March 2011 – Page 6 – Current Awareness

The changing face of justice – The Guardian

Posted March 24th, 2011 in courts, legal history, legal language, news by sally

“The visual vocabulary of courts – rooted in Babylonian, Egyptian, Classical, and Renaissance iconography – provides a transnational symbol of government, and courts have become obligatory facets of good governance. Consider the image of two women: one with scales, sword and blindfold; the other, Prudence, regarding herself in a mirror. Justice was once regularly shown with Prudence as well as Fortitude and Temperance, the four cardinal virtues. We know this imagery of justice because we have been taught it. Rulers regularly link themselves to the virtue Justice as they seek legitimacy for the laws that they make and enforce.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Wife loses bid for bigger payout from estranged husband – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 24th, 2011 in appeals, divorce, financial provision, news by sally

“The estranged wife of a former banker who argued that £4.8 million was not enough to live on yesterday lost a High Court bid for a larger slice of his wealth.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 23rd March 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Cow manure fetish man is jailed by Cornwall court – BBC News

Posted March 24th, 2011 in arson, harassment, news, recidivists, restraining orders, sentencing by sally

“A man with a fetish for cow manure has been jailed for two years.”

Full story

BBC News, 23rd March 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Shot Pc David Rathband sues force over Raoul Moat attack – The Independent

Posted March 24th, 2011 in duty of care, firearms, news, police by sally

“Shot Pc David Rathband said today he was suing his own force because he was left ‘a sitting duck’ when gunman Raoul Moat declared war on police.”

Full story

The Independent, 23rd March 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Master of the rolls to judges: keep your judgments simple – The Guardian

Posted March 24th, 2011 in judgments, judiciary, news by sally

“Judges should avoid making judgments that are ‘readable by few, comprehendible by fewer still’, said Lord Neuberger in a speech on open justice last week. With a nod to Gilbert and Sullivan’s accessible opera he offered Lord Atkin’s decision in Donoghue v Stevenson as ‘a very model of a modern major judgment’. The case, decided by the House of Lords in 1932, features a decomposed snail in a bottle of ginger beer and is known to every lawyer in the land: it sets out, in clear terms, the scope of the law of negligence.”

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in legislation by sally

The Capital Gains Tax (Annual Exempt Amount) Order 2011

The Value Added Tax (Consideration for Fuel Provided for Private Use) Order 2011

The Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (Rates) Regulations 2011

The Value Added Tax (Increase of Registration Limits) Order 2011

The Car Fuel Benefit Order 2011

The Landfill Tax (Amendment) Regulations 2011

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Foreign prisoners win £1 over UK false imprisonment – BBC News

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in damages, deportation, false imprisonment, news by sally

“The UK Supreme Court has ruled that the Home Office unlawfully imprisoned two foreign national prisoners in a ‘serious abuse of power’.”

Full story

BBC News, 23rd March 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

David Chaytor loses appeal to reduce jail sentence for expenses fraud – The Guardian

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in appeals, expenses, false accounting, news, sentencing by sally

“Former Labour MP David Chaytor has lost an appeal to reduce his prison sentence for fiddling parliamentary expenses as senior judges ruled he had inflicted ‘serious damage’ to our ‘priceless democratic system’ and could have received an even longer jail term.”

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal advice ‘too expensive’ warns bar regulator’s chair – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in barristers, fees, legal services, news by sally

“Legal advice is ‘too expensive’ and has ‘moved out of reach of the middle classes,’ the chair of the Bar Standards Board said this week.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 23rd March 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

7/7 inquests: Date announced for coroner’s verdicts – BBC News

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in inquests, news, terrorism by sally

“The inquest verdicts on the 7/7 London bombings are due to be announced on Friday 6 May by the coroner, Lady Justice Hallett.”

Full story

BBC News, 23rd March 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011 – legislation.gov.uk

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in accounts, budgets, legislation by sally

Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011 published

Full text of Act

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in legislation by sally

The National Assembly for Wales (Letters Patent) Order 2011

The Tunisia (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011

The Egypt (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011

The Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Dependency) (Permitted Earnings Limits) Order 2011

The Workmen’s Compensation (Supplementation) (Amendment) Scheme 2011

The Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order 2011

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Noye, R. v [2011] EWCA Crim 650 (22 March 2011)

Whiston- Dew & Anor, R. v [2011] EWCA Crim 647 (22 March 2011)

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

DS (Afghanistan) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2011] EWCA Civ 305 (22 March 2011)

Revenue and Customs v Chamberlin [2011] EWCA Civ 271 (22 March 2011)

MS (Algeria) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2011] EWCA Civ 306 (22 March 2011)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Goldsmith& Anor v BCD [2011] EWHC 674 (QB) (22 March 2011)

Clyde & Co LLP & Anor v Winkelhof [2011] EWHC 668 (QB) (22 March 2011)

Abramova v Oxford Institute of Legal Practice [2011] EWHC 613 (QB) (18 March 2011)

Coys of Kensington Automobiles Ltd v Pugliese [2011] EWHC 655 (QB) (22 March 2011)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Kojima v HSBC Bank Plc [2011] EWHC 611 (Ch) (22 March 2011)

High Court (Administrative Court)

Thaker v Solicitors Regulation Authority [2011] EWHC 660 (Admin) (22 March 2011)

Mazurkiewicz v Rzeszow Circuit Court, Poland [2011] EWHC 659 (Admin) (22 March 2011)

High Court (Technology and Construction Court)

Millharbour Management Ltd & Ors v Weston Homes Ltd & Anor [2011] EWHC 661 (TCC) (22 March 2011)

Source: www.bailii.org

Bar Barometer: statistical report – Bar Standards Board

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in barristers, news, statistics by sally

“The BSB and Bar Council have issued the first Bar Barometer publication, an annual report on statistical trends within the Bar. The Bar Barometer focuses on figures relating to the profile of the profession and those in the training stages over the past five years.”

Bar Barometer (statistical report)

Bar Standards Board, 22nd March 2011

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Major reforms to Equality and Human Rights Commission – Home Office

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in consultations, Equality and Human Rights Commission, news by sally

“Consultation launches to make the organisation a stronger, focused and more efficient, Theresa May said today.”

Full story

Home Office, 21st March 2011

Source: www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Police ‘illegally’ kettled peaceful G20 protesters for four hours, court hears – The Guardian

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in demonstrations, news, police, public order by sally

“Police officers illegally kettled peaceful climate activists at the G20 protests in 2009 to stop their gathering being ‘hijacked’ by violent protesters from another demonstration, the high court has heard.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd March 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government outlines overhaul of student visas – UK Border Agency

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in education, immigration, news, visas by sally

“Tougher entrance criteria, limits on work entitlements and the closure of the post-study work route are among the changes to the student visa system announced today by Home Secretary Theresa May.”

Full story

UK Border Agency, 22nd March 2011

Source: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

Health Bill amounts to ‘abolition’ of NHS, academic warns – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in competition, health, news by sally

“Controversial Government reforms will spell the end of the NHS as it stands, academics warn, as the Health Secretary was forced to reassure MPs that hospitals and doctors would not face accusations of running cartels.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 22nd March 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Goldsmith wins high court orders – The Independent

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in freedom of expression, injunctions, news, privacy by sally

“Tory MP Zac Goldsmith, his ex-wife Sheherazade and sister Jemima Khan have won High Court orders preventing the disclosure of private information, it emerged today.”

Full story

The Independent, 22nd March 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Foreign Office issues guidance on torture – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 23rd, 2011 in government departments, news, torture by sally

“The Foreign office has issued guidance to all its staff for the first time on how to spot signs of torture.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 22nd March 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk