City lawyers concerned about change to SFO – The Independent

Posted February 16th, 2016 in fraud, legal profession, national crime agency, news, Serious Fraud Office by sally

‘Senior City lawyers are railing against plans to subsume the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into the National Crime Agency (NCA), amid fears of yet more disruption to the prosecution of white-collar crime.’

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The Independent, 16th February 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

BBC’s Jimmy Savile abuse report to be published next week – The Guardian

Posted February 16th, 2016 in BBC, news, recidivists, reports, sexual offences by sally

‘The long-awaited report into sexual abuse at the BBC, prompted by the Jimmy Savile scandal, has been delivered to the corporation and will be published by the broadcaster next week.’

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The Guardian, 15th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Smoothing the adoption process – BBC News

Posted February 16th, 2016 in adoption, fostering, news by sally

‘Finding a permanent loving home for a baby approved for adoption can take take several months. In 2012, the government said it would change the law to allow potential adopters to foster a baby while the courts were deciding on its future. So what has the Foster to Adopt experience been like for those taking this route?’

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BBC News, 19th February 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Reporting restrictions: When can you take notes in court? – BBC News

Posted February 16th, 2016 in courts, media, news, reporting restrictions by sally

‘As a reporter, I am used to getting out my notebook and writing down what’s said by witnesses, lawyers and judges.’

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BBC News, 16th February 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prisons fail to act on inmates’ suicide risks, says watchdog – The Guardian

Posted February 16th, 2016 in news, prisons, reports, suicide by sally

‘Clues that prisoners may take their own lives are too often missed, a watchdog has warned.’

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The Guardian, 16th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Early guilty pleas: Justice for whom? – UK Human Rights Blog

‘New guidelines incentivising people accused of criminal offences in England and Wales to plead guilty as early as possible were proposed last week. While existing rules allow for a maximum one-third reduction in the sentence to those who plead guilty at the ‘first reasonable opportunity’, this benefit is now only available to those who plead guilty at their very first court hearing, with the available reduction falling on a steeper sliding scale thereafter.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 15th February 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Barrister suspended after text harassment conviction – Legal Futures

‘A barrister who was convicted of harassing his ex-partner with texts was last week suspended for three months by a bar tribunal for damaging the trust and confidence the public has in the profession.’

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Legal Futures, 15th February 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

GCHQ hacking does not breach human rights, security tribunal rules – The Guardian

‘Hacking of computers, networks and smartphones in the UK or abroad by GCHQ staff does not breach human rights, a security tribunal has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 12th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

High Court enforcement continued – Nearly Legal

‘In what has turned into a continuing series, there are further updates on enforcement of possession orders via the High Court, obtaining writs and the scandalous conduct of many High Court Enforcement Officers.’

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Nearly Legal, 13th February 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

‘Sexting’ children should not be prosecuted, guidelines say – Daily Telegraph

‘The proposed guidance will also offer advice to school leaders on when it is appropriate to report “sexting incidents” to the authorities.’

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Daily Telegraph, 14th February 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Allow Huntington’s disease sufferer to die, judge rules – The Guardian

Posted February 15th, 2016 in consent, food, health, medical treatment, news by sally

‘A man in his 30s who is in the advanced stages of Huntington’s disease and repeatedly pulls out a feeding tube attached to his stomach should be allowed to die, a judge has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 12th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Without prejudice privilege – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The ‘without prejudice’ privilege refers to the inadmissibility of any party communications targeted toward settlement. The objective of this privilege is to encourage parties engaging in settlement consideration, by ensuring any information disclosed in the pursuit of settlement cannot be submitted in litigation proceedings (see Lord Griffiths in Rush & Tomkins v GLC [1989] 1 AC 1280).’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 15th February 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Police mindset at Hillsborough was ‘all about public disorder’, inquest hears – The Guardian

‘South Yorkshire police officers requested dog handlers to come to Hillsborough in 1989 when people were trying to escape the lethal crush because police believed it was a pitch invasion, the new inquests into the disaster have heard.’

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The Guardian, 12th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Court of Appeal reaffirms death of “near miss” rule for part 36 offers – Litigation Futures

Posted February 15th, 2016 in appeals, costs, damages, news, part 36 offers, professional conduct by sally

‘There is no longer a “near miss” rule for part 36 offers, appeal judges have made clear as they overturned a High Court decision which seemed to suggest that there was one.’

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Litigation Futures, 15th February 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Failing on systematic failings – Nearly Legal

Posted February 15th, 2016 in homelessness, housing, judicial review, local government, news, statutory duty by sally

‘This was a quite extraordinary judicial review (or rather four joined judicial review claims with another 16 cases put in evidence in support) in which what was in the end at stake was not any remedy for the individual claimants – it was agreed that their individual issues had been remedied and the claims were academic on that basis – but whether there were systemic failings in Birmingham’s handling of homeless applications such that Birmingham:

generally, discourage and divert applications so that individuals are denied their statutory rights to have their situation properly inquired into and be given interim accommodation whilst those inquiries are being made.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 14th February 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

UK counter-terrorism laws ‘harming aid efforts of Islamic charities’ – The Guardian

Posted February 15th, 2016 in banking, budgets, charities, complaints, inquiries, Islam, news, terrorism by sally

‘The former international development secretaries have called for an inquiry into the way in which UK counter-terrorism laws are hampering the humanitarian work of Islamic charities, including some of the few British charities capable of operating inside Syria.’

Full story

The Guardian, 12th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Muslim teenager ‘should watch TV to avoid radicalisation’, court hears – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 15th, 2016 in barristers, Islam, media, news, social services, terrorism by sally

‘Barrister representing 17-year-old girl’s family says television would give the teen “a portal on the wider world – football, boys and so on”.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 14th February 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Regulatory offenders could face lower fine discounts if they wait to plead guilty, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

‘Companies which face prosecution for health and safety, environmental and other regulatory breaches would have to plead guilty at an earlier stage or risk higher fines under new proposals put forward by the Sentencing Council, an expert has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 12th February 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Deepcut recruit’s alleged suicide ‘did not match emotional state’ – The Guardian

Posted February 15th, 2016 in armed forces, bias, bullying, inquests, murder, news, suicide by sally

‘A teenage recruit found shot dead at Deepcut barracks in Surrey 20 years ago was behaving normally on the day of her death, although she had been having relationship problems, an inquest has heard.’

Full story

The Guardian, 12th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New legal right for shop workers to refuse longer work hours on Sundays – Daily Telegraph

‘Ministers are changing legislation to give councils the power to extend trading hours in their local areas’

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Daily Telegraph, 13th February 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk