Social exclusivity ‘rife’ in profession – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in diversity, legal profession, news by sally

“Social exclusivity is increasing in the legal profession, according to a new analysis of lawyers’ schooling published today.”

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Law Scoiety’s Gazette, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Man jailed over unprovoked attack – The Independent

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in assault, news, sentencing by sally

“A 21-year-old man who ‘wrecked the life of another human being’ with one unprovoked punch has been jailed for two years and eight months.”

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The Independent, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Q&A: Anti-social behaviour powers – BBC News

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in ASBOs, news by sally

“The coalition is reforming anti-social behaviour – how do the new powers compare to the old?”

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BBC News, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prisoners could get vote within six months if UK loses last legal battle in Europe – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in elections, human rights, news, prisons by sally

“David Cameron could be forced to give prisoners the vote within six months if the Government loses a last ditch legal challenge today.”

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Daily Telegraph, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

London council fined £70k following child sex abuse data breach – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in burglary, data protection, fines, local government, news by sally

“A local authority in London has been fined £70,000 after papers containing identifying details about child sex abuse cases were stolen from a social worker it employed.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

OFT criticises Wonga debt collection practices – The Guardian

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in consumer protection, debts, fraud, news by sally

“Payday loan company Wonga has been told by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) it must improve its debt collection practices, after it emerged it had sent letters to customers accusing them of committing fraud.”

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The Guardian, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Rebekah Brooks witch-hunt: how to protect the fairness of the trial – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in media, news, perverting the course of justice, trials by sally

“In the immediate aftermath of the decision to prosecute Rebekah Brooks, her co-defendant and husband Charles Brooks has called the proceedings a witch-hunt and questioned his wife’s ability to receive a fair trial. Mrs Brooks has herself challenged the decision to prosecute, and raised issues about impartiality.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Command Papers – official-documents.gov.uk

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in parliamentary papers by sally

Government responses on the Fifty Sixth, the Seventy First, the Seventy Sixth and the Seventy Eighth Reports from the Committee of Public Accounts: Session 2010-12, Cm 8352 (PDF)

Consultation on a new enforcement tool to deal with economic crime committed by commercial organisations: Deferred prosecution agreements, Cm 8348 (PDF)

Source: www.official-documents.gov.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in law reports by sally

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Freetown Ltd v Assethold Ltd [2012] EWHC 1351 (QB) (21 May 2012)

Montpellier Estates Ltd v Leeds City Council [2012] EWHC 1343 (QB) (21 May 2012)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Bramston v Haut [2012] EWHC 1279 (Ch) (21 May 2012)

Source: www.bailii.org

Gay marriage: you say potato and I say potahto – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in homosexuality, marriage, news by sally

“There’s been quite a commotion about gay marriage in the last few weeks following the Government’s apparent plans to shelve or delay its introduction with MP Gerald Howarth, amongst others, saying that the Tories’ stance on gay marriage was partly to blame for their performance at the local elections. A slightly narrow focus one might think when the Labour party, for whom more people voted in the local elections, supports gay marriage and when it is perhaps the economy that is at the forefront of many voters minds.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Data extracted from suspects’ mobiles retained in accordance with strict privacy guidelines, The Met says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in data protection, evidence, news, police, privacy, telecommunications by sally

“Information collected from suspects’ mobile phones using new data extraction technology is retained in accordance with strict guidelines that protect individuals’ privacy, the Metropolitan Police Service (The Met) has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Why me? Putting restorative justice into action – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in news, restorative justice, victims by sally

“Will Riley was a victim of a burglary ten years ago when the home he shared with his wife and young daughter in North London was broken into. Will confronted the burglar who attacked him before the police arrived. A while afterwards he was asked if he would come and meet the man responsible for the burglary – who had since been arrested, found guilty and sentenced to prison for the crime.”

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Ministry of Justice, 21st May 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

El Goure v Kensington and Chelsea Royal London Borough Council – WLR Daily

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in appeals, homelessness, housing, law reports, local government by sally

El Goure v Kensington and Chelsea Royal London Borough Council [2012] EWCA Civ 670; [2012] WLR (D) 155

“Although the legislation did not lay down the criteria of special circumstances in relation to priority need for housing homeless persons, a separated parent’s reasonable expectation that his children, who were living with their other parent, would move to live with him did not impose an obligation on the local housing authority to consider the parent’s case as special circumstances case for priority needs. Where an applicant for housing was represented by solicitors the failure of the authority expressly to notify the solicitor so that they could make representations in connection with the review did not invalidate the decision of the review officer to uphold the authority’s decision rejecting an application for priority need housing.”

WLR Daily, 18th May 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Humphreys v Revenue and Customs Commissioners – WLR Daily

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in law reports, sex discrimination, Supreme Court, tax credits by sally

Humphreys v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2012 UKSC 18; [2012] WLR (D) 154

“The indirect sex discrimination against fathers arising from the refusal to split child tax credit between separated parents who shared care of a child was objectively justified.”

WLR Daily, 16th May 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Maswaku v Westminster City Council – WLR Daily

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in appeals, homelessness, housing, law reports, local government by sally

Maswaku v Westminster City Council [2012] EWCA Civ 669; [2012] WLR (D) 153

“Section 193(5) of the Housing Act 1996 did not impose any statutory obligation on the local housing authority to spell out each and every possible consequence if an eligible homeless applicant refused temporary alternative accommodation offered which the authority considered to be suitable for him.”

WLR Daily, 18th May 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Mattu v University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust – WLR Daily

Mattu v University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust [2012] EWCA Civ 641; [2012] WLR (D) 152

“The disciplinary proceedings of a public employer as to the dismissal of an employee under a contract of employment did not determine a “civil right” of the employee for the purposes of the right to a fair hearing pursuant to article 6 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.”

WLR Daily, 18th May 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Westbrook Dolphin Square Ltd v Friends Life Ltd – WLR Daily

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in abuse of process, appeals, landlord & tenant, law reports, leases by sally

Westbrook Dolphin Square Ltd v Friends Life Ltd [2012] EWCA Civ 666; [2012] WLR (D) 151

“Since the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 gave a tenant of a flat the right to acquire the freehold of his premises following service on the landlord of a notice of claim under section 13, and the tenant also had the statutory right to serve a second notice of claim at any time after a year had expired following the withdrawal of the first notice of claim, the general provision in CPR r 38.7, requiring the permission of the court to bring a second claim, did not apply to a second claim based on such a second notice.”

WLR Daily, 18th May 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Burnip v Birmingham City Council and another (Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening); Trengove v Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council and another (Same intervening); Gorry v Wiltshire County Council and another (Same intervening) – WLR Daily

Burnip v Birmingham City Council and another (Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening); Trengove v Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council and another (Same intervening); Gorry v Wiltshire County Council and another (Same intervening) [2012] EWCA Civ 629; [2012] WLR (D) 150

“The statutory criteria for calculating housing benefit for tenants in the private rented sector based on an entitlement to a one bedroom rate discriminated against the severely disabled and there was no justification in their case for continuation of the single bedroom rules.”

WLR Daily, 15th May 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Tiverton huntsman John Norrish jailed for four years for party rape – BBC News

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in news, rape, sentencing by sally

“A former huntmaster has been jailed for four years for raping a guest as he gave her a lift home following a ball.”

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BBC News, 21st May 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Almost 1,000 data offences recorded at DWP in 10 month period – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 22nd, 2012 in data protection, government departments, news, penalties by sally

“Staff at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) were disciplined a total of 992 times for unlawfully or inappropriately accessing individuals’ social security records between April 2011 and January this year.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.out-law.com