The Shetland Islands revisited

The parties to the Shetland News hyperlinking case (see January’s Page) have agreed that the News can hyperlink to the Shetland Times on condition that each link includes a logo and an attribution. Thus as yet no stunning precedent on whether or not hyperlinks may require the linked site’s permission.

Social Security Commissioners

The Social Security and Child Support Commissioners are the specialised part of the judiciary appointed to determine appeals on law under the Social Security and Child Support Acts.
Their work involves giving interpretations of the law which are binding on the various different adjudication and tribunal systems at the levels below them, and remedying procedural injustices in those systems. Selected decisions are now on the web at www.hywels.demon.co.uk/commrs/decns.htm.

Smith Bernal High Court Judgments

A free searchable database of high court judgments will soon be available on Smith Bernal’s Law Twenty One website. Smith Bernal is creating a database of all Court of Appeal judgments from 1 April 1996. An added value subscription service will also be available. The site is currently in the production stage — see www.smithbernal.com/judg.htm.

Family Law Act Forms

The new Family Law Act forms for domestic injunctions, required to be used from 1 October, were unfortunately for the practitioner not available from the courts on that date. They are published on HMSO’s SIs site, SI No. 1997/1894, Schedule 2. Originally put up in GIF format, these could be printed reasonably quickly directly from the web, though the quality is poor. In a perverse move, it seems the same poor quality files were then converted to PDF format, so you require an Adobe Acrobat reader to view them, and download and printout time are painfully slow. More news on forms on this site soon.

All ER

All England Reporter is a new service launching October from Butterworths which complements the All England Law Reports and delivers, via the web, next day digests of cases of relevance to commercial lawyers, together with the corresponding unrevised judgments.The service aims to provide a comprehensive round-up of cases of interest to the commercial lawyer. Cases will be selected by the All England Law Reports team, though the case selection policy will be much broader than that followed for the All ER. Cases heard by the House of Lords, the Privy Council, the Court of Appeal and all relevant decisions of the High Court will be considered, as well as important decisions of the European Court.

Prices start from ‘just’ ú3,000 to ú7,500 per annum, according to usage. A month’s free trial is offered.

Waterlow Web

Waterlow Web is a new division of Waterlow Legal Publishing, publishers of solicitors’ and barristers’ diaries and directories. This site contains comprehensive listings of solicitors’ firms and barristers’ chambers in England and Wales. Listings are searchable by county. The only information currently given is name and telephone number, except for a small number of entries where links to addresses and email contacts are provided — perhaps this is because the site is not yet officially launched. There are also separate databases containing details of international law firms, UK firms who undertake agency commissions work, expert witnesses and firms offering legal and investigative services.

StatPlus

October saw the launch of the new Stat Plus Web Site, with online legal and office supplies ordering, and claiming to have the world’s first interactive online law forms directory.

LAG

The Legal Action Group (LAG) is a national, independent charity which campaigns for equal access to justice for all members of society. LAG provides support to the practice of lawyers and advisers inspires developments in that practice; campaigns for improvements in the law and the administration of justice; and stimulates debate on how services should be delivered.

London Advice Finder On-Line

London Advice Finder is a database of advice and helping services in London, containing up-to-date information about more than 2,500 agencies throughout the capital: Law Centres in London; Day centres for homeless people; Citizens Advice Bureaux; and Homeless Persons Units.