GP jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing children – Daily Telegraph

‘As Dr Hugh Blaise O’Neill is sentenced it is revealed that he is facing further allegations relating to “sexual conduct while in a position of trust”.’

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Daily Telegraph, 30th January 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Court of Appeal slams judge for “unprincipled” approach to final care orders – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in appeals, care orders, case management, children, judges, local government, news by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has sharply criticised a county court judge for adopting a “ruthlessly truncated” and “fundamentally unprincipled” process when he made final care orders at what the parties expected to be a directions hearing.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 2nd February 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

The Magna Carta explained – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in human rights, legal history, magna carta, news, rule of law by sally

‘As the four original surviving copies of the Magna Carta are brought together under the same roof for the first time, here is a Q&A about the document.’

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Daily Telegraph, 2nd February 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Appointment to the bench is not a licence for judges to be gratuitously rude to those appearing before them – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in appeals, care orders, case management, children, judges, local government, news by sally

‘HHJ Dodds is well known to readers of this blog. His style of case management was also analysed (and found wanting) by the Court of Appeal the following day in Re S-W (children) [2015] EWCA Civ 27 (30 January 2015). The judgments leave one to ponder whether these cases are a product of the stresses that have emerged from the greater expectations now put on the shoulders of judges to case manage litigation or whether, as previously discussed in this blog by David Hart QC here, it is a problem that arises with clever judges who find that they are, by temperament, not inclined to listen patiently to other people (generally considered to be a core part of the job description).’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 1st February 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Supreme Court: legal expenses insurance premium could not be recovered with costs – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in appeals, costs, expenses, insurance, news, proportionality, Supreme Court by sally

‘The successful party in a civil court case is not entitled to recover the cost of any ‘after the event’ (ATE) legal expenses insurance premium from an unsuccessful opponent, no mater how “reasonable” it was to have taken out the policy in the first place, the UK’s highest court has ruled.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 30th January 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Court of Appeal: Solicitors cannot recover costs if CFAs failed to comply with cancellation regulations – Litigation Futures

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in appeals, care homes, contracts, costs, fees, news, notification, personal injuries, solicitors by sally

‘Appeal judges have ruled that solicitors cannot recover their costs where conditional fee agreements (CFAs) fail to comply with the cancellation of contracts regulations, with a potential impact on a significant number of cases.’

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Litigation Futures, 2nd February 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Judge to see forensics that point to Tower Hamlets vote fraud – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in elections, expert witnesses, forensic science, fraud, news by sally

‘Evidence from an independent forensic scientist will form the centrepiece of a rare election fraud trial opening at the High Court on Monday.’

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Daily Telegraph, 1st February 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

European Court to rule on ‘whole life tariff’ legality of triple murderer Arthur Hutchinson – The Independent

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in appeals, human rights, murder, news, rape, sentencing by sally

‘One of the UK’s most notorious killers will learn this week whether he has anything more than the faintest of hopes of ever leaving prison. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is set to rule whether triple murderer Arthur Hutchinson should be eligible for release from Frankland prison, Durham.’

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The Independent, 1st February 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

First judicial review over 2014 Act duties to disabled children reaches court – Local Government Lawyer

‘A High Court judge will this week hear what is being billed as the first judicial review to consider local authorities’ duties to disabled children following reforms brought in under the new Children and Families Act.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 29th January 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Googling Orgies – Thrashing out the Liability of Search Engines – Panopticon

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in data protection, defamation, EC law, internet, media, news, photography, privacy by sally

‘Back in 2008, the late lamented News of the World published an article under the headline “F1 boss has sick Nazi orgy with 5 hookers”. It had obtained footage of an orgy involving Max Mosley and five ladies of dubious virtue, all of whom were undoubtedly (despite the News of the World having blocked out their faces) not Mrs Mosley. The breach of privacy proceedings before Eady J (Mosley v News Group Newspapers Ltd [2008] EWHC 687 (QB)) established that the ‘Nazi’ allegation was unfounded and unfair, that the footage was filmed by a camera secreted in “such clothing as [one of the prostitutes] was wearing” (at [5]), and also the more genteel fact that even S&M ‘prison-themed’ orgies stop for a tea break (at [4]), rather like a pleasant afternoon’s cricket, but with a rather different thwack of willow on leather.’

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Panopticon, 30th January 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Is linking to illegally uploaded content allowed? – Technology Law Update

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in copyright, EC law, internet, news by sally

‘We all becoming experts in the manipulation and sharing of electronic text and images. Sharing, linking and embedding material is ever easier using a range of different devices. So what does copyright law have to say about this?’

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Technology Law Update, 30th January 2015

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

Four burglars jailed for ‘savage’ attack on university professor – The Guardian

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in assault, burglary, grievous bodily harm, news, sentencing by sally

‘Four burglars who took part in a raid which left a university professor “savagely” beaten have been jailed.’

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The Guardian, 30th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

“Lamentable”, “egregious” and “wholly indefensible”: High Court lambasts local authority’s conduct of care proceedings – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in care orders, children, damages, delay, guardianship, human rights, local government, news by sally

‘A Family Division judge has awarded damages under the Human Rights Act against a local authority in what he described as an “unfortunate and woeful case” involving a baby taken into foster care. Mr Justice Keehan cited a “catalogue of errors, omissions, delays and serial breaches of court orders” by Northamptonshire County Council. Unusually, the judge decided to give the judgment in this sensitive case in public in order to set out “the lamentable conduct of this litigation by the local authority.”’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 1st February 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Outcry as CPS drops trial of anti-drone protesters at last minute – The Independent

‘The prosecution of arms-trade protesters who occupied a British drone engines manufacturer has been dropped at the last minute, after the company refused to hand over evidence about its exports of weaponry to Israel, The Independent can reveal.’

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The Independent, 30th January 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Human Rights Act has helped 28 terrorists to stay in UK – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in deportation, human rights, legal aid, news, terrorism by sally

‘A respected think tank has compiled a dossier showing more than 20 convicted terrorists and suspects from abroad have used human rights laws to remain in the UK, including al-Qaeda fundraiser Baghdad Meziane.’

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Daily Telegraph, 31st January 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ceri Morgan uploaded pornography onto Tesco iPad in Swansea – BBC News

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in community service, news, pornography, sentencing by sally

‘A Tesco customer has been given a 12-month community order after changing the display image of a demonstration iPad to a pornographic photo.’

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BBC News, 31st January 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MoD faces tribunal challenge from whistleblower doctor sacked by text – The Guardian

‘An experienced doctor, who has questioned the official explanation for the death of weapons expert David Kelly, was dismissed by text and email while on a family holiday after he blew the whistle about alleged discrepancies in the dispensing of strong painkillers at an army base.’

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The Guardian, 30th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Mother who left baby strapped in pushchair for 14 hours is spared jail – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in child neglect, community service, news, sentencing by sally

‘Derby woman avoids prison sentence after admitting neglect by leaving 10-month-old son strapped in pushchair without feed in urine-soaked nappy.’

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Daily Telegraph, 2nd February 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

City fraudster who scammed £5.5m out of 100 investors is jailed for seven years – The Guardian

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in banking, financial services ombudsman, fraud, news, sentencing by sally

‘A fraudster who scammed more than 100 investors out of £5.5m and spent nearly half to fund his lavish lifestyle has been jailed.’

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The Guardian, 30th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prison ‘book ban’ rule relaxed – BBC News

Posted February 2nd, 2015 in human rights, news, prisons by sally

‘A rule that effectively stopped prison inmates in England and Wales receiving books has been relaxed.’

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BBC News, 1st February 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk