How tobacco firms flout UK law on plain packaging – The Guardian

Posted April 10th, 2017 in brand names, health, news, regulations, smoking, whistleblowers by sally

‘An insider in the tobacco industry has revealed some of the unscrupulous tactics it is using to avoid new restrictions governing the marketing of cigarettes that come into force next month.’

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The Guardian, 9th April 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Katie Hopkins and serious harm – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 10th, 2017 in costs, damages, defamation, internet, news by sally

‘Both Katie Hopkins and Jack Monroe are outspoken, including on Twitter. During anti-government protests following the 2015 general election, graffiti was sprayed on to a memorial to the women of the second world war. Hopkins tweeted at 7.20pm on 18 May: ‘@MsJackMonroe scrawled on any memorials recently? Vandalised the memory of those who fought for your freedom. Grandma got any more medals?’ Monroe responded 13 minutes later: ‘I have NEVER “scrawled on a memorial”. Brother in the RAF. Dad was a Para in the Falklands. You’re a piece of shit’. Later that evening she demanded Hopkins delete the tweet, apologise and make a £5,000 donation to charity. By 9.47pm, Hopkins, having realised she had confused Monroe with journalist Laurie Penny, had deleted the first tweet but further tweeted: ‘Can someone explain to me – in 10 words or less – the difference between irritant @PennyRed and social anthrax @MsJackMonroe.’ On 2 June, Hopkins finally tweeted a retraction, but no apology: ‘@MsJackMonroe I was confused about identity. I got it wrong.’’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 10th April 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Rare butterfly killer Philip Cullen spared jail – BBC News

‘A collector who captured and killed the UK’s rarest butterfly – the Large Blue – has been spared jail.’

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BBC News, 7th April 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Man who beat wife with cricket bat is jailed after misleading court – The Guardian

Posted April 10th, 2017 in domestic violence, news, sentencing, sport by sally

‘A man who beat his wife with a cricket bat and forced her to drink bleach has been resentenced to 18 months after he avoided jail at an earlier hearing by falsely claiming to have a job offer as a professional cricketer.’

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The Guardian, 7th April 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Solicitors, trainee and paralegal jailed after landmark convictions for insurance fraud conspiracy – Legal Futures

Posted April 10th, 2017 in fraud, insurance, news, paralegals, police, sentencing, solicitors by sally

‘Two solicitors, a trainee and a paralegal are among six men who have today been jailed for a total of 13 and a half years at Liverpool Crown Court for insurance fraud that cost victims £426,000.’

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Legal Futures, 7th April 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Collective Proceedings in the CAT: mobility scooters roll on for now – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

‘Last Friday the CAT handed down a judgment on the first ever-application for a collective proceedings order under the new regime introduced by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The judgment will generally be welcomed by potential claimants, but it has a sting in the tail which may cause serious difficulties for class actions in other vertical infringement cases.’

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Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 6th April 2017

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

Swindon man jailed for single punch killing on night out – BBC News

Posted April 10th, 2017 in homicide, news, sentencing, violence by sally

‘A man has been jailed for eight years after killing a man with a single punch during a night out in Swindon.’

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BBC News, 9th April 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Thousands of domestic violence victims withdrawing from legal action after Government cuts, figures reveal – The Independent

‘More than 160,000 victims of domestic violence in England withdrew their support for charges against their abusers in 2016, a number that rocketed by almost 40 per cent compared with the previous 12 months, exclusive figures reveal.’

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The Independent, 9th April 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Decriminalising homosexuality: An apology at last – BBC News

Posted April 10th, 2017 in homosexuality, news, pardons, sexual offences by sally

‘It has been 50 years since the Sexual Offences Act decriminalised private homosexual acts between men aged over 21 in England and Wales, in 1967.’

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BBC News, 10th April 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Subpostmasters fight to clear names in theft and false accounting case – The Guardian

‘More than 1,000 subpostmasters who claim they were wrongly accused of theft or false accounting could join a class action against the Post Office to clear their names.’

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The Guardian, 9th April 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Parents film children to win custody battles in bitter divorce cases – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 10th, 2017 in children, custody, divorce, evidence, news, video recordings by sally

‘Desperate parents are increasingly resorting to filming or recording their children in an attempt to win custody in bitter divorce cases, lawyers have said.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th April 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Judge disciplined for offering to pay teenage girl’s penalty – BBC News

‘A judge has been disciplined for offering to pay a penalty for a girl who had stabbed her abuser.’

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BBC News, 8th April 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judge rules ‘paedophile hunters’ can continue posing as children online – The Guardian

‘Self-described “paedophile hunters” have welcomed a court ruling that will allow them to continue to pose as children online to catch sexual predators.’

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The Guardian, 8th April 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Anuja Dhir becomes first non-white circuit judge at Old Bailey – The Guardian

Posted April 10th, 2017 in diversity, judges, legal profession, news, race discrimination by sally

‘The first non-white circuit judge to sit at the Old Bailey has revealed she was often mistaken for a defendant or witness when she first entered the judiciary.’

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The Guardian, 8th April 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk