criminal work by warning that it risks causing irreparable harm to...
View ArticleBarristers attack legal aid plans from government – BBC News
“Barristers have attacked plans to cut £220m from the annual criminal case legal aid budget in England and Wales.” Full story BBC News, 4th June 2013 Source: www.bbc.co.uk
View ArticleBar Council responds to legal aid consultation – The Bar Council
“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today published its full response to the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) controversial consultation paper, Transforming Legal Aid....
View ArticlePCT: incredible alternatives – LegalVoice
“Otterburn Consulting recently completed a survey to inform the Law Society’s response to the government’s consultation ‘Transforming legal aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system on price...
View ArticleConor Gearty: Legal Aid Changes – UK Constitutional Law Group
“The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 has already brought to an end the availability of legal aid across a whole range of areas of law that have direct relevance to the poor....
View ArticleSix reasons the cuts to legal aid will ruin our justice system – The Independent
“Even the government’s own lawyers are horrified by these reforms.” Full story The Independent, 7th June 2013 Source: www.independent.co.uk
View ArticleLegal aid cuts will drive out the best lawyers, supreme court president warns...
“Reforms may not produce significant savings as it would result in more unrepresented litigants and longer hearings, says Lord Neuberger.” Full story The Guardian, 18th June 2013 Source:...
View ArticleLegal Aid Question Time – The Bar Council
Video The Bar Council, 25th June 2013 Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk
View ArticleJustice Secretary Chris Grayling in U-turn: Defendants on legal aid will...
“Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, made a surprise U-turn on Monday night over his controversial plan to deny defendants on legal aid the right to choose their solicitor.” Full story The...
View ArticleCuts Will “Destroy” Legal Aid System – Criminal Law and Justice Weekly
“Jon Robins surveys the responses to the Government’s legal aid consultation paper.” Full story Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 29th June 2013 Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk
View ArticleJustice Secretary updates on competitive tendering for criminal legal aid –...
“Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has written to the Chair of the Justice Select Committee on competitive tendering for criminal legal aid.” Full story Ministry of Justice, 1st July 2013 Source:...
View ArticleBar Council Chairman: We will not facilitate a scheme which will wreck the...
“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today stated that it has no plans to develop a quality system to facilitate price competitive tendering (PCT) for criminal legal...
View ArticleGrayling promises second consultation on legal aid – but sets red lines – Law...
“The Ministry of Justice will publish a second ‘short’ consultation on its ‘finalised’ legal aid proposals in September before ‘pressing on’, the justice secretary announced this morning.” Full story...
View ArticleAre Britain’s barristers living on borrowed time? – Daily Telegraph
“It’s a profession that’s been associated with glamour, intrigue and financial gain. But imminent changes to our legal system have criminal lawyers fearing for their livelihoods. Why? And who stands to...
View ArticleGrayling announces U-turn on legal aid competition plan – The Guardian
“Plans to award legal aid contracts to the lowest bidders following criticisms it would reduce justice to a ‘factory mentality’ have been scrapped.” Full story The Guardian, 5th September 2013 Source:...
View ArticleMinisteriet for Forskning, Innovation og Videregaende Uddannelser v Manova...
Ministeriet for Forskning, Innovation og Videregaende Uddannelser v Manova A/S; (Case C-336/12); [2013] WLR (D) 383 “The principle of equal treatment did not preclude a contracting authority from...
View ArticleGlendalough Associated SA v Harris Calnan Construction Co Ltd – WLR Daily
Glendalough Associated SA v Harris Calnan Construction Co Ltd: [2013] EWHC 3142 (TCC); [2013] WLR (D) 397 “Where, in adjudication proceedings brought pursuant to the Housing Grants, Construction and...
View ArticleNordecon AS and another v Rahandusministeerium – WLR Daily
Nordecon AS and another v Rahandusministeerium (Case C-561/12); [2013] WLR (D) 470 ‘Article 30(2) of Parliament and Council Directive 2004/18/EC did not allow a contracting authority to negotiate with...
View ArticleHealthcare at Home Ltd v Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health...
Healthcare at Home Ltd v Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service [2014] UKSC 49; [2014] WLR (D) 351 ‘On a challenge by an unsuccessful tenderer for a public contract, the question...
View ArticleHealthcare at Home Limited (Appellant) v The Common Services Agency...
Healthcare at Home Limited (Appellant) v The Common Services Agency (Respondent) (Scotland) [2014] UKSC 49 (YouTube) Supreme Court, 30th July 2014 Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt
View ArticleBarristers’ clerks leader condemns “scandalous” local authority portal scheme...
‘A barrister portal scheme operated by the North West Legal Consortium, a group of over 30 local authorities, has been condemned as “scandalous” by the Institute of Barristers’ Clerks (IBC).’ Full...
View ArticleCartiera dell’Adda SpA v CEM Ambiente SpA – WLR Daily
Cartiera dell’Adda SpA v CEM Ambiente SpA (Case C-42/13) EU:C:2014:2345; [2014] WLR (D) 468 ‘Article 45 of Parliament and Council Directive 2004/18/EC of 31 March 2004 on the co-ordination of...
View ArticleLet Me Stop You There… The test for lifting injunctions in public procurement...
‘If you’ve seen an advert in the last few years warning you to submit your tax return on time, telling you not to drink and drive, or asking you to consider joining the armed forces, chances are that...
View ArticleGrayling’s legal aid reforms ‘irrational’, Law Society argues – Law Society’s...
‘The lord chancellor’s decision to start a tender process for legal aid crime duty contracts is unlawful because it is “irrational”, “disproportionate” and based on a “manifest error”, the Law Society...
View ArticleGroup M UK Ltd v Cabinet Office – Henderson Chambers
‘The Technology and Construction Court has reiterated that, in considering whether to lift the statutory suspension of the placing of a public contract following a challenge by an unsuccessful...
View ArticleCourt of Appeal dismisses procurement claim over delivery of tax-free...
‘The Court of Appeal has rejected a claim that the Government’s proposed arrangements for the delivery of tax-free childcare breach domestic and EU public procurement legislation.’ Full story Local...
View ArticleHigh court challenge to government over services to Saudi prisons – The Guardian
‘The legality of a bid by the commercial arm of the Ministry of Justice to provide services for Saudi Arabia’s prisons is to be challenged in the high court.’ Full story The Guardian, 29th June 2015...
View ArticleJudge orders damages and not award of contract after flawed tender – Local...
‘A High Court judge has decided that a council which ran a “fundamentally flawed” tender evaluation process should be required to pay the claimant damages rather award it the contract.’ Full story...
View ArticleLegal aid cuts: MoJ puts brakes on changes as solicitors revolt – The...
‘Moves to overhaul the legal-aid system have been delayed by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in the face of more than 100 challenges from solicitors’ firms who claim the whole process is fundamentally...
View ArticleLaw centres to challenge rights helpline contract – Law Society’s Gazette
‘The Law Centres Network has threatened to seek judicial review of the government’s decision to award the contract for operating a discrimination helpline to security contractor G4S.’ Full story Law...
View ArticleMedical equipment expert convicted of £1.7m corruption – Crown Prosecution...
‘An expert in the procurement of medical equipment who received £1.7m in corrupt payments to help medical supply companies win tenders has been convicted of corruption.’ Full StoryCrown Prosecution...
View ArticleAward of contracts – Local Government Law
‘R (Hersi & Co) v Lord Chancellor (2017) EWHC 2667 (TCC) is concerned with the defendant’s conduct of a public procurement exercise for the award of contracts to provide publicly-funded legal...
View ArticleCouncil to re-evaluate bids for 0-19 public health services after High Court...
‘Lancashire County Council has announced that it will re-evaluate the two existing bids for public health services for 0 to 19 year olds from Virgin Health Care and a joint bid between Lancashire Care...
View ArticleCouncil wins Court of Appeal battle over stadium and state aid – Local...
‘Coventry City Council has won a Court of Appeal case in the latest round of a four-year long litigation saga over the city’s sports stadium the Ricoh Arena.’ Full StoryLocal Government Lawyer, 15th...
View ArticleTCC decides that new trains for the Piccadilly Line cannot be held up by...
‘This case somewhat starkly makes clear that where the automatic suspension of a public procurement process is preventing the putting in place of a key public service, it is very unlikely that the...
View ArticleClancy Docwra Ltd v E.ON Energy Solutions Ltd [2018] EWHC 3124 (TCC) –...
‘In this case tender documentation appended to the Sub-Contract documentation had the effect of limiting the scope of obligations under the Sub-Contract.’ Full StoryHardwicke Chambers, 25th January...
View ArticleEurotunnel challenges ‘secretive’ Brexit ferry deals – BBC News
‘The government is facing a court challenge over the contracts it awarded to three shipping firms as part of its no-deal Brexit preparations.’ Full StoryBBC News, 1st March 2019Source: www.bbc.co.uk
View ArticleUK Home Office tendering for Modern Slavery Act compliance role – OUT-LAW.com
‘The UK Home Office is tendering for a partner to conduct an audit of corporate compliance with the reporting requirements set out in section 54 of the 2015 Modern Slavery Act (‘the Act’).’ Full...
View ArticleLinking it all together: Russell v PSP [2019] – Hardwicke Chambers
‘Every professional negligence lawyer knows that establishing the necessary causative link between a professional’s breach of duty and the loss suffered by the client can be the most difficult aspect...
View ArticleTime Limits for Tender Challenges: test for extending time to bring a public...
‘In Riverside Truck Rental Ltd-v-Lancashire County Council [2020] EWHC 1018 (TCC) the High Court confirmed the strict application of the rules governing the time limits for bringing a claim for breach...
View ArticleLegal challenge halts G4S Wellingborough ‘mega prison’ contract – BBC News
‘Plans to award a £300m “mega prison” contract to the security company G4S have been halted because of a legal challenge, the BBC understands.’ Full StoryBBC News, 27th August 2020Source: www.bbc.co.uk
View ArticleHigh Court lifts automatic suspension in procurement dispute over provision...
‘The Secretary of State for Justice (SoSJ) has successfully applied to the High Court for the lifting of the automatic suspension in a procurement challenge to the outcome of a mini-competition for a...
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