When can a Closed Material Procedure be used? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted December 8th, 2017 in closed material, human rights, news by sally

‘The Justice and Security Act 2013 introduced the idea of Closed Material Proceedings (CMP) to civil litigation in a significant way for the first time. This is a procedure (which had previously only used in a small number of specialist tribunals) whereby all or part of a claim can be heard in closed proceedings in order for the court to consider material which, if disclosed publicly, would risk harming national security. These hearings exclude even the claimant, who is represented instead by a Special Advocate who takes instructions and then is unable to speak to his or her client again once they have seen the sensitive material.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 7th December 2017

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Acid attacks: 2017 likely to set new record in UK – The Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2017 in crime, grievous bodily harm, hazardous substances, news, statistics by sally

‘The national police lead on acid attacks has said 2017 is likely to see the most on record in the UK, as the profile of incidents shifts from domestic violence to street attacks involving gangs and young people.’

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The Guardian, 7th December 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

New payment services must gain consumer trust through sound data security practices to succeed – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 8th, 2017 in consumer protection, electronic commerce, news by sally

‘Without the trust of consumers, third parties requiring consumer consent to use new rights of access to bank and payment account data will struggle to make an impact in the market.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 7th December 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Call for action on violent porn after ‘barbaric’ teenager convicted of rape and attempted murder – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 8th, 2017 in attempted murder, attempts, murder, news, pornography, rape, young offenders by sally

‘Pornography depicting rape must be banned, campaigners said last night, after a “barbaric” teenager obsessed with sexually violent images raped and bludgeoned his victim on his 17th birthday, leaving her for dead.’

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Daily Telegraph, 7th December 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

New Acts – legislation.gov.uk

Posted December 8th, 2017 in competition, EC law, international law, legislation, treaties by Verity

European Union (Approvals) Act 2017

Domestic abuse and coercive control is ‘silent killer’ – BBC News

Posted December 8th, 2017 in child abuse, domestic violence, news by sally

‘The prime minister should put protection in place for every child who is living in a house with domestic violence, according to the Children’s Commissioner for England.’

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BBC News, 7th December 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted December 8th, 2017 in legislation by Verity

The Charitable Incorporated Organisations (Consequential Amendments) Order 2017

The Charities Act 2011 (Commencement No. 3) Order 2017

The Immigration Act 2016 (Commencement No. 6) Regulations 2017

The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulations 2017

The Control of Mercury (Enforcement) Regulations 2017

The Children and Social Work Act 2017 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2017

The Ringing of Certain Captive-bred Birds (England and Wales) Regulations 2017

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Unreliable forensic toxicology tests – next steps – Family Law

‘Family analysis: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that it is treating some hair strand test results as potentially unreliable. Maud Davis, partner at TV Edwards LLP looks at what this could mean for proceedings involving children where there was a reliance on hair strand testing, and suggests next steps for family practitioners advising in this area.’

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Family Law, 7th December 2017

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Police reveal ‘unlawful’ mental health detentions – BBC News

Posted December 8th, 2017 in detention, mental health, news, police by sally

‘Police chiefs in England and Wales say they may be unlawfully detaining arrested people needing mental health care more than 2,000 times a year.’

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BBC News, 8th December 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Proportionality, the Margin of Appreciation and our Human Rights – in Plain English – Rights Info

Posted December 8th, 2017 in homosexuality, human rights, news, obscenity, privacy, proportionality by sally

‘This week marks the 41st anniversary of the judgment in Handyside v UK. This was a milestone judgment as it introduced a crucial concept for decision-making in human rights cases, the margin of appreciation.’

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Rights Info, 7th December 2017

Source: rightsinfo.org

‘We believe you harmed your child’: the war over shaken baby convictions – The Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2017 in child abuse, child cruelty, evidence, expert witnesses, forensic science, news by sally

‘Expert witnesses who claim parents have been wrongly accused have been vilified and struck off. But the science is anything but certain. What happens to the truth when experts can’t agree?’

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The Guardian, 8th December 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Competition watchdog delays initial verdict on 21st Century Fox’s Sky deal – The Guardian

Posted December 7th, 2017 in competition, delay, media, news by sally

‘The UK competition watchdog has delayed by a month its provisional decision on 21st Century Fox’s £11.7bn proposed deal to take full control of Sky in order to allow sufficient time to consider the thousands of submissions it has received.’

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The Guardian, 6th December 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

High Court halts deportation of Afghan interpeter who worked with British Army – The Independent

Posted December 7th, 2017 in armed forces, deportation, interpreters, news by sally

‘An Afghan interpreter who was due to be deported imminently has had his removal from the UK halted after the High Court ordered he be released from detention.’

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The Independent, 7th December 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Advocate general backs UK pensioner in gender recognition pension case – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 7th, 2017 in EC law, married persons, news, pensions, transgender persons by sally

‘A UK law requirement that a transgender woman annul her marriage before she is entitled to a full gender recognition certificate is unlawful to the extent that it impacts on state pension entitlement, an EU legal adviser has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 6th December 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Supreme Court go-ahead for barrister’s race claim against regulator – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A practising barrister who alleges that her regulator discriminated against her on grounds of her race in bringing disciplinary proceedings has won the backing of the UK’s highest court. In O’Connor v Bar Standards Board, five Supreme Court justices unanimously granted Daphne Evadney Portia O’Connor’s appeal against a Bar Standards Board decision to strike out a claim that the BSB had acted unlawfully in charging her with professional misconduct.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 6th December 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Brexit: UK fails to retain voice in European court of justice – The Guardian

Posted December 7th, 2017 in barristers, brexit, courts, EC law, news by sally

‘Theresa May has failed to get the EU to agree that Britain will retain a voice at the European court of justice in return for her concession that the Luxembourg court will retain a role in protecting citizens’ rights in the UK after Brexit.’

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The Guardian, 7th December 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Competition regulator to prioritise productivity growth in future work – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 7th, 2017 in competition, employment, news, reports by sally

‘The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will prioritise “cases in markets which underpin and enable economic growth” as part of its programme of work for next year, it has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 6th December 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Dramatic decline in access to legal help for immigration detainees, reports charity – Legal Voice

Posted December 7th, 2017 in detention, immigration, law centres, legal representation, news, reports by sally

‘The number of immigration detainees with no access to legal representation while in detention has tripled in the past few months, a new survey published by the immigration detention charity BID has indicated.’

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Legal Voice, 6th December 2017

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Birmingham Six: Calls for end to ‘double injustice’ – BBC News

Posted December 7th, 2017 in disclosure, elderly, explosives, miscarriage of justice, news, terrorism by sally

‘Two men who were wrongly convicted of carrying out the Birmingham pub bombings in 1974 have supported calls for the alleged bombers to be named publicly to end a “double injustice”.’

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BBC News, 6th December 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Forcing law firms to publish prices could make consumers focus just on cost, Law Society warns – Legal Futures

Posted December 7th, 2017 in consumer protection, fees, law firms, news, publishing by sally

‘Forcing law firms to publish prices could “bias” clients in favour of choosing their solicitor on price rather than quality or consumer protection, the Law Society has warned.’

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Legal Futures, 7th December 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk