New guidance is available providing additional information on the circumstances in which legal aid may be used to pay for judicial review permission applications.

The guidance has been developed with the Ministry of Justice following a recent legal challenge.

It aims to clarify how aspects of these judicial review legal aid rules are to be interpreted.

Two-stage permission process

The document sets out the application of the rules to the two-stage permission process for judicial review.

For example, under one of the rules the LAA has a discretion to pay for permission applications where the court has neither refused nor given permission.

The clarification confirms that this discretion can in principle be exercised in either of the following situations:

1. application for judicial review concludes prior to the court making a determination on permission on the papers

2. application moves beyond a refusal of permission on the papers but concludes before the court makes a further decision on permission at a hearing

It is recommended that all providers who undertake judicial reviews read this clarification.

Further information

Judicial review discretion pro forma – to download clarification document

This Improvement notice was issued to Fruugo.com Ltd, Fountain Street House, Fountain Street, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 7EQ for the following:

• The placing on the market of unauthorised veterinary medicinal products via their website contrary to Regulation 4 of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMR)

The improvements required are:

• The removal of all unauthorised veterinary medicines from their website

This Improvement notice was issued to Taggart Jack for the following:

1. POM–VPS products found to be available for self-selection, contrary to Schedule 3, paragraph 14 of the VMR
2. Batch numbers were not being recorded for all sales of POM-VPS products, contrary to regulation 23 of the VMR
3. Veterinary products were not being stored in accordance with their SPCs

The improvements required are:

1. All POM-VPS products to be removed from self-selection
2. Systems to be put in place to ensure full traceability of supply of POM-VPS products
3. To record the minimum and maximum temperatures for controlled medicines kept in fridges