Police will need licence to practise for child sex abuse cases, says Rudd – The Guardian

Posted November 30th, 2016 in child abuse, licensing, news, police, sexual offences, speeches by tracey

‘Police officers investigating child sex abuse are to be required to be specially trained and accredited in the same way as specialist firearms officers under proposals announced by the home secretary.’

Full story

The Guardian, 30th November 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Crime Severity Score measures ‘relative harm’ of crimes – BBC News

Posted November 30th, 2016 in crime, news, statistics, victims by tracey

‘A new way of measuring crime in England and Wales has been devised that ranks offences according to their seriousness.’

Full story

BBC News, 30th November 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

We warned that the prisoners could riot. But the minister didn’t listen – The Guardian

Posted November 30th, 2016 in criminal justice, news, prisons, violent disorder by tracey

‘A member of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Bedford raised the alarm about its perilous conditions, and wants an urgent rethink about jails.’

Full story

The Guardian, 30th November 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Witness Protection: Can non-parties appeal critical findings made in a judgment which infringe their human rights? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 30th, 2016 in appeals, human rights, jurisdiction, local government, news, police, social services, witnesses by tracey

‘Re: W (A child) [2016] EWCA Civ 1140. A Family Court judgment was severely critical of two witnesses and the applicant local authority. In an oral “bullet point” judgment at the end of the hearing, the Judge found that the witnesses, a social worker (“SW”) and a police officer (“PO”), had improperly conspired to prove certain allegations regardless of the truth, or professional guidelines.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 30th November 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Hot-tubbing report sparks rule committee decision to take wider look at expert evidence – Litigation Futures

Posted November 30th, 2016 in civil procedure rules, evidence, expert witnesses, news, reports by tracey

‘The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CRPC) is to look into the provision of expert evidence in court as it considers the recommendations of a recent report into concurrent evidence, known as hot-tubbing.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 28th November 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Investigatory Powers Bill receives Royal Assent – Home Office

Posted November 30th, 2016 in bills, intelligence services, internet, investigatory powers, press releases, privacy by tracey

‘A landmark bill which sets out and governs the powers available to the police, security and intelligence agencies to gather and access electronic communications has received Royal Assent.’

Full press release

Home Office, 29th November 2016

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Students to get Bar Council membership – The Bar Council

Posted November 30th, 2016 in barristers, legal education, press releases by tracey

‘Students considering a career at the Bar can now become involved with the Bar Council and support the organisation’s work on access to justice, as well as benefit from a number of services offered to subscribers by the Bar Council, the representative body for barristers.’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 29th November 2016

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted November 30th, 2016 in legislation by tracey

The Social Security (Credits, and Crediting and Treatment of Contributions) (Consequential and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2016

The State Pension Revaluation for Transitional Pensions Order 2016

The First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) Fees (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2016

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted November 30th, 2016 in law reports by tracey

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Sands (as trustee in bankruptcy) v Layne & Anor [2016] EWCA Civ 1159 (29 November 2016)

WW Property Investments Ltd v National Westminster Bank Plc [2016] EWCA Civ 1142 (29 November 2016)

Kateb v Howard De Walden Estates Ltd & Anor [2016] EWCA Civ 1176 (29 November 2016)

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

RH & Anor, R v [2016] EWCA Crim 1754 (29 November 2016)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Holyoake & Anor v Candy & Ors [2016] EWHC 3065 (Ch) (29 November 2016)

CFC 26 Ltd v Brown Shipley & Co Ltd & Ors [2016] EWHC 3048 (Ch) (29 November 2016)

Robert v Woodall [2016] EWHC 2987 (Ch) (25 November 2016)

High Court (Family Division)

Goddard-Watts v Goddard-Watts (Rev 1) [2016] EWHC 3000 (Fam) (23 November 2016)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Jones v Murrell & Anor [2016] EWHC 3036 (QB) (29 November 2016)

Crossman v St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust [2016] EWHC 2878 (QB) (25 November 2016)

High Court (Technology and Construction Court)

GEM Environmental Building Services Ltd v London Borough of Tower Hamlets & Anor [2016] EWHC 3045 (TCC) (28 November 2016)

Dacy Building Services Ltd v IDM Properties LLP [2016] EWHC 3007 (TCC) (25 November 2016)

Source: www.bailii.org

Investigatory Powers Bill officially passes into law, giving Britain the ‘most extreme spying powers ever se en’ – The Independent

Posted November 30th, 2016 in bills, intelligence services, internet, investigatory powers, news, privacy by tracey

‘Britain’s intelligence services have officially been given the “most extreme spying powers ever seen”. The Investigatory Powers Act has now been given royal assent, meaning that those surveillance rules will pass into law. The bill was officially unveiled a year ago and passed through the House of Lords earlier this month, but the act of being signed off means that those powers now go into effect.’

Full story

The Independent, 29th November 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Magistrates quitting in ‘considerable’ numbers over court closures – The Guardian

Posted November 30th, 2016 in courts, criminal justice, magistrates, news by tracey

‘Magistrates are resigning in “considerable” numbers, the head of their national body has said, after scores of court closures and swingeing government cuts.’

Full story

The Guardian, 29th November 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MPs are sexually assaulting young staff members in Parliament, MP claims – The Independent

Posted November 30th, 2016 in complaints, news, parliament, sexual offences, whistleblowers by tracey

‘A Labour MP has called for a whistle-blowing service to be set up for staff who are sexually assaulted by MPs, in order to help them come forward.’

Full story

The Independent, 29th November 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Football coach Barry Bennell charged with eight child sex offences – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 30th, 2016 in child abuse, news, prosecutions, sexual offences, sport by tracey

‘Barry Bennell, a former football coach, has been charged with eight offences of sexual assault against a boy.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 29th November 2017

source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Sextortion: Rise in blackmail-related suicides over sexual images shared online – The Independent

Posted November 30th, 2016 in blackmail, internet, news, suicide by tracey

‘Four men killed themselves in the last year after being blackmailed as part of an increasing cyber “sextortion” racket.
International gangs of organised criminals are targeting more and more young men by luring them into potentially compromising positions, the National Crime Agency said.’

Full story

The Independent, 30th November 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Hillsborough: police media officer loses ‘coercion to spin’ case – The Guardian

Posted November 30th, 2016 in complaints, inquests, media, misfeasance, news, reports by tracey

‘A press officer for South Yorkshire police who said she was pressured to spin positive coverage for the force at the Hillsborough inquests has lost her complaint with the police watchdog.’

Full story

The Guardian, 29th November 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

EU prisoners deal ‘has not met expectations’ – BBC News

Posted November 30th, 2016 in news, prisons, select committees, transfer of prisoners by tracey

‘A deal to move EU prisoners in England and Wales to their home countries has not worked out “well”, MPs have heard.’

Full story

BBC News, 29th November 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Not just any contract… – New Law Journal

Posted November 29th, 2016 in appeals, contracts, drafting, news, rent, Supreme Court by sally

‘Andrew Burns QC & Ishaani Shrivastava examine the implication & construction of contract terms following Marks & Spencer.’

Full story

New Law Journal, 25th November 2016

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Insurance surgery: A call to action over construction costs – New Law Journal

Posted November 29th, 2016 in construction industry, insurance, news, reports by sally

‘How can losses incurred from construction & engineering disputes be avoided, asks Paul Lowe.’

Full story

New Law Journal, 23rd November 2016

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Third party funders as liable for indemnity costs as any other fees, appeal court rules – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 29th, 2016 in appeals, costs, indemnities, news, third parties by sally

‘Commercial third party funders are liable for the costs consequences of a litigant’s misconduct, regardless of whether they themselves were guilty of any “discreditable conduct or conduct which could be criticised”, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 28th November 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Known unknowns – Considering disability in homelessness – Nearly Legal

Posted November 29th, 2016 in appeals, autism, children, disabled persons, housing, local government, news by sally

‘In Pieretti v Enfield LBC [2010] EWCA Civ 1104 (our note) the Court of Appeal held that under (the predecessor to) the Equality Act, in the course of Housing Act 1997 Part VII inquiries, a reviewing officer was required to carry out inquiries into an applicant’s disability that the Housing Act 1996 had not previously required, i.e. where the applicant had not raised the issue but the reviewing officer was on notice that there was a possibility that the applicant’s disability would be relevant. This second appeal concerned the nature and extent of those inquiries.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 27th November 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk