Vos J incredulous as 11 firms file 50 more phone-hacking claims – The Lawyer

Posted April 23rd, 2012 in disclosure, interception, judges, media, news, privacy by sally

“Mr Justice Vos has described the number of firms clambering on board the phone-hacking juggernaut as ‘unbelievable’, as 11 firms have filed further claims on behalf of celebrities allegedly targeted by the News of the World.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 23rd April 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Common-law open justice lets in the light; Strasbourg not the key – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted April 11th, 2012 in appeals, disclosure, media, news by sally

“No, not a case about secret trials, but about the way in which newspapers can get hold of court papers in open oral hearings. And, as we shall see, it led to a ringing endorsement of the principle of open justice from the Court of Appeal, leading to production of the documents to the Guardian.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 10th April 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Regina (Guardian News and Media Ltd) v City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court and another (Article 19 intervening) – WLR Daily

Posted April 5th, 2012 in disclosure, documents, evidence, extradition, law reports, media by sally

Regina (Guardian News and Media Ltd) v City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court and another (Article 19 intervening) [2012] EWCA Civ 420; [2012] WLR (D) 110

“Where documents had been placed before a judge and referred to in the course of court proceedings, access should generally be permitted on the open justice principle. Where access was sought for a proper journalistic principle the case for allowing it would be particularly strong. The court would undertake a fact-specific proportionality exercise where there were grounds of opposition to the application for disclosure.”

WLR Daily, 3rd April 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Watchdog criticises police over Mark Kennedy’s undercover tapes – The Guardian

Posted April 5th, 2012 in complaints, disclosure, news, police, reports by sally

“Police have been criticised for their role in withholding crucial surveillance recordings made by undercover policeman Mark Kennedy. The tapes were kept from activists who were being prosecuted for planning to occupy one of Britain’s largest power stations. The contents contained vital evidence for the activists’ defence.”

Full story

The Guardian, 4th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ken Clarke defends secret courts plans after Nick Clegg criticisms – The Guardian

“The justice secretary, Ken Clarke, has defended proposals to create a new generation of secret courts in the face of criticism from Nick Clegg and parliament’s human rights committee, saying the plans will make the system more accountable and more conducive to intelligence sharing with other countries.”

Full story

The Guardian, 4th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Secret trials: ‘explore alternatives’ – Law Society’s Gazette

“Government proposals to extend the use of secret hearings in cases where evidence might compromise national security are a radical departure from the UK’s ‘traditions of open justice and fairness’, MPs and peers said today.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 4th April 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Details of names and roles of senior council officials involved in recruitment subject to disclosure under FOI, Tribunal rules – OUT-LAW.com

“Councils should be prepared to disclose the names of senior staff members involved in recruiting senior councillors or officials as well as details of the role they played in that recruitment, an Information Rights Tribunal has ruled.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 4th April 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Secret justice: do we have a compromise? – UK Human Rights Blog

“The Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights has now responded to the Government’s consultation on the proposals set out in their Justice and Security Green Paper Cm 8194. The idea is to extend ‘closed material procedures’ so as to be available in all civil proceedings, i.e. not just in some highly restricted national security contexts such as deportation appeals before SIAC (the Special Immigration Appeals Commission), control orders, and their successor regime known as TPIMs.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 4th April 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Damning verdict on ill-thought-out secret justice proposals – The Guardian

“Parliament’s joint committee on human rights (JCHR) has produced a unanimous report on the government’s justice and security green paper that is as precise and persuasive as the green paper itself is unfocussed and unconvincing.”

Full story

The Guardian, 4th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judgment over extradition case is victory for open justice – The Guardian

Posted April 3rd, 2012 in disclosure, documents, extradition, media, news by sally

“Three senior judges have issued a groundbreaking judgment that strengthens the media’s right to see documents used in criminal cases.”

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

O2 disclosure ruling could impact on workings of imminent new anti-piracy code, campaigners say – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 29th, 2012 in copyright, disclosure, internet, news, telecommunications by sally

“A High Court judge has laid out flaws in using internet protocol (IP) addresses to identify alleged copyright infringers which should have ‘ramifications’ for how imminent new anti-piracy rules operate, a campaign group has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 29th March 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Man loses privacy case over telling his wife about twins – BBC News

Posted March 29th, 2012 in blackmail, disclosure, families, harassment, injunctions, news, privacy by sally

“A businessman has failed in his High Court bid to prevent his wife being told of the birth of his twins from a secret relationship.”

Full story

BBC News, 28th March 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

OFT’s ‘adversarial’ approach meant witness documents do not have to be disclosed, CAT rules – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 28th, 2012 in competition, disclosure, news, privilege, tribunals, witnesses by sally

“A supermarket does not have to hand over notes from discussions with witnesses to the Office of Fair Trading as part of an ongoing legal dispute because the information was protected by ‘litigation privilege’, the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has ruled.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 27th March 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

MPs’ expenses receipts to stay secret, IPSA rules – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 26th, 2012 in disclosure, expenses, freedom of information, news, parliament by sally

“MPs’ expenses receipts should not be shown to the public, Westminster’s new standards watchdog has ruled.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 24th March 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Kennedy v Charity Commission (Information Commissioner and another intervening) – WLR Daily

Kennedy v Charity Commission (Information Commissioner and another intervening) [2012] EWCA Civ 317; [2012] WLR (D) 91

“The right to freedom of expression under article 10 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms was not engaged in a case in which the Charity Commission had refused to comply with a journalist’s request that he be supplied with certain information, by applying an absolute exemption which was said to derive from section 32(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.”

WLR Daily, 20th March 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Leveson: Times failed to tell judge about NightJack hacking – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 16th, 2012 in disclosure, electronic mail, inquiries, media, news, privacy by sally

“The Times newspaper failed to tell a High Court judge that one of its journalists had obtained information illegally because of fears that he would be prosecuted if he told the truth, the Leveson Inquiry heard yesterday.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 16th March 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

W (Algeria) and others v Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily

Posted March 12th, 2012 in appeals, confidentiality, disclosure, immigration, law reports, news, witnesses by sally

W (Algeria) and others v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] UKSC 8; [2012] WLR (D) 69

“The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (‘SIAC’) could make an irrevocable non-disclosure order, without notice to the Secretary of State, where a witness, fearing reprisals, required an absolute and irreversible guarantee of confidentiality as a precondition to giving evidence relating to an appellant’s safety on return.”

WLR Daily, 7th March 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 – legislation.gov.uk

Posted March 9th, 2012 in consumer protection, disclosure, insurance, legislation by sally

Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 published

Full text of Act

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Government department must disclose data from private email correspondence, ICO rules – OUT-LAW.com

“The Department for Education (DfE) must disclose information sent from a private email address belonging to the Education Secretary unless there is a legitimate reason to refuse doing so, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 6th March 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Police given new guidance to disclose a history of violence – Home Office

Posted March 5th, 2012 in criminal records, disclosure, domestic violence, police, press releases by sally

“Four police forces will pilot a new domestic violence disclosure scheme, the home secretary announced today. Police in Greater Manchester, Gwent, Nottinghamshire and Wiltshire will run a 12 month trial of the domestic violence disclosure scheme (DVDS) from the summer of 2012. The pilot scheme will test the methods used by police to help victims or potential victims of domestic violence by disclosing information about previous violent offending by their partner.”

Full press release

Home Office, 5th March 2012

Source: www.homeoffice.gov.uk