United Kingdom

Law Society of Scotland

The Law Society of Scotland is the governing body for Scottish solicitors. The site provides information on what the Society does, the Scottish court system, famous Scottish lawyers and cases and a general history of Scots law. There is a directory of law firms and individual solicitors in Scotland along with a directory of the Society's Accredited Specialists. There is information aimed at members dealing with client care, legal aid, international relations and money laundering. A selection of forms is available to download.

British and Irish Association of Law Librarians

The British and Irish Association of Law Librarians (BIALL) was formed in 1969 to represent the interests of legal information professionals and others involved in law librarianship. The website has background information about the aims and history of the organisation, membership information and details of events, conferences and courses. There is also careers information relating to legal information work and a 'Job Board'.

Legal Action Group

The Legal Action Group (LAG) is a legal education charity providing support to lawyers and campaigning for improvements in the law and the administration of justice. Its website gives details of LAG publications, courses and campaigns. Contents and editorials from the Group's magazine, 'Legal Action', are also available, along with indexes back to 2000. The site provides guides to a range of legal topics and links to external resources. Subjects covered include community care, crime, employment, human rights, legal aid and welfare benefits.

Crown Prosecution Service

Website of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) the "Government Department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales." The site contains background information about the CPS including its history and role. There are pages aimed at victims of crime, contact details of local offices and press releases. The site also gives legal guidance for prosecutors and caseworkers covering the various types of offences, witnesses, case preparation, appeals, trial issues and sentencing.

Institute of Criminal Justice Studies (ICJS), University of Portsmouth

The Institute of Criminal Justice Studies of the University of Portsmouth is a multi-disciplinary unit providing higher education programmes and conducting research in criminal justice, criminology and police studies. The site includes information about the Institute, staff, courses and research degrees. A bibliography of Institute publications, going back to 2001, can be browsed by date.

Law Commission for England and Wales

Website of the Law Commission, an independent body created by the Law Commissions Act 1965 to keep the law under review and recommend reforms. Details of the laws currently being reviewed by the Commission are available, and responses are encouraged to current consultations and recent reports. Law Commission reports are available back to 1966, under 'Completed projects'. There is also information about the Law Commission's work on repealing obsolete statutes. The site is mainly in English, with a section in Welsh.

Bills before Parliament

Detailed information about public bills currently before the UK Parliament, on the Parliament website. Bills are presented in full, together with information about their progress through the legislative procedure in both Houses. This includes details of amendments, explanatory notes, debates, proceedings and transcripts of evidence and other related documents.

Legal Aid Agency

The Legal Aid Agency is the body responsible for the administration of legal aid in England and Wales. The Agency gives means-tested financial help for people needing legal advice and administers legal aid for civil and criminal cases. There is guidance on how to apply for legal aid and information for service providers. The site has a list of current tenders and news items.

European Journal of Law and Technology

The European Journal of Law and Technology (EJLT) was formerly known as the Journal of Information, Law and Technology (JILT). It is an eLib funded project to provide a peer reviewed journal for legal academics. It is intended to be a "living" journal which is not merely text on screen but will include multimedia features and encourage debate among readers. Regular features include book reviews, software, news items and conference announcements. The first issue was published in January 1996. EJLT is also available on BAILII (British and Irish Legal Information Institute).

Agricultural Land Tribunals

Website of the Agricultural Land Tribunals (ALT) which is hosted by Defra. There are seven ALTs in England and one in Wales who are responsible for settling disputes and other issues between agricultural tenants and landlords arising from tenancy agreements held under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986. They are also concerned with drainage disputes between neighbours under Sections 28 and/or 30 of the Land Drainage Act 1991. A full-text copy of this act can be viewed on the site.

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