Internet Newsletter for Lawyers
January/February 2004, by Delia Venables

Latest Specialised Websites
by Delia Venables

Specialised sites are still coming onto the web at a good rate! Here are the latest ones I have come across.

About Cookies, www.aboutcookies.org, is a site set up by international law firm Masons in response to the European Union Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications, now incorporated into UK law as the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC directive) Regulations 2003. The site provides the text of the new regulations as they affect cookies, and provides information on what cookies are, how to control them and how to delete them (from an individual user's point of view). There is also an article called "Most UK web sites do not meet new cookie law ".

www.laurencekaye.com covers technology, media, intellectual property and e-commerce law. There is a major section called "Knowledge Zone" with a large number of FAQ's, articles and checklists. The FAQ's cover Is linking to other websites legal?, Legal rights involved in a website?, Who owns a website?, When do I have to notify the Data Protection Commissioner?, Can I still send unsolicited e-mails?, Can employers monitor their employees' e-mails?, Has UK Copyright law changed?, What are moral rights?, Intellectual Property and how to protect it, Contracts - ten key deal points, Business Online - top ten points.

www.constructionlawdatabase.com is a subscription service which features Adjudication under the Construction Act 1996. Developed by lawyer Tim Gulliver, there are some 150 case summaries, including all leading as well as recent cases, plus law summaries. New cases will be added as they appear. Cases can be searched by a unique menu system as well as by date, title, judge, party, barrister or solicitor.

www.dataprotectionforbusiness.co.uk is a site set up by London and Manchester firm Rowe Cohen as a compliance and risk management service for Data Controllers. There are fact sheets, a handbook, and the ability to submit questions to the solicitors of the firm. There are sample fact sheets available on the site.

www.lawyers-media.com is a site set up by London firm David Price Solicitors & Advocates. This is a Guide to Media Law covering Defamation, Breach of confidence and privacy, Malicious falsehood, Contempt of court and Copyright. They provide a newsletter on the site (or you an sign up to receive it by email) containing reports and comment on media law. They aim to cover all cases in the High Court and Court of Appeal as well as decisions of the European Court of Human Rights on freedom of expression and relevant adjudications of the Press Complaints Commission and the Broadcasting Standards Commission.

www.webbimmigration.com is a site set up by London firm D J Webb & Co. This provides a series of information sheets on many aspects of immigration including an overview of UK residence and citizenship, an overview of visa and immigration, tourist and short term visas, business and study visas, work permits, residence for investors, retirement to the UK, gay immigration, family related visas and residence, training permits, political asylum and refugees.

www.propertylawuk.net is a site set up by barrister Gary Webber and continues to provide up to date information on legal developments in the property area. There is an "update" each month and it is also possible to register for an email version.

www.doglaw.co.uk is all about, er, dog law. The site opens with a quick bark, there are a couple of (small) dogs running around the site and menu items are shown as paw marks.

This is the site of sole practitioner Trevor Cooper, of Ash, near Canterbury, Kent. The site contains extracts of legislation relating to pets, a section of FAQ's (dangerous dogs, barking dogs, number of dogs allowed in planning law, damages, custody/access, sheep worrying, insurance, wills.... and so on). There is also a good set of doggie-related links.

There is a quote from the Telegraph about Trevor "He is the pets' saviour, St Francis of Assisi of the law courts, defender of dogs".

I love this site! It's my favourite. You will have to call up the actual site to hear the dogs bark.

www.irishsurvivors.org.uk is a site created by Cheadle firm Abney Garsden McDonald for the victims of child abuse who wish to submit claims to the Irish Redress Board. The site is intended to be a source of information for all survivors, support groups, legal representatives and other persons connected with the Redress Board, particularly for victims of abuse now living in the UK. The Irish Redress Board (see www.rirb.ie) was set up under the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002 to make fair and reasonable awards to persons who, as children, were abused while resident in industrial schools, reformatories and other institutions subject to state regulation or inspection. The claims are open to anyone who was abused in an Irish Institution at any time although time runs out in December 2005.

www.earthrights.org.uk is a specialised firm which seeks to protect the environment by working with individuals and groups, ranging from local campaigns to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and green businesses - where appropriate for free or at low cost. The site includes information on current news and cases as well as a comprehensive list of resources and links in the environmental groups and campaigning/legal area.

www.criminal-solicitors.com is a site now owned by JMW Solicitors (the site was originally set up by Interactive Law). There is information on Motoring Offences, Arrest, Aiding & Abetting, Assault, Keeping the Peace, Burglary, Taking vehicles without consent, Deception, Drugs, Criminal Damage and Serious Fraud and there is also a major section on Prison Law.

If you have a really good specialised site which I have not mentioned recently, please let me know!

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