Sentencing Council launches new revised definitive guideline for sentencing dangerous dog offences – Sentencing Council

Posted March 17th, 2016 in community service, dogs, fines, news, sentencing by tracey

‘The Sentencing Council has published a revised guideline for judges and magistrates on the sentencing of dangerous dog offences. The new guideline, which has been issued following a public consultation, will come into effect on 1 July 2016.’

Full guideline

Sentencing Council, 17th March 2016

Source: http://sentencingcouncil.judiciary.gov.uk

Man jailed for trying to rape two-year-old girl – The Independent

Posted March 16th, 2016 in child abuse, news, rape, sentencing, sexual offences by sally

‘A man who tried to rape a toddler and sexually assaulted two other children has been jailed for 14 years.’

Full story

The Independent, 16th March 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judges feel undervalued, says retired court of appeal member – The Guardian

Posted March 16th, 2016 in judges, judiciary, news, remuneration by sally

‘Judges feel unappreciated, demoralised and resent cuts to their pay, according to a recently retired member of the court of appeal.’

Full story

The Guardian, 14th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Rapist Luke Grender locked up as ‘lenient’ sentence reviewed – BBC News

‘A teenager rapist has had his suspended sentence replaced by a three-year term in a young offenders institution after the case was referred back to the Court of Appeal.’

Full story

BBC News, 15th March 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Battlelines drawn as shaken baby syndrome controversy set to run – The Guardian

‘Shaken baby syndrome is back in the news. Monday’s BBC Panorama programme focused on this most contentious of subjects and was itself prompted by the General Medical Council’s prosecution of Dr Waney Squier, a consultant neuropathologist who used to give evidence against those charged with injuring their baby but now provides expert evidence in their defence. On Friday she was found guilty by the GMC of giving “expert opinion evidence outside your field of expertise” in several cases that came before the criminal or family courts, and could be struck off the medical register as a result.’

Full story

The Guardian, 15th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Investigatory Powers Bill: May defends surveillance powers – BBC News

‘Home Secretary Theresa May has defended controversial new surveillance powers as MPs debated them for the first time.’

Full story

BBC News, 15th March 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Goddard inquiry to hold preliminary hearing on abuse linked to church – The Guardian

‘The Wednesday in an investigation into the track record of Anglican churches in England and Wales in preventing exploitation, dealing with perpetrators and helping survivors to overcome trauma and obtain justice.’

Full story

The Guardian, 16th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

EVENT: King’s College London – The Criminalisation of Homosexuality: Human Rights Law on Trial

Posted March 16th, 2016 in Forthcoming events by sally

‘The Criminalisation of Homosexuality: Human Rights Law on Trial
This seminar looks at a contemporary issue in human rights law: the criminalisation of homosexuality. Via this issue, the seminar assesses how international human rights law can be given effect at a domestic level, and the difficulties that can arise when litigants rely on international human rights in the domestic courts.’

Date: 16th March 2016, 4.30-6.00pm

Location: SW1.09 Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA

Charge: Free, registration required

More information can be found here.

EU referendum: Expats challenge 15-year voting restriction – BBC News

‘Two expats are challenging a decision to bar British citizens who have lived elsewhere in Europe for more than 15 years from voting in the EU referendum.’

Full story

BBC News, 15th March 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MPs break the rules ‘because they do not agree with them’, says standards watchdog Kathryn Hudson – Daily Telegraph

‘The comments will add further pressure on MPs to beef up the watchdog which polices their work, perhaps by giving members of the public a vote over decisions whether or not to reprimand errant MPs.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 15th March 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Mike Ashley: Could Sports Direct boss be jailed in Big Ben? – BBC News

‘Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has been warned he could be in contempt of Parliament if he continues to refuse to appear in front of a committee of MPs. It sounds serious – but what could actually happen to him?’

Full story

BBC News, 16th March 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Becky Watts: judge rejects killers’ appeals against convictions – The Guardian

‘The couple found guilty of killing the Bristol teenager Becky Watts have lost the first stage of their appeals against their convictions and sentences.’

Full story

The Guardian, 15th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Implications of the United Kingdom Leaving the European Union on Climate Change and Energy Law – Six Pump Court

Posted March 15th, 2016 in EC law, energy, environmental protection, news by sally

‘In a paper on behalf of the Climate Change and Energy Working Party, UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA), Stephen Hockman QC and Benjamin Haseldine chart the possible implications of the United Kingdom exiting the European Union on climate change and energy law.’

Full story

Six Pump Court, 7th March 2016

Source: www.6pumpcourt.co.uk

Reasonable Adjustment after Griffiths – Tanfield Chambers

Posted March 15th, 2016 in disabled persons, employment, employment tribunals, equality, news, sick leave by sally

‘Is an employer ever required to dis-apply an absence management policy or delay dismissal, as a reasonable adjustment for disability? Recent decisions have suggested that the answer is no, but in Griffiths v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2016] IRLR 216, the Court of Appeal has redefined the correct comparator in a disability claim in a way which may make this easier for an employee to argue.’

Full story

Tanfield Chambers, 9th March 2016

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Planning, Environment & Property Newsletter – 39 Essex Chambers

Posted March 15th, 2016 in contamination, energy, environmental protection, news, planning, pollution by sally

Planning, Environment & Property Newsletter (PDF)

39 Essex Chambers, February 2016+

Source: www.39essex.com

Mental Capacity Law Newsletter – 39 Essex Chambers

Mental Capacity Law Newsletter (PDF)

39 Essex Chambers, March 2016

Source: www.39essex.com

Gentry v Miller and another – WLR Daily

Posted March 15th, 2016 in appeals, civil procedure rules, law reports, setting aside by sally

Gentry v Miller and another [2016] EWCA Civ 141

‘When dealing with an application under CPR r 13.3 to set aside a judgment in default of acknowledgement of service entered under CPR Pt 12 or an application under CPR r 39.3(5) to set aside a judgment given where a party did not attend the trial, the court should first establish whether the express requirements of rule 13.3 or rule 39.3(5) were satisfied and, if so, apply the three-stage test laid down for the exercise of the discretion under rule 3.9 to grant relief from sanctions. The first stage of the test, as to whether there was a serious or significant breach, applies to the applicant’s default in failing to acknowledge service or to attend trial, not to any subsequent delay in applying to set the judgment aside (paras 23–25).’

WLR Daily, 9th March 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Alan Ramsay Sales & Marketing Ltd v Typhoo Tea Ltd – WLR Daily

Posted March 15th, 2016 in agency, agreements, contracts, evidence, law reports, privilege by sally

Alan Ramsay Sales & Marketing Ltd v Typhoo Tea Ltd [2016] EWHC 486 (Comm)

‘The claimant was a commercial agent who acted for the defendant. The agency agreement between the parties provided for 12 months’ notice of termination. The claimant’s case was that, by e-mails dated 18 and 26 March 2013, the defendant gave notice of termination with effect from 11 February 2013, to terminate on 11 May 2013 and was thereby in repudiatory breach of contract, which repudiation the claimant accepted as bringing the agency agreement to an end. The claimant brought a claim for, inter alia, damages for termination with insufficient notice and sought to admit the defendant’s e-mails as evidence of the defendant’s repudiation. The defendant contended that the two e-mails, both marked “Without Prejudice”, were part of a series of without prejudice negotiations to settle a dispute as to termination of the agency and that, as such, they could not be relied on by the claimant as repudiatory and were inadmissible in evidence.’

WLR Daily, 8th March 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

UBS AG v Revenue and Customs Comrs; DB Group Services (UK) Ltd v Revenue and Customs Comrs – WLR Daily

Posted March 15th, 2016 in appeals, banking, employment, forfeiture, income tax, law reports by sally

UBS AG v Revenue and Customs Comrs; DB Group Services (UK) Ltd v Revenue and Customs Comrs [2016] UKSC 13

‘In 2004 two banks entered into arrangements designed to take advantage of the provisions of Chapter 2 of Part 7 of the lncome Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003, as substituted, which created a special regime for employment-related securities whereby “restricted securities” (including, by section 423(2), shares which were subject to a condition providing for their forfeiture in certain circumstances so as to render their market value less than it otherwise would be but for that condition) were, by section 425(2) and 429, exempt from income tax. Each bank invoked a scheme whereby (i) it set up a company merely for the purposes of the scheme, which undertook no activities beyond its participation in the scheme, was to be liquidated upon the termination of the scheme, and the memorandum and articles of which contained conditions designed to comply with Chapter 2, and (ii) the shares of the company were to be allocated to specified employees in lieu of a cash bonus. In the first case there was a condition for an immediate and automatic sale of the shares if, on any date during a specified three week period, the closing value of the FTSE 100 Index exceeded a defined “trigger level”, the probability of which was unlikely but in any event was hedged against so that in the event of a forced sale the employees would not be materially worse off. In the second case there was a provision which, in effect, provided that an employee would forfeit his shares if he voluntarily resigned or was dismissed for misconduct during the first eight weeks after the company was set up. In both cases, once the exemptions from income tax conferred by sections 425(2) and 429 had accrued, the shares were redeemable by the employees for cash. The revenue took the view that the banks were to be treated as having paid the relevant employees cash sums equal to their share allocation and issued PAYE determinations and NIC decisions against each bank, as the body liable to deduct such sums. Each bank appealed. The First-tier Tribunal, in separate decisions, held that Parliament could not have intended that the exemption should apply to arrangements contrived purely in order to obtain the exemption but having no other business or commercial purpose. On appeals heard together the Upper Tribunal held that the scheme in the first case met the requirements of the legislation and so allowed that bank’s appeal, but held that the scheme in the second case did not fully comply with the terms of Chapter 2 in that, on the facts, the company had been set up in a way which did not comply with section 429. On appeal by the revenue in the first case and by the bank in the second case, the Court of Appeal upheld the Upper Tribunal’s decision in the first case on like ground and, having reversed the factual finding in the second case, allowed that bank’s appeal on the ground that its scheme also met the requirements of Chapter 2.’

WLR Daily, 9th March 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Secretary of State for the Home Department v Khan – WLR Daily

Posted March 15th, 2016 in appeals, immigration, law reports, visas by sally

Secretary of State for the Home Department v Khan [2016] EWCA Civ 137

‘The applicant, a Pakistani national, entered the United Kingdom with leave to remain. On 20 February 2012, before the expiry of his leave, he applied under section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 for further leave to remain as a Tier 4 student, intending to study at a particular college which at that time was a registered licensed sponsor. However, by the time the United Kingdom Border Agency came to consider his application, the licence of his sponsoring college had been revoked. The agency suspended consideration of the application to enable the applicant to find a new sponsor and then submit an application to vary the grounds of his original application for further leave to remain, which the applicant did on 9 October 2012. Paragraph 34E of the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules provided that if a person wished to “vary the purpose” of an application for leave to remain, the variation had to comply with the requirements for making an application as if the variation were a new application, or the variation would be invalid. The agency refused the applicant’s application to vary the grounds of his original application since, on 9 October 2012, he did not satisfy the requirements of paragraph 1A(a) of Appendix C to the Immigration Rules, which provided that an applicant had to have a certain level of maintenance funds “at the date of the application”. The applicant’s appeal against that decision was allowed by the First-tier Tribunal. The Upper Tribunal dismissed the Secretary of State’s appeal, holding that paragraph 34E did not apply in the applicant’s case since the applicant had not sought to vary the “purpose” of his application, which throughout had remained the same, namely to remain as a Tier 4 student; and that, therefore, the applicant had not been obliged to meet the maintenance fund requirements on 9 October 2012.’

WLR Daily, 18th March 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk