Anti-fracking activists found guilty of trespass – The Guardian

“Three activists were found guilty at Preston magistrates court on Tuesday on charges of aggravated trespass and assault after occupying a fracking rig in a Lancashire protest last year.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Serco ordered to improve failing GP service – The Guardian

Posted July 18th, 2012 in medical treatment, news, public private partnerships, standards by tracey

“Serco, a leading private contractor of public services, is failing to meet legal requirements to provide enough staff, train them properly or monitor their performance in the out-of-hours GP service it runs for the NHS in Cornwall.”

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Daily Telegraph, 18th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Crank’ admits making explosives in Cheltenham garage – BBC News

Posted July 18th, 2012 in alcoholism, explosives, news by tracey

“An electrical engineer described by a judge as a ‘crank’  has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after admitting making explosives in a lock-up garage.”

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BBC News, 17th July 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Drink drive actress cleared of drink driving on technicality – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 18th, 2012 in alcohol abuse, drunk in charge, news, road traffic offences by tracey

“Anna Parker, 50, the wife of actor Nathaniel Parker who plays Inspector Lynley in the BBC crime drama series, was cleared by a judge who told her she had ‘got away with it’  because she had faced the wrong charge.”

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Daily Telegraph, 17th July 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Hoax caller jailed for sparking national terror alert – Daily Telegraph

“Hoax caller Khadar Mohidin has been jailed for sparking a national terror alert by ringing police and claiming 15 suicide bombers were about to attack London on the day Hillary Clinton was to meet with David Cameron.”

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Daily Telegraph, 17th July 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Katy Perry and Justin Bieber zit ad campaign banned – The Guardian

Posted July 18th, 2012 in advertising, complaints, news by tracey

“A TV campaign featuring stars including Katy Perry and Justin Bieber promoting a zit cream has been banned by the advertising watchdog.”

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The Guardian, 18th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Star and Express criticised for Tesco advert – The Guardian

Posted July 18th, 2012 in advertising, media, news by tracey

“The advertising watchdog has criticised the Daily Star and Daily Express for running a front page reader offer of £5 off at Tesco, when the deal was in fact a standard offer available to anyone who shopped at one of the supermarket giant’s stores.”

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The Guardian, 18th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Views sought on change of guidelines on consultations – BBC News

Posted July 18th, 2012 in consultations, news by tracey

“The rules covering consultations on potential government policy changes are being loosened to allow a more ‘proportionate and targeted’ approach.”

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BBC News, 17th July 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Closure of forensic archive a ‘shambles’, experts warn – BBC News

Posted July 18th, 2012 in archives, budgets, forensic science, miscarriage of justice, news by tracey

“The closure of the forensic science archive in England and Wales will cause miscarriages of justice and stop police solving crimes, senior politicians, scientists and lawyers have warned.”

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BBC News, 18th July 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bernie Ecclestone blackmailed by dental technician who claimed he had kidnapped daughter Tamara – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 18th, 2012 in blackmail, guilty pleas, kidnapping, news, telecommunications by tracey

“A dental technician who threatened to kidnap Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone’s daughter Tamara in a £200,000 blackmail plot faces a substantial jail term.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 17th July 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ambulance staff left brain injury man for 45 mins due to lunchbreak – Daily Telegraph

“Ambulance staff left an elderly man who had fallen over and sustained brain damage untreated for three quarters of an hour because paramedics were on a lunch break, an inquest has heard.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 17th July 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted July 17th, 2012 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Modhej & Anor, R (On the Applications) v Secretary of State for Justice [2012] EWCA Civ 957 (17 July 2012)

Khaira & Ors v Shergill & Ors [2012] EWCA Civ 983 (17 July 2012)

AB, (A Child), Re [2012] EWCA Civ 978 (17 July 2012)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Red Bull GmbH v Sun Mark Ltd & Anor [2012] EWHC 1929 (Ch) (17 July 2012)

High Court (Administrative Court)

Roberts, R (on the application of) v The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police [2012] EWHC 1977 (Admin) (17 July 2012)

Source: www.bailii.org

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted July 17th, 2012 in legislation by sally

The Afghanistan (United Nations Measures) (Overseas Territories) Order 2012

The Al-Qaida (United Nations Measures) (Overseas Territories) Order 2012

The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2012

The Armed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2012

The Gambling (Licence Fees) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2012

The Nitrate Pollution Prevention (Amendment) Regulations 2012

The Customs Disclosure of Information and Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2012

The Education (School Government) (Terms of Reference) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012

The Pitcairn (Court of Appeal) Order 2012

The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals National Health Service Trust (Establishment) Amendment Order 2012

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

BBC Rogue Traders presenter Dan Penteado jailed for £24,000 benefit fraud – The Independent

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

“Rogue Traders presenter Dan Penteado has been jailed for council tax and housing benefit fraud totaling £24,000.”

Full story

The Independent, 17th July 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Disclosure of census data – high court judgment – Panopticon

Posted July 17th, 2012 in census, disclosure, news, privacy by sally

“The High Court has recently handed down a judgment in a really interesting case concerning the legality of disclosures of census data by the UK Statistics Board. Every decade since 1801, householders in England and Wales have been required to complete a national census form. Failure to complete the form amounts to a criminal offence. The most recent census was conducted by the newly established UK Statistics Board (‘the Board’) in 2011. The Board was established by the Statistics and Registration Act 2007 (‘SRA’). Under s. 39(1) SRA, the Board’s employees are subject to a general duty not to disclose personal data acquired pursuant to the census. However, s. 39(4) creates a number of specific exemptions in respect of that general duty. Not least, under s. 39(4)(f), the Board has a specific power to disclose census data amounting to personal data (including sensitive personal data) where the disclosure is made ‘for the purposes of a criminal investigation or criminal proceedings (whether or not in the United Kingdom)’.”

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Panopticon, 17th July 2012

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

David Cameron criticised for attacks on Freedom of Information Act – The Guardian

“The information commissioner has accused David Cameron and other members of the political establishment of launching a damaging attack on the Freedom of Information Act which he says is encouraging civil servants to obscure the government from proper scrutiny.”

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The Guardian, 16th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

SEN and Academies: The Upper Tribunal has its say – Education Law Blog

Posted July 17th, 2012 in education, news, special educational needs, tribunals by sally

“Academies are independent, non-fee-paying schools funded by the Secretary of State. For special educational needs (SEN) purposes, although Academies are deemed to be mainstream schools (see the Education Act 1996, s.316(4)(b)(iii)), they are not subject to the duties in relation to SEN that maintained schools (as defined in s.312(5)) are. That gap is, however, (at least partially) plugged by the terms of the Funding Agreement between the Secretary of State and the Academy Trust. Indeed, in relation to Academies created since the Academies Act 2010, s.1(7) of the 2010 Act requires the Funding Agreement to impose ‘SEN obligations’ (i.e. the obligations under Chapter 1 of Part IV of the 1996 Act) on the Academy.”

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Education Law Blog, 11th July 2012

Source: www.education11kbw.com

Jimmy Mubenga death: G4S guards will not face charges – The Guardian

“Three guards who worked for the security firm G4S have been told they will not face manslaughter charges over the death of Jimmy Mubenga, an Angolan refugee who collapsed while being escorted on a flight from Heathrow airport in London 21 months ago.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th July 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted July 17th, 2012 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Iles v R. [2012] EWCA Crim 1610 (17 July 2012)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Crow v Johnson [2012] EWHC 1982 (QB) (16 July 2012)

High Court (Family Division)

G v G [2012] EWHC 1979 (Fam) (11 May 2012)

Source: www.bailii.org

Children killed by mother may have lived if police had acted quicker, coroner rules – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 17th, 2012 in complaints, inquests, mental health, negligence, news, police by sally

“Two children who were stabbed to death by their schizophrenic mother could have been saved had police acted quicker, a coroner has ruled.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 17th July 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk