Providers will have a new online tool available to them when the Digital Case System (DCS) multi-hander solution is rolled out over the summer months.

How does it work?

Certain parts of case files within DCS are given restricted status. When defence, prosecution or court users upload a document to a restricted section they can choose who sees the document.

For example, the defence could choose to upload a client application and make it available to another defence team or keep it private between the court and themselves. Permissions can be amended at any time.

Does this affect legal aid claims?

There are no changes to the existing processes. Providers should continue to download and submit the LAA Report with their claim.

Where can I find out more?

See the guidance page on GOV.UK for detailed information about the changes. Your local court can confirm specific rollout dates.

Further information

Crown Court Digital Case System training guides and videos

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has issued new guidance as part of a cross-government and industry campaign. The campaign warns consumers of the serious dangers of fake car parts.

The amount of fake vehicle parts available on the market is on the rise. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) estimated that more than €2 billion is lost every year due to counterfeit tyres and batteries alone.

The most common fake vehicle parts worldwide include filters, brake pads, lights, wheel rims and air bags. As shown by BMW many of these parts have direct safety implications and, if they fail, can lead to serious accidents.

Spotting fakes isn’t easy. Here, on the right Audi shows a genuine coupling rod and on the left, is the fake product. Fake coupling rods can affect the steering capability of the vehicle.

To help combat this problem the IPO joined forces with the auto industry and trading platforms and other parts of government. Together they have launched a campaign to warn consumers about the dangers of fake vehicle parts. The collaboration has led to the Intellectual Property Office issuing new guidance. The guidance gives tips on how to avoid buying fake parts when shopping online and on the high street.

The collaboration is the most extensive of its kind to tackle fakes and includes:

• Audi
• BMW
• Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF)
• Manufacturers Against Product Piracy (MAPP)
• TecAlliance
• Independent Garage Association (IGA)
• Amazon
• eBay
• Trading Standards
• the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU)
• M-Sport
• Motor Sport Association UK (MSA)
• International Automobile Federation (FIA)
• NGK Spark Plugs
• TMD Friction and Phillips.

PIPCU, which is run by the City of London Police, fights against these types of crimes. In February 2018 Robert Czernik was investigated and sentenced to two counts under Section 92 of the Trade Marks Act for selling fake airbags. He received five months in prison for each count to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months.

The Audi Brand Protection Team said:

Identifying counterfeits has proven to be a real challenge. The sellers’ websites are becoming more and more professional, appearing legitimate to many buyers at first glance. But there are some clues that give counterfeiters away​ and should put buyers on alert, such as a comparatively cheap price or a typo appearing on the spare part or in the description. ​

The counterfeiters aren’t choosy when it comes to selecting fakes. According to our investigations, a large number of spare parts are counterfeited in the automotive business. These include service-relevant components, such as oil filters or air filters , crash-relevant components such as bumpers, radiator grille or bodywork, but also safety-relevant parts such as suspension arms, exhaust systems or brake linings.

Spare parts produced using inferior materials clearly pose high risks for Audi consumers. We are pleased to be part of this campaign to warn and protect our customers.

Dr Ros Lynch, Director of Copyright and Enforcement at the Intellectual Property Office said:

It’s clear counterfeit vehicle parts can pose a serious risk to drivers, passengers and other road users, with potentially life-threatening results. Criminals who produce counterfeit vehicle parts have no concerns about public safety and they use this as an opportunity to profit at the expense of others.

We are committed to protecting the public from these dangers. This collaboration between government, industry and law enforcement offers us an opportunity to raise awareness, change consumer behaviour and remove these dangerous products from the market.

Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Nick Court of the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) said:

Counterfeit car parts increase the risk of people experiencing a serious injury. It’s essential that car owners and those who work in this industry are made aware of the signs to look out for and the risks.

The City of London Police is at forefront of fighting this type of crime and offering the public advice on how to avoid falling victim.

Notes to editors

1. The UK Intellectual Property Office is responsible for Intellectual Property (IP) rights in the United Kingdom, including patents, designs, trade marks and copyright.

2. The European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) study that estimated more than €2 billion is lost every year due to counterfeit tyres and batteries is available on the EUIPO website.

3. The new guidance available on fake vehicle parts.

4. The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit is a department of the City of London Police. It was established in 2013 with the responsibility to investigate and deter serious and organised intellectual property crime in the UK. The unit is funded by the UK Intellectual Property Office.

5. A press release by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit gives details about the investigation of Robert Czernik under Section 92 of the Trade Marks Act for selling fake airbags.

Employers, industry groups and community groups in the UK will be able to give EU citizens practical advice on how to apply for settled status with the help of a new toolkit published by the Home Office.

The toolkit was developed with employers and industry groups and includes videos, how-to-guides, leaflets and posters.

The Home Secretary launched the toolkit at the Home Office yesterday at a gathering of some of the UK’s biggest employers of EU citizens, as well as industry bodies, local government agencies and community groups, many of whom played a key part in developing the toolkit.

The Home Secretary said:

Our settlement scheme will offer security and certainty to EU citizens living in the UK.

Once the scheme has launched, employers, industry groups and charities will play a vital role in ensuring they can secure their status quickly and easily.

The toolkit will help us to reach out to all EU citizens living in this country and help them get their new immigration status.

Matthew Fell, CBI Chief UK Policy Director, said:

EU workers provide crucial skills and labour to businesses of all sizes and sectors throughout the UK, and pay taxes that help fund public services.

Employers have worked with the government to ensure information about claiming ‘settled status’ is valuable and accessible. We’ll be asking our members to share the new toolkit with everyone who’ll find it useful.

The settlement scheme will open in a phased way later this year and will be fully open by 30 March 2019.

The deadline for applications will be 30 June 2021.

The Home Office will continue to engage with stakeholders, including employers, local authority representatives and community groups, about the detailed design of the scheme as we learn from the first pilot with NHS trusts and universities in the north-west of England starting on 28 August.

More details on how EU citizens and their families can obtain settled status in the UK can be found in the statement of intent.

All content will be translated into the core EU 23 languages over the summer.

A flagship college, recreational space and high-quality accommodation are all part of the completed first phase of works, part of the transformation of this tri-services amenity.

The new facilities at Worthy Down provide a single location for training and operations, to meet the combined needs of Princess Royal Barracks, HMS Raleigh and RAF Halton.

To date, over 36,500sqm of floor space has been built, creating new surroundings where RAF, Royal Navy and Army personnel can live, work and train.

Using almost 1 million bricks in the process, the Skanska team and DIO have provided the Defence College of Logistics, Policing and Administration with a 154-seat lecture theatre, 60 brand new homes for military people and their families, 755 single-bed spaces in six new blocks and a 358 seat canteen.

The site’s new, larger water tank holds 324,000 litres, almost half the capacity of an Olympic-sized pool.

More than 15,000m of pipes and cables, almost twice the height of Mount Everest, have been installed underground on site to accommodate current and future power, water and drainage needs. New energy-efficient boilers for the camp will also produce enough heat to meet all current and potential future requirements.

Matthew Richardson, DIO Principal Project Manager, said:

DIO supports service personnel by providing and improving single living and service family accommodation so we’re pleased to be working with Skanska to deliver these facilities. Once the new facilities are complete it will enable the MOD to train personnel more efficiently and effectively so that they can provide the best possible support for military operations.

Lt. Col. Ian Bruce, who is responsible for military activities at Worthy Down said:

The facilities provided to date are very good. There is a lot of excitement around the camp regarding the college, recreational space and accommodation and I look forward to welcoming future military personnel to the camp.

Paul Weale, Skanska’s project director, said:

This flagship project is helping the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide its people with great places to live and learn. We’re also making a positive contribution to the local community by engaging with schools and community groups. To date, we have worked with over 1,600 young people and we have arranged a number of student visits to the site.

The team delivering Worthy Down camp has also scooped three consecutive national gold awards from the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS), which aims to improve the image of construction.

Building Worthy Down is one part of a two-part scheme for the DIO called Project Wellesley. The second is the development of a new community called Mindenhurst, in Deepcut, Surrey, where the MOD is vacating Princess Royal Barracks. Combined, the two parts will help the MOD to rationalise its estate and improve its training provision and living quarters.