Legal challenge to Alex Salmond’s exclusion from BBC leaders’ debates – The Guardian

Posted April 27th, 2010 in BBC, elections, news, political parties by sally

“The Scottish National party will go to court today in an attempt to force the BBC to give its leader Alex Salmond a place in the final leaders’ debate later this week.”

Full story

The Guardian, 27th April 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Election 2010 – The Bar Council

Posted April 26th, 2010 in barristers, elections, news, political parties by sally

“This note summarises the key points in the manifestos of the three main political parties which may be of interest to the Bar. It is intended that this should be non-partisan and the Bar Council as an organisation is not aligning itself to any particular political party.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 23rd April 2010

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Marmite launches legal action against BNP – The Independent

Posted April 22nd, 2010 in advertising, elections, news, political parties by sally

“Marmite is beginning legal action against the British National Party after an image of a Marmite jar was used on a political broadcast without its permission, the company said today.”

Full story

The Independent, 22nd April 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Burglar takes legal action over prisoner vote ban – BBC News

Posted April 22nd, 2010 in elections, news, prisons by sally

“A convicted burglar is taking legal action against the government because he is unable to vote in the election.”

Full story

BBC News, 21st April 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

House of Lords transformation plans leaked – The Guardian

Posted April 20th, 2010 in elections, news, parliament, peerages & dignities by sally

“The House of Lords should become a second chamber where just two-thirds of members are elected until fresh primary legislation in 10 years’ time decides whether all peers should be elected, according to a document drawn up by the government.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th April 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Guidance for parliamentary candidates published – Ministry of Justice

Posted March 23rd, 2010 in elections, Ministry of Justice, news, parliament by sally

“Guidance to candidates standing at the parliamentary general election on publishing declarations of interests, is published today.”

Full story

Minsitry of Justice, 22nd March 2010

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Prisoners must be allowed to vote, Council of Europe warns Britain – The Guardian

Posted March 9th, 2010 in elections, human rights, news, prisons by sally

“The Council of Europe has issued an unprecedented warning to the British government to take urgent steps to enable prisoners to vote in the forthcoming general election or face thousands more compensation claims.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th March 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Brown wins big Commons victory for vote reform – The Independent

Posted February 11th, 2010 in elections, news, referendums by sally

“Gordon Brown’s plan to hold a referendum next year on scrapping the first-past-the-post system for elections for Westminster won a convincing majority last night in the Commons.”

Full story

The Independent, 10th February 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Labour broke privacy rules with elections phone campaign – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 10th, 2010 in advertising, elections, news, political parties, telecommunications by sally

“Labour breached privacy rules by making unsolicited automated phone calls to almost half a million people without their consent, the Information Commissioner’s Office has ruled.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 9th February 2010

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Prisoners ‘could sue’ if denied vote in general election – The Observer

Posted February 8th, 2010 in elections, news, prisons by sally

“Tens of thousands of prisoners could sue if they are not allowed to vote in this year’s general election, the government is being warned.The UK, one of the few countries in the world to impose a blanket ban on prisoners voting, must give those held behind bars the vote in order to comply with a European legal ruling, dating back six years. However, ministers have been procrastinating on the issue, fearing that it will prove unpopular with the electorate.”

Full story

The Observer, 7th February 2010

Source: http://observer.guardian.co.uk

R (Barclay and others) v The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and others – WLR Daily

Posted December 2nd, 2009 in constitutional law, elections, human rights, law reports, Sark by sally

R (Barclay and others) v The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and others [2009] UKSC 9; [2009] WLR (D) 349

“The presence of two unelected non-voting members in the legislature of the Channel Island of Sark, which had 28 democratically elected voting members, did not contravene art 3 of the First Protocol to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and alternatively, even if art 3 had required that all members be elected, was well within the margin of appreciation afforded by the article. A prohibition on aliens standing for election as members of the legislature was not incompatible with art 3.”

WLR Daily, 1st December 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Barclays lose Sark reforms claim – BBC news

Posted December 1st, 2009 in constitutional law, elections, human rights, news, Sark by sally

“The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed an appeal case by the Barclay brothers who wanted to force a change to constitutional reforms on Sark.”

Full story

BBC News, 1st December 2009

Source; www.bbc.co.uk

2010 Election Results – The Bar Council

Posted November 23rd, 2009 in barristers, elections, news by sally

“The Bar Council have today released the election results for 2010.”

Results (Word)

The Bar Council, 23rd November 2009

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

No electoral reform bill in Queen’s speech, says Downing Street – The Guardian

Posted November 11th, 2009 in elections, news, referendums by sally

“This month’s Queen’s speech will not contain a bill to introduce reform of the voting system, Downing Street sources confirmed today.”

Full story

The Guardian, 10th November 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

R (Chester) v Secretary of State for Justice and another – WLR Daily

R (Chester) v Secretary of State for Justice and another [2009] WLR (D) 316

“Where a United Kingdom court had made a declaration of incompatability [sic] pursuant to s 3(1) of the Human Rights Act 1998 in respect of legislation and where the Government was in the process of putting forward legislation to Parliament and no further vindication of the claimants rights was necessary, the court would not exercise its discretion so as to make a further declaration of incompatability in respect of the same or similar legislation.”

WLR Daily, 4th November 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Convicted murderer loses vote bid – BBC News

Posted October 28th, 2009 in elections, news, prisons by sally

“A convicted murderer has lost a legal battle to be given the right to vote in elections while serving a prison term.”

Full story

BBC News, 28th October 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prisoner’s High Court battle for the right to vote – The Independent

Posted October 23rd, 2009 in elections, human rights, news, prisons by sally

“A prisoner has launched a High Court battle for the right to vote in parliamentary and EU elections.”

Full story

The Independent, 23rd October 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Regina (Electoral Commission) v City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court (United Kingdom Independence Party intervening) – WLR Daily

Posted October 21st, 2009 in elections, forfeiture, law reports, political parties by sally

Regina (Electoral Commission) v City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court (United Kingdom Independence Party intervening) [2009] EWCA Civ 1078; [2009] WLR (D) 299

“Once an impermissible donation had been made to a registered political party and the party had not returned it a magistrates’ court should on an application by the Electoral Commission normally exercise its discretion under section 58(2) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 to order forfeiture of an amount equal to the value of the donation.”

WLR Daily, 19th October 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Cabinet split over election-day referendum on voting reform – The Guardian

Posted September 21st, 2009 in elections, news, referendums by sally

“Senior cabinet ministers will step up the pressure on the prime minister this week to rule out holding a referendum on electoral reform on the same day as the general election, because they believe it would set back the case for reform for a generation.”

Full story

The Guardian, 20th September 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ex-peers ‘blocked from being MPs’ – BBC News

Posted August 27th, 2009 in elections, news, parliament, peerages & dignities by sally

“Jack Straw is to amend plans allowing life peers to resign from the House of Lords, to stop them standing as an MP for up to five years, it is reported.”

Full story

BBC News, 27th August 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk