Czech slaves gang forced Plymouth victim to lie – BBC News

‘Four gang members have been jailed for forcing a slavery victim to withdraw evidence, causing a trial to collapse.’

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BBC News, 12th September 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Rooney traveller family jailed for modern slavery offences – BBC News

‘Nine members of a traveller family who kept workers in squalid conditions in caravans have been jailed for modern day slavery offences.’

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BBC News, 12th September 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Art dealer who stole celebrity portraits of the Rolling Stones, Princess Diana and Bob Dylan jailed for four years – The Independent

Posted September 13th, 2017 in artistic works, fraud, imprisonment, news, proceeds of crime, sentencing, theft by tracey

‘A Cotswold art dealer who stole nearly £500,000 worth of artworks, including paintings by the Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, from clients, has been jailed for four years.’

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The Independent, 13th September 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted September 12th, 2017 in legislation by sally

The Friendly Societies Act 1992 (Modification of Part 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 2017

The Value Added Tax (Refund of Tax to Museums and Galleries) (Amendment) Order 2017

The Infected Blood Schemes (Application of Sections 731, 733 and 734 of the Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Act 2005) Order 2017

The Income-related Benefits (Subsidy to Authorities) Amendment Order 2017

The Lobsters and Crawfish (Prohibition of Fishing and Landing) (Amendment) (England) Order 2017

The Wales Act 2017 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2017

The Firefighters’ Pension Schemes and Compensation Scheme (Amendment) (England) Order 2017

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Ofcom condemns Channel 4 News for naming wrong man as Westminster attacker – The Guardian

Posted September 12th, 2017 in codes of practice, media, news, terrorism by tracey

‘The media regulator has found that Channel 4 News seriously breached the broadcasting code by naming the wrong man as the Westminster terror attacker, and has heavily criticised the programme for a string of major mistakes in recent years. Ofcom has taken the highly unusual step of forcing Channel 4 News to make an on-air broadcast of the outcome of its investigation.’

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The Guardian, 12th September 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Using Part 8 to “appeal” adjudicator’s decision – Practical Law: Construction Blog

Posted September 12th, 2017 in appeals, arbitration, construction industry, contracting out, contracts, news by tracey

‘It isn’t every day that we get to refer to Will Smith’s “wicky wicky wild wild wild west“, on this blog, but Jonathan managed it last year when he discussed Fraser J’s judgment in Beumer Group UK Ltd v Vinci Construction UK Ltd. The parties have been before the court again, this time before O’Farrell J, on a Part 8 declaratory relief application. There is no mention of the wild west this time around. It was all about whether the adjudicator had correctly interpreted the parties’ sub-contract. Not a subject for cowboys!.’

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Practical Law: Construction Blog, 12th September 2017

Source: constructionblog.practicallaw.com

Pensions Regulator launches landmark prosecution over auto-enrolment – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 12th, 2017 in employment, news, pensions, prosecutions by tracey

‘A bus company that allegedly deliberately avoided enrolling staff into a workplace pension scheme is being prosecuted by the UK’s Pensions Regulator.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 12th September 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Michal Hain: Guardians of the Constitution – the Constitutional Implications of a Substantive Rule of Law – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted September 12th, 2017 in constitutional reform, news, rule of law, statutory interpretation by tracey

‘A constitutional storm is brewing. Whilst it is too early to perform the burial rites for parliamentary sovereignty, the Supreme Court’s decisions in R (UNISON) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51 and R (Evans) v Attorney-General [2015] UKSC 21 are the beginning of the end of the principle’s unrivalled reign. Two especially thorny constitutional issues arose in both cases. One concerns the extent to which statutory interpretation can be used as a tool to resolve conflicts between cherished constitutional values (such as the rule of law) and the explicit wording of a statute. Just as importantly, a distinct question of constitutional interpretation arises with regard to deriving meaning from such values; in other words, how are courts to determine what the “rule of law” in fact demands? What is at stake in this second debate is exemplified by the controversy surrounding the doctrine of substantive due process in the constitutional law of the United States. Whilst it is clear that UNISON and Evans embody a forceful judicial response in the face of inroads on the rule of law, it is less clear what approach courts will take to interpreting constitutional principles in the future.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 12th September 2017

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Can police forces publish misconduct investigation reports? Should they? – UK Police Law Blog

‘Publication of misconduct investigation reports can give rise to difficult and important questions, particularly in cases where there has been no misconduct hearing because there has been a determination of “no case to answer”, or because the accused officer has resigned or retired.’

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UK Police Law Blog, 11th September 2017

Source: ukpolicelawblog.com

Council wins injunction against duo to prevent disclosure of school information – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 12th, 2017 in confidentiality, disclosure, education, injunctions, local government, media, news by tracey

‘The London Borough of Croydon has secured an injunction to prevent a former headteacher and an educational advocate from disclosing information about a school that it considers confidential.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th September 2017

Source: localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Change in disciplinary standard of proof “will incentivise barristers to deliver good services”, says consumer panel – Legal Futures

Posted September 12th, 2017 in barristers, consumer protection, disciplinary procedures, news, standard of proof by tracey

‘The Legal Services Consumer Panel has given strong backing to the Bar Standards Board’s (BSB) proposal to reduce the standard of proof in disciplinary proceedings from the criminal to the civil standard.’

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Legal Futures, 12th September 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

How much do you ‘need’ on divorce? – Family Law

Posted September 12th, 2017 in divorce, financial provision, news by tracey

‘Nicola Hogg reviews the recent case of FF v KF [2017] EWHC 1093 (Fam), in which the High Court restated the principles to be adopted when assessing capital and income needs after a short marriage.’

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Family Law, 11th September 2017

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted September 12th, 2017 in law reports by tracey

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

South Gloucestershire Council v Burge & Anor [2017] EWCA Civ 1313 (08 September 2017)

Mansell vTonbridge And Malling Borough Council [2017] EWCA Civ 1314 (08 September 2017)

High Court (Administrative Court)

The Director of Public Prosecutions v Distill [2017] EWHC 2244 (Admin) (08 September 2017)

Source: www.bailii.org

Thanks a bundle! 2,000 pages of ‘largely irrelevant’ trial papers infuriate judge – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 12th, 2017 in case management, costs, documents, judges, news by tracey

‘The High Court has sent a blunt message to litigators that excessive trial bundles are unnecessary and counter-productive.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 11th September 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Finding truth but learning lessons? – Counsel

Posted September 12th, 2017 in inquiries, news by tracey

‘Quick to establish inquiries, are we getting any better at acting on their recommendations? Tom Kark QC and Polly Dyer consider the efficacy of the modern public inquiry system.’

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Counsel, September 2017

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Pupillage special: Who supervises the supervisors? – Counsel

Posted September 12th, 2017 in barristers, news, pupillage by tracey

‘Guy Fetherstonhaugh QC and Simon O’Toole assess the Pupillage Supervisor Network one year on and offer a view on pupillage regulation.’

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Counsel, August 2017

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Lawyers seek judicial review against PM over Grenfell inquiry panel – The Guardian

Posted September 12th, 2017 in diversity, fire, inquiries, news by tracey

‘Emergency legal proceedings have been lodged against the prime minister in the high court over the lack of ethnic and religious diversity on the panel of the Grenfell Tower fire inquiry, which begins on Thursday.’

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The Guardian, 12th September 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

MoD paid £750,000 on legal fees denying responsibility for soldier deaths – The Guardian

Posted September 12th, 2017 in armed forces, compensation, duty of care, fees, government departments, negligence, news by tracey

‘The UK government spent more than £750,000 on lawyers’ fees trying to deny responsibility for the deaths of soldiers killed in lightly armoured Snatch Land Rovers, a freedom of information request has revealed.’

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The Guardian, 12th September 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police rated ‘inadequate’ over crime recording failures – BBC News

Posted September 12th, 2017 in crime, news, police, reports by tracey

‘Seven out of 14 police forces have been dubbed “inadequate” for failing to record hundreds of thousands of crimes reported to them.’

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BBC News, 12th September 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Priest who stole dead parishioner’s disabled parking badge said he was telling the ‘gospel truth’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 12th, 2017 in clergy, community service, costs, disabled persons, fraud, news, parking, sentencing by tracey

‘A priest who denied stealing a dead parishioner’s blue badge so he could park for free said he was telling the “gospel truth.” Father Bill Haymaker, accompanied to Hove Crown Court by his official clerical dog The Venerable Mr Piddles, was found guilty of stealing the badge from woman who had died two months before and then using it in his own car.’

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Daily Telegraph, 11th september 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk