Jack Straw: new laws focus on victims of crime and the bereaved – Ministry of Justice

Posted January 14th, 2009 in coroners, news, victims, witnesses by sally

“Modernisation of the coroners system and better protection for witnesses during criminal investigations were amongst the new measures announced by Justice Secretary Jack Straw in Parliament today when he published the Coroners and Justice Bill.”

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Ministry of Justice, 14th January 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

British data protection standard is published – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 14th, 2009 in data protection, news, standards by sally

“A set of instructions on how organisations can stay within the Data Protection Act (DPA) while storing personal information has been published by British Standards (BSI).”

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OUT-LAW.com, 14th January 2009

Source: www.out-law.com

Mother jailed for five years for killing baby – The Guardian

Posted January 14th, 2009 in child abuse, homicide, news, sentencing by sally

“A young mother was jailed for five years today for killing her three-month-old baby, who died of injuries so severe they were likened to a car accident or fall from a first-floor window.”

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The Guardian, 14th January 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lawyer’s family ends legal action – BBC News

Posted January 14th, 2009 in complaints, firearms, news, police by sally

“The family of a lawyer shot dead by police have said they will not appeal against a ruling on the manner in which police are investigating his death.”

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BBC News, 14th January 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Shareholders challenge ‘unlawful’ Northern Rock bailout – The Times

Posted January 14th, 2009 in banking, compensation, nationalisation, news by sally

“Northern Rock was secretly given a ‘substantial’ valuation by the Government while shareholders received nothing in compensation when it was nationalised, the High Court was told yesterday.”

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The Times, 14th January 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Serious Fraud Office asks for £15m to cover ‘urgent’ hole in budget – The Times

Posted January 14th, 2009 in fraud, news, Serious Fraud Office by sally

“Fraud investigators were accused yesterday of letting their budgets slide ‘out of control’ after asking ministers for an extra £15 million, the second request in two months.”

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The Times, 14th January 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted January 14th, 2009 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Joynson, R. v [2008] EWCA Crim 3049 (26 November 2008)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Birmingham City Council v Forde [2009] EWHC 12 (QB) (13 January 2009)

High Court (Family Division)

S (A Child) v Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council & Anor [2008] EWHC 3283 (Fam) (31 December 2008)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Emmott v Michael Wilson & Partners Ltd [2009] EWHC 1 (Comm) (12 January 2009)

High Court (Technology and Construction Court)

Edmond Stern Settlement, Trustees of v Levy (t/a Simon Levy Associates) [2009] EWHC 14 (TCC) (13 January 2009)

Source: www.bailii.org

Regina (Shields) v Secretary of State for Justice – Times Law Reports

Posted January 14th, 2009 in law reports, pardons, royal prerogative by sally

Regina (Shields) v Secretary of State for Justice

Queen’s Bench Divisional Court

“The Secretary of State for Justice did have power and jurisdiction to consider granting a pardon under the Royal Prerogative in respect of a person convicted and sentenced in a foreign court but transferred to the United Kingdom to serve his sentence. ”

The Times, 14th January 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

Moriarty and Another v Atkinson and Others – Times Law Reports

Posted January 14th, 2009 in breach of trust, law reports by sally

Moriarty and Another v Atkinson and Others

Court of Appeal

“If a company, in breach of its promise to a payer to keep money in a separate client account to be held on trust, paid it into a deficit current account to be used to settle the company’s debts, the payer could not trace the money paid into the current account since he acquired no proprietary right to trace the money in question which had disappeared before forming trust fund in the client account. ”

The Times, 14th January 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

Sir Duncan Nichol CBE’s Review of the QC Appointment System Welcomed by the Bar Council and the Law Society – The Bar Council

Posted January 14th, 2009 in news, queen's counsel by sally

“Sir Duncan Nichol CBE’s review of the Queen’s Counsel Appointment System was jointly commissioned by the Bar Council and the Law Society in September 2008.  The terms of reference of the review included considering whether it would be appropriate to re-affirm the purpose of the award; the forms of excellence that it is intended to recognise; and the range of criteria against which applicants for the award are assessed. ”

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The Bar Council, 13th January 2009

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Daily Cause List, 14th January 2009

Posted January 14th, 2009 in news by sally

Wednesday 14th January 2009

Source: www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk

Please note only the current day’s list will be accessible.

Legal change: Abused women who kill could escape murder – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 14th, 2009 in domestic violence, murder, news, women by sally

“Abused women who kill their partners in cold blood could escape a murder conviction under the biggest planned change in the law for a generation.”

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Daily Telegraph, 13th January 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

New law to enforce social mobility – The Independent

Posted January 14th, 2009 in education, news by sally

“Young people from poor backgrounds have less chance of landing a highly paid job than their parents did because some measures of social mobility have gone backwards, the Government has admitted.”

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The Independent, 14th January 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Robbery trial collapses after judge finds victim ‘too believable’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 14th, 2009 in news, robbery, victims, witnesses by sally

“A man accused of robbing a driving instructor has been found not guilty after a judge found that his alleged victim was ‘too believable’ in her evidence.”

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Daily Telegraph, 13th January 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Straw plan for private inquests back on agenda – The Guardian

Posted January 14th, 2009 in inquests, news by sally

“Jack Straw, the justice secretary, will today revive his plan to hold inquests that involve aspects of national security in private without a jury when the coroners and justice bill is published.”

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The Guardian, 14th January 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lawyer ‘aided illegal passports’ – BBC News

Posted January 14th, 2009 in identity fraud, news, passports, solicitors by sally

“A lawyer tried to help criminals get passports by using the identities of dead children, a court has heard.”

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BBC News, 13th January 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Drunk judge suspended for kissing lawyer and swearing in court – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 14th, 2009 in alcohol abuse, news, professional conduct, solicitors by sally

“A drunk judge had to be escorted from court after kissing a solicitor, swearing at an usher and insulting a prosecutor while ‘fortified’ with brandy, a disciplinary tribunal has heard.”

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Daily Telegraph, 13th January 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Police seek new rights for searching rail passengers – The Guardian

Posted January 14th, 2009 in news, offensive weapons, police, stop and search, transport by sally

“Passengers who buy a London train or tube ticket would automatically be giving their consent to be searched, under proposals now under consideration.”

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The Guardian, 13th January 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk