Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ first review uncovers failings in advocacy provision – Family Law Week

Posted March 23rd, 2012 in children, legal representation, news, Wales by tracey

“Some of Wales’ most vulnerable children and young people are unaware of their statutory right to an independent professional advocate due to a system without a clear set of checks and balances, according to the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Keith Towler.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 22nd  March 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.com

 

Police anti-terrorism stop and searches cease – BBC News

Posted March 23rd, 2012 in news, police, statistics, stop and search, terrorism by tracey

“Police have ceased using anti-terrorism stop and search powers, figures from the Home Office show. Between April and September 2011 the powers, which enable police to search anyone for terrorist material in designated areas, were not used once.”

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BBC News, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Headteacher Andrew Wilkie jailed for £53k theft from school – BBC News

Posted March 23rd, 2012 in abuse of position of trust, news, sentencing, teachers, theft by tracey

“A headteacher has been jailed for 16 months after stealing more than £53,000 from his school to fund a gambling addiction. Andrew Wilkie, 41, admitted two charges of theft from Southdown Primary School in Buckley, Flintshire, after losing his life savings on online poker sites.”

Full story

BBC News, 2nd March 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Thief stole laptop after apologising to victim – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 23rd, 2012 in guilty pleas, news, restorative justice, sentencing, theft by tracey

Months earlier Ivan Barker, 21, had stolen a laptop and cigarettes from wheelchair-bound Jean Jacque Mathely. So when he called round to say ‘sorry’ his victim was naturally guarded, but let him in after he said police suggested he should face up to his offending. But once inside, rather than apologise to the man he had wronged, he made off with Mr Mathley’s new laptop. Now Barker, who sold the stolen goods to pay for booze, has finally been jailed for 16 weeks after pleading guilty to theft.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

One in five abortion clinics breaks law – The Guardian

Posted March 23rd, 2012 in abortion, news by tracey

“Up to one in five abortion clinics is suspected of breaking the law and faces a police inquiry following an official investigation ordered by the Health Secretary, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. The regulator conducted a series of unannounced raids on every clinic offering abortions this week and found that a ‘shocking’ number may be breaking the law.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

London riots: Boy, 12, sentenced for violent disorder – BBC News

Posted March 23rd, 2012 in news, sentencing, violent disorder, young offenders by tracey

“A 12-year-old boy has become one of the youngest people to be sentenced over last summer’s riots in London.”

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BBC News, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Investigation into Sussex ‘raw’ milk sold in Selfridges – BBC News

Posted March 23rd, 2012 in food hygiene, news by tracey

“A Sussex farm is being investigated for selling unpasteurised milk in a major department store.”

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BBC News, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Former Brookside actor cleared of gangland murder – The Guardian

Posted March 23rd, 2012 in murder, news, perverting the course of justice by tracey

“A former soap opera star who admitted driving the getaway car in a gangland shooting has been cleared of murder, it can now be reported. Brian Regan, 53, who played Terry Sullivan in Channel 4’s Brookside, was found not guilty at Liverpool crown court of the killing of nightclub doorman Bahman Faraji, 44. Regan was convicted of perverting the course of justice by lying to police in the early stages of the murder investigation and disposing of a pair of gloves he had worn on the night of the killing. Regan, who was on bail for supplying cocaine when the murder took place in February 2011, was jailed on 25 January for four years 10 months. The facts of the case can be revealed after Mrs Justice Nicola Davies lifted reporting restrictions put in place to avoid prejudicing the trial of another defendant, Jason Gabbana.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

You’re not drinking enough, financial adviser told her tearful client – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 23rd, 2012 in age discrimination, dismissal, news, pensions, redundancy by tracey

“A businesswoman sacked after a night entertaining clients ended in spectacular embarrassment has had her hopes of a compensation payout boosted by a tribunal ruling.”

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Daily Telegraph, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Older staff can be made redundant to avoid pension charges, judges rule – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 23rd, 2012 in news by tracey

“Older staff can be made redundant so their employers avoid significant pension payments, senior judges ruled yesterday.”

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Daily Telegraph, 23rd March 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Deferred prosecution agreement legislation to be introduced, Solicitor General says – OUT-LAW.com

“The Government will introduce new laws that enable businesses and prosecutors to negotiate the punishments those firms should face for unlawful activity before the end of this Parliament, a top legal advisor has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Flood v Times Newspapers, Supreme Court allows “Reynolds” appeal – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 22nd, 2012 in defamation, news, privilege, public interest, Supreme Court by sally

“In a unanimous decision ([2012] UKSC 11) the Supreme Court allowed the appeal of Times Newspapers Limited against a decision of the Court of Appeal ([2010] EWCA Civ 804) which had held that it could not rely on Reynolds qualified privilege. The Supreme Court restored the decision of Mr Justice Tugendhat ([2009] EWHC 2375 (QB)) who had ruled, on the hearing of a preliminary issue, that the Times was entitled to rely on the defence of Reynolds qualified privilege in relation to the printed publication of the article about the claimant.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Antoni Imiela : M25 rapist guilty of 1987 London rape – BBC News

Posted March 22nd, 2012 in news, rape, recidivists, sentencing by sally

“A convicted sex attacker has been found guilty of raping a woman in 1987 in south-east London.”

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BBC News, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Library Closures and the Public Sector Equality Duty: Libraries – 11 KBW

Posted March 22nd, 2012 in equality, libraries, local government, news by sally

“I [Elisabeth Laing QC] consider 6 topics in this paper
(1) the legislative framework
(2) the implied duty to assess need
(3) community groups
(4) Equality Impact Assessments (‘EIAs’) and libraries
(5) institutional arrangements
(6) the Localism Act 2011.”

Full story (PDF)

11 KBW, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.11kbw.com

Environmental and planning law newsletter – Thirty Nine Essex Street

Environmental and planning law newsletter (PDF)

Thirty Nine Essex Street, March 2012

Source: www.39essex.com

Going Over The Top – One Inner Temple Lane

Posted March 22nd, 2012 in news, sport by sally

“Vincent Kompany, Didier Drogba, Nenad Milijas are members of the growing club of players being sent off for serious foul play in the Premier League. Pundits and commentators seem to like nothing more at the moment than to pore over these decisions, happy to quote anyone that will talk about it with their view or opinion.”

Full story (PDF)

One Inner Temple Lane, 21st March 2012

Source: www.1itl.com

The Public Sector Equality Duty – 11 KBW

Posted March 22nd, 2012 in equality, news by sally

“Since the Coalition Government came into power, ‘doing more with less’ has become a typical catchphrase. Cutting public services, charging for services, or finding a more economically attractive way of delivering public services has been a requirement for most, if not all, public authorities.”

Full story (PDF)

11 KBW, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.11kbw.com

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted March 22nd, 2012 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council v Shurvinton & Ors [2012] EWCA Civ 346 (21 March 2012)

Phethean-Hubble v Coles [2012] EWCA Civ 349 (21 March 2012)

Sheridan & Ors v Basildon Borough Council [2012] EWCA Civ 335 (21 March 2012)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Force India Formula One Team Ltd v 1 Malaysia Racing Team SDN BHD & Ors [2012] EWHC 616 (Ch) (21 March 2012)

Thomas & Anor (Joint Liquidators of GBI Investments Ltd) v Jakes & Anor [2012] EWHC 525 (Ch) (09 March 2012)

Source: www.bailii.org

Flood v Times Newspapers Ltd – WLR Daily

Posted March 22nd, 2012 in defamation, law reports, privilege, public interest, Supreme Court by sally

Flood v Times Newspapers Ltd [2012] UKSC 11; [2012] WLR (D) 93

“A publisher was protected from liability for defamation when it published an article containing allegations of corruption against a named police officer, even though the allegations were subsequently held to be unfounded, if it could be shown that the issues raised in the article were matters of public interest and that at the time of publication it appeared to the publishers that there was a strong circumstantial case for believing the allegations to be true.”

WLR Daily, 21st March 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Mohamed (Azza) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily

Posted March 22nd, 2012 in appeals, elderly, immigration, law reports by sally

Mohamed (Azza) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] EWCA Civ 331; [2012] WLR (D) 92

“The use of the superlative form in the phrase “the most exceptional compassionate circumstances” in paragraph 317(i)(e) of the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (1994) stressed how extreme such circumstances had to be in order for an applicant to be granted indefinite leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom as the parent or grandparent aged under 65 of a person settled in the United Kingdom. The requirement was not met even where the financial dependency which qualified such a relative for entry was the factor which prevented his or her circumstances from being such exceptional circumstances.”

WLR Daily, 20th March 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk