#WithoutPrejudice 26: Spectator contempt – Hunt / Warsi and The Ministerial Code – The Case for ‘Code’ – Charon QC

“On the panel tonight – Kim Evans, commissioning editor of The Justice Gap and ex government lawyer Carl Gardner, author of the Head of Legal blog.

Tonight’s topics are varied and raise important issues for the law.

The Spectator contempt case, Hunt, Warsi, the ministerial code and the meaning of quasi-judicial, Richard Moorhead’s ‘Case for code’.”

Podcast

Charon QC, 8th June 2012

Source: www.charonqc.wordpress.com

“Charon QC” is the blogging pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot, editor of insitelaw newswire.

Justice system criticised as Spectator faces £5,000 fine over article that jeopardised Stephen Lawrence trial – The Independent

Posted May 10th, 2012 in contempt of court, fines, media, news, reporting restrictions by sally

“The father of Stephen Lawrence renewed his criticisms of the criminal justice system today after it emerged that the Spectator magazine faces a maximum £5,000 fine over an article written by Rod Liddle that jeopardised the trial of two of the black teenager’s racist killers.”

Full story

The Independent, 9th May 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

O(B) v Director of the Serious Fraud Office – WLR Daily

O(B) v Director of the Serious Fraud Office: [2012] EWCA Crim 901;  [2012] WLR (D)  133

“In contempt of court cases, there was a right of appeal to the Supreme Court from the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division, by the route of rectification of section 378 and paragraph 45(2) of Schedule 16 to the Armed Forces Act 2006 which had deleted the reference to the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division and inserted no new reference. The substance of the provision Parliament would have made had the drafting error been noticed, occasioned no difficulty. All that would have been required was the insertion of express wording following ‘Court of Appeal’ in section 13(2)(c) of the Administration of Justice Act 1960 (as amended) making it plain that ‘Court of Appeal’ encompassed both civil and criminal divisions. The rectification preserved an important right of appeal and avoided an outcome which had no rational justification.”

WLR Daily, 2nd May 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Twitter users to be arrested over naming of Ched Evans rape victim – The Guardian

Posted April 25th, 2012 in contempt of court, internet, media, news by sally

“Police are planning to arrest a number of Twitter users who are alleged to have named the 19-year-old rape victim of Sheffield United footballer Ched Evans, and have launched an investigation into Sky News after it broadcast her name in a report.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Man jailed for photographing defendants in Truro court – BBC News

Posted April 20th, 2012 in contempt of court, news, photography by sally

“A man has been jailed for a day and fined £750 for contempt after taking a picture of two defendants inside a Cornwall court.”

Full story

BBC News, 20th April 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The rising cost of free speech: Reynolds, contempt and Twitter – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted April 12th, 2012 in contempt of court, defamation, freedom of expression, internet, news by sally

“Free speech is under attack. Or so it seems. The last few weeks have been abuzz with stories to do with free speech: a Supreme Court ruling on the Reynolds defence to libel; contempt of court proceedings against an MP for comments made in a book and the latest in a growing line of criminal trials for Twitter offences. The diversity of media at the heart of these stories – print news, traditional books and online ‘micro-blogging’ – indicates the difficulty of the task for the legal system.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 12th April 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Juror jailed for contempt after jetting off to Malta – The Independent

Posted April 10th, 2012 in contempt of court, juries, news, sentencing by sally

“A juror has been jailed for 56 days after she said she was too sick to attend court and promptly jetted off on a two week holiday to Malta.”

Full story

The Independent, 5th April 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

What can and can’t you say on Twitter? – BBC News

“A student who made racially offensive comments about footballer Fabrice Muamba on Twitter has been jailed for 56 days – the latest case where a comment made on social media has landed someone in court.”

Full story

BBC News, 28th March 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Private court interpretation company ‘should face contempt proceedings’ – The Guardian

Posted March 20th, 2012 in contempt of court, courts, delay, interpreters, news by sally

“The attorney general has been urged to bring contempt of court proceedings against the private contractor awarded a monopoly to provide interpreters to all courts in England and Wales.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Daily Mirror publisher refused appeal against contempt of court fine – The Guardian

Posted March 9th, 2012 in appeals, contempt of court, fines, media, news by tracey

“Mirror Group Newspapers denied permission to appeal against £50,000 fine for its coverage of Christopher Jefferies and the Joanna Yeates case.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Crash for cash’ mother jailed leaving behind baby – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 1st, 2012 in contempt of court, fraud, insurance, news, personal injuries, sentencing by tracey

“A mother has been jailed for claiming she suffered whiplash injuries in a fictitious car crash after her insurers took her to court in the first case of its kind.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 29th February 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Kazakh billionaire Ablyazov in contempt, High Court rules – The Lawyer

Posted February 16th, 2012 in banking, contempt of court, disclosure, news, sentencing by sally

“The High Court today ruled that Kazakh billionaire Mukhtar Ablyazov has been in contempt of court orders because he failed to disclose the full extent of his assets.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 16th February 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Contempt laws are still valid in the internet age – The Guardian

Posted February 8th, 2012 in contempt of court, freedom of expression, internet, media, news by sally

“Social media undoubtedly poses a challenge for enforcement, but the Contempt of Court Act is a sound piece of legislation.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Times contempt challenge thrown out in Strasbourg – UK Human Rights Blog

“The European Court of Human Rights has rejected as ‘inadmissible’ Times Newspaper’s challenge to its 2009 conviction for contempt of court. The decision, which was made by six judges, is a good example of an early stage ‘strike-out’ by the Court which is nonetheless a substantial, reasoned decision (see our posts on the ‘UK loses 3 out of 4 cases at the court’ controversy).”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 8th February 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Juror who researched defendant refused leave to appeal – BBC News

Posted January 26th, 2012 in appeals, contempt of court, juries, news by sally

“A juror jailed for researching a defendant’s past on the internet has been refused permission to appeal.”

Full story

BBC News, 26th January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Attorney General v Dallas – WLR Daily

Posted January 26th, 2012 in contempt of court, juries, law reports, sentencing by sally

Attorney General v Dallas [2012] WLR (D) 7

“In the context of alleged contempt of court by or affecting a juror or jury in the Crown Court, neither the Attorney General nor the alleged contemnor had any right to seek a trial by jury on indictment. The correct procedure, unless it was appropriate for the Crown Court to deal immediately with the contempt of its own motion (which would itself be an exceptional course of action), was for such cases to be left to the Attorney General to commence proceedings under CPR Sch 1, RSC Ord 52.”

WLR Daily, 23rd January 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Theodora Dallas: inside the jury room – The Guardian

Posted January 24th, 2012 in contempt of court, juries, jury directions, news by sally

“Yesterday’s judgment offers a rare insight into jury deliberations, revealing what Dallas told fellow jurors about her online research.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Juror Theodora Dallas guilty of contempt of court – BBC News

Posted January 23rd, 2012 in contempt of court, internet, juries, news, sentencing by sally

“A juror who researched a defendant’s past on the internet and shared the information with fellow jurors has been found guilty of contempt of court.”

Full story

BBC News, 23rd January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

WithoutPrejudice 16: Justice & Security – Abu Qatada – Contempt – Occupy – Scotland referendum – Charon QC

“The Justice & Security Green Paper – Abu Qatada – The Occupy judgment  – Contempt of court and a quick look at the legal issues involved in the Scotland Independence referendum proposed by Alex Salmond.”

Podcast

Charon QC, 19th January 2012

Source: charonqc.wordpress.com

“Charon QC” is the blogging pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot, editor of insitelaw newswire.

Juror must wait for judgement on contempt charge – The Independent

Posted January 20th, 2012 in contempt of court, internet, juries, news by tracey

“The fate of a juror accused of contempt of court after causing a trial to collapse by carrying out internet research at home hangs in the balance after the High Court reserved its judgement yesterday. Dr Theodora Dallas’s actions led to the trial of Barry Medlock, accused of causing grievous bodily harm, to be abandoned in July last year after she revealed to fellow jurors he had previously been tried for rape but acquitted.”

Full story

 The Independent, 20th January 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk