“The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, has today published final guidelines for prosecutors on the approach they should take in cases involving communications sent via social media.”
Crown Prosecution Service, 20th June 2013
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
“The Government is to consult on whether to introduce new laws that would make it possible for judges to send individuals to jail for offences under the Data Protection Act (DPA).”
OUT-LAW.com, 19th June 2013
Source: www.out-law.com
“A fundamental shift in the relationship between the government and the governed is taking place: by restricting access to the law, the state is handing itself an alarming immunity from legal scrutiny. There are several aspects to this: the partial or total withdrawal of state financial support for people who lack the means to pay for legal advice and representation; and for those who can pay, a restriction on which kinds of decision by public bodies can be challenged. In the area in which I work, criminal law, defendants who receive legal aid will lose the right to choose who represents them in court. Meanwhile, the misleadingly named Justice and Security Act, passed earlier this year, enables the government to conceal evidence from litigants by using national security as a trump card. All this is accompanied by an unbending hostility to human rights law, tainted by its association with Europe, even though this legislation at least offers the weak the possibility of redress for abuses by public authorities.”
London Review of Books, 6th June 2013
Source: www.lrb.co.uk
“The first Biometrics Commissioner, Mr Alastair MacGregor QC, has issued a consultation paper asking for views about how he should act in relation to the retention and use of biometric material obtained from persons who have been arrested but not charged.”
Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 15th June 2013
Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk
“Ground breaking new guidelines for prosecutors on how to tackle cases involving child sexual abuse have today been issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions and will take immediate effect. At the same time, the College of Policing has issued guidance for investigators and both documents are now open to a three month public consultation.”
Crown Prosecution Service, 11th June 2013
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
“There is a new independent Assessor (Stephen Shaw) for non-legal complaints made about the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) but not for the legal ones – how very odd! It was recently reported that victims of crime will be able to ‘win the right’ to appeal against decisions by the CPS not to charge suspects and there is a consultation which is open until the 5th of September 2013. It has a mnemonic ‘VRR’ which stands for a ‘Victim’s Right to Review’.”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 12th June 2013
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
“The Divisional Court has now dismissed the claim by Mr Bancoult on behalf of the Chagossian islanders. He had challenged the designation of the waters around the islands as a ‘no take’ Marine Protected Area, i.e. one which could not be fished.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 11th June 2013
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
“Media outlets will have a new right to make limited use of quotes published by rival news organisations under changes to copyright law proposed by the Government.”
OUT-LAW.com, 10th June 2013
Source: www.out-law.com
“Lawyers waving placards and chanting blocked the road outside the Ministry of Justice on Tuesday evening in protest over proposals to slice a further £220m out of criminal legal aid and remove defendants’ ability to choose a solicitor.”
The Guardian, 4th June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Plans to strengthen the Code of Practice on tax governance, adopted by the 15 largest banks in 2010, have been published for consultation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).”
OUT-LAW.com, 5th June 2013
Source: www.out-law.com
“Solicitors and barristers will have to adjust to ‘the new circumstances’ they are facing as a result of legal aid and other reforms ‘if they are going to survive’, justice minister Lord McNally said yesterday.”
Legal Futures, 4th June 2013
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
“Employers seeking to make redundancies at multiple business locations could be forced to consult employees on their plans following a recent Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decision, an expert has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 3rd June 2013
Source: www.out-law.com
“New rules aimed at ensuring that businesses which employ UK-based workers through offshore structures pay the correct employment taxes have been published for consultation by the Government.”
OUT-LAW.com, 31st May 2013
Source: www.out-law.com
“A protest group is to appeal against a High Court ruling that effectively gave the go ahead to the London-Birmingham section of the HS2 high-speed railway.”
BBC News, 29th May 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
A consultation was launched today on whether powers to seize substances used by criminals to mix with illegal drugs and maximise their profits should be strengthened.
Home Office, 28th May 2013
Source: www.gov.uk/home-office
“‘Unity is our secret weapon’ was the key message that emerged from this week’s unprecedented meeting of 1,000 defence lawyers who voted unanimously backing a motion that price competitive tendering was ‘not the way forward’, writes Jon Robins.”
LegalVoice, 24th May 2013
Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk
“Some of the most prominent victims of phone-hacking have written to the culture secretary, Maria Miller, urging her to reject the royal charter proposed by the press industry, saying that it is unacceptable for ‘those responsible for the damage to our lives and the lives of others [to] seek to shrug off responsibility and once again write their own rulebook.’ ”
The Guardian, 24th May 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
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