UK lawyers to bid on publicly funded defenses under new legal aid scheme News
UK lawyers to bid on publicly funded defenses under new legal aid scheme

[JURIST] In an effort to reduce growing criminal legal aid expenses, the UK government laid before Parliament Tuesday a new strategy [DCA policy paper, PDF] to require law firms to compete with each other on price for bulk contracts with the Legal Services Commission [official website] to represent defendants in magistrates' and crown courts. The reforms are expected to save £7 million from the nation's £1.2 billion criminal defense spending. Lord Falconer, the Lord Chancellor, said that bulk contracting would be more efficient, reducing costs in the most expensive murder and fraud cases, and preventing many different lawyers from traveling to courts for brief hearings. The UK Department for Constitutional Affairs has background materials. The Financial Times has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Indian National Congress founded

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. In subsequent decades, the so-called Congress Party would advocate for Indian independence from the UK, which was eventually achieved in 1947. The first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was elected as a member of the INC. Learn more about the history and founding of the Indian National Congress.

Congress recognized Pledge of Allegiance

On December 28, 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and encouraged its recitation in schools. The Pledge was supposedly written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. The words “under God” were added by Congress in 1954. The revised version of the Pledge was the subject of litigation before the United States Supreme Court originally brought by Michael Newdow, a parent who unsuccessfully objected to his daughter's school district policy requiring daily recitation of the Pledge. The court ruled that Newdow had no standing.

Nepal ends monarchy, establishes republic

On December 28, 2007, the Kingdom of Nepal's interim parliament ended the country's monarchy and established the Republic of Nepal. Free elections were held on April 10 of the following year to elect a Constituent Assembly.

Learn more about the rise of democracy in Nepal.