The Guardian New tax will add 24p a litre to soft drinks with the highest sugar content and cost £1bn to implement Suing the government is one option that companies are considering over the sugar tax. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Soft drink makers are considering taking legal action against the government over its controversial…
The Guardian Universities UK says rules must be updated to bring them into line with human rights laws and institutions’ duty of care to students Nicola Dandridge: ‘Universities have a clear duty of care when it comes to their students and we need to revisit the guidelines to make sure this duty is at the…
The Law Gazette he Ministry of Justice has slipped out confirmation of a 34% hike in divorce fees expected to take effect next Monday, despite strong opposition from family lawyers. Last summer the MoJ consulted on a round of court fee rises, including a proposed rise in divorce fees from £410 to £550. But despite…
The Law Gazette The advertising watchdog has banned two online ads for bank refund claims which made unsubstantiated promises about compensation. The Advertising Standards Authority today upheld complaints about two separate claims firms following challenges from the Lloyds Banking Group. One ruling concerned the website claimback.com, which promoted a PPI service and included a box…
The Law Gazette Claims management companies will be forced to pass a ‘fit and proper test’ and record all client calls if they want to continue practising, Whitehall announced today. In a joint response to an independent review of the sector, the Ministry of Justice and Treasury agreed on the need for a tougher regulatory regime…
The Guardian Senior Tories and opposition MPs demand tighter controls in legislation that will overhaul state’s surveillance powers The law would give the state powers to force communications firms to store individuals’ internet connection records. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA Theresa May is facing calls from senior Tories and the opposition to improve the investigatory powers bill…
The Law Gazette Fundamental weaknesses’ in a system to deprive criminals of the proceeds of their crimes remain, according to the public spending watchdog, which says offenders now owe £1.6bn to the state. The government clawed back only 26p out of every £100 of identified criminal proceeds, the National Audit Office (pictured) reported in December…
The Guardian Delays and miscommunication between Ministry of Justice and Home Office mean that law passed a year ago to tackle online grooming still not being used The NSPCC has criticised the government for failing to enact section 67 of the 2015 Serious Crime Act, aimed at protecting children from online grooming. Photograph: Government blunders…
The Law Gazette A Cheshire solicitor convicted of multiple counts of fraud has been barred from the profession by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. Andrew John Taylor, who practised from his firm in Cheadle, misappropriated £624,000 through payments and transfers from the firm’s client account for his own personal use. Taylor’s victims had been clients vulnerable…
The Guardian Woman says staff threatened to refer her son to counter-extremism programme thinking he had drawn a ‘cooker bomb’ The child’s drawing of a cucumber caused concern Photograph: BBC Asian Network Staff at a nursery school threatened to refer a four-year-old boy to a de-radicalisation programme after he drew pictures they thought showed his…
