Spotlight on jury room pressures – BBC News

Posted June 18th, 2007 in juries, special report by sally

“Two men – Patrick Smith and Joseph Merceica – have been cleared of luring a businesman into a trap and killing him, following the conclusion of their fourth trial.

The House of Lords had initially ordered the men’s retrial after a juror at their second trial complained of being ‘badgered and intimidated’ by other jurors into delivering a guilty verdict. So what are the rules of the jury room?”

Full story

BBC News, 18th June 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

R (Pereira) v. HM Coroner for Inner South London and others – WLR Daily

Posted June 18th, 2007 in coroners, inquests, law reports by sally

R (Pereira) v. HM Coroner for Inner South London and others

“A coroner’s power to adjourn an inquest under s 16(1)(b) of the Coroner’s Act 1988 was discretionary. Where a reason not to adjourn had been established, a decision to do so made in the exercise of that discretion could not be impugned by way of judicial review provided that the decision had been made rationally, taking into account all relevant matters and in the light of the state’s duty to investigate a death under art 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.”

WLR Daily, 14th June 2007

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Goldsmith to face MPs over BAE – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2007 in corruption, fraud, news, Saudi Arabia by sally

“The attorney general is to face a Commons select committee over his role in the BAE corruption controversy, the Guardian has learned. Lord Goldsmith will be questioned by the constitutional affairs committee over the decision to halt a Serious Fraud Office investigation into allegations the firm paid bribes to secure arms deals with Saudi Arabia.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

330,000 users to have access to database on England’s children – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2007 in children, data protection, news by sally

“A giant electronic database containing sensitive information on all 11 million children in England will be open to at least 330,000 users when it launches next year, according to government guidance.”

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The Guardian, 18th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Fingerprinting and eye scans for children as young as five – The Independent

Posted June 18th, 2007 in data protection, fingerprints, news, school children by sally

“Schools are to get the go-ahead to fingerprint pupils as young as five, in new measures to be approved by the Government.”

Full story

The Independent, 17th June 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Rush to find spare cells as prison population spirals to new record – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2007 in news, prisons by sally

“Urgent talks between Ministry of Justice officials and chief constables are under way to use hundreds more police cells as emergency prison accommodation as the jail crisis intensifies.”

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The Guardian, 18th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ministers in U-turn on shock therapy – The Independent

Posted June 18th, 2007 in mental health, news by sally

“A government U-turn tomorrow will herald huge improvements in mental health treatment for young people. In a series of compromise changes to its controversial Mental Health Bill, the Government will curb the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) on teenagers and ensure they do not have to share wards with adults, who are often disturbed and dangerous.”

Full story

The Independent, 17th June 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Lords to look at legality of Iraq war – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2007 in armed forces, Iraq, news, war by sally

“Britain’s highest court is to hear a case which could force the government to hold an independent inquiry into the way the attorney general reached his conclusion that the war in Iraq would be lawful. The law lords have agreed to hear an appeal by the mothers of two soldiers killed in Iraq, who argue that the government violated their sons’ right to life by rushing into war on inadequate legal grounds.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ministers defy judges on rape law reforms – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2007 in news, rape by sally

“The government is to press ahead with plans to reform the rape laws in an attempt to increase the low conviction rate, despite strong opposition from the judges who will have to put them into effect, the Guardian has learned.”

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The Guardian, 18th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Mental care bill back to Commons – BBC News

Posted June 18th, 2007 in mental health, news by sally

“The government will agin try to push through powers to detain mentally ill people in England and Wales who have not committed crimes.” 

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BBC News, 17th June 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Barristers find treats bring in briefs – The Times

Posted June 18th, 2007 in barristers, news by sally

“Lavish parties, trips to the races and seats at Wimbledon have become common ploys by barristers seeking to woo solicitors and companies into giving them briefs, a report has found.”

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The Times, 18th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Fathers “unknown” should be fined, think tank says – Reuters

Posted June 18th, 2007 in birth certificates, news, paternity by sally

“Fathers who fail to register their name on their child’s birth certificates should be fined, a think tank said on Saturday.”

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Reuters, 16th June 2007

Source: www.reuters.com

Judge warns of rift on anti-terrorism laws – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 18th, 2007 in news, terrorism by sally

“A ‘disastrous’ rift exists between the Government and the judiciary over anti-terrorism laws, a senior High Court judge has warned.”

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Daily Telegraph, 17th June 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Concern over new power of attorney laws – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 18th, 2007 in mental health, news, powers of attorney by sally

“Making arrangements to obtain legal authority to deal with the financial affairs of a loved one suffering from mental incapacity will become much more complicated following a change in the law later this year, a leading solicitor said yesterday.”

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Daily Telegraph, 17th June 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Cleared of killing TV presenter … after five trials – The Independent

Posted June 18th, 2007 in murder, news by sally

“One of Britain’s longest- running murder cases ended yesterday after five trials and two appeals with the acquittal of two men who faced charges of killing the television presenter Mark Levy.”

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The Independent, 16th June 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Woolf denies BAE review is knee jerk reaction to US investigation – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2007 in corruption, fraud, news, Saudi Arabia by sally

“Lord Woolf, the former lord chief justice of England and Wales, yesterday defended his £6,000 a day role as chairman of an independent committee set up to review arms maker BAE Systems’ business ethics, pledging a vigorous inquiry and dismissing any suggestion he had been appointed as ‘window dressing’.”

Full story

The Guardina, 16th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Special units to crack down on honour killing – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2007 in domestic violence, forced marriages, news by sally

“Dedicated teams of senior prosecutors are to be deployed in the UK’s honour killing hotspots in the wake of the failings exposed this week by the case of a young Kurdish woman murdered by her family.”

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The Guardian, 16th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk