Woman who urinated on Grays war memorial jailed – BBC News

Posted September 21st, 2016 in monuments, news, outraging public decency, sentencing by tracey

‘A woman who twice urinated against a war memorial has been jailed for outraging public decency.’

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BBC News, 20th September 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Amazon guilty of shipping dangerous goods to and from UK by air – The Guardian

Posted September 21st, 2016 in carriage by air, electronic commerce, hazardous substances, news by tracey

‘Amazon has been found guilty of shipping dangerous goods by air. The items included lithium-ion batteries and flammable aerosols, which were flown in and out of the UK between January 2014 and June 2015.’

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The Guardian, 20th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge voices fears over ‘relentless rise’ in child care cases following Baby P tragedy – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 21st, 2016 in care orders, child abuse, child neglect, judges, local government, news, statistics by tracey

‘The effect of the Baby P case has contributed to a “crisis” in the children’s care system, the president of the High Court’s Family Division has said. Sir James Munby called for urgent research into why the number of cases in which children can be separated from their parents on the application of a council had more than doubled in the last decade.’

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Latest view from the President’s Chambers

Daily Telegraph, 20th September 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Senior judge questions policy of removing court funding while raising fees – The Guardian

Posted September 21st, 2016 in asylum, costs, fees, immigration, judges, news by tracey

‘Lord Justice Jackson, the senior judge who shaped key legal reforms, has questioned the government’s policy of imposing steep rises in fees while withdrawing public funding of the court system. In a detailed legal work, entitled The Reform of Civil Litigation, the appeal court judge added his voice to the chorus of criticism from human rights groups and lawyers’ representative bodies who argue that the rises put access to justice beyond the reach of many citizens.’

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The Guardian, 21st September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police train to spot coercive or controlling behaviour – BBC News

‘Front-line police officers dealing with domestic abuse incidents are being trained to spot the signs of coercive or controlling behaviour. Research for the College of Policing suggested that officers were focusing on cases involving violence and overlooking other risk factors. Three unnamed police forces in England and Wales are taking part in a pilot scheme following the study.’

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BBC News, 21st September 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Theresa May will not allow an ‘industry of vexatious allegations’ against British troops over claims of abuse in Iraq – The Independent

Posted September 21st, 2016 in armed forces, inquiries, Iraq, murder, news, torture by tracey

‘Theresa May has made clear she will not allow an “industry of vexatious allegations” against British troops over claims of abuse in Iraq. But the Prime Minister refused to bow to pressure and dismantle the Government body, the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT), which is handling approximately 1,500 allegations of murder, abuse and torture carried out by British soldiers.’

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The Independent, 21st September 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK advertising watchdog admits it was wrong to ban Greenpeace fracking advert – The Guardian

Posted September 21st, 2016 in advertising, complaints, energy, environmental protection, fracking, media, news by tracey

‘The UK’s advertising watchdog has admitted it made the wrong decision when it banned a Greenpeace advert last year which claimed fracking would not cut energy bills.’

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The Guardian, 21st September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Profession expresses concern over online courts plan – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 20th, 2016 in barristers, civil justice, courts, criminal justice, internet, Law Society, news by tracey

‘Professional bodies have reacted sceptically to the government’s plans to introduce online courts, raising concerns that defendants could be placed at a disadvantage.’

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Law society’s Gazette, 16th September 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted September 20th, 2016 in legislation by tracey

The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) (Amendment) Regulations 2016

The Pensions Act 2014 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2016

The Petroleum (Transfer of Functions) Regulations 2016

The Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2016

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Court has power to apply costs management to litigant in person, chief master rules – Litigation Futures

Posted September 20th, 2016 in case management, civil procedure rules, costs, litigants in person, news by tracey

‘Courts can make a costs management order in relation to litigant in person (LiP) costs, and LiPs can recover costs where they obtain assistance from lawyers short of them having conduct of the case, the chief Chancery master has ruled.’

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Litigation futures, 19th September 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

PI cold-calling ban will stay in place, says SRA, as Law Society steps up attack on Handbook rewrite – Legal Futures

‘Fears that the rewritten SRA Handbook might not continue the ban on law firms cold-calling potential personal injury clients have been allayed by the regulator.’

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Legal Futures, 20th September 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Fraud – several bites of the cherry? – Zenith PI

Posted September 20th, 2016 in appeals, fraud, insurance, news, personal injuries, Supreme Court by tracey

‘The recent case of Zurich Insurance Co v Hayward [2016] 3WLR 637 undoubtedly strengthens the hand of insurance companies. It resolves certain issues of uncertainty, but, as I shall indicate, appears to create further problems.’

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Zenith PI, 15th September 2016

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

Hard cases need better reasons – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted September 20th, 2016 in appeals, human rights, local government, news, planning by tracey

‘R (o.t.a. CPRE Kent) v. Dover District Council [2016] EWCA Civ 936, 14 September 2016. The Court of Appeal has just given us a robust vindication of the importance of giving proper reasons when granting planning permission, by way of a healthy antidote to any suggestion that this is not really needed as part of fairness.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 16th September 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Right to be Forgotten? – Nearly Legal

Posted September 20th, 2016 in appeals, causation, homelessness, housing, news by tracey

‘When does temporary accommodation become settled so as to break the chain of causation of intentional homelessness? The appeal in Huda v LB Redbridge [2016] EWCA Civ 709 concerned a homeless applicant and his family, who were effectively forgotten about by the council following a final decision on their application.’

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Nearly Legal, 18th September 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk/blog/

Libraries – Local Government Law

Posted September 20th, 2016 in libraries, local government, news, Wales by tracey

‘In R (Tilley) v Vale of Glamorgan Council [2016] EWHC 2272 (QB), in the Administrative Court in Wales, Lewis J concluded that the Council’s Cabinet Decision to establish five community libraries was lawful.’

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Local Government Law, 16th September 2016

Source: www.11kbw.com/blogs/local-government-law

Woman who treated police like a ‘personal punchbag’ avoids jail after 11th violent attack – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 20th, 2016 in alcohol abuse, assault, news, police, sentencing, suspended sentences by tracey

‘Police have accused magistrates of allowing a shameless single mother to treat police officers like her “personal punchbag” after she escaped jail for her 11th violent attack on them. Dawn Walker, 34, has a string of convictions for assaulting police during drunken foul mouthed rampages – including four separate incidents upon officers in this year alone. But the unemployed former cleaner – who claims employment support allowance – has repeatedly been spared jail after she insisted she was striving to be a “good role model” to her three children.’

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Daily Telegraph, 19th September 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Chris Halliwell found guilty of Becky Godden murder – The Guardian

Posted September 20th, 2016 in murder, news, police, prostitution, recidivists by tracey

‘Police said there was a “distinct possibility” that a taxi driver twice convicted of murdering young women could be responsible for other unsolved killings. Christopher Halliwell, 52, laughed as a guilty verdict was returned at Bristol crown court on Monday and smiled at relatives of Becky Godden, who went missing aged 20 in 2003 when she was a sex worker in Swindon.’

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The Guardian, 19th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Number of women convicted of domestic violence at record high – The Independent

Posted September 20th, 2016 in domestic violence, gender, news, reports, statistics, women by tracey

‘The data did not specify if the women’s victims were male or female, however campaigners say the statistics serve as a reminder that while the overwhelming majority of abusers are male, women can also commit serious abuse.’

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The Independent, 19th September 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Sexting: treating children as ‘mini sex offenders’ could make things worse – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 20th, 2016 in children, news, reports, sexual offences, social services, teachers, telecommunications by tracey

‘Children should not be treated as “mini sex offenders” for behaviour such as sexting or other types of exploration which they are likely to grow out of, official guidance for teachers, medical staff and social workers signals.’

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Daily Telegraph, 20th September 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

FGM cutter trying to enter the UK, police warn – The Independent

Posted September 20th, 2016 in female genital mutilation, ministers' powers and duties, news, police, visas by tracey

‘An application to the High Court by police trying to block the woman from entering the UK was declined as the judge said it was up to the Secretary of State to intervene.’

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The Independent, 19th September 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk