Angela Patrick: Suing the state: judicial competence, restraint and redress in Belhadj – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The coverage of last week’s Court of Appeal’s decision in Belhadj & Or. v Straw & Ors [2014] EWCA Civ 1394 has thus far generated more political heat than legal light. When a claim involves the suit of named officials and former Ministers for their alleged role in the rendition of a major political figure in the new Libya and his family to face torture under the Gaddafi regime, this is perhaps understandable. In a week where the Government – in the context of this claim – has conceded that it must disclose certain of its policies on surveillance and legal professional privilege, it is unsurprising that the press has had little time to digest the detail of this judgment.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 7th November 2014

Source: http://ukconstitutionallaw.org/blog/

Regina (B and others) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court and others – WLR Daily

Posted November 7th, 2014 in closed material, disclosure, evidence, extradition, law reports, magistrates by sally

Regina (B and others) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court and others: [2014] UKSC 59; [2014] WLR (D) 470

‘A judge hearing extradition proceedings in the magistrates’ court had no power under the Extradition Act 2003 to hear evidence in a closed court and to make an order prohibiting the disclosure to the government of the requesting state of evidence adduced by individuals whose extradition was being sought. Extradition proceedings were not in a special category which would justify a departure from the principle of open justice.’

WLR Daily, 5th November 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Compensation Fund could pay the price after High Court buy-to-let ruling – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Compensation Fund could be hit by a new wave of property claims after a High Court ruling on two test cases relating to a buy-to-let scheme.’

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Legal Futures, 7th November 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

MI5, MI6 and GCHQ ‘spied on lawyers’ – BBC News

Posted November 7th, 2014 in disclosure, intelligence services, legal profession, news, privilege, spying by sally

‘British intelligence agencies have policies allowing staff to access confidential communications between lawyers and their clients, official documents have revealed.’

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BBC news, 6th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Letting in a chink of light to closed material cases : Bank Mellat again – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 6th, 2014 in banking, closed material, disclosure, human rights, news, setting aside by sally

‘Fireworks here from Collins J in making sure that Bank Mellat got some disclosure of information in its fight to discharge a financial restriction order against it.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 5th November 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

The Dickens Dossier: Secret file on establishment paedophiles may be opened – The Independent

Posted November 6th, 2014 in child abuse, disclosure, documents, inquiries, news, sexual offences by sally

‘A secret file which is said to contain the names of paedophiles with links to the British establishment and which is rumoured to be locked away in archives at the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, could be made public as part of the Government’s child abuse inquiry.’

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The Independent, 5th November 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Tribunal rejects call by FOI requester for names of legal advisors at care regulator – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 5th, 2014 in care workers, disclosure, freedom of information, news, tribunals by sally

‘The First-tier Tribunal (FTT) has upheld the Care Quality Commission’s refusal to supply the names of individuals who provided it with legal advice on the de-registration of a care agency.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 5th November 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Theresa May accused of delaying abuse report publication amid inquiry furore – The Guardian

Posted November 3rd, 2014 in child abuse, delay, disclosure, inquiries, news, reports, sexual offences by sally

‘Theresa May, the home secretary, has been accused of delaying the release of a completed report about the Home Office’s handling of child abuse allegations during the furore about who should chair the new official inquiry into what happened.’

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The Guardian, 2nd November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

High Court tests the limits of confidentiality in EC infringement decisions – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted October 30th, 2014 in airlines, confidentiality, disclosure, EC law, judgments, news, price fixing by sally

‘The European Commission came in for some stern criticism from the High Court this week, in a case which looks set to test the boundaries of confidentiality in EC infringement decisions: see Emerald Supplies v BA [2014] EWHC 3515 (Ch).’

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Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 30th October 2014

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

Good Things Come to Those Who (Have Inherent) Weight – Panopticon

Posted October 30th, 2014 in appeals, disclosure, freedom of information, news, public interest, tribunals by sally

‘Philosophically, everything must have an inherent weight. Otherwise it would have no weight at all. But FOIA is not concerned with philosophy; it is much more concerned with who is in charge of the sheep dip, and indeed the levels of public funding for the sheep being dipped. (No points for spotting that reference, Bruce.) As a result, there are often debates in the FOIA case law about whether a particular qualified exemption contains an inherent weight, i.e. is the fact that the exemption is engaged at all sufficient to place some weight in the public interest balance against disclosure? The answer varies according to the particular exemption.’

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Panopticon, 29th October 2014

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Government not required to disclose full details of defence – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The High Court has ruled that in a case against the state which did not directly affect the liberty of the subject, there was no irreducible minimum of disclosure of the state’s case which the court would require. The consequences of such disclosure for national security prevailed.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 27th October 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Finding your way – New Law Journal

Posted October 28th, 2014 in budgets, case management, disclosure, documents, law firms, news by sally

‘Jeffrey T Shapiro & James Morrey-Jones examine how law firms should budget for e-discovery post-Jackson.’

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New Law Journal, 27th October 2014

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Judge orders Home Office border agency to explain sham company failures – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 28th, 2014 in disclosure, fraud, government departments, immigration, news, visas by sally

‘Judge Peter Ross criticises the Border Force for failing to follow up information which suggested Milton Keynes-based firm was operating an immigration scam.’

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Daily Telegraph, 27th October 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Move to introduce jail time as potential punishment for UK data protection breaches stalls – OUT-LAW.com

‘Another attempt to introduce jail sentences as a possible punishment to individuals who access or disclose personal data in breach of data protection rules has stalled in the UK parliament.

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24th October 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Insurance surgery: A new regime – New Law Journal

Posted October 23rd, 2014 in bills, contracts, damages, disclosure, fraud, insurance, news, warranties by sally

‘The Insurance Bill may alter centuries old law on disclosure by commercial policyholders, warranties & remedies for fraud & place more emphasis on active underwriting, says James Deacon.’

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New Law Journal, 23rd October 2014

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Court refuses to say if killer was allowed to stay in UK – Daily Telegraph

‘Bernard Finlay was found guilty of stabbing a mother of two to death with three kitchen knives and a cleaver in 1997.’

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Daily Telegraph, 18th October 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Home Office told to disclose advice behind decision on intercept evidence – The Guardian

‘The Home Office has been ordered to release secret legal advice justifying its decision to prevent intercept evidence being used in criminal trials. The ruling by an information tribunal could shine a light on the way intelligence agencies gather and store material as well as on their relationship with law enforcement organisations. The appeal for the advice to be disclosed was made by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law which submitted a Freedom of Information request to uncover the reasoning behind a 2009 report, entitled “Intercept as Evidence”.’

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The Guardian, 16th October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The need to reform whistleblowing laws – OUP Blog

‘“Why didn’t anyone in the know say something about it?” That’s the natural reaction of the public when some shocking new scandal – financial wrongdoing, patient neglect, child abuse – comes to light. The question highlights the role of the whistleblower. He or she can play a vital role in ensuring that something is done about activity which is illegal or dangerous. But the price which the whistleblower pays may be high – ostracism by colleagues, victimisation by the employer, dismissal, informal blacklisting by other employers who fear taking on a “troublemaker”.’

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OUP Blog, 11th October 2014

Source: www.blog.oup.com

Commission criticised for withholding information on UK internet surveillance – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 13th, 2014 in disclosure, documents, EC law, intelligence services, internet, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘The European Commission must publish documents containing information about the UK’s communications surveillance operations or “properly justify” its reasons not to do so, an EU watchdog has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 10th October 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Adoption and access to family history – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 13th, 2014 in adoption, confidentiality, disclosure, families, local government, news by sally

‘Life is a mysterious journey, often attended with hazards matching those in The Lord of the Rings. However, as TV programmes such as Who Do You Think You Are? illustrate, we all have a deep need to understand our place in the world and how we came to inhabit our own ‘mortal coil’. This can be particularly poignant for adopted people and their successors.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 13th October 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk