Potential removal of magistrate fine caps could have “significant” impact on environmental offenders – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 14th, 2012 in environmental protection, fines, magistrates, news by sally

“The Government’s new powers to remove the cap on the level of fines that can be issued by magistrates’ courts in England and Wales could lead to ‘very significant’ future penalties for environmental offences, an expert has warned.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 14th June 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Proposals to enable children to see both their parents are launched – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 14th, 2012 in consultations, news, parental rights by sally

“Plans to strengthen the law so children continue to see both parents if they separate have been put forward by ministers today.”

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Ministry of Justice, 13th June 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Command Papers – official-documents.gov.uk

Posted June 14th, 2012 in parliamentary papers by sally

Government Response to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Report of Session 2010-12 HC 1618 on the Departmental Annual Report 2010-11, Cm 8360 (PDF)

UK-Turkey Relations and Turkey’s Regional Role: Response of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Cm 8370 (PDF)

Source: www.official-documents.gov.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted June 14th, 2012 in legislation by sally

The Local Elections (Declaration of Acceptance of Office) Order 2012

The Mental Health (Secondary Mental Health Services) (Wales) Order 2012

The Special Educational Needs Tribunal for Wales (Amendment) Regulations 2012

The Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010 (Commencement No.2) Order 2012

The Belarus (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2012

The Republic of Guinea (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2012

The Sudan (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2012

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted June 14th, 2012 in law reports by sally

High Court (Chancery Division)

Kettel & Ors v Bloomfold Ltd [2012] EWHC 1422 (Ch) (25 May 2012)

High Court (Patents Court)

Smith & Nephew Plc v Convatec Technologies Inc [2012] EWHC 1602 (Pat) (13 June 2012)

Source: www.bailii.org

Electronic monitoring should be used more effectively, say inspectors – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 14th, 2012 in electronic monitoring, news, reports by sally

Tagging should be used more creatively not only to punish, but also to help change behaviour, said Liz Calderbank, Chief Inspector of Probation, publishing the report of an inspection on electronically monitored curfews.

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Ministry of Justice, 14th June 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Government plans for overhauling the child protection system published – Family Law Week

Posted June 14th, 2012 in children, consultations, news, social services by sally

“The Government has published its plans to overhaul the child protection system. It proposes to scrap unnecessary instruction manuals and replace them with short, precise guidance and checklists listing roles and responsibilities.”

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Family Law Week, 13th June 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.com

IPO seeks new patent revocation powers as means for helping small businesses – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 14th, 2012 in consultations, news, patents, small businesses by sally

“The circumstances in which the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) can initiate proceedings to revoke a patent on the strength of a non-binding opinion it was asked to submit on the patentability of an invention should be expanded, it has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 14th June 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

How will the proposed surveillance laws work? – BBC News

“Police and intelligence services will be able to access data about people’s phone calls, emails and internet usage in order to tackle crime and terrorism under Home Office plans.”

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BBC News, 14th June 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Online privacy: Home Office to write blank cheque for ‘snoopers’ charter’ – The Guardian

“The government is to offer a blank cheque to internet and phone firms that will be required to track everyone’s email, Twitter, Facebook and other internet use under legislation to be published on Thursday.”

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The Guardian, 13th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Hundreds’ of miscarriage of justice claims over legal advice failings – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 14th, 2012 in defences, immigration, miscarriage of justice, news, passports by sally

“Hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees convicted of immigration-related offences such as failure to produce a passport may have been the victims of miscarriages of justice, the Gazette can reveal.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 14th June 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

UK Uncut allowed to challenge Goldman Sachs tax deal – The Guardian

“An anti tax-avoidance campaign group has won permission from the high courts to have a ‘sweetheart’ deal between HMRC and the banking giant Goldman Sachs judicially reviewed for its legality.”

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The Guardian, 14th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Opposing gay marriage not homophobic, says advertising watchdog – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 14th, 2012 in advertising, complaints, homosexuality, marriage, news by sally

“Opposing gay marriage is not offensive or homophobic, the advertising watchdog has ruled.”

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Daily Telegraph, 14th June 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Questions remain over animal rights activists’ case – The Guardian

Posted June 14th, 2012 in explosives, investigatory powers, news, police, terrorism by sally

“An undercover operation 25 years ago that led to the jailing of two animal rights activists now appears shrouded in mystery.”

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The Guardian, 13th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Tagging of criminals fails in more than half of cases – The Independent

Posted June 14th, 2012 in electronic monitoring, news, reports by sally

“More than half of electronically tagged criminals are breaking the terms of their curfews, raising questions about the effectiveness of one of the central planks of the Government’s criminal justice agenda. A report by the Inspectorate of Probation has found that 59 per cent of tagged offenders spent more than four hours away from home without authorisation.”

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The Independent, 14th June 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Life sentence for 15-year-old boy convicted of conker killing – The Guardian

Posted June 14th, 2012 in murder, news, offensive weapons, sentencing, young offenders by sally

“A teenager has been given a life sentence for stabbing to death a student in an argument over conkers. The 15-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, was detained for a minimum of 10½ years for murdering Stephen Grisales, 21, from Enfield.”

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The Guardian, 14th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk