Source: https://local-government-law.11kbw.com/category/non-judicial-control/
Timestamp: 2020-07-06 20:32:53
Document Index: 414914532

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 4', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 5']

Non Judicial Control Archives | Local Government Law Local Government Law
February 19th, 2019 by James Goudie QC in Non Judicial Control
The Local Audit (England and Wales) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 will enable EU qualified auditors currently auditing local public bodies to continue to work in the UK, for a transitional period, in the event of a “no deal”. The Regulations are pursuant to powers in Section 8 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, and are subject to the negative resolution procedure. There are now 238 Withdrawal Act Statutory Instruments.
May 2nd, 2017 by James Goudie QC in Non Judicial Control, Social Care
On 27 April 2017 the Local Audit (Public Access to Documents) Act 2017, extending to England and Wales, received the Royal Assent. It extends, 2 months after this date, access to certain documents under Section 26 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. Section 26 of the 2014 Act is amended so that in subsection (1) persons who can inspect “accounting records and related documents” are extended to “any journalist”. “Journalist” means “any person who produces for publication journalistic material”. This applies whether or not the person is paid.
March 23rd, 2017 by James Goudie QC in Non Judicial Control
Section 146 of the Pension Schemes Act 1993 sets out the functions of the Pensions Ombudsman (“the PO”). The PO may investigate and determine various specified matters. These include a complaint made to him by an actual or potential beneficiary of an occupational pension scheme who alleges that he or she has sustained injustice in consequence of “maladministration”. There is no statutory definition of “maladministration”. It is well established that it is a “broad concept”, which goes further than a violation of legal rights. There can be “maladministration” even if a person’s legal rights are not infringed. In Baugniet v Teachers’ Pensions [2017] EWHC 501 (Ch) the High Court repeated with respect to the powers of the PO that:-
(1) The PO must decide disputes in accordance with established legal principles rather than by reference to what he himself considers to be fair and reasonable;
(2) In general, the PO does not have the power to make an order that the Court could not make, although the PO is not tied to the precise form of relief a court would grant;
(3) Injustice resulting from maladministration not involving infringement of legal rights may be afforded a remedy, such as an apology and/or modest compensation for distress or inconvenience;
(4) Absent very exceptional circumstances, an award for maladministration not involving infringement of legal rights should not exceed £1,600.
February 22nd, 2016 by Peter Oldham QC in Best Value, Decision making and Contracts, Non Judicial Control
February 18th, 2015 by James Goudie QC in Non Judicial Control
The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, SI 2015/234, which come into force on 1 April 2015, revoke the Accounts and Audit (England) Regulations 2011, SI 2011/817, and set out the detailed requirements on a “relevant authority” (other than a health service body) in relation to keeping adequate accounting records and control systems, preparing, approving and publishing a statement of accounts, and making various documents available for public inspection, and objection and questioning by local electors. The authority “must ensure” that it has (and reviews) a “sound system of internal control”: Regulation 3. It “must undertake an effective internal audit”: Regulation 5. There is a new requirement to prepare and publish a “narrative statement”, commenting on the authority’s financial performance and economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the use of resources over the year.
Accounts and Audit (Wales)
January 13th, 2015 by James Goudie QC in Non Judicial Control
The Accounts and Audit (Wales) Regulations 2014, SI 2014/3362 (W.337), made and laid before the National Assembly on 23 December 2014, and coming into force on 31 March 2015, make provision with respect to the accounts and audit of bodies whose accounts are required to be audited in accordance with Section 39 of the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 (“the 2004 Act”) other than a local probation board for an area in Wales or a Welsh probation trust. The bodies who are subject to the Regulations are: county and county borough councils (and their committees and joint committees); community councils; fire and rescue authorities; National Park authorities; police and crime commissioners; chief constables; port health authorities; internal drainage boards; and conservation boards.
The Regulations replace the Accounts and Audit (Wales) Regulations 2005 which, together with amending Regulations, are revoked.
The Regulations differ in a number of respects from previous Accounts and Audit Regulations. Of particular note among the changes are the following: the bodies which are subject to the Regulations are specified on the face of the Regulations; the increase in the threshold of gross income or gross expenditure for smaller relevant bodies, from £1 million per year to not more than £2.5 million (regulation 2); changes to the procedures for approving and publishing accounts (regulations 10 and 15); the separation of procedures governing published accounts and audit for larger relevant bodies from that for smaller relevant bodies in the structure of the Regulations (see Parts 4 and 5); and it is no longer an offence to fail to comply with any aspect of the Regulations.
Part 1 is introductory. Regulation 2 sets out the defined terms used in the Regulations.
Part 2 concerns specifying bodies so that those bodies come within the meaning of local authority for the purposes of Section 23(1) of the Local Government Act 2003. Under that Section the Welsh Ministers may make provision about accounting practices to be followed by local authorities as defined in the 2003 Act. Regulation 3 specifies internal drainage boards and port health authorities and regulation 4 identifies accounting practices for those bodies.
Part 3 concerns financial management and internal control. Regulation 5 requires relevant bodies to be responsible for ensuring that the financial management of the body is adequate and effective and the body has a sound system of internal control which they regularly review. Regulation 6 makes provision in respect of the accounting records which are to be kept, and the control systems that must be maintained, by relevant bodies. Regulation 7 makes provision for relevant bodies to maintain an adequate and effective internal audit of their accounting records and system of internal control.
Part 4 concerns the published accounts and audit for larger relevant bodies. Regulation 8 contains the requirements for the preparation of the statement of accounts for a body; regulation 9 the requirement for the statement of accounts to include notes relating to remuneration; regulation 10 the requirements for signing, approval and publication of the statement of accounts; regulation 11 the procedure for the public to inspect the accounts of a body; regulation 12 the procedure for a body to give notice of the public rights relating to the accounts and audit procedure; and regulation 13 the requirement for a body to give notice as to the conclusion of audit and the availability of its statement of accounts for inspection by local government electors.
Part 5 concerns the published accounts and audit for smaller relevant bodies. Regulation 14 contains the requirements for the preparation of accounting statements for a body; regulation 15 the requirements for signing, approval and publication of accounting statements; regulation 16 the procedure for the public to inspect the accounts of a body; regulation 17 the procedure for a body to give notice of the public rights relating to the accounts and audit procedure; and regulation 18 the requirement for a body to display a notice stating that the audit has concluded and that the relevant accounting statements are available for inspection by local government electors.
December 11th, 2014 by James Goudie QC in Non Judicial Control
October 27th, 2014 by James Goudie QC in Non Judicial Control, Social Care
July 8th, 2014 by James Goudie QC in Non Judicial Control
Who can complain to the Local Government Ombudsman? Basically, “a member of the public”: Section 26A of the Local Government Act 1974. Who for this purpose is “a member of the public”? An individual or “a body of persons”, whether incorporated or not, that does not come within either of the exclusions in Section 27. The first exclusion is of a local authority or other authority or body constituted for purposes of the public service or of local government, or for the purposes of carrying on under national ownership any industry or undertaking or part of an industry or undertaking. The second exclusion is of any other authority or body whose members are appointed by Her Majesty or any Minister of the Crown or government department or by the Welsh Ministers, or “whose revenues consist wholly or mainly of moneys provided by Parliament or the Welsh Ministers”. The purpose no doubt of both exclusions is to avoid one public body invoking the Ombudsman to pursue a complaint of injustice which it attributes to another public body.
In The Matter of an Application by Armagh City and District Council for Judicial Review, [2014] NICA 44, the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal held that a GP partnership is a “body” for the purpose of similar exclusions in Northern Ireland legislation, but that, although the partnership was mainly publicly funded under the NHS, it did not come within the “… revenues … provided by Parliament …” exclusion of complainants from the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction.
July 7th, 2014 by James Goudie QC in Non Judicial Control