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| 2007
news, articles & events -
most recent |
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Five
more bank charge cases to proceed at Edinburgh Sheriff Court; Small
claims limit to be raised to £3,000
(The Herald, 13 September 2007)
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Sheriff gives go
ahead for bank charges claims - (Murchison
Law Solicitors of Inverness appearing for GLC).
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Westminster
changes law to allow Electoral Commission to examine spoilt ballot
papers at Scottish elections:
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Bank
customers urged to keep pushing for penalty refunds - The
Scotsman, 27 August 2007.
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CAS
2007 annual conference - citizens or consumers debate? - GLC's
Principal Solicitor's opening address. |
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Citizens
Advice Scotland 2007 annual conference - Scotland's
most pressing issues debated. CAS
press release. |
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Bank
charges: GLC note on
opposing applications by UK banks to sist Scottish claims pending the
OFT's High Court case in London - links
to PDF download (17 August 2007). |
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London
based Which? threatens to sue GLC's Principal Solicitor - for
defending Scotland's independent legal profession and opposing the
desire of banks and multinationals to control Scotland's legal profession.
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Sheriff
Principal rejects bank's defence of res judicata (which
sought to stop customers in Scotland pursuing subsequent £750
small claims for bank charges)
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House
of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee - GLC
uncorrected transcript of evidence: Poverty in Scotland Inquiry,19
June 2007 (added 6 July 2007)
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GLC
assists in cross-border effort to secure major bank charges victory
at Hull County Court
(4 July 2007)
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GLC
contribution to BBC Scotland Live - 19
June 2006 on the House of Commons's Scottish Affairs Committee
session in Glasgow Govan (Real
Audio).
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Housing
benefit & rent arrears -
legal article
based on a talk to Glasgow sheriffs by GLC's Principal Solicitor
(link to PDF; 5 June 2007).
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BBC Radio 4's Moneybox on
Saturday 2 June 2007 - GLC commentary on Berwick
v Lloyds TSB plc and the proposed striking out of claims at Hull
County Court (in Real Audio);
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Democracy
is the loser in debacle over 'lost' votes
(GLC comment in The Herald on 30 May 2007).
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Glasgow
voters consider challenge to regional list
election result with help from GLC solicitors.
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Fair
enough? - UK credit Options conference. (PDF
link to download conference programme) 29-30 May 2007, Edinburgh,
hosted by Citizens Advice Scotland and Debt on our Doorstep.
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Anger
grows at bank charge companies (link
to Holyrood Magazine, April 2007).
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Citizen
justice GLC article for the Journal
of the Law Society of Scotland (April 2007).
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GLC
launches new website on how to deal with property management problems |
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Law
centre helps 1m battle banks over unfair fees
(link to the Evening Times, 5 April 2007).
Banks
must stop unfair charges (link to
Editorial in the Evening Times, 5 April 2007).
Firms
cashing in on bank charges are held to account (joint
press release from Govan Law Centre and Citizens Advice Scotland on
30 March 2007).
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GLC
assists with consultation paper for the proposed Property
Factors (Scotland) Bill (link to Scottish
Parliament's Bill Proposal page, 27 March 2007) Download
consultation as PDF.
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Webwise:
Dear bank manager, pay me back ... (link
to The Sunday Times, 18 March 2007).
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It's
the end of the road for carefree consumption (link
to GLC column in The Herald, 14 March 2007).
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Banks'
secret blitz on overdraft claims (link to
Mail on Sunday, 11 March 2007).
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Scots
lose out on claiming bank fees (link to
The Herald, Saturday 24 February 2007).
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GLC's
Iain Nisbet win at Scottish Legal Awards (links
to Cuthberts SLA site).
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Homeowners
offered lifeline over GHA debt (links to
Evening Times, 22 February 2007). |
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GLC responses
to Scottish Executive consultation papers (links
to pdf, 15 February 2007):
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British
Bankers Association (BBA) justifies unfair bank charges because
people 'don't like parking tickets either'.
(link to GLC letter to The Herald, 12 February 2007; print
version link). |
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GHA
- a legal report card (text of
contribution by GLC's Mike Dailly to Scotland's national housing
conference, Pollokshaws Burgh Hall, Glasgow, 10 February 2007).
Replace
the GHA's Board says GLC (link to Evening
Times article from 9 February 2007).
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National
housing conference,
Glasgow, Pollokshaws Burgh Hall, Saturday 10 February 2007 - all welcome
Speakers
include, Des McNulty MSP, Deputy Minister for the Communities; Mike
Dailly, law centre solicitor; Dr Stirling Howieson, architect &
engineer, Colin Deans, community activist; various tenant workshops;
and a plenary session chaired by Bernard Ponsonby political editor
with Scottish Television and a panel of speakers from Scottish
political parties: Labour, SNP, Lib Dems, Greens, Conservatives, SSP
and Solidarity. All welcome.
Organised
by the Scottish
Monitoring Group on Housing & Homelessness.
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Personal
insolvency up by 15% in Scotland - link
to the Government's Insolvency Service website; with full statistics
for Scotland for 2006 and previous years; and Excel tables - 3
February 2007.
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GHA
Ltd - 'worst dampness case seen in 25 years' BBC Reporting
Scotland 
(link opens as BBC Real Video file - 1 February 2007 - GLC clients).
Editorial
comment
A Treasury
£1bn debt write-off enables GHA to enjoy annual rents of almost
£200m - unlike Glasgow City Council which saw 55% of rents going
to service historic debt.
GHA also enjoys
around £500m in Scottish Executive grant subsidy; and can borrow
close to £1bn. No other UK social landlord has had
so much public subsidy and so much financial resources at its disposal.
The question
Govan Law Centre asks is this. How can GHA let unhabitable and
dangerous properties to families like the Matts in Govan? It
charges families thousands of pounds in rent each year for properties
which are not reasonably fit for human habitation.
Why after
almost 4 years of the GHA 'housing revolution' are so many families
still living in conditions no better than the slums of old? The
answer can only lie at the door of Granite House, GHA's HQ.
GHA's Board and
CEO have repeatedly failied to show leadership, failed to manage
their organisation, and worst of all they have failed to care about
the health and welfare of Glaswegians.
Former CEO
Michael Lennon may have pondered these inhumane failures on his
flight back to New Zealand; job not done, but with almost £1m in
salary safely trousered. Maybe not.
But what is
clear is that the Scottish Executive has the power to replace GHA's
senior management. Unless it acts, adults and children in
Glasgow will continue to suffer unnecessarily.
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GLC's
unfair bank charges website exceeds £0.5 million - 645
people have e-mailed us confirming that our free self-help resources
have helped secure refunds of £511,392. Our site attracts
over 40,000 visitors each month and the unreported level of refunds
is likely to be much higher (21 January 2007).
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UK
statute law database goes public -
access any UK primary legislation as amended & up-to-date; a
fantastic free legal resource for the public.
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Health
Board bill falls at Stage 1 (31 January 2007;
For 55 votes, Against 64, Abstentions 0)
Health
Committee backs Health Board Elections Bill at Stage 1 (links)
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GLC
makes shortlist for three categories at the Scottish Legal Awards 2007:
Aon
Partner of the Year - Mike
Dailly
Springfords
Rising Star of the Year - Iain Nisbet
Sound
& Vision Project Team of the Year - GLC
Prevention of Homelessness Project |
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