UK police force’s monitoring of reporters’ phones ruled unlawful – The Guardian

Posted February 1st, 2017 in investigatory powers, news, police, telecommunications, tribunals by sally

‘Investigatory powers tribunal finds there was no lawful basis for Cleveland police accessing records in leak inquiry.’

Full story

The Guardian, 31st January 2017

Source: www,guardian.co.uk

Judges reject media request to release marine shooting video – The Guardian

‘Three of the UK’s most senior judges have rejected a request by the Guardian and other media organisations to sanction the release of video footage showing a British Royal Marine shooting dead a wounded Taliban fighter.’

Full story

The Guardian, 31st January 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Internship with the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC)

Posted February 1st, 2017 in by sally

‘The CCRC is the public body with statutory responsibility for independently investigating alleged miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is based in Birmingham. It is offering an internship, available to those who have completed the BPTC or LPC.

This is an exciting opportunity to assist in the CCRC’s casework and to experience an unusual perspective of the criminal justice system.

The internship will be for a period of 6 months starting in April 2017.

The annual salary is £15,103 (pro-rata), payable monthly.

Shortlisted candidates will be notified during week commencing Monday 27 February 2017; and interviewed at the CCRC in March 2017, dates to be confirmed.

The successful candidate will be notified of the outcome the end of March 2017. However they will have to undergo the vetting procedure applied to all CCRC employees, before their internship offers can be finally confirmed.

Closing date for applications is 12 noon Monday 20 February 2017.’

CCRC contact details are:

Tel: 0121 233 1473

Email: HR@ccrc.gov.uk

Phil Shiner’s legal firm ‘made £1.6m with improper fee deal over Iraq troop abuse claims’ – Daily Telegraph

‘A disgraced human rights lawyer accused of hounding British troops earned his firm more than £1.6m from an improper deal carving up fees from pursuing abuse claims against British troops, a tribunal has heard.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 31st February 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Exeter prison struggling with drugs and rising violence, say inspectors – The Guardian

Posted February 1st, 2017 in drug abuse, news, prisons, reports, self-harm, violence by sally

‘Prison inspectors have warned that the situation at Exeter jail is “fragile”, with drugs thrown over the wall on a daily basis and only 29 officers on duty for 490 prisoners. The chief inspector’s report published on Wednesday says staff shortages at the overcrowded category B Victorian prison are exacerbated by problems including drugs and mental health issues, leaving the prison struggling to cope with rising violence and self-harm incidents.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Mother cleared of encouraging boyfriend to shoot crying toddler in head to keep him quiet – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 1st, 2017 in children, domestic violence, grievous bodily harm, news by sally

‘A mother of two has been acquitted of encouraging her boyfriend to shoot a crying toddler in the head with an air rifle to keep him quiet.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 31st January 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Lord Janner’s family to ‘undermine’ sex abuse inquiry ‘from within’ after being given formal role in investigation – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 1st, 2017 in child abuse, inquiries, news, sexual offences by sally

‘The family of Lord Janner yesterday vowed to “undermine from within” the Government’s beleaguered child sex abuse inquiry after being given a formal role in the investigation. The family were granted core participant status which gives them access to documents and to have lawyers attend the inquiry’s hearings.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 1st February 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Thousands of gay and bisexual men convicted of long-abolished sexual offences are posthumously pardoned – The Independent

Posted February 1st, 2017 in homosexuality, news, pardons, sexual offences by sally

‘Thousands of gay and bisexual men convicted of now-abolished sexual offences have been posthumously pardoned.
Dubbed the “Alan Turing law”, it will in effect act as an apology to those convicted for consensual same-sex relationships before homosexuality was decriminalised in England and Wales in 1967.’

Full story

The Independent, 31st January 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Adesokan v Sainsbury’s – Cloisters

‘Caspar Glyn QC considers the Court of Appeal’s judgment today that an employee can be summarily dismissed for negligence and that a wrongfully dismissed employee cannot normally maintain an ongoing claim for wages.’

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Cloisters, 24th January 2017

Source: www.cloisters.com

Putting Women on the Front Foot: The Joint Committee Report on High Heels and Dress Codes at Work – Cloisters

‘The Joint Committee report on high heels and dress codes at work shows that discriminatory dress codes can promote the sexualised objectification of women at work, disadvantage people with disabilities, inhibit employment prospects, impair work performance and cause long term and substantial damage to health.’

Full story

Cloisters, 26th January 2017

Source: www.cloisters.com

Paulley: An everyday step? – Cloisters

Posted January 31st, 2017 in appeals, disabled persons, news, Supreme Court, transport by sally

‘On 24 February 2012, Doug Paulley tried to do something most of us would not think twice about. He went to catch a bus. He wanted to get from Wetherby to Leeds to catch a train. The single wheelchair space was occupied, not by another wheelchair user, but by a pushchair. The bus driver asked the owner to move but did nothing more when she refused. Mr Paulley was unable to travel on that bus, so missed his train.’

Full story

Cloisters, 30th January 2017

Source: www.cloisters.com

‘Fake news’ inquiry opened by MPs – OUT-LAW.com

‘A UK parliamentary committee has opened an inquiry into so-called ‘fake news’.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 31st January 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Councils fail in bid to challenge decision over third runway at Heathrow – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 31st, 2017 in airports, civil procedure rules, local government, news, planning, pollution by sally

‘A High Court judge has rejected a judicial review challenge brought by four local authorities over the Transport Secretary’s decision to back a third runway at Heathrow Airport.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 30th January 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Transgender woman denied contact with her ultra-Orthodox Jewish children – The Guardian

‘A transgender woman has been denied direct contact with her five children on the basis they would be shunned by their ultra-Orthodox Jewish community if she were allowed to meet them.’

Full story

The Guardian, 30th January 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

FOI request suggests few criminal law ‘touting’ reports – Legal Futures

Posted January 31st, 2017 in complaints, freedom of information, law firms, news by sally

‘Eyebrows were raised yesterday after a freedom of information request on ‘touting’ by criminal defence law firms – in which agents for rival solicitors poach potential clients even if they have representation – suggested few complaints have been made to the regulator.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 31st January 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Former HBOS manager found guilty of corruption and fraud – BBC News

Posted January 31st, 2017 in banking, corruption, fraud, money laundering, news by sally

‘Six people, including two former HBOS bankers, have been found guilty of bribery and fraud that cost the bank’s business customers and shareholders hundreds of millions of pounds.’

Full story

BBC News, 30th January 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Magistrate disciplined after refusing to hear same-sex parenting case – Daily Telegraph

‘A magistrate who refused to sit on a same-sex parenting case has been given a formal warning for misconduct.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 30th January 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

BREXIT: FCA head asks for EU access for banks that conform to ‘global standards’ – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 31st, 2017 in banking, brexit, EC law, financial regulation, news by sally

‘Access to the EU’s financial markets should be based on common recognition of global standards instead of the current “granular, technical and detailed” legislation, the head of the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 30th January 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Companies pay out more than £1.5m for breaking environment laws – The Guardian

Posted January 31st, 2017 in enforcement, environmental protection, fines, news, pollution by sally

‘More than £1.5m will go to projects that help wildlife and the environment as companies pay for breaking green laws, the Environment Agency has said.’

Full story

The Guardian, 30th January 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Oliver Garner: Conditional Primacy of EU Law: The United Kingdom Supreme Court’s Own “Solange (so long as)” Doctrine? – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted January 31st, 2017 in brexit, constitutional law, EC law, news by sally

‘In circumstances of “normal” membership of the European Union, the UK Supreme Court’s dicta in the Miller judgment that EU law is an “independent and overriding source of domestic law” [Paragraph 65] may well have caused a constitutional storm. In the current unprecedented tempest of Brexit, however, Lord Neuberger’s announcement of this statement passed as little more than a side-wind. This short post will briefly turn the magnifying glass on this judicial formulation, which will be labelled the “conditional primacy” of EU law within the United Kingdom’s domestic constitutional order.

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Association, January 2017

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org