Dragon’s Den fraudster sentenced – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted February 17th, 2012 in fraud, media, news, sentencing by sally

“Mark James-Dawson, Crown Advocate for the CPS said:

‘This was a particularly brazen and audacious fraud, carried out on national television. Jean-Claude Baumgartner claimed to own software vital to the business opportunity he pitched on BBC’s Dragon’s Den, and went on to fabricate evidence of advance orders for his product from overseas retailers and the world famous department store, Harrods.'”

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Crown Prosecution Service, 17th February 2012

Source: blog.cps.gov.uk

Trial by jury: the importance of “ordinary” jurors – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted February 17th, 2012 in juries, news, trial without jury by sally

“You can never write too much about the importance of trial by jury, particularly since there are moves afoot to restrict it. This month is no exception as Professor Richard Dawkins advocated a scientific resolution for criminal proceedings in The New Statesman, and The Times published an article by David Pannick QC effectively supporting the removal of jury trial in less serious cases.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 17th February 2012

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Teenage students lose high court battle to overturn tuition fees rise – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 17th, 2012 in equality, fees, human rights, judicial review, news, universities by sally

“Two students, Callum Hurley and Katy Moore, have failed in their High Court attempt to overturn the Government’s decision to allow universities to almost treble tuition fees.”

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Daily Telegraph, 17th February 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Basey and others v Oxford City Council – WLR Daily

Posted February 17th, 2012 in benefits, community care, housing, law reports by sally

Basey and others v Oxford City Council [2012] EWCA Civ 115; [2012] WLR (D) 34

“Since the social security and housing legislation had not defined what ‘sheltered accommodation’ was, it was not legitimate for a housing authority to claim that a sheltered accommodation should have a warden or resident caretaking manager and emergency alarm to qualify as such to impose an obligation on the housing authority to pay the costs of fuel and cleaning of the rooms and windows of the housing benefit tenants living in the accommodation. Therefore, a special needs adult living in a four-bedroom property with three other special needs tenants each occupying a bedroom and sharing a kitchen, bath room, two toilets and two sitting rooms, provided with 24-hour care and support supervision staff to meet the tenants’ needs, was a sheltered accommodation such as to oblige the housing authority to pay the costs of fuel and cleaning expenses as part of the rent out of the housing benefit.”

WLR Daily, 15th February 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

British Broadcasting Corporation and another v Sugar (No 2) – WLR Daily

Posted February 17th, 2012 in BBC, freedom of information, law reports, media by sally

British Broadcasting Corporation and another v Sugar (No 2) [2011] UKSC 4; [2012] WLR (D) 33

“Once it was established that information requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 was held by the BBC as a public authority for the purposes of journalism, it was effectively exempt from production under the Act, even if it was also held by the authority for other, possibly more important, purposes.”

WLR Daily, 15th February 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Abu Qatada could be deported if UK can get guarantees on torture evidence – The Guardian

Posted February 17th, 2012 in deportation, detention, human rights, news, terrorism, torture by sally

“The Islamist preacher Abu Qatada could be deported to Jordan if Strasbourg is given ‘watertight guarantees’ he will not be tried on evidence extracted under torture, Europe’s most senior human rights official has signalled.”

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The Guardian, 16th February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Caution on child trafficking review – The Independent

Posted February 17th, 2012 in children, news, trafficking in human beings by sally

“The Children’s Commissioner has said it would have to ‘consider’ a possible review of how rescued trafficked children are cared for before agreeing to take it on.”

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The Independent, 16th February 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Teenager convicted of attacking Malaysian student during London riots – The Guardian

Posted February 17th, 2012 in grievous bodily harm, news, violent disorder, young offenders by sally

“A teenager is facing jail for attacking a Malaysian student in an ‘exceptional’ act of violence during last summer’s riots in London.”

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The Guardian, 16th February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

#WithoutPrejudice 20 podcast: ABS and disruptives – Judicial advocacy assessment – Sun arrests – value of legal blogging – Charon QC

Posted February 17th, 2012 in advocacy, alternative business structures, internet, media, news by sally

“On the panel tonight are regulars, Carl Gardner and David Allen Green and our guests Cat Griffiths, Editor of The Lawyer and Nichola Higgins, a practising barrister and former Chair of The Young Barristers Committee.”

Podcast

Charon QC, 17th February 2012

Source: www.charonqc.wordpress.com

“Charon QC” is the blogging pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot, editor of insitelaw newswire.

Bristol bus driver Gavin Hill who drove into cyclist jailed – BBC News

Posted February 17th, 2012 in dangerous driving, grievous bodily harm, news, sentencing by sally

“A bus driver who deliberately knocked a cyclist down in Bristol using his bus ‘as a weapon’ has been jailed.”

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BBC News, 16th February 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Secret court procedures could damage UK’s reputation, critics claim – The Guardian

Posted February 17th, 2012 in civil justice, closed material, criminal justice, news, private hearings by sally

“The UK’s reputation as a ‘free and fair democracy’ could be damaged by excessive use of secret court procedures that the government aims to introduce, Northamptonshire police has warned.”

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The Guardian, 16th February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge criticises lawyer fees as “out of kilter” – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 17th, 2012 in costs, fees, legal profession, news, personal injuries by sally

“A senior judge has warned there is ‘something out of kilter’ in the civil justice system after hearing a case in which lawyers were paid almost six times more than their client.”

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Daily Telegraph, 16th February 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Courts given green light to hire own interpreters as ALS struggles to cope – The Guardian

Posted February 17th, 2012 in courts, interpreters, news by sally

“A £300m private contract providing interpreters to all courts across England and Wales has been partially abandoned two weeks after being launched.”

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The Guardian, 16th February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bailiff industry changes proposed by Ministry of Justice – BBC News

Posted February 17th, 2012 in bailiffs, codes of practice, news by sally

“Changes to laws governing bailiffs in England and Wales, such as the creation of a code of conduct, are being proposed by the Ministry of Justice.”

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BBC News, 17th February 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Huge increase in use of force at privately run young offender institution – The Guardian

Posted February 17th, 2012 in news, prisons, restraint, young offenders by sally

“A huge increase in the use of force to restrain teenage boys at a privately run young offender institution has been sharply criticised by the chief inspector of prisons.”

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The Guardian, 17th February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Christians ‘aren’t above the law’, says equalities chief Trevor Phillips – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 17th, 2012 in adoption, Christianity, Equality and Human Rights Commission, news by sally

“Christians who want to be exempt from equality legislation are like Muslims trying to impose sharia on Britain, Trevor Phillips, the human rights watchdog, has declared.”

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Daily Telegraph, 17th February 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Tuition fees ruling could question legality of university charges – The Guardian

Posted February 17th, 2012 in education, equality, fees, human rights, judicial review, news, universities by sally

“The high court is to rule on whether ministers acted legally in allowing universities to charge tuition fees of up to £9,000 a year from this autumn.”

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The Guardian, 17th February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk