MPs lose legal fight to keep expenses secret – The Independent

Posted May 16th, 2008 in expenses, news, parliament by sally

“The House of Commons has lost its High Court battle over an information watchdog’s decision to force disclosure of MPs’ expenses.”

Full story

The Independent, 16th May 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Bamber told he will die in prison – BBC News

Posted May 16th, 2008 in murder, news, sentencing by sally

“A killer convicted of murdering five members of his family has been told he will die in jail.”

Full story

BBC News, 16th May 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – OPSI

Posted May 16th, 2008 in legislation by sally

The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Investigative Powers of Prosecutors in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: Code of Practice) Order 2008

The Double Taxation Relief and International Tax Enforcement (Taxes on Income and Capital) (New Zealand) Order 2008

The Double Taxation Relief and International Tax Enforcement (Taxes on Income and Capital) (Slovenia) Order 2008

The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2008

Source: www.opsi.gov.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted May 16th, 2008 in legislation by sally

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Raphael & Anor, R v [2008] EWCA Crim 1014 (13 May 2008)

Brind & Ors, R v [2008] EWCA Crim 934 (16 April 2008)

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Coyne & Anor v DRC Distribution Ltd & Anor [2008] EWCA Civ 488 (15 May 2008)

SK (Sri Lanka) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2008] EWCA Civ 495 (15 May 2008)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Masood & Ors v Zahoor & Ors [2008] EWHC 1034 (Ch) (14 May 2008)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Legal Services Commission v Banks & Anor [2008] EWHC 1035 (QB) (14 May 2008)

Blass v Randall [2008] EWHC 1007 (QB) (14 May 2008)

Peters v East Midlands Strategic Health Authority & Ors [2008] EWHC 778 (QB) (12 May 2008)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Steamship Mutual Underwriting Association (Bermuda) Ltd v Sulpicio Lines Inc [2008] EWHC 914 (Comm) (04 April 2008)

High Court (Patents Court)

Dyson Technology Ltd. v Samsung Gwangju Electronics [2007] EWHC 3228 (Pat) (05 December 2007)

Source: www.bailii.org

‘Associate Prosecutors’ given green light – Attorney General’s Office

Posted May 16th, 2008 in Crown Prosecution Service, news by sally

“Speaking at the Institute of Legal Executives’ (ILEX) the Attorney General, Baroness Scotland QC, announced that the Crown Prosecution Services’ Designated Case Workers will now be known as Associate Prosecutors – a name that they themselves helped to select.”

Press release (PDF)

Attorney General’s Office, 15th May 2008

Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

R (Nasseri) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily

Posted May 16th, 2008 in asylum, human rights, law reports by sally

R (Nasseri) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2008] EWCA Civ 464; [2008] WLR (D) 150

“The scope of the deeming provision in Sch 3, Pt 2, para 3(2) of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004, which required states listed in Sch 2, Pt 2, para 2 of the Act to be treated as countries safe for a person to be returned, was limited to the actual process of executive decision or adjudication of whether a person’s removal would contravene his rights under art 3 of the Human Rights Convention. It did not preclude a more general consideration of whether a listed state’s laws and practices were Convention compliant, therefore the list system was not incompatible with art 3 of the Convention.”

WLR Daily, 15th May 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Regina v Nguyen – Times Law Reports

Posted May 16th, 2008 in bad character, evidence, law reports by sally

Regina v Nguyen

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

“Where the Crown chose to rely on relevant bad character evidence which it had decided not to make the subject of a criminal charge, that could not have such an adverse effect on the fairness of the proceedings that the court ought not to admit such evidence.”

The Times, 16th May 2008

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.

Regina v Kempster – Times Law Reports

Posted May 16th, 2008 in evidence, forensic science, law reports by sally

Regina v Kempster

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

“Evidence of those experienced in comparing ear-prints was capable of being relevant and admissible but such comparison would provide information which could identify the person who had left it on a surface only when sufficient minutiae could be identified and matched.”

The Times, 16th May 2008

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.

Family barrister ‘exodus’ fears – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 16th, 2008 in barristers, family courts, fees, news by sally

“Proposed fee cuts for family law barristers that would bring them in line financially with solicitors will lead to a ‘massive exodus’ of experienced advocates, the Association of Lawyers for Children (ALC) has warned.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 15th May 2008

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Deportation dispute man leaves UK – BBC News

Posted May 16th, 2008 in immigration, news by sally

“Campaigners for a Filipino man who lost his fight to stay in the UK after his wife died are hoping to persuade the Home Office to look again at his case.”

Full story

BBC News, 15th May 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Court to rule on disclosure of MPs’ expenses – The Independent

Posted May 16th, 2008 in expenses, news, parliament by sally

“The High Court will rule today on whether the House of Commons has won its bid to overturn an information watchdog’s decision to force disclosure of MPs’ expenses.”

Full story

The Independent, 16th May 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Police defend race-fixing inquiry – BBC News

Posted May 16th, 2008 in corruption, gambling, horse racing, news by sally

“The City of London Police has defended the race-fixing investigation which ended with the collapse of a £10m trial but said procedures could be tightened.”

Full story

BBC News, 16th May 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Breasts not for looking but pecs are okay – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 16th, 2008 in news, voyeurism by sally

“It is perfectly legal to ogle a man’s chest but not a woman’s breasts, according to an unusual ruling on what constitutes voyeurism by a panel of leading judges at the Court of Appeal yesterday.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 16th May 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Young deaths coverage questioned – BBC News

Posted May 16th, 2008 in media, news, suicide by sally

“The way in which the apparent suicides of young people in Bridgend was covered by the media is to be debated later.”

Full story

BBC News, 16th May 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Abortion debate: Gordon Brown to oppose 20-week limit change – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 16th, 2008 in abortion, news by sally

“An attempt to lower the legal abortion time limit will be opposed by Gordon Brown during next week’s vote on the issue.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 15th May 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Judiciary should help promote mediation – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 16th, 2008 in dispute resolution, news by sally

“Judges should help boost ‘startlingly’ low take-up rates of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) by routinely directing litigants to mediate before taking disputes to trial, the Master of the Rolls has said.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 15th May 2008

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Thumbs down for designer robe – The Times

Posted May 16th, 2008 in court dress, judiciary, news by sally

“Like the new gown for judges? You’re in the minority; splutterings of dismay and derision are far more common.”

Full story

The Times, 15th May 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Police snap children during stop and search – The Guardian

Posted May 16th, 2008 in children, news, police, stop and search by sally

“Scotland Yard has admitted its officers have been photographing children who are stopped and searched even after they have been found to be innocent.”

Full story

The Guardian, 16th May 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Defying convention – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 16th, 2008 in bail, special report, terrorism by sally

“Releasing the ‘truly dangerous’ Abu Qatada on bail raises fundamental questions about Britain’s approach to confronting terrorism.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 15th May 2008

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Worker made to wear ‘I’m Simple’ badge – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 16th, 2008 in news, sex discrimination by sally

“A woman whose manager forced her to wear a badge proclaiming ‘I’m Simple’ has been awarded more than £5,000 in compensation.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 16th May 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk