Plebgate police inspector guilty of misconduct, disciplinary panel rules – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2015 in complaints, defamation, disciplinary procedures, news, police, professional conduct by tracey

‘A Police Federation official accused of giving a misleading account of a meeting with Plebgate row MP Andrew Mitchell has been found guilty of breaching standards of professional behaviour.’

Full story

The Guardian, 18th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Plebgate’ and the protection of journalistic sources – Panopticon

Posted December 18th, 2015 in damages, interception, investigatory powers, media, news, police, privacy by tracey

‘It has been a mixed day for the media’s entanglements with the judiciary. Chris Knight posted earlier today about the unhappy outcome for Mirror Group Newspapers before the Court of Appeal in the Gulati privacy damages litigation arising from phone-hacking. News Group Newspapers, however – together with Sun journalist claims Tom Newton Dunn, Anthony France and Craig Woodehouse – had a happier outcome in another case about telephone privacy, though this time with the media as victim rather than perpetrator of the interference.’

Full story

Panopticon, 17th December 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

The code of practice for victims of crime and supporting public information materials – Ministry of Justice

Posted December 18th, 2015 in codes of practice, press releases, victims by tracey

‘Code of practice governing services to be provided in England and Wales to victims of criminal conduct which occurred in England and Wales.’

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 18th December 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Borough council uses ASB and planning laws to secure traveller injunction – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 18th, 2015 in injunctions, local government, news, planning, travellers by tracey

‘Blackpool Council has secured a High Court injunction – pursuant to Section 1 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 and Section 187B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 – stopping 13 named travellers from setting up unauthorised encampments in the borough. The council said it was believed to be the first time in the country that a local authority had used the 2014 Act along with Section 187B of the TCPA to secure an injunction against illegal travellers.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 17th December 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Supreme Court: no “material change” means no second application for relief from sanctions – Litigation Futures

‘Litigants are not entitled to make a second application for relief from sanctions unless there has been a “material change in circumstances”, the Supreme Court has ruled.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 17th December 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Government decides against doubling court fee cap but gives green light to general increase – Litigation Futures

Posted December 18th, 2015 in consultations, courts, fees, news by tracey

‘The government has decided against doubling the maximum court fee cap to £20,000, but is to press ahead with its planned 10% increase in court fees across the range of civil proceedings.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 17th December 2015

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Earnings of criminal legal aid barristers fall 8% in two years – Legal Futures

Posted December 18th, 2015 in barristers, criminal justice, legal aid, news, remuneration by tracey

‘The fee income of Crown Court legal aid barristers from the Advocated Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS) has fallen by 8% in the last two years, new figures have shown.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 18th December 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Phone hacking: Mirror Group loses appeal over damages – BBC News

Posted December 18th, 2015 in appeals, damages, interception, media, news by tracey

‘Mirror Group Newspapers has lost its appeal over damages paid to eight victims of phone hacking.’

Full story

BBC News, 17th December 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police illegally accessed journalist’s phone records during Plebgate investigation – Daily Telegraph

‘The Metropolitan Police illegally accessed the phone records of a journalist while desperately trying to find the source of a leek during the Plebgate scandal, a tribunal has ruled.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 17th December 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Crash for cash: Five more guilty over insurance scam – BBC News

Posted December 18th, 2015 in fraud, insurance, news, road traffic by tracey

‘Five people have been found guilty over the biggest car insurance fraud investigation in the UK. They were convicted of making six insurance claims worth £144,000 between 2009 and 2011. Two were found not guilty.’

Full story

BBC News, 17th December 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Home Office loses track of more than 10,000 asylum seekers – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2015 in asylum, enforcement, government departments, immigration, news by tracey

‘The Home Office has lost touch with more than 10,000 asylum seekers in Britain and efforts to trace them are considered “a drain on resources”, the official immigration watchdog has revealed.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Man guilty of killing unborn baby by kicking mum’s stomach – BBC News

‘A man has been found guilty of killing his unborn baby by stamping on the stomach of his pregnant ex-girlfriend.’

Full story

BBC News, 17th December 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judge rejects disclosure of document on role of police spy in wrongful conviction – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2015 in disclosure, evidence, miscarriage of justice, news, police, prosecutions, public order, spying by tracey

‘A judge has refused to order the disclosure of an official document that would shed more light on how an undercover operation caused the wrongful conviction of an environmental campaigner.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Man jailed for posting antisemitic material ahead of ‘Jewification’ rally – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2015 in demonstrations, inciting racial hatred, news, sentencing by tracey

‘A former hospice worker, who posted “vile” antisemitic material online ahead of a planned neo-Nazi rally, has been jailed for more than three years.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Woman with late-stage MS dies after ruling to stop artificial feeding – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2015 in consent, Court of Protection, disabled persons, elderly, medical treatment, news by tracey

‘A woman in her late 60s who was “locked into the end stage” of multiple sclerosis has died about a month after a judge allowed medics to cease artificial feeding, lawyers say.’

Full story

The Guardian, 18th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Britain’s Supreme Court says targeting young black men for stop-and-search ‘benefits them’ – The Independent

‘The Supreme Court has been accused of using “stereotypes” to justify the “targeting of young black men” after five judges gave their strong backing to the police’s random stop and search powers.’

Full story

The Independent, 17th December 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Divorce error on form caused by UK Government software glitch could affect 20,000 people – The Independent

Posted December 18th, 2015 in computer programs, divorce, electronic filing, litigants in person, news by tracey

‘Divorced couples may be forced to return to court to renegotiate their separation after it emerged a Government software error may have altered the terms of their settlement.’

Full story

The Independent, 18th December 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Woman who took poison to terminate pregnancy jailed – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 18th, 2015 in abortion, news, poisoning, pregnancy, sentencing by tracey

‘Natalie Towers, 24, sentenced to serve two years and six months behind bars after buying poison online to terminate her unborn son.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 17th December 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Government investigation after grandmother ‘gnawed at by rat’ in her bed at council-run home – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 18th, 2015 in animals, elderly, environmental health, housing, news by tracey

‘The Health Secretary has ordered an investigation into how a grandmother living in sheltered housing suffered horrific injuries her family believes were the result of multiple rat bites.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 18th December 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Sleepwalking sailors dismissed by Royal Navy – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2015 in armed forces, dismissal, freedom of information, news, sleepwalking by tracey

‘Revelation comes as armed forces’ rules are being updated and also to disqualify those who suffer from “sleep terrors.”’

Full story

The Guardian, 18th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk