A government watchdog has served ten councils with notices to improve asbestos safety in schools.

The Health and Safety Executive took action after assessing asbestos maintenance in 152 local authorities England. Experts focused their efforts on system-built schools which were constructed between 1945 and 1980, and were likely to have been fire proofed with asbestos.

Thurrock Council was the only local authority in the study that was handed a prohibition notice, which immediately shut down a boiler room and made it off-limits until the issue is resolved.

Elsewhere, 110 councils met the HSE’s expectations, while 42 required visits and ten were given improvement notices to be completed in set time frame.

The HSE has revealed that it will work closely with the ten local authorities in question to bring asbestos monitoring and management up to the necessary standard, as well as five other councils which were not given notices.

The local authorities being monitored are: Bedford – 1 improvement notice; Doncaster – 2 improvement notices; Harrow – failed to respond to survey and served 3 improvement notices; Kent – 2 improvement notices; Lambeth – 2 improvement notices; Medway – 2 improvement notices; South Gloucestershire – 1 improvement notice; Thurrock – 2 improvement notices and 1 prohibition notice on boiler room; Waltham Forest – 2 improvement notices; Worcestershire – 1 improvement notice.

Source: http://personalinjury.ffw.com/news/2010/sep/councils-warned-over-asbestos.aspx

I am terrified to pick up the paper or switch on the news, are we facing housing market Armageddon????

According to Nationwide, the market has stalled, house prices falling 0.9% in August, but are still £3,000 up on the start of the year.

Are we all over reacting, prices rose at a heart fluttering pace only to come back down again, perhaps this is all just a healthy correction.

Nationwide said the average home is now worth £166,507 and the property market appeared to have stagnated following the past year´s surprise rally in house prices.

Annual property inflation has slipped back to 3.9%, after hitting a recent peak of 10.5% in April, while over three months house prices are flat.

The building society said that while the market was easing, house prices were unlikely to fall rapidly as they did in 2008, with the evidence instead pointing to a period of stagnation which would improve affordability.

Recent market trends remain consistent with an unwinding of the supply-demand imbalance that drove up prices for much of the last year.

As more sellers have returned to the market, buyers have a greater selection of properties to choose from and more bargaining power with which to bid down asking prices.

There is little evidence of distressed selling, however, with the Council of Mortgage Lenders´ second quarter figures showing another drop in mortgage arrears and possessions.

At present the trend for price decline is likely to remain modest.

A run of downbeat news emerging from the property market has led to renewed forecasts from some economists that prices will fall once more.

Howard Archer, chief UK economist at analysts IHS Global Insight suggests prices will be 10% lower than their mid 2010 levels by the end of 2011. His forecast was echoed this week by Andrew Goodwin, senior economic advisor to the influential Ernst & Young ITEM Club, who said annual price falls of between 3% and 5% will be seen over the next 12 months, before house price stabilise.

However, economists and property watchers agree that the effects of a slowdown will be felt differently across the UK. The threat of spending cuts and public sector cutbacks is more likely to affect areas outside London and the South East and hit them harder.

Meanwhile, in the more buoyant capital and commuter areas, good properties in desirable locations are likely to prove most resilient.

Last year, there was a major disconnect between the property market and the economy. House prices rose at a rate that was simply unsustainable and a degree of correction was always on the cards.

Source: http://www.conveynews.com/article.aspx?aid=66

Alan Johnson accuses Home Secretary of ‘lack of concern’ for domestic violence victims

In an interview with The Independent, Alan Johnson, the former Home Secretary and current shadow minister, has accused his successor of developing a ‘pattern of behaviour’ that prejudices women.

He cites in particular the government’s decision to defer a decision on the domestic violence protection scheme, introduced by Mr Johnson. He also refers to the decision to opt out of a European Union directive on human trafficking.

Mr Johnson said:

“I don’t doubt that Theresa May meant it when she said that she wanted to end violence against women and girls.”

However, he added that her actions demonstrate “a lack of concern for victims of domestic violence and trafficking.”

A Home Office spokesman said:

“The Home Secretary has made clear she considers tackling violence against women a priority. This Government is committed to protecting victims of domestic violence and that is why we have continued to provide £3.5m funding for Independent Domestic Violence Advisers and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences.”

For the interview, visit The Independent website.

Source: http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed65149

Parity calls for greater support for male victims

The Observer reports the findings of Parity, the equal rights campaign group, that two in five of all victims of domestic violence are men.

Parity’s findings are published in a report, Domestic Violence: The Male Perspective, which can be downloaded from its website.

The charity’s analysis of Home Office statistics shows that since 2008 just under 40 per cent of domestic violence incidents relate to male victimisation. Twent-five per cent of victims have been attacked between six and 20 times. The charity says that in many instances of attacks on men the police take action against the man involved. Parity also complains that there is little or no support for male victims (or the children).

The Observer article can be read here.

Source: http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed65152

‘Most respected, distinguished and admired Judge of our times’ is mourned by legal world

The Lord Chief Justice has paid tribute to Lord Bingham of Cornhill, who died on Saturday, 11 September, aged 76.

The Lord Chief Justice said:

“On behalf of the judiciary of England and Wales, I would like to express my sorrow at the death of Tom Bingham, the most respected, distinguished and admired Judge of our times. His contributions to our understanding of the significance of the rule of law, and the principled development of the common law, have been unequalled in our generation. Judges throughout the world will recognise Tom Bingham as one of the great jurists of this generation and one of the great common law judges.”

On Monday’s Today programme on Radio 4, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, described Lord Bingham as ‘the most universally respected and admired judge of his generation’.

Lord Bingham took silk in 1972, was appointed a High Court judge in 1980 and promoted to the Court of Appeal in 1986. In 1992 he became Master of the Rolls. He was appointed Lord Chief Justice in 1996. He became senior law Lord in 2000.

For an obituary of Lord Bingham, written by Philippe Sands, visit the Guardian website.

Source: http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed65609

Ministry of Justice to review measures in the Children, Schools and Families Act 2010

Sue Berelowitz, Deputy Children’s Commissioner for England, has welcomed the Ministry of Justice decision to look again at the measures in the Children, Schools and Families Act 2010 that would allow journalists to report more widely on family court proceedings. She said:

“We really welcome the decision by the Ministry of Justice to look again at the measures to allow journalists to report more widely on family court cases. We understand the reasons behind the calls for greater transparency in these proceedings. But children and young people have expressed deep anxiety about these moves and told us that they were seriously worried about information from their private lives being placed into the public domain. Their concerns were brought to Parliament’s attention in the Office of the Children’s Commissioner’s report on media access to family courts.

“We have long advocated for assurances that a child’s privacy is upheld and the utmost sensitivity is demonstrated before any information from the family courts is made public. Any change to the current rules on reporting must put the best interests of the child first. We will continue to work with the Ministry of Justice to ensure these children’s lives are adequately protected.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said:

“In recognition of the sensitivity of this area, the government wants to look closely at the changes the Act would introduce before any final decision on implementation is taken.”

Meanwhile, the Newspaper Society has complained in a submission to the House of Commons’ Justice Select Committee that the Act has rendered virtually unreportable legal cases covered by the Act.

The submission says:

“In the final event, the Act became the vehicle for a regime which not only ensured total anonymity for all those involved, thus completely defeating the objective of greater accountability of those involved in the system, but which also, if brought into effect in its present form, will arguably place greater restriction upon the media’s ability to report than is presently the case.”

Source: http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed66112

Four members of staff from Keith Park Solicitors joined forces to raise funds for the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital on Sunday 12th September 2010, many congratulations to all who took part.

They are raising funds for the same basis as Dave Achilles.

Because of the fact that there is a confidentiality clause in the settlement of this claim some of the details have been amended.

Mr X was employed as a Manager on and was the subject of Disciplinary Proceedings.

Those Disciplinary Proceedings the Employer concluded showed that his conduct amounted to gross misconduct and that he should be dismissed. The employers made a without prejudice settlement offer to avoid dismissal and encourage his resignation. He instructed Keith Park Solicitors and in less than 4 working days the case was settled on mutually acceptable terms with Mr X receiving approximately 200% more compensation than initially offered to bring about the termination of his employment.

Ironically Mr X was initially satisfied with the employers’ first offer to him direct and merely sought advice on the proposed Compromise Agreement that went with that. Instructions were taken as to his employment background and the details of his conduct and it was concluded that this did not, in our opinion, amount to reasons for dismissal.

Representations were made and, as stated above, within 4 working days the case concluded with Mr X receiving in excess of a year’s net salary as compensation.

This highlights the benefits of instructing Keith Park Solicitors.

From left to right Janet Harrison, Jo Ashcroft, Jennifer O’Neil, Diane Moore, Sue Blackburn, Julie Skerry, Alison Gordon.

The girls did the 5K run at Shirdley Park on June 27th 2007 on behalf of cancer research ‘Race for Life’.

Below is the link to the site, it’s an all women race raising money for breast cancer!

To make a donation please visit: http://www.raceforlife.org/prepaypage.aspx

Dave Achilles Partner of the Practice who’s specialist area is Criminal Law took part in a cycle challenge on the 18th July 2010 from Liverpool – Chester – Liverpool return journey clocking up 54 miles via the Mersey Tunnel to raise money for the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital at Broad Green.

The picture was taken at more or less the halfway point, rain bucketing it down and still another 27 miles to go!

Well done Dave, still looking good!

Update: Dave raised money for the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. To date he has managed to raise £651 Dave commented It’s a wonderful reflection of the generosity of people too numerous to mention; thanks again.