Attorney general investigates tweet about Vincent Tabak’s interest in porn – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2011 in contempt of court, internet, news, pornography, trials by sally

“The attorney general is considering whether to take action over a tweet revealing Vincent Tabak’s interest in hardcore pornography that was posted during his trial.”

Full story

The Guardian, 31st October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Radio stations to get new guidance on avoiding sexually explicit songs – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2011 in children, media, news, obscenity by sally

“The BBC and commercial radio broadcasters will have to take more care with sexually explicit lyrics, particularly in songs by rap artists, as part of a continuing crackdown by Ofcom on content that is inappropriate for children.”

Full story

The Guardian, 31st October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Appeal over legality of Digital Economy Act could be successful, judge says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 31st, 2011 in copyright, data protection, EC law, electronic commerce, internet, news by sally

“BT and TalkTalk have a ‘real prospect of success’ in arguing that the UK’s Digital Economy Act (DEA) violates EU laws on liability for communications made over the internet, a UK judge has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 31st October 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Internet stalker jailed for putting explicit pictures of girlfriend online – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2011 in computer crime, harassment, internet, news, sentencing by sally

“The former girlfriend of an internet stalker jailed on Monday for posting sexual images of her online in a year-long campaign of harassment said his sentence ‘will never make up for the hurt he has put me through’.”

Full story

The Guardian, 31st October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prince Charles consent law to remain – Downing Street – BBC News

Posted October 31st, 2011 in bills, news, royal family, veto by sally

“David Cameron has no plans to change laws which require the government to seek Prince Charles’s permission to pass legislation which could affect his private interests, Downing Street says.”

Full story

BBC News, 31st October 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Negotiated justice? Pressure grows to bring plea bargaining into UK fraud cases – Legal Week

Posted October 31st, 2011 in fraud, news, plea bargaining, prosecutions by sally

“After years of debate – and despite a hostile judiciary – pressure is building to bring plea bargaining into UK fraud prosecution. But don’t expect an easy ride, says Kingsley Napley’s Michael Caplan QC.”

Full story

Legal Week, 27th October 2011

Source: www.legalweek.com

Self-defence law shows how politicians use legislation as PR – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2011 in news, self-defence by sally

“The main parties take it in turns to pass unnecessary legislation to show how responsive they are to the public mood.”

Full story

The Guardian, 31st October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Is the decision in Godfrey a mark of the demise of Debt Relief Orders? – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted October 31st, 2011 in debts, insolvency, news, repossession by sally

“The Court of Appeal heard joined appeals considering the impact of insolvency on the right to make an order for possession and order for money judgment. Sharples concerned a possession claim brought under Ground 8 Housing Act 1988 (a mandatory ground for possession) and was a case in which the tenant had become bankrupt. Godfrey was a case in which possession was sought on discretionary grounds and the court of first instance had made a suspended possession order on terms of repayment of the arrears and granted money judgment; the order was made although the arrears were included within a debt relief order ‘DRO’.”

Full story

Hardwicke Chambers, 28th October 2011

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Husband jailed over wife poisoning – The Independent

Posted October 31st, 2011 in news, poisoning, sentencing, soliciting to murder by sally

“A window cleaner was jailed for six years today for poisoning his wife’s hot chocolate and trying to hire a hitman to kill her.”

Full story

The Independent, 28th October 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted October 31st, 2011 in legislation by sally

The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2011

The Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2011

The Care Quality Commission (Membership) (Amendment) Regulations 2011

The Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011 (Commencement No.2) Order 2011

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Command Papers – official-documents.gov.uk

Posted October 31st, 2011 in parliamentary papers by sally

Government responses on the Twenty Eighth and the Forty Second to the Forty Fifth Reports from the Committee of Public Accounts: Session 2010-12, Cm 8212 (PDF)

Government Response to the House of Lords Report of Session 2010-12: No vaccine, no cure: HIV and AIDS in the United Kingdom, Cm 8190 (PDF)

Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil regarding Defence Cooperation, Cm 8198 (PDF)

Source: www.official-documents.gov.uk

Met police using surveillance system to monitor mobile phones – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2011 in interception, investigatory powers, news, police, privacy, telecommunications by sally

“Britain’s largest police force is operating covert surveillance technology that can masquerade as a mobile phone network, transmitting a signal that allows authorities to shut off phones remotely, intercept communications and gather data about thousands of users in a targeted area.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Npower fined £2m by Ofgem – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 31st, 2011 in complaints, consumer protection, fines, news, utilities by sally

“Ofgem has handed npower a £2 million penalty for breaching regulations in handling customer complaints.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 31st October 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Media win legal bid on Tabak porn – The Independent

Posted October 31st, 2011 in contempt of court, disclosure, freedom of expression, media, news, pornography, trials by sally

“The media won an important victory for press freedom following an attempt to block the publication of Vincent Tabak’s sordid sex life and interest in violent pornography, it can be disclosed today (28 October).”

Full story

The Independent, 28th October 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Lovat v Hertsmere Borough Council – WLR Daily

Posted October 31st, 2011 in enfranchisement, law reports, leases by sally

Lovat v Hertsmere Borough Council [2011] EWCA Civ 1185; [2011] WLR (D) 306

“In the definition of ‘an excluded tenancy’ for the purposes of the additional right to enfranchisement applicable to tenancies not at a low rent under section 1AA of the Leasehold Reform Act 1967, the phrase ‘the house which the tenant occupies under the tenancy’ in section 1AA(3)(a) was to be construed as referring solely to the ‘house’ as defined in section 2(1) of the 1967 Act (that is, excluding any grounds); and the term ‘adjoining land’ in section 1AA(3)(b) meant neighbouring land that might, but did not necessarily, touch or physically adjoin the house.”

WLR Daily, 27th October 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Brüstle v Greenpeace eV – WLR Daily

Posted October 31st, 2011 in embryology, human tissue, law reports, patents by sally

Brüstle v Greenpeace eV (Case C-34/10); [2011] WLR (D) 305

“Any human ovum after fertilisation, any non-fertilised human ovum into which the cell nucleus from a mature human cell had been transplanted, and any non-fertilised human ovum whose division and further development had been stimulated by parthenogenesis constituted a ‘human embryo’ within the meaning of article 6(2)(c) of Parliament and Council Directive 98/44/EC of 6 July 1998 on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions (OJ 1998 L 213, p 13) and could not therefore be patented.”

WLR Daily, 18th October 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Bar Chairman – Slashing and Burning Legal Aid will Increase Costs – The Bar Council

Posted October 31st, 2011 in barristers, budgets, costs, legal aid, news by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has warned the Government of the serious consequences of pursuing far reaching cuts to legal aid, as the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill reaches Report Stage in the House of Commons.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 31st October 2011

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

The law-making process: could do better! – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted October 31st, 2011 in employment, government departments, legislative drafting, news, tribunals by sally

“‘Good regulation is a good thing’ is the trite introduction to the government’s red tape challenge, before saying we have too much of the other sort. The proposition is that reducing the quantity of regulation is the answer. This is myopic because if quantity is one possible burden on business, so is poor quality law. Poor quality is not about political or policy disagreements, but simply the production of badly-drafted law that is difficult to understand, because it is too complex or simply unclear.”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 28th October 2011

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Judges to be reined in by Parliament on human rights – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 31st, 2011 in deportation, human rights, judiciary, news, proportionality by sally

“Ministers are drawing up plans to rein in ‘outrageous’ human rights rulings by judges, it can be disclosed.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 29th October 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Office of Fair Trading takes steps to shut Yes Loans – BBC News

Posted October 31st, 2011 in complaints, consumer credit, consumer protection, loans, news by sally

“The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is taking steps to close down a company which claims to process thousands of loan applications a week.”

Full story

BBC News, 29th October 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk