| Independent body set up to deal with complaints against lawyers Move follows series of controversies about lawyers being regulated by bodies perceived as too close to the professionComplaints against lawyers will be resolved by a new independent body after the launch of the first Legal Ombudsman for England and Wales this week by the justice minister, Jonathan Djanogly.The £20m scheme, which the government says will bring greater fairness, replaces the formal system of separate complaints procedures for different branches of the profession."The consumer will have a single point of contact, and the process will be a much smoother one. I'm delighted that the emphasis will be on informal resolution," said Djanogly."We have argued for citizens to have more control over public services, and access to justice is an integral part of that, and it needs to be available without bureaucracy."The ombudsman, which was set up by the Office for Legal Complaints – the body that used to be responsible for complaints against lawyers – will be funded by a levy on lawyers and by additional fees paid when complaints are upheld."It's very important that it is not being paid for by the taxpayer," said Djanogly.The establishment of the independent body, which is based in Birmingham, has been required since 2009 after the Legal Services Act reformed regulation in England and Wales.It followed a series of controversies about lawyers being regulated by bodies which were perceived as too close to the profession, and which followed a legalistic and in some cases lengthy process."The old system was tainted by the idea that they were the representatives of the profession not the consumer," said Djanogly.The scheme's chief ombudsman is Adam Sampson, the former director of the homelessness charity Shelter.He said the organisation expected to receive around 100,000 complaints each year. "We are hoping to resolve the majority in an informal manner and to do things quickly."Afua Hirschguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Cuts are 'threat to S4C future' Proposed cuts to S4C's funding could threaten its existence, the broadcaster says, as it is revealed S4C is looking at ways of collaborating with BBC Wales. bbc.co.uk |
Spending review: blue line to get thinner in 20pc cut Thousands of police officers will be lost from the front line amid budget cuts of up to a fifth, it was claimed yesterday. telegraph.co.uk |
Rescue launched for crew on burning ship Thirteen people who remained aboard factory fishing vessel Athena manage to bring fire under controlNearly 100 people were rescued from lifeboats today after the ship they were on caught fire 230 miles south-west of the Isles of Scilly.The Athena, a 105-metre (345ft) fish factory ship, caught fire in the early hours of this morning, forcing 98 crew members to take to rescue boats while the rest of the crew brought the blaze under control.Coastguards were alerted to the fire just after 6am, and a Royal Navy helicopter was on put standby, but coastguards said the ship was too far out to sea for an airborne rescue.There were no reports of injuries among the crew, which includes Chinese, Russian, Peruvian and Scandinavian personnel.The coastguard said the 13 crew remaining aboard brought the blaze under control after a passing container ship, the Vega, rescued the 98 people from lifeboats.A spokesman for Falmouth coastguard, which co-ordinated the rescue, said: "At the moment 13 crew members remain on board the Athena, with 98 on the Vega."We've been very fortunate in this case that no one was injured in the initial fire, or moving the crew to and from the life rafts."The 13 members on board continue to fight the fire as it is still ongoing, but they have it contained in a compartment and are able to operate the rest of the ship.The coastguard said that just after 6am they had been alerted to a major fire on board the Faroese-registered fish factory ship Athena, 230 miles south-west of the Isles of Scilly and 270 nautical miles west of the Pointe Du Penmarche at Brittany.The coastguard said a Falcon 50 fixed-wing aircraft had been scrambled from a French airfield this morning to provide a communications link with the Athena, and a Royal Navy helicopter from RNAS Culdrose had been scrambled to the Scillies to refuel.The Athena is owned by the shipping company Thor, which is based in the Faroe Islands. It was built in 1992 but needed refitting in China earlier this year after suffering another fire, according to a report in Lloyd's List. The ship, which flies under the Faroese flag, has a maximum capacity of 125 crew and a top speed of 14.5 knots.Falmouth coastguard relayed the stricken vessel's mayday signal into the area, and five ships responded to the emergency call.A spokeswoman for Thor Offshore and Fisheries said the fire appeared to have started in a packing-material storage area.Coastguards said the vessel had 50% power and was sailing towards Britain at a speed of 10 knots, where it was expected later tomorrow.Adam Gabbattguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
RSPCA criticised for killing orphaned deer The RSPCA has been criticised for "euthanasing" an orphaned deer who was too tame to survive in the wild. telegraph.co.uk |