Muslim woman must remove veil to give trial evidence – BBC News

“A Muslim woman can stand trial wearing a full-face veil but must remove it to give evidence, a judge has ruled.”

Full story

BBC News, 16th September 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Rachel Manning murder: Barri White and Keith Hyatt’s compensation fight – BBC News

Posted September 16th, 2013 in compensation, false imprisonment, murder, news, perverting the course of justice by tracey

“The two men wrongly convicted over the murder of a 19-year-old woman from Milton Keynes in 2000 have renewed their battle for compensation.”

Full story

BBC News, 16th September 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Niqabs in court: should full-face veils be banned? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

“We’re finally up against it now, aren’t we? After years of dancing round the issue, the law is finally called upon to make a specific ruling on the wearing of the niqab. So let’s make sure we know what we are talking about, because without a doubt there will be proponents and opponents alike who seek to interpret the decision (whatever it may be) to suit their cause.”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 16th September 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Council wins appeal over job titles of attendees at law firm meeting – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 16th, 2013 in appeals, contracting out, data protection, disclosure, local government, news, privacy by tracey

“A council has won an appeal over whether it was required – following an FOI request – to disclose the job titles of junior officers attending a meeting at a law firm to discuss a major outsourcing project.”

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 13th September 2013

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court backs litigation funder’s decision to terminate agreement – Litigation Futures

Posted September 16th, 2013 in costs, estoppel, news, solicitors, third parties by tracey

“The High Court has ruled that a third-party litigation funder was entitled to terminate its funding in a case where the prospects of success had fallen below 60%.”

Full story

Litigation Futures, 16th September 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Director of Public Prosecutions sets out charging standards for benefit and tax credit fraud – Crown Prosecution Service

“The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, QC, has today published new guidelines for prosecutors dealing with fraud cases involving state benefits and tax credits. The charging standards will ensure a robust prosecutorial position is taken against those who commit fraud against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and will ensure a consistent approach to prosecution across the wide spectrum of criminal fraud.”

Full press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 16th September 2013

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted September 16th, 2013 in legislation by tracey

The Community Care, Services for Carers and Children’s Services (Direct Payments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013

The National Health Service (Cross-Border Healthcare) Regulations 2013

The Public Bodies (Abolition of BRB (Residuary) Limited) Order 2013

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted September 16th, 2013 in law reports by tracey

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Bristow & Ors, R. v [2013] EWCA Crim 1540 (13 September 2013)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Parkin & Ors v Alba Proteins Ltd & Ors [2013] EWHC 2740 (QB) (13 September 2013)

Source: www.bailii.org

Schlecker (trading as Firma Anton Schlecker) v Boedeker – WLR Daily

Schlecker (trading as Firma Anton Schlecker) v Boedeker: (Case C-64/12);   [2013] WLR (D)  346

“Article 6(2) of the Convention on the law applicable to contractual obligations, opened for signature in Rome on 19 June 1980, meant that even where an employee carried out the work in performance of the contract habitually, for a lengthy period and without interruption in the same country, the national court could, under the concluding part of that provision, disregard the law of the country where the work was habitually carried out, if it appeared from the circumstances as a whole that the contract was more closely connected with another country.”

WLR Daily, 12th September 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Finance and Divorce September 2013 Update – Family Law Week

“Jessica Craigs, senior solicitor and David Salter, Joint Head of Family Law at Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the financial remedies and divorce news and cases published in August.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 11th September 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Sentencing After a Retrial – Criminal Law and Justice Weekly

Posted September 16th, 2013 in appeals, news, sentencing by tracey

“Lyndon Harris asks whether the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 should tie the court’s hands.”

Full story

Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 14th September 2013

Source: www.www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk

Police face court over refusal to hand over reports on anti-Muslim ‘bias’ – The Guardian

“Scotland Yard is facing court action next week after refusing to hand over the results of investigations it was ordered to conduct into claims that it used counter-terrorism powers to discriminate against and harass innocent Muslims.”

Full story

The Guardian, 13th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Hanged Essex teenager’s sex abuser jailed – BBC News

Posted September 16th, 2013 in child abuse, news, sentencing, sexual offences, suicide, victims by tracey

“A sex abuser whose 14-year-old victim hanged herself in her Essex home has been jailed for seven years.”

Full story

BBC News, 13th September 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government defamation costs reforms ‘could have chilling effect’ – Daily Telegraph

“Government proposals to allow people of ‘modest means’ to sue for libel without having to pay the other side’s legal costs if they lose could have a ‘chilling effect’ on free speech, a leading media lawyer has warned.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 13th September 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Gender abortion decision ‘unconstitutional’ say MPs – Daily Telegraph

“An alliance of 50 MPs on Saturday accuses the Crown Prosecution Service of an ‘unconstitutional’ encroachment on the role of Parliament by refusing to bring charges against doctors linked to illegal abortions.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 13th September 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Detainees at Yarl’s Wood immigration centre ‘facing sexual abuse’ – The Guardian

“A former detainee at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre has alleged that women held there have been subjected to unwanted sexual advances and abuse by security guards and other officials.”

Full story

The Guardian, 14th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Rights judges halt deportation of ‘killer monk’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 16th, 2013 in appeals, asylum, Bangladesh, deportation, human rights, murder, news, prisons, standards by tracey

“Ministers are facing a fresh challenge on human rights grounds to their ability to deport foreign criminals.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 15th September 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Jails are being ‘used as holding pens’ for foreign ex-offenders – The Independent

Posted September 16th, 2013 in deportation, immigration, news, prisons, sentencing, statistics by tracey

“People who have served prison terms are being kept behind bars while they wait to be deported, government data shows.”

Full story

The Independent, 15th September 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

NHS ‘covered up’ £4m of gag orders – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 16th, 2013 in budgets, disclosure, freedom of information, hospitals, news, statistics, whistleblowers by tracey

“The head of the NHS has been accused of a ‘systemic cover-up’ after official figures disclosed that hospitals have spent more than £4 million on secret gagging orders.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 15th September 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Joanna Yeates murder: police apologise to landlord – The Guardian

Posted September 16th, 2013 in anonymity, bail, compensation, inquiries, media, murder, news, police, professional conduct, standards by tracey

“The landlord of the murdered landscape architect Joanna Yeates has received a letter from police expressing ‘regret’ for the first time at the way he was treated after being arrested over her killing.”

Full story

The Guardian, 16th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk