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Barrister-solicitor distinction to be more decorative than function: LawSoc Pres
27/01/12: Law Society President John Wotton has said he envisages the time coming when the barrister/solicitor distinction will be more decorative than functional. Education and training will converge, he predicted.

Home Office to tackle metal theft with new criminal offence, increased fines
27/01/12: The government is to create a new criminal offence that prohibits cash payments to purchase scrap metal, in a bid to tackle metal theft. Fines for offences under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 will also be increased.

LJ Jackson urges national rollout of provisional assessment costs procedure
27/01/12: A pilot of Provisional Assessment – a procedure where the court provisionally assesses costs on paper – has been successful and so the scheme should be rolled out nationally, Lord Justice Jackson has said.

Welsh Govt consults on guidance for new Child Practice Review framework
27/01/12: The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on draft practitioner guidance for its new Child Practice Review (CPR) framework. The framework will replace the current Serious Case Review procedures.

Council seeks to reverse "ambiguous" injunction in libraries dispute
26/01/12: Surrey CC is bidding to reverse a High Court injunction that blocked its plans for community partnered libraries. The county council said it was concerned that the injunction was ambiguous.

DfT issues guidance on lane rental schemes, plans pilot with three authorities
26/01/12: The Department for Transport has published guidance on putting lane rental schemes in place. However, schemes will only be introduced in three authorities initially so the DfT can gather evidence on their effectiveness.

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Time to be civil?
Local authority trading standards and legal teams should make much greater use of consumer protection provisions in the Enterprise Act 2002, argues Alan Conroy.

Counterfeiting and the Olympics
Local authorities will have a key role to play in clamping down on counterfeiting around this year's Olympic Games, write Andrew Campbell-Tiech QC and Ed Jenkins QC.

Primary Authority takes centre stage
The Primary Authority scheme is to have a significantly expanded role in regulatory enforcement going forwards. The Local Better Regulation Office sets out how.

High price to pay?
The Court of Appeal has confirmed that the government’s proposed changes to solar feed-in tariffs were unlawful, although for different reasons to those given in the High Court. David Hart QC explains why.

Real estate case review 2011: pt one
In the first of a two-part series, Richard Bedford and James Sutherland review the key real estate disputes of 2011. This article, covering December 2010 to June 2011, includes cases on service charges, break notices and limitation.

At your service
The European Court of Justice has provided in a Latvian case important clarification on the difference between a public service contract and a public service concession, writes Elizabeth Gibson.

A considered view
A recent High Court case looked at the threshold for what should be considered a lawful decision in a planning committee, and the effect of ambiguous legal advice to committee members. John Bosworth analyses the ruling.

The balance between risk and emotional wellbeing
A Court of Protection case that looked at whether an elderly woman had the capacity to go on holiday with her partner hit the headlines this month. Alex Ruck Keene and colleagues look at the judge’s decision.

Switch on the generator
It is more important than ever for local authority legal teams to consider opportunities for income generation and the recovery of costs from third parties for legal services. Judith Barnes, Glenn Newberry and Louise Hoyle examine the background.

The subject of competition
With the Office of Fair Trading raising the stakes, it is more important than ever for local authorities to comply with competition laws. Laurence Pritchard examines this complex area.

Summary reviews: where are we now?
The summary review process has its merits as a way of dealing with particularly problematic licensed premises but should be reserved for its original purpose, argues Paddy Whur.

No more fallback position
The Court of Appeal handed down a hugely significant ruling last year in relation to the award of costs in judicial review proceedings. Josephine Norris examines the judgment.

Meeting expectations
The first ever judicial review challenge by one NHS body of a decision by another offers useful guidance on the applicability of the legitimate expectation principle to public consultation, writes Ellen Wiles.

TIF uncovered
The Local Government Finance Bill was published last month. Alan Aisbett looks at the implications for enterprise zones, business rate retention and tax increment financing.

Designer trouble
A de-cluttered approach to highway design is becoming increasingly popular but this could increase the chance of future claims. John Palmer reports on a case where the defendant authority was able to defeat a claim.

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