Film con man ordered to pay £100K – BBC News

Posted January 9th, 2009 in company directors, fraud, news, proceeds of crime by sally

“The man behind a project to build a film studio at St Agnes in Cornwall has been ordered to forfeit £100,000 at a court hearing.”

Full story

BBC News, 9th January 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Elton libel defeat opens way for US-style parody defence, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 9th, 2009 in defamation, news by sally

“The Guardian’s recent libel victory over Elton John opens the way for other publishers to invoke a US-style parody defence, according to a libel law expert. Publishers should not consider the ruling as a licence to insult though, he said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 9th January 2009

Source: www.out-law.com

Play.com told to back up price claims for second time in a year – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 9th, 2009 in advertising, news by sally

“Online music retailer Play.com has been criticised by the UK’s advertising watchdog for the second time in a year for claims about the savings it offers. The company has been told not to repeat the claims.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 8th January 2009

Surce: www.out-law.com

Home fined over resident’s death – BBC News

Posted January 9th, 2009 in care homes, elderly, mental health, news by sally

“The owners of an Oxford care home have been fined £80,000 following the death of an 82-year-old woman with dementia.”

Full story

BBC News, 9th January 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prince Edward cleared of animal cruelty – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 9th, 2009 in animal cruelty, news by sally

“The Earl of Wessex has been cleared by the RSPCA of animal cruelty over photographs that appeared to show him lashing out at two gundogs with a stick during a pheasant shoot.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 9th January 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

101mph speeding MP’s driving ban – BBC News

Posted January 9th, 2009 in news, road traffic offences by sally

“Plaid Cymru’s parliamentary leader, the Meirionnydd and Nant Conwy MP Elfyn Llwyd, has lost his driving licence for a month after admitting speeding.”

Full story

BBC News, 9th January 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Assisted suicide law ‘workable’ – BBC News

Posted January 9th, 2009 in assisted suicide, news by sally

“The director of public prosecutions has said the law on assisted suicide is ‘workable’ in its current form.”

Full story

BBC News, 9th January 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

A bar on equal opportunity – The Guardian

Posted January 9th, 2009 in barristers, judiciary, news, special report by sally

“No wonder aspiring women and non-white lawyers show no appetite for the practice of literally eating your way to the top.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th January 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

QC selection process: survey results – Law Society News

Posted January 9th, 2009 in news, queen's counsel by sally

“In our recent Law Society survey, solicitors criticised the system for the award of Silk. Our survey sought members’ views about their experience of the process and the Society’s future stance towards Queen’s Counsel Appointments (QCA’s).”

Full survey results

Law Society News, 8th January 2009

Source: http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/newsandevents/news.law

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted January 9th, 2009 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

GG Plc, R v (No.2) [2008] EWCA Crim 3061 (18 December 2008)

Moyle v R [2008] EWCA Crim 3059 (18 December 2008)

Tucker v Crown Prosecution Service [2008] EWCA Crim 3063 (19 December 2008)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

F & Anor, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2008] EWHC 3170 (QB) (19 December 2008)

Ashley & Anor v Sussex Police [2008] EWHC 3151 (QB) (19 December 2008)

Rice v Secretary of State for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform & Anor [2008] EWHC 3216 (QB) (19 December 2008)

Ashley & Anor v Sussex Police [2008] EWHC 3152 (QB) (19 December 2008)

High Court (Family Division)

M-D v D [2008] EWHC 1929 (Fam) (19 December 2008)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Crane v Hannover Ruckversicherungs- Aktiengesellschaft & Anor [2008] EWHC 3165 (Comm) (19 December 2008)

High Court (Technology and Construction Court)

Euro Construction Scaffolding Ltd v SLLB Construction Ltd [2008] EWHC 3160 (TCC) (19 December 2008)

Amsalem (t/a MRE Building Contractors) v Raivid & Anor [2008] EWHC 3226 (TCC) (19 December 2008)

A E Yates Trenchless Solutions Ltd v Black & Veatch Ltd [2008] EWHC 3183 (TCC) (19 December 2008)

Source: www.bailii.org

Recent Statutory Instruments – OPSI

Posted January 9th, 2009 in legislation by sally

Man jailed for vodka fire attack – The Independent

Posted January 9th, 2009 in grievous bodily harm, news, sentencing by sally

“A 19-year-old man who threw vodka in the face of a teenage girl before setting light to her was jailed indefinitely today.”

Full story

The Independent, 8th January 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Fees scheme may defuse VHCC row – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 9th, 2009 in costs, fees, legal profession, news by sally

“A breakthrough in the dispute threatening to disrupt trials of very high cost criminal cases (VHCCs) could be in sight following the publication of new funding proposals.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette,  8th January 2009

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Policy change on certain judicial reviews – UK Border Agency

Posted January 9th, 2009 in immigration, judicial review, press releases by sally

“A new policy on handling legal challenges to us removing people from the United Kingdom (judicial review challenges) will come into effect on 30 January. This will help us establish a swift end-to-end process for concluding asylum cases and deporting foreign national prisoners.”

Full press release

UK Border Agency, 9th January 2009

Source: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

Men convicted of race hate crimes – BBC News

Posted January 9th, 2009 in hate crime, news, racism by sally

“Two men have been convicted of publishing  ‘obnoxious and abhorrent’  racist material.”

Full story

BBC News, 8th January 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Metal theft crime unit set up by Home Office – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 9th, 2009 in news, police, theft by sally

“A new crime unit to target rogue dealers trading in metal theft will be announced today to combat a growing menace that is costing the country £360 million a year.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th January 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Serious Fraud Office to investigate Madoff operations in UK – The Guardian

Posted January 9th, 2009 in fraud, news by sally

“The Serious Fraud Office is opening an investigation into the UK operations of Bernard Madoff, the disgraced Wall Street trader accused of conning clients out of $50bn (£33bn), it announced today.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th January 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Damning death verdicts called for – BBC News

Posted January 9th, 2009 in hospitals, mental health, news by sally

“A health watchdog should issue damning verdicts on six deaths of vulnerable NHS patients, a charity has said.”

Full story

BBC News, 9th January 2009

SOurce: www.bbc.co.uk

UK e-mail law ‘attack on rights’ – BBC News

Posted January 9th, 2009 in electronic mail, news, privacy by sally

“Rules forcing internet companies to keep details of every e-mail sent in the UK are a waste of money and an attack on civil liberties, say critics.”

Full story

BBC News, 9th January 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Atheist adverts reported to industry watchdog – The Times

Posted January 9th, 2009 in advertising, complaints, news by sally

“An atheist advertising campaign with the slogan ‘There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life’  has been reported to the Advertising Standards Authority.”

Full story

The Times, 9th January 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk