September 2016 – Page 12 – Current Awareness

‘Justice Secretary Liz Truss has appeared to cast doubt on plans for a sweeping reform of prisons in England and Wales proposed by her predecessor, Michael Gove.’

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BBC News, 7th September 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Acquitted dad Craig Beattie ‘killed baby son’ family judge said – BBC News

Posted September 8th, 2016 in child abuse, criminal justice, family courts, homicide, news, reports by tracey

‘A father who was acquitted by a jury of killing his six-week-old son has been named as the person responsible for his death in a ruling by a high court judge.’

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BBC News, 7th September 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Schoolboy killed by flood pump’s toxic fumes, coroner rules – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 8th, 2016 in children, inquests, news, poisoning by tracey

‘A schoolboy died when the toxic fumes produced by a petrol pump designed to keep his family home from flooding poisoned him in his sleep, a coroner has ruled.’

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Daily Telegraph, 7th September 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

UK inquiry into child sexual abuse ‘will include historical cases’ – The Guardian

Posted September 8th, 2016 in child abuse, inquiries, judges, news, sexual offences by tracey

‘The focus of the official inquiry into child sexual abuse will not be narrowed to exclude historical cases, the home secretary has made clear, as she also suggested that its former chair, Dame Lowell Goddard, may have quit because she was lonely.’

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The Guardian, 7th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Old Bailey judge retiring after 20 years condemns burden foreign criminals are placing on state – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 8th, 2016 in crime, criminal justice, elderly, immigration, judges, news, offensive weapons, terrorism, young offenders by tracey

‘An influx of Eastern European criminals risks clogging up the criminal justice system and placing an extra burden on its finances, a senior Old Bailey judge warns. His Honour Judge Tim Pontius also expresses concern at the surge in historic sex abuse cases which he called “troubling”, while conceding that the system is struggling to cope with young Islamist terrorists.’

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Daily Telegraph, 7th September 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Andy Tsege: High Court rejects 9-year-old’s plea for UK to bring back British father kidnapped by Ethiopia – The Independent

Posted September 8th, 2016 in children, death penalty, foreign jurisdictions, government departments, kidnapping, news, terrorism by tracey

‘The High Court has rejected the case of a nine-year-old British girl demanding Theresa May’s government do more to help her father, who has been kidnapped by the Ethiopian authorities and now faces an impending death sentence.’

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The Independent, 7th September 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Zero-hours contracts used far beyond short-term work, research says – The Guardian

Posted September 8th, 2016 in contract of employment, employment, flexible working, news by tracey

‘More than two-thirds of zero-hours workers aged over 25 have been with the same employer for more than a year, highlighting concerns that the insecure arrangements have become a permanent feature of working life for thousands of people.’

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The Guardian, 8th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Hillsborough Law’ drafted by victims’ families’ legal team – BBC News

Posted September 8th, 2016 in bills, inquests, inquiries, news, police by tracey

‘Lawyers for the relatives of 96 people who died at Hillsborough have drafted a new law to compel public officials to tell the truth at inquiries.’

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BBC News, 8th September 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Britain’s weirdest laws: carpet beating, MPs in armour and carrying ladders – The Guardian

Posted September 8th, 2016 in legislation, news, reports by tracey

‘A list of the 10 most bizarre British laws has been compiled by a Cambridge researcher to highlight the complexity and antiquity of statutes that remain in force.’

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The Guardian, 8th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal representation in care proceedings under review – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 7th, 2016 in care orders, children, family courts, legal representation, news by sally

‘A government review into representation of children in public law cases could lead to lawyers being removed at certain stages in proceedings.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 5th September 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Lord Chancellor expresses delight at action taken against “ambulance chasing” law firm – Legal Futures

Posted September 7th, 2016 in human rights, law firms, legal education, lord chancellor, news, parliament by sally

‘The new Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice used her first appearance in the House of Commons to label Birmingham law firm Public Interest Lawyers as “ambulance chasers”.’

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Legal Futures, 7th September 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Data protection and Brexit – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 7th, 2016 in brexit, data protection, EC law, news, referendums, regulations by sally

‘UK data controllers are already grappling with the biggest change to EU protection in 20 years.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 5th September 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Reforming the offence of misconduct in public office – Law Commission

Posted September 7th, 2016 in consultations, Law Commission, misfeasance in public office, news, professional conduct by sally

‘The law that governs misconduct in public office is unclear, ambiguous and in need of reform, according to the Law Commission, independent law reform adviser to the Government.’

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Law Commission, 5th September 2016

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk

Attorney General Jeremy Wright speech to the Cambridge Symposium on Economic Crime – Attorney General’s Office

Posted September 7th, 2016 in attorney general, crime, news, speeches by sally

‘The Attorney General on the threat faced today [5 September] from economic crime and how the UK Government is addressing it.’

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Attorney General’s Office, 5th September 2016

Source: www.gov.uk/ago

Bar takes next step towards ABS licensing – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 7th, 2016 in alternative business structures, barristers, licensing, news by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board has announced a new step towards becoming a licensing body for alternative business structures by beginning the process of picking intervention agents. The regulator’s long-standing ambition to handle ABSs was approved by the Legal Services Board in March this year but the body is still awaiting formal designation by the lord chancellor.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 6th September 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Law Commission consults on reform to law on misconduct in public office – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 7th, 2016 in consultations, Law Commission, misfeasance in public office, news, professional conduct by sally

‘The law on misconduct in public office is “unclear, ambiguous and in need of reform”, the Law Commission has said, issuing a consultation paper on a new statutory offence.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 5th September 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Law centres to challenge rights helpline contract – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 7th, 2016 in equality, human rights, law centres, news, telecommunications, tenders by sally

‘The Law Centres Network has threatened to seek judicial review of the government’s decision to award the contract for operating a discrimination helpline to security contractor G4S.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 6th September 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘I needed my voice to be heard’: readers on restorative justice – The Guardian

Posted September 7th, 2016 in news, restorative justice, victims by sally

‘From victims to facilitators, here’s what some of our readers said about their experiences.’

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The Guardian, 7th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk