Mass surveillance of social media is permitted by law, says top UK official – The Guardian

‘Mass surveillance of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and even Google searches, is permissible because these are “external communications”, according to the government’s most senior security official.’

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The Guardian, 17th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The secret trial controversy – how open will this newly opened justice be? – Legal Week

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Legal Week, 16th June 2014

Source: www.legalweek.com

Bootle benefits fraud woman ‘invented’ six children – BBC News

Posted June 17th, 2014 in benefits, fraud, news, sentencing, social security by sally

‘A woman who invented six children in order to claim extra state benefits, has been jailed for a year.’

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BBC News, 16th June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal duty over resuscitation orders – BBC News

Posted June 17th, 2014 in appeals, consultations, duty of care, hospital orders, hospitals, news by sally

‘Doctors have a legal duty to consult with and inform patients if they want to place a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order on medical notes, says the Court of Appeal in England.’

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BBC News, 17th June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Whose Magna Carta is it anyway? – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Yesterday was Magna Carta Day. It is now only 364 days until the 800th anniversary of the sealing of England’s oldest charter of rights, and one of the world’s most influential legal documents.’

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UK Human Rights Blog,

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Richard III legal challenge lands taxpayer with £175,000 legal bill – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 17th, 2014 in burials and cremation, costs, judicial review, news, royal family by sally

‘Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, criticises a legal bid by distant relatives of King Richard III, whose remains were found buried under a council car park in Leicester.’

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Daily Telegraph, 16th June 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Delay on tougher sentences for knife crime to avoid prison overcrowding – The Guardian

Posted June 17th, 2014 in news, offensive weapons, prisons, recidivists, sentencing by sally

‘The justice secretary, Chris Grayling, is expected to delay the introduction of a guideline for minimum six-month jail sentences for those repeatedly caught carrying a knife because of the impact on the rising prison population.’

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The Guardian, 17th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bin Laden surrogate jailed after faking pregnancies – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 17th, 2014 in fraud, news, sentencing, surrogacy by sally

‘Louise Pollard, who once agreed to act as a surrogate for Bin Laden’s son, is jailed for pretending to carry children for other desperate couples’

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Daily Telegraph, 16th June 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Four jailed for Worthing amputations stabbing – BBC News

Posted June 17th, 2014 in grievous bodily harm, news, offensive weapons, sentencing by sally

‘Three men and a youth have been jailed after being found guilty of stabbing a man resulting in both his arms and legs having to be amputated.’

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BBC News, 16th June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ofcom probes BBC Daily Politics over swearing – BBC News

Posted June 17th, 2014 in BBC, complaints, media, news, obscenity, ombudsmen by sally

‘Media regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into BBC Two’s Daily Politics show after a Conservative MP swore during a live edition.’

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BBC News, 16th June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Secret trial of terror suspects delayed until October – The Guardian

Posted June 17th, 2014 in delay, news, private hearings, reporting restrictions, terrorism, trials by sally

‘The trial of two terrorist suspects, due to be held substantially in secret, has been delayed until October.’

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The Guardian, 16th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Gloucestershire child neglect couple jailed – BBC News

Posted June 16th, 2014 in child neglect, news, sentencing, social services by sally

‘A couple jailed for neglecting five of their children have been branded “inadequate, stupid, stubborn and reckless” by a judge.’

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BBC News, 16th June 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Come friendly bombs… – NearlyLegal

Posted June 16th, 2014 in insurance, landlord & tenant, leases, news, service charges, terrorism, tribunals by sally

‘Terrorism insurance is an increasingly contentious issue in service charge cases; in short, many leaseholders think it is unnecessary and simply serves to increase the their service charges (and, potentially, acts as an additional source of commission for landlords, itself a very contentious issue). Well, in Qdime Ltd v Various Leaseholders at Bath Building (Swindon) and others [2014] UKUT 261 (LC), the Upper Tribunal has given an unqualified endorsement of terrorism insurance and, in the process, may well have greatly extended the number of properties which are now required to obtain such insurance.’

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NearlyLegal, 13th June 2014

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Separating divorce and financial disputes – more process than substance – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted June 16th, 2014 in children, costs, divorce, family courts, financial dispute resolution, news by sally

‘Sir James Munby, President of the Family Division has considered in his most recent opinion piece, both his commentary on the bedding down of the recent procedural changes that came in to force on the 22 April 2014, and looking to the future, he has invited Mostyn J and Cobb J to chair a new Financial Remedies Working Group to look at further change.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 16th June 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Secret trials – a little transparency, a lot to worry about – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The Court of Appeal has published its decision in Guardian News Media v AB and CD. It is not a judgment, the Court says. Judgments – plural – will be given “in due course.” Still, the 24 paragraph decision contains the order and explanation of the order, and gives an indication of some of the reasons that will follow.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 12th June 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

How many people will get £10,000 fines for speeding? – The Guardian

Posted June 16th, 2014 in fines, news, road traffic offences, sentencing, statistics by sally

‘The maximum financial penalty that magistrates courts can impose has been increased fourfold, although the data shows that only a few will have to pay much more.’

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The Guardian, 12th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

What’s the Din?* – NearlyLegal

Posted June 16th, 2014 in appeals, homelessness, housing, interpretation, local government, news by sally

‘In Haile v Waltham Forest LBC [2014] EWCA Civ 792, the question for the Court of Appeal was the relevant date for determining whether an applicant is intentionally homeless. On the facts, this was a significant question: Ms Haile had left her room in a hostel on 25th October 2011 to go to stay with a friend. Only one person was entitled to occupy the room. She said that she left the room because of unpleasant smells in the hostel. At the time she left the room, she was pregnant and she gave birth to the beautifully named Delina on 15th February 2012. Now, clearly, as of Delina’s birth, the room would not have been reasonable for Ms Haile to continue to occupy because more than one person would be occupying it in breach of the tenancy agreement. However, the council found her intentionally homeless because they did not accept that, as of 25th October 2011, the smells into the room made it not reasonable to continue to occupy.’

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NearlyLegal, 16th June 2014

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

MP’s son guilty of using ‘tremendous force’ to attack press photographer – The Guardian

Posted June 16th, 2014 in assault, criminal damage, media, news, photography by sally

‘The son of MP Mike Hancock has been found guilty of “losing control” and using “tremendous force” to headbutt and punch a press photographer.’


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The Guardian, 13th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Is it right to jail someone for being offensive on Facebook or Twitter? – The Guardian

‘Jake Newsome was jailed last week for posting offensive comments online. His is the latest in a string of cases that have led to prison terms, raising concern that free speech may be under threat from over-zealous prosecutors.’

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The Guardian, 13th June 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New distance selling rules among new UK consumer protection law reforms – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 16th, 2014 in consent, consumer protection, contracts, EC law, fines, internet, news, time limits by sally

‘Businesses must respect new consumer rights to cancel contracts for services or the supply of digital content over the internet up to a minimum of 14 days after those contracts have been entered into, under new rules which have come into force in the UK.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 13th June 2014

Source: www.out-law.com