Police will need judge’s permission to access journalists’ phone and email records – The Guardian

‘Police will be forced to seek the permission of a judge if they want to retrieve the phone and email records of journalists, after the prime minister’s snooping watchdog found that 19 police forces made more than 600 applications to uncover confidential sources in the past three years.’

Full story

The Guardian, 4th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Theresa May wins rapist deportation appeal – BBC News

Posted February 5th, 2015 in appeals, deportation, immigration, news, public interest, rape, tribunals by sally

‘A ruling that prevented the deportation of a Somali man who raped a pregnant woman has been successfully challenged by the home secretary.’

Full story

BBC News, 5th February 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police not liable in negligence to victim of domestic violence, but Article 2 claim proceeds – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 5th, 2015 in appeals, domestic violence, human rights, negligence, news, police, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to the long-standing rule that the police owe no duty of care in negligence in the context of protecting victims from potential future crimes.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 4th February 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Supreme Court to hear appeal over offer of accommodation 50 miles away – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 5th, 2015 in appeals, homelessness, housing, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Supreme Court has given a homeless mother of five permission to appeal a ruling that upheld a London borough’s offer of accommodation near Milton Keynes.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 4th February 2015

Source: www.localgovernment.co.uk

Nuisance and reasonable steps – NearlyLegal

Posted February 5th, 2015 in appeals, housing, news, nuisance by sally

‘Ms Y is the leaseholder of a flat below that of Mrs & Mr Shakeshaft, who had a tenant in theirs. There had been repeated leaks, and floods, into Ms Y’s flat over a period of 4 years or so, originating in the Shakeshaft’s flat above and causing considerable damage. Ms Y had brought a claim which, by the time it reached trial at first instance, was purely a claim in nuisance against Mrs & Mr S for the water originating in their flat.’

Full story

NearlyLegal, 4th February 2015

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Councillor Doug McMurdo guilty of punching teens – BBC News

Posted February 5th, 2015 in assault, local government, news by sally

‘A councillor has been found guilty of punching two teenagers in a drunken attack outside a village hall.’

Full story

BBC News, 5th February 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New Zealand high court judge named as new chair of child abuse inquiry – The Guardian

Posted February 5th, 2015 in child abuse, inquiries, judges, news by sally

‘A New Zealand high court judge is to be the new head of the official inquiry into child abuse, the home secretary, Theresa May, has announced.’

Full story

The Guardian, 4th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

No broadening of Article 3 test in health cases – Free Movement

Posted February 5th, 2015 in appeals, health, human rights, immigration, news by sally

‘Unfortunately the Court of Appeal’s judgment in the Article 3 health test cases in GS (India) & Ors v The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] EWCA Civ 40 (30 January 2015) does not change very much for migrants with serious health conditions seeking to remain in the UK.’

Full story

Free Movement, 4th February 2015

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

When notice is not required to succeed in an injury claim against a landlord – Zenith PI Blog

Posted February 5th, 2015 in appeals, landlord & tenant, news, notification, personal injuries by sally

‘The Appellant, (Edwards) rented a 2nd floor flat by way of an assured short hold tenancy from the Respondent (Kumarasamy). The Respondent was not the owner of the block of flats but had a long lease of the particular flat let to the Appellant. The Appellant suffered injury when he tripped over an uneven paving stone in the pathway ,between the front door of the block and the communal bins. The Respondent had received no notice of the defect prior to the accident. This was accepted.’

Full story

Zenith PI Blog, 4th February 2015

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

CPS defends decision to bring FGM case against doctor acquitted in 30 minutes – The Guardian

Posted February 5th, 2015 in doctors, female genital mutilation, news, prosecutions by sally

‘Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, has defended her decision to bring Britain’s first FGM case against a doctor who was cleared of committing the crime on a woman he stitched after the birth of a child.’

Full story

The Guardian, 5th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judicial Review on domestic violence evidence requirements fails: 
R (on the application of Rights of Women) v The Secretary of State for Justice [2015] EWHC 35 (Admin) – The World of Family Law (Garden Court Chambers)

Posted February 5th, 2015 in domestic violence, evidence, judicial review, legal aid, news, regulations, ultra vires by sally

‘Lord Justice Fulford and Mrs Justice Lang DBE have rejected Rights of Womens much needed challenge against the regulations (regulation 33) on domestic violence. For practitioners who work in the field of domestic violence and for people who care about gender based violence this is a disappointing and somewhat confusing blow.’

Full story

The World of Family Law (Garden Court Chambers), 4th February 2015

Source: www.gcfamily.wordpress.com

Iraq inquiry: Chilcot admits he cannot set publication date – The Guardian

Posted February 5th, 2015 in inquiries, Iraq, news, publishing, reports by sally

‘Sir John Chilcot, the chairman of the Iraq war inquiry, said on Wednesday that he was unable to set a date for the publication of his report as it emerged that some witnesses have received papers from the inquiry running into hundreds of pages.’

Full story

The Guardian, 4th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Landlords to be banned from letting draughtiest homes – The Guardian

Posted February 5th, 2015 in energy, environmental protection, landlord & tenant, news, regulations by sally

‘Landlords will be banned from renting out England and Wales’ draughtiest homes from 2018 in a bid to cut energy bills and carbon emissions. The new regulations are expected to help around a million tenants who are paying as much as £1,000 a year more than the average annual bill of £1,265 because of poorly insulated homes.’

Full story

The Guardian, 5th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

High Court budgeting ruling narrows use of contingencies – Litigation Futures

Posted February 5th, 2015 in budgets, costs, news by sally

‘Judges should only allow a contingency in a costs budget “if it is foreseen as more likely than not to be required”, a High Court judge has ruled in striking out £50,000 worth of contingencies that one party had included for ‘strategy review and consultation’ and ‘possible further work’.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 5th February 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Butcher forced to help cut off own toe in ‘Tarantino-style’ torture ordeal – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 5th, 2015 in drug trafficking, grievous bodily harm, news, torture by sally

‘Former butcher Richard Headford told his attackers how to cut off his toe to make sure it was done cleanly.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 4th February 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Cigarette row killer Kai Steele given 18 years – BBC News

Posted February 5th, 2015 in murder, news, offensive weapons, sentencing, young offenders by sally

‘A teenager who stabbed a man to death during an argument sparked by a row over a cigarette has been detained for at least 18 years.’

Full story

BBC News, 4th February 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sir Keir Starmer: police stations are intimidating for rape victims – The Guardian

Posted February 5th, 2015 in criminal justice, news, police, rape, sexual offences, victims, women by sally

‘Police stations are not the ideal place for victims to report crimes – particularly rape and sexual offences – according to the former director of public prosecutions, Sir Keir Starmer.’

Full story

The Guardian, 4th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Philip Phillips wins rights to damages after heart attack – BBC News

Posted February 5th, 2015 in damages, doctors, health, negligence, news by sally

‘A man who had heart failure hours after a GP examination has won the right to a substantial High Court damages payout.’

Full story

BBC News, 4th February 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Music teacher avoids jail over extreme animal pornography and indecent images of children –

‘A music teacher has avoided being sent to prison after he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography involving animals.’

Full story

The Independent, 4th February 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judge authorises sterilisation of mother-of-six with learning disabilities – The Guardian

Posted February 5th, 2015 in learning difficulties, news, sterilisation by sally

‘A mother-of-six with learning disabilities can be sterilised, a judge has ruled.’

Full story

The Guardian, 4th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk