‘Unfit’ council home payouts and legal fees hit £35m in five years – BBC News

Posted February 14th, 2017 in compensation, fees, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news by sally

‘Councils in England have paid out more than £35m in compensation and legal fees in the past five years to tenants living in “unfit” council homes.’

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BBC News, 14th February 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

More than nine in 10 UK universities restrict free speech on campus, report claims – The Independent

Posted February 14th, 2017 in freedom of expression, news, universities by sally

‘More than nine in 10 UK universities are restrictive of free speech, according to a new report that raises concerns over the issue of censorship on campuses.’

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The Independent, 13th February 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Mum who dumped newborn baby in Wigan hospital toilets spared jail – BBC News

Posted February 14th, 2017 in attempts, birth, infanticide, news, sentencing by sally

‘A mother who was “in denial” about her pregnancy and abandoned her newborn baby boy in a bin in toilets at a hospital has been spared jail.’

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BBC News, 13th February 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Cancer sufferer jailed for 11 years after starting up ‘Breaking Bad’ drugs enterprise – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 14th, 2017 in conspiracy, drug offences, drug trafficking, families, news, sentencing, sexual offences by sally

‘A former banker, who began supplying crystal meth after being diagnosed with terminal cancer, has been condemned to die in prison after being sentenced to 11-years.’

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Daily Telegraph, 13th February 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Whistleblowers keep us safe. We can’t allow them to be silenced – The Guardian

‘With its proposed changes to the Official Secrets Act, the Law Commission would make it all but impossible for government wrongdoing to be exposed.’

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The Guardian, 13th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BBC reporter Sally Chidzoy’s employment tribunal case struck out – BBC News

‘A BBC TV reporter who claimed she was the victim of a “witch-hunt” has had her case struck out by an employment tribunal.’

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BBC News, 13th February 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Dying man gives evidence with his eyes to help convict vicar who abused him – The Guardian

Posted February 14th, 2017 in child abuse, clergy, evidence, news, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘A former church chorister rendered immobile by motor neurone disease has been helped to fulfil his dying wish – to give courtroom evidence against his abuser using eye-tracking technology.’

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The Guardian, 13th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The boy who watched IS beheading videos – BBC News

‘What leads a young child to stand up in front of his class and tell his school friends that he agrees with the aims and objectives of the so-called Islamic State?’

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BBC News, 14th February 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Who knows where? – service and the Land Registry – Nearly Legal

Posted February 14th, 2017 in appeals, land registration, news, regulations, service by sally

‘Service of notices, claims etc on ‘last known address’ can be a bit of a thorny issue. Not least the question of the extent of reasonable inquiries to find the missing person before the ‘last known address’ can be relied on for service.’

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Nearly Legal, 13th February 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Soldiers could be ‘shut out of justice’ under combat immunity plans – The Guardian

Posted February 14th, 2017 in armed forces, civil justice, compensation, complaints, defence, immunity, news, war by sally

‘Soldiers will be “shut out of justice” and military equipment failures will be covered up under plans to extend combat immunity and prevent military claims going to court, ministers have been warned.’

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The Guardian, 14th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ian Brady begins ‘unique’ High Court fight over tribunal lawyer – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 14th, 2017 in legal aid, legal representation, mental health, news, prisons, tribunals by sally

‘Ian Brady, the Moors murderer, is launching a “totally unique” High Court fight for the right to have the lawyer of his choice representing him at a tribunal.’

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Daily Telegraph, 14th February 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

‘Self-employed’ plumber had rights as ‘worker’, but not employee, appeal court rules – OUT-LAW.com

‘A purportedly self-employed plumber engaged through a London-based firm was a ‘worker’, entitled to paid holiday rights and the right to bring a claim for disability discrimination, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 10th February 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Boy, 15, jailed for Notting Hill stab murder – BBC News

Posted February 13th, 2017 in London, murder, news, sentencing, young offenders by sally

‘A 15-year-boy has been jailed for 13 years for murdering a teenager in an ambush in Notting Hill.’

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BBC News, 10th February 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

David Scott: Miller, Sewel, and the Human Rights Act – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted February 13th, 2017 in devolution, EC law, human rights, news, Supreme Court, treaties by sally

‘Many celebrated Miller’s outcome, imposing a Parliamentary “brake” (however brief) on the triggering of Article 50. But the Supreme Court’s unanimous agreement on the devolution issues [129–151 for the majority; agreement in the dissents at 242, 243, and 282] may have weakened opposition to the Government’s “other” crusade—against the European Court of Human Rights.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 8th February 2017

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Woman wins court case to have a pit bull dog destroyed – BBC News

Posted February 13th, 2017 in dogs, euthanasia, magistrates, news by sally

‘A woman who was attacked by two dogs at a boarding kennels has won her case to have one of the animals destroyed.’

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BBC News, 12th February 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Expert Evidence, Independence and Objectivity: Exp v Barker [2017] EWCA Civ 63 – Zenith PI Blog

‘In EXP v Barker, the trial judge and Court of Appeal were faced with an unusual situation. An expert witness – although undoubtedly skilled and experienced in his field – had omitted to mention a close personal connection to the party instructing him.’

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Zenith PI Blog, 13th February 2017

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

Tom Hickman: Public Law’s Disgrace – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted February 13th, 2017 in costs, judicial review, legal aid, news by sally

‘What is the most important issue in public law? You might be forgiven for thinking it is the gradation of principles of substantive review, or the proper limits of judicial interventionism, or even the scope of residual prerogative powers. But you would be wrong.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 9th February 2017

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Knowing where your data is processed in the cloud not central to exercising control over it, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

‘It should not be obligatory for banks in the UK to pre-agree where their data will be processed and stored when contracting with cloud service providers.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 13th February 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Divorces are skewed by judges’ outdated chivalry, says female peer pushing for cap on payments – Daily Telegraph

‘Judges are labouring under antiquated notions of chivalry in awarding women maintenance payments which extend years into the future, despite the fact that many divorcees go on to earn good salaries on their own, says a leading female peer.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th February 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

More vaccine litigation- UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 13th, 2017 in compensation, news, personal injuries, vaccination by sally

‘As commentators to my previous post on immunisation have pointed out, vaccinations are not cost-free. But the benefit of eliminating pathogens through herd immunity is generally agreed to outweigh the occasional risk to individuals. Acknowledging that there are such risks, the government has run a modern compensation system since 1979 for people who are “severely disabled” as a result of vaccination (now the 2012 Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme). The initial scheme was put in place in response to side effects of the whooping cough vaccine.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 9th February 2017

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com