PLC Public Sector reports:

Public authorities regularly come in for criticism about the way that they deal with requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/3391) (EIR).  Often harsh words are both justified and necessary.  However, a look at the differing approaches taken by “differently constituted” first-tier tribunals to the same issues highlights the problems that public authorities face.  The correct action to take is not always easy to identify as they try to deal with an ever increasing workload and fewer resources in the face of a series of mixed messages from the tribunal.

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PLC Public Sector reports: 

Make sure that you have not missed a key development in your area of the law by reviewing our latest list of recommended actions. Read the rest of this entry »

The decision of the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) (CACD) in OB v Director of the Serious Fraud Office [2012]  EWCA Civ 501 is an interesting one in that it confirms the approach the court will take to dealing with ambiguities in legislation. For the background to the decision, see Legal update, Contempt of court: civil or criminal? (Court of Appeal). Having dismissed the appellant OB’s appeal and upheld his committal to prison for contempt, the CACD indicated that it was minded to refuse his request to seek permission to appeal to the Supreme Court. 

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PLC Public Sector reports: 

Make sure that you have not missed a key development in your area of the law by reviewing our latest list of recommended actions. Read the rest of this entry »

PLC Public Sector reports:

Our public procurement case law digest for April 2012 focuses on the obligation on a contracting authority to seek clarification or further information from bidders and considers whether there has been a disagreement of what the requirements are between the ECJ and the High Court.

Please feel free to submit a comment below or contact us at: feedback@practicallaw.com if you have any views on the cases covered or think that we have missed a case that should be brought to the attention of public procurement practitioners. 

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PLC Public Sector reports: 

Make sure that you have not missed a key development in your area of the law by reviewing our latest list of recommended actions. Read the rest of this entry »

Although many of the provisions in the Health and Social Care Bill 2010-12 were the subject of great controversy as the Bill made its way onto the statute book, the proposals for the creation of health and wellbeing boards (HWBs) have been universally welcomed by local government (demonstrated by the fact that 90% of affected local authorities signed up to pilot HWBs ahead of the April 2012 statutory deadline). Although the purpose of HWBs  is to encourage local authorities to take a more strategic approach to providing integrated health and local government services by bringing together those involved across the NHS, public health, adult social care and children’s services, concerns have been raised as to how effective the boards will be, see Article, Health and wellbeing boards and public health. Read the rest of this entry »

PLC Public Sector reports: 

Make sure that you have not missed a key development in your area of the law by reviewing our latest list of recommended actions. Read the rest of this entry »

PLC Public Sector reports:

We are currently deciding our publishing priorities for 2012/13 and want to give our subscribers the opportunity to suggest what our priorities for new public procurement content should be.

Also if you think there are any areas where our public procurement content could be improved, please let us know.  Read the rest of this entry »

PLC Public Sector reports: 

Make sure that you have not missed a key development in your area of the law by reviewing our latest list of recommended actions. Read the rest of this entry »