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Legislation / Legal
HO: Anyone wishing to marry or register a civil partnership outside the hours of 8am to 6pm will be able to do so from 1 October 2012, thanks to measures in the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Couples will be able to say their vows at sunrise or walk down the aisle at midnight, when the provisions allowing marriages & civil partnerships to be registered at any time of day will be commenced.
Laws that impose time limits on marriage solemnization date back to 1837. The restrictions were introduced in order to prevent clandestine marriages, which were deemed to be a particular problem in society at the time. The change was brought in following a cross-government survey, Your Freedom, which gave the public the chance to suggest which unnecessary laws should be repealed.
MoJ: Offenders will be forced to pay up to £50m a year to ‘help victims recover from the trauma of serious crime’. This is on top of the £66m each year central Government already dedicates to services supporting victims and witnesses.
HO: Communities across England & Wales will benefit from 2 new powers that will help them tackle alcohol-fuelled violence & disorder, the Home Office announced last week. The government has published its response to the consultation Dealing with the Problems of Late Night Drinking. Draft legislation has also been laid in parliament.
OFT: Following OFT enforcement action, 12 airlines have agreed to include debit card surcharges in the headline price rather than surprise consumers at the end of the booking process. Any surcharges for paying by credit card will be easy to find when booking online.
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