24-hour sex notification order labelled ‘very odd’ by top British lawyer – The Independent

‘A leading barrister has described the issuing of a 24-hour sex notification order as “very odd” and “pretty silly”.’

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The Independent, 24th January 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Men jailed for ‘despicable’ sexual assault and mugging of woman with learning difficulties in Birmingham – The Independent

Posted January 25th, 2016 in learning difficulties, news, robbery, sentencing, sexual offences by sally

‘Two men have been jailed for the “despicable” sexual assault and mugging of a woman with learning difficulties in Birmingham last year.’

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The Independent, 24th January 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Prisoners study alongside Durham University undergraduates in unique criminology course – The Independent

Posted January 25th, 2016 in education, news, prisons, rehabilitation, universities by sally

‘When it comes to learning, nothing can compare to real-life experience – as a group of prisoners has proved in a ground-breaking new university course. Inmates at high-security Frankland Prison in County Durham have been studying alongside undergraduates from Durham University in a unique criminology programme. And it is the prisoners who are coming top of the class.’

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The Independent, 25th January 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Fines for driving while on phone fall four fold in three years – Daily Telegraph

‘Sharp drop in penalties for motorists on mobiles fuels fears police are turning a blind eye.’

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Daily Telegraph, 23rd January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Victims are ill-served by the justice system: this bill will change that – The Guardian

‘The case of Poppi Worthington is the latest in a lamentable catalogue of misses by police or prosecutors. It demonstrates why the law needs to change.’

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The Guardian, 25th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bisexual asylum seeker wins Home Office fight to remain in UK – The Guardian

Posted January 25th, 2016 in appeals, asylum, homosexuality, news, sexual orientation discrimination by sally

‘A bisexual asylum seeker who said he feared he would be killed if he was deported to his native Jamaica has been granted the right to remain in the UK after a three-and-a-half-year legal battle with the Home Office.’

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The Guardian, 23rd January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Whistleblower judge: austerity policies have made courts dangerous – The Guardian

‘A district judge who is suing the Ministry of Justice after whistleblowing her complaints about courtroom dangers – death threats, violent claimants and hostage-taking – has spoken out for the first time about her experience of an under-resourced justice system.’

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The Guardian, 23rd January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Pervert teaching assistant Martyn Minter takes case to European Court of Human Rights – Daily Telegraph

‘The sports coach – jailed for 18 months after filming young boys in changing rooms – launches human rights case over sex offender register ruling.’

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Daily Telegraph, 23rd January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Doubts raised over UK government’s refusal to permit return to Chagos – The Guardian

Posted January 25th, 2016 in armed forces, Chagos Islands, documents, human rights, indigenous peoples, news by sally

‘For more than half a century the displaced people of the Chagos Islands have sought to return to their home, a collection of coral reefs in the Indian Ocean that constitutes one of the more far-flung outposts of the British empire.’

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The Guardian, 23rd January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Criminal record disclosure checks ruled ‘unlawful’ – BBC News

Posted January 25th, 2016 in criminal records, disclosure, employment, news, proportionality, vetting by sally

‘Two people who claimed their careers were being blighted by having to disclose their minor criminal convictions to employers have won their case at the High Court.’

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BBC News, 22nd January 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

CPS accused of suppressing police corruption evidence – The Guardian

‘Criminal trial prosecutors have been accused of suppressing evidence of police corruption in what has been called “misconduct of a particularly serious nature”. Lawyers are alleged to have covered up evidence that police received corrupt payments from a firm of private investigators in return for confidential information.’

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The Guardian, 23rd January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lord Bramall inquiry: How did police obtain search warrant for ‘PR exercise’, asks retired judge – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 25th, 2016 in child abuse, evidence, inquiries, judges, news, police, warrants, wasting police time, witnesses by sally

‘Exclusive: Metropolitan Police’s handling of aborted child sex abuse case challenged as key abuse witness reveals police informant “stole” details.’

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Daily Telegraph, 24th January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Paedophile killer Sarah Sands’ sentence extended – BBC News

Posted January 25th, 2016 in appeals, child abuse, complaints, homicide, news, sentencing by sally

‘A woman who stabbed a paedophile to death in east London has had her three-and-a-half-year jail sentence more than doubled.’

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BBC News, 22nd January 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Hillsborough inquests coroner to begin summing up evidence – The Guardian

Posted January 25th, 2016 in coroners, evidence, health & safety, inquests, news, police, sport by sally

‘The coroner presiding over the fresh inquests into the deaths of 96 Liverpool supporters at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough is to begin summing up the evidence.’

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The Guardian, 25th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

EVENT: The Constitution Unit – The Human Rights Act 1998: Past, Present and Future

Posted January 22nd, 2016 in Forthcoming events by sally

‘The UK government intends to replace the Human Rights Act with a new ‘British Bill of Rights’. However, any change to existing human rights law promises to be a complex and difficult project. Reform of the HRA has the potential to impact upon devolution, as well as on the UK’s relationship with its European partners. It also risks generating greater legal complexity, and may dilute rights protection. This seminar will epxlore the current state of play and consider the past, present asnd future of the HRA.’

Date: 7th March 2016, 6.00pm

Location: The Constitution Unit – The Rubin Building, UCL. 29/30 Tavistock Square. London WC1H 9QU

Charge: Free, registration required

More information can be found here.

Claimants and lawyers warned over damages repayment risk in RTA protocol cases – Litigation Futures

Posted January 22nd, 2016 in damages, negligence, news, personal injuries, repayment, road traffic, solicitors by sally

‘A claimant who receives less at stage 3 of the RTA protocol than was offered at stage 2 has to reimburse the difference, a circuit judge has ruled.’

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Litigation Futures, 21st January 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Stop Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 incompatible with Article 10 – UK Human Rights Blog

‘On Tuesday the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment on David Miranda’s detention under the Terrorism Act 2000 and, while upholding the lawfulness of the detention in the immediate case, ruled that the stop powers under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act lack sufficient legal safeguards to be in line with Article 10.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 21st January 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Children were forced to have sex with pets in Coventry, judge rules – The Independent

Posted January 22nd, 2016 in animals, child abuse, children, news, sexual offences, video recordings by sally

‘Children were made to perform “sexual activities” with each other – and animals – at a hotel, a family court judge has concluded.’

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The Independent, 21st January 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Poppers users beware: a draconian and discriminatory law is on its way – The Guardian

Posted January 22nd, 2016 in bills, drug offences, news by sally

‘You rarely get a new law that criminalises the lifestyle choices of gay men, but the legal highs bill is coming to the statute book.’

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The Guardian, 21st January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK legislates to support ratification of Unified Patent Court reforms – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 22nd, 2016 in courts, EC law, news, patents, regulations by sally

‘The UK government has prepared legislation to give effect to EU legislation on the unitary patent and to the Agreement on the Unified Patent Court (UPC), which backs the creation of a new UPC for resolving disputes over new unitary patents.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 21st January 2016

Source: www.out-law.com