Do initiatives involving substantial increases in stop and search reduce crime? Assessing the impact of Operation BLUNT 2 – Home Office

‘This study assesses the impact on crime of the Metropolitan Police’s Operation BLUNT 2, which ran from May 2008 to April 2011.’

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Home Office, 17th March 2016

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Mass stop and search by police doesn’t reduce crime, says study – The Guardian

‘The use of large “surge” stop-and-search operations by the police has no discernible effect in reducing crime, according to newly released Home Office research. The study looks at the mass use of stop and search by London’s Metropolitan police to tackle knife crime in 2008/09, at a time when officers were carrying out one search every 20 seconds on average nationwide.’

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The Guardian, 17th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Met Police decision to drop Tower Hamlets electoral fraud investigation branded ‘utter disgrace’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 17th, 2016 in corruption, elections, evidence, fraud, local government, London, news, police by tracey

‘Scotland Yard has dropped its investigation into electoral fraud in Tower Hamlets after finding “insufficient evidence that criminal offences had been committed”. Detectives launched the probe after Lutfur Rahman, the borough’s former mayor, was found guilty of corrupt and illegal practices by a judge following a High Court hearing.’

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Daily Telegraph, 17th March 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Police watchdog criticises Met chief’s comments on sexual abuse policy – The Guardian

Posted February 18th, 2016 in crime, London, news, police, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘The head of the police watchdog has criticised Scotland Yard’s commissioner for claiming that an official policy to “believe the victim” had caused confusion among his detectives when investigating prominent people for alleged sexual abuse.’

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The Guardian, 18th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Call to tighten UK’s new property law to crack down on ‘dirty money’ – The Guardian

Posted February 15th, 2016 in corruption, London, money laundering, news, retrospectivity, sale of land, trusts by sally

‘New laws that aim to stop the UK being a magnet for money launderers – by forcing the owners of properties to reveal their identities – should be applied retrospectively, leading anti-corruption organisations whose work has strongly influenced the government are saying.’

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The Guardian, 13th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

London taxi drivers lose high court challenge to cycle superhighway – The Guardian

Posted February 11th, 2016 in bicycles, London, news, planning, roads, taxis by sally

‘Cabbies have lost a high court challenge that could have disrupted completion of London’s £47m flagship east-west cycle superhighway.’

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The Guardian, 10th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Black cabs not unique, high court rules, paving way for ‘green’ taxis – The Guardian

Posted January 21st, 2016 in London, news, taxis, trade marks by sally

‘A high court judge has ruled that one of London’s most famous sights, the black cab, is not that unique after all, concluding that they are “devoid of inherent distinctive character”.’

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The Guardian, 20th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Maximising Fixed Costs – In the Protocol and out of it – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted January 12th, 2016 in barristers, civil procedure rules, costs, London, news, solicitors by sally

‘With costs for low value PI claims being stripped to bare bones and further cuts on the horizon, maximising fixed costs is essential. In this article, Jasmine Murphy asks the question: Have we all been missing a trick? The trick in this case is another eighth of the costs allowed in fixed costs cases.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 4th January 2016

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

You don’t know what you’re doing – Nearly Legal

Posted January 5th, 2016 in bills, local government, London, news by sally

‘January 5, 2016, sees the Housing and Planning Bill return to the House of Commons for the Report stage (if you want to read about how the Committee stage went, the excellent House of Commons library analysis is here and our comments are here).’

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Nearly Legal, 4th January 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Met Police chief admits delay in giving officers covert body cameras is ‘frustrating’ following fatal shooting – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 17th, 2015 in closed circuit television, delay, firearms, London, news, police by tracey

‘Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, has admitted it was “frustrating” that the undercover officer who fatally shot a suspected gangster was not wearing a covert camera. He acknowledged that it would have been “really useful” in this case, to show exactly what had happened, but claimed there had been difficulties in finding technology that would be suitable for covert operations.’

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Daily Telegraph, 17th December 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ownership Rights of a Highway Authority – Local Government Law

Posted December 3rd, 2015 in local government, London, news, roads by tracey

‘What one might call the “normal” or “traditional” ownership rights of a highway authority lay at the heart of the dispute in Southwark LBC v Transport for London [2015] EWHC 3448 (Ch).’

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Local Government Law, 3rd December 2015

Source: www.11kbw.com/blogs/local-government-law

Competition watchdog slams plans for crackdown on Uber in London – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 3rd, 2015 in competition, London, news, taxis, transport by tracey

‘The competition watchdog has attacked Transport for London’s proposed crackdown on Uber, warning that it could result in less choice, higher prices and a worse service. ‘

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Daily Telegraph, 2nd December 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

London sex abuse charity says few male victims report crime – BBC News

Posted November 17th, 2015 in crime, London, news, reports, sexual offences, victims by tracey

‘A London charity says only 3.9% of sexual assaults are reported by male victims due to a lack of specialist help and perceived stigma.’

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BBC News, 17th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Theresa May criticises police over stop and search, and race record – The Guardian

‘Theresa May will publicly criticise claims made by Britain’s most senior police officer that a rise in knife crime is linked to falls in stop and search, branding them as a “kneejerk reaction” and “false”.’

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The Guardian, 21st October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

London borough secures lifting of suspension of award of CCTV contract – Local Government Lawyer

‘A London borough has successfully applied to the High Court to have lifted an automatic suspension under procurement regulations of the award of a contract for a road traffic CCTV system.’
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Local Government Lawyer, 30th September 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Hate crimes against Muslims in London ‘up by 70%’, police figures show – The Independent

Posted September 7th, 2015 in hate crime, Islam, London, news, racism, religious discrimination, statistics, women by sally

‘London’s Muslims have faced a 70% increase in Islamophobic attacks over the past year, according to figures from the Metropolitan Police.’

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The Independent, 7th September 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

London safer lorry scheme in force after cyclist deaths – BBC News

Posted September 1st, 2015 in fines, London, news, road safety, road traffic by sally

‘A ban on “unsafe lorries” in London, introduced as part of efforts to protect cyclists, has come into force.’

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BBC News, 1st September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police action against City fraudsters starts to show results, but civil action remains best for victims, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 27th, 2015 in civil justice, fraud, London, news by sally

‘A multi-agency anti-fraud operation led by City of London Police is beginning to show results, with “dozens of people arrested” and two providers of serviced office space fined in relation to investment frauds based out of addresses in the financial district, according to press reports.’
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OUT-LAW.com, 26th August 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Theresa May urged to review Gurpal Virdi sex charge case – BBC News

Posted August 18th, 2015 in London, news, police, race discrimination, sexual offences by sally

‘Home Secretary Theresa May is being urged to review the case of a retired Asian police officer investigated on a sex charge by the force that previously racially discriminated against him.’
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BBC News, 18th August 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Firearms officer sues Met for sex discrimination – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 30th, 2015 in employment tribunals, London, news, police, sex discrimination by sally

‘Former Diplomatic Protection Group officer tells tribunal his police officer wife was granted a career break but he wasn’t.’

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Daily Telegraph, 29th July 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk