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We welcome your comments regarding the site, its contents, and of course the articles.

Please send your communications to the Publisher, Brian Risman.

From "All-American", United States

War on Iraq

19 April 2003

American troops are there now,  and where are those weapons Mr. Bush? To me it seems like maybe oil was the reason America's president killed all those people -- so let us hide behind the liberation of Iraqis.   

If you all were true Americans you would slack up on your dependence on oil and convert your gas guzzling SUVs to propane, "America's  fuel resource"!! For those who are against England being there you need to read your history books. Iraq was once an English colony just like America that was released in the 1930's. If I were English I would think of Iraq as my 18 year old child, young and inexperienced. That is why I think England has the right -- or do they ? Yes, the world would not miss Saddam, but they just might miss a loved one.  If I was there, yes I would die for the freedom of all people, but I'm not. Instead I'm asking American's to walk, ride your bike, Maybe even go as far as converting your SUV's to America's fuel, natural gas, or you can wait on those scientists and engineers to develop a new kind of fuel for motors and hopefully you can afford the new and improved SUV.  

Something else that really bothers me are these anti-drug campaigns that say if you buy pot you're supplying terrorists with money. I believe if you buy oil or gas you are supplying them with even more money. People, think about it.  

 

 

Re: Reunification of Residents of Service House Childrens Home - 1937-1947 - Portsmouth, Southsea, Stansted Park , Hants (a public service note!)

3 September 2002

I had a good life and I would like to know where some of the children, who were in the home during the period of 1939 until 1947.

I am now retired and living in Canada and wonder where you are all now. For many years, I was a volunteer, working with many children, and I was glad to hear from some of these children I did make a difference.

Thanks to the positive upbringing - Thanks, to my past, it helped make my life easier, also to achieve many things - I hope to hear from some of you - so that we can exchange stories. I wonder how many of you migrated, and where.

 I have since found out that the Services House files have been deleted and I hope in time to retrieve some history of the home from the archives. I also served for a couple of years in the W.R.A.F in England before I came to Canada. I think some of you also served in many of the Services. A very special thanks to the City of Portsmouth and also the following: Royal Navy, Royal Marine, and The many branches of the Services. Also from the many forces during the Second World War (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United States of America and many other countries.

A Big Thank you. Thanks.

Enid Haffenden Newfoundland Canada

Contact: brian@thelawjournal.co.uk . Your note will be forwarded to Enid Haffenden.
 

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Re: British Library / Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Concordat

10 July 2002

Dear Brian,

Please find enclosed a press release that may be of interest, and please
feel free to contact me for more information.

Kind regards

Colin Beesley


02/63                                                       10 July 2002


Legal research to benefit from agreement
between major institutions


Legal study and research is set to benefit from an agreement between the
British Library and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS). The two
institutions have signed a Concordat that will improve access to legal
material for researchers, and enable both organisations to identify shared
strategic priorities, allowing more effective collection development of
research resources.

The Concordat provides a framework for future co-operation and
collaboration, ensuring that both organisations are fully informed of each
other's current programmes and future plans and facilitating the development
of joint activities.

Its primary aims are:
* Reducing the overlap between the British Library and IALS foreign
legal journal holdings and filling gaps in collecting material.
* Identifying and filling gaps in the national collection of foreign
legal materials.
* To commission research guides to foreign legal literature by country
and publish them on the web.
* Organising training courses to improve professional skills between
staff in both organisations.
* Working towards the creation of a national central collection of
official gazettes.

Both institutions will meet regularly to discuss matters of common interest
and concern and develop action plans with specific goals every year to
address relevant issues. The agreement will run initially for three years
but with the intention of subsequent review and renewal.

The Concordat grew out of an earlier collaboration between the two
institutions called the FLAG (Foreign Law Guide) project. Funded by the
Research Support Libraries Programme, FLAG is a database of foreign legal
holdings in nearly 60 UK libraries in terms of categories of legal
literature, such as law reports, legislation and treaties.

Clive Field, Director of Scholarship and Collections at the British Library,
said, "Legal researchers everywhere will welcome this formal collaboration
between two of the world's greatest collecting institutions of information
in this field. The Concordat will enable both organisations to develop their
collections and services in complementary and integrated ways, for the
lasting betterment of legal study and research."

Jules Winterton, Librarian and Deputy Director of the IALS, said, "We aim to
improve the national provision of information to the legal research
community through this collaboration. The two institutions have worked
together informally for many years. The Concordat will provide the formal
basis for a closer partnership in the service of legal scholarship."


For further information please contact Colin Beesley at the British Library
Press Office, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ. Telephone 01937
546 825, fax 01937 546 571, email colin.beesley@bl.uk


Notes to Editors

1. The British Library - is the national library of the United Kingdom.
It provides world-class information services to the academic, business,
research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the
world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. Further
information is available on the Library's website at www.bl.uk.

2. The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies - is a postgraduate research
institute within the School of Advanced Study of the University of London
and a national centre for the support of legal scholarship. The Institute
has a national and international reputation for the promotion and
facilitation of legal research among academic and practising lawyers and the
judiciary. The Institute's Library is one of the world's leading legal
research libraries. Further information is available on the Library's
website at ials.sas.ac.uk

3. The Foreign Law Guide (FLAG) project is funded by the Research
Support Libraries Programme. The major partners are the Institute of
Advanced Legal Studies, the British Library, the Bodleian Law Library of the
University of Oxford, the Squire Law Library of the University of Cambridge,
and the Library of the School of Oriental and African Studies of the
University of London. The project website can be visited at
ials.sas.ac.uk/flag.htm <http://ials.sas.ac.uk/flag.htm>.

Ends

Colin Beesley
Press & Public Relations
The British Library
Boston Spa
Wetherby
West Yorks LS23 7BQ

Tel: +44 (0)1937 546 825
Fax: +44 (0)1937 546 571
Email: colin.beesley@bl.uk


**********************************************************************

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Trading Places : the East India Company and Asia (to 22 September)

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are not the intended recipient, please delete this e-mail and notify
the postmaster@bl.uk : The contents of this e-mail must not be
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The statements and opinions expressed in this message are those of
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Re: Brian's Law Books Recommendations

6 July 2002

Sir,

Yes those books are great but i would like to add to the lists. Having just finished my second year at the Law School, I found certain books very helpful and useful.  

Principles of Public Law by Rosalind English (note: limited availability)  is very good and easy to read. 

Principles of Criminal Law by Duncan Bloy is also a very good book. This book carries a lot of case commentaries and opinions which any law student doing crime will definitely find very useful. It really helped me.  

Principles of Criminal Law by Andrew Ashworth is also very good, but student reading this must be really patient as Professor Ashworth talk deeper on every crime topic than most authors, ie. justification, punishment etc.

For Constitutional Law, I would definitely recommend  Critical Introduction by Ian Loveland . This is a very good book and student will enjoy reading this.  It has most of the cases and full commentaries which most students would find very useful.

Thank you,

Kenny Anifowose. 

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Re: National Land Information Service CON29 Form Modernisation

28 June 2002

Press Release                                   28 June 2002

Subject: Most Used Legal Form (CON 29) Modernised For Electronic Use

On 1 July 2002 new 'CON 29 Enquiries of Local Authority' forms replace the
current Con 29, which practitioners use in all conveyancing transactions.
The new simpler forms have been developed, with the help of NLIS, to make
electronic searches easier, and faster.

Electronic versions of the new forms will be available through NLIS channels
(the retailers of NLIS services) from 1 July.

Preparatory work started at the beginning of the year, and throughout May
and June successful testing with local authorities has taken place.

Practitioners will see that the new forms ask for a National Land & Property
Gazetteer, Unique Property Reference Number (NLPG UPRN). This enables faster
searches, as well as greater certainty with results. The NLIS channels will
identify this number for conveyancers, as part of their on-screen service.
This is one of many reasons that makes searching through an NLIS channel
easier.

There's also a new simpler way of charging for searches. We've therefore
developed a database of all fees for every search question listed for each
authority - sometimes twice over if fees for residential and commercial
enquiries differ. This new fees catalogue enables NLIS channels to quickly
work out the right fees for practitioners.

Jan Boothroyd, a member of the working group that developed the new forms,
said:

"The new forms are designed to be more user friendly - in fact Part 1 is
constructed so that from question 3 onwards, a solicitor is looking for 'no'
answers. Any 'yes' replies should result in a further enquiry being made.
This makes the form easier to read, and is particularly helpful if the
lawyer is working online. Also, since NLIS channels can supply the location
plan now needed with Part 1, practitioners can leave that to NLIS, which
should save them time."

NLIS Grows From Strength To Strength - 100,000 E-searches Done

Recently, NLIS completed its 100,000th search. This is confirmation that the
profession trusts NLIS, and has embraced electronic searching.

In March NLIS was processing over 1,000 searches electronically each week -
some as quickly as in 2 minutes. By mid-April it was estimated that about 5%
of all searches were being made through NLIS channels, and 10% of all
searches are expected to be through NLIS in July. Currently NLIS is handling
over 2000 searches a week.

NLIS is doubling its business every two to three months.

 NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. Details about NLIS, and information on it's growth, can be obtained from
Pete Sizer (petesizer@nlis.org.uk), NLIS Central Government Coordinator, on
01752 873225.

2. Jan Boothroyd (janboothroyd@nlis.org.uk), NLIS Local Government
Coordinator, is available for interview by prior arrangement.

3.  NLIS is a national service delivered locally.

The National Land Information Service was established in 2001 and is a
dynamic e-government service, with complete coverage of England and Wales.
NLIS is an example of joined-up government (local and central), inter-agency
cooperation and public-private-partnership (PPP).

NLIS provides one-stop access to all land and property related information
throughout England and Wales. It reduces the time-consuming and painstaking
process of land and property searches into a simple, on-screen routine,
taking less than an hour - rather than a week or more under the old scheme.
NLIS is helping transform the whole process of property transfer, and is the
start of e-conveyancing.
Local government modernisation targets include automation of local land
charges by 2003.

4.  Websites

The NLIS website is at: www.nlis.org.uk

The NLIS channels are:

- NLIS Searchflow: www.searchflow.co.uk

- TM NLIS Search: www.tmproperty.co.uk

- Transaction Online: www.transaction-online.co.uk

The NLPG website is at: www.nlpg.org.uk

ENQUIRIES ABOUT THIS PRESS NOTICE

Please call Stephen Honey, NLIS Consultant, on 01395 268458 (mobile
07798-521849, or e-mail him at: s.a.honey@btinternet.com or
Carol Capper, NLIS Marketing Coordinator, on 01264 392087 (mobile 07881-
623979) or e-mail her at: c_capper@nlis.org.uk

NLIS DETAILS

National Land Information Service, Local Government Information House Ltd.,
Layden House, 2nd Floor, 76-86 Turnmill Street, London EC1M 5LG Phone
020-7296 6600 Fax 020-7296 6860. Web site: www.nlis.org.uk

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Re: Milestone Ruling for European Charities

18 June 2002

PRESS RELEASE

 

Milestone ruling for European charities

 

French Avocats, Fauchon Levy have obtained a groundbreaking ruling on behalf of leading UK cancer charity, under the Treaty of Rome.

In this landmark case, two leading cancer charities, one French and one English both inherited from a person who was domiciled in France, and whose estate was divided between France and the UK.

Complications arose when the English tax administration exempted the English charity and taxed the French charity at a rate of 40%.

The French tax officials in turn excused the French charity of any duty, but imposed a rate of 60% on the English charity.

Fauchon Levy, a law firm with offices in London and Paris, have successfully claimed that this treatment is discriminatory against the English Charity under the Treaty of Rome; resulting in the French Inland Revenue granting both English and French charities a similar status.

This will lead to a full tax exemption if a charity can justify that its resources are exclusively related to cultural, scientific or artistic purposes, and there is no profit making concerned.

MEP, Pervenche Beres, who gave her full support to the case, added, “It is reassuring to know that the aid organisations chosen will now get significantly more benefit from this donation”.

“As the percentage of foreign residents buying property in France soars, this decision is a big step to regulating tax issues for charities receiving donations from abroad,” says Michel Levy, partner of Fauchon Levy.

 

 

ENDS

 

 

For further information please contact:

Michel Levy

Email: fauchon-levy@wanadoo.fr

Phone: 00 33 1 47 53 0880

18 Avenue de la Bourdonnais

75007 Paris, France

Or

Monique Fauchon

Email: f-l@dircon.co.uk

Phone: 0207 430 0533

40 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LF

 

Founded in 1995, Fauchon Levy is a firm of French Avocats based in London and Paris distinguished in the Anglo-Franco arena by providing legal advisory services to assist clients in both countries.

Fauchon Levy specialises in French and European law relating to tax, family succession and property.