Britain’s most dangerous prisoners to get meditation lessons – The Guardian

Posted October 20th, 2015 in mental health, news, prisons, rehabilitation, violent offenders by sally

‘Prison staff are to teach meditation to Britain’s most dangerous criminals in an attempt to aid their rehabilitation and quell their violent impulses.’

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The Guardian, 19th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Court of Protection upholds the right of a confused, lonely man to refuse treatment – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 16th, 2015 in consent, Court of Protection, medical treatment, mental health, news by sally

‘The Court of Protection has recently ruled that a mentally incapacitated adult could refuse a life saving amputation. This is an important judgement that respects an individual’s right to autonomy despite overwhelming medical evidence that it might be in his best interests to override his wishes. The judge declined to define the 73 year old man at the centre of this case by reference to his mental illness, but rather recognised his core quality is his “fierce independence” which, he accepted, was what Mr B saw as under attack.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 13th October 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

2,331 criminal cases dropped over ill-health or age in 2014 – BBC News

‘More than 2,000 suspected criminals avoided prosecution in England and Wales last year because of their ill-health or age, figures have shown.’

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BBC News, 9th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Man whose father strangled mother given life sentence for murdering pensioner – The Guardian

Posted October 6th, 2015 in mental health, murder, news, sentencing, violent offenders by sally

‘A man whose father strangled his mother to death when he was a child has been ordered to serve at least 25 and a half years of a life sentence for battering a pensioner to death.’

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The Guardian, 6th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Blackstone’s Statutes: top legislation – OUP Blog

Posted September 28th, 2015 in conveyancing, EC law, human rights, leases, legislation, mental health, news by sally

‘With the recent publication of the 2015-2016 editions of the Blackstone’s Statutes series, we asked some of the authors to select a piece of legislation from the series that has the most impact on their subject area.’
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OUP Blog, 28th September 2015

Source: www.oupblog.com

Teenager killed himself hours after Wonga cleared out his account – The Guardian

‘A disabled teenager killed himself on the same day that the payday loans company Wonga cleared out his bank account, it has been revealed.’
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The Guardian, 25th September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Depressed man killed himself as a direct result of DWP’s ‘fit to work’ ruling, coroner finds – The Independent

Posted September 21st, 2015 in benefits, disabled persons, inquests, mental health, news, suicide by sally

‘A coroner has concluded for the first time that a man with severe mental illness killed himself as a direct result of being found “fit to work” by the Government’s outsourced disability assessors.’

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The Independent, 20th September 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Broadmoor Hospital inspection reveals ‘urgent’ changes required – BBC News

‘Broadmoor Hospital has been told to make urgent changes after a report which highlighted the “overuse” of face-down restraints on patients. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the high-security hospital in Berkshire “inadequate” after an inspection.’

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BBC News, 16th September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Colin Pitchfork parole hearing: How to assess a killer’s risk – BBC News

Posted September 7th, 2015 in DNA, mental health, murder, news, recidivists, rehabilitation, sexual offences, statistics by sally

‘Thirty years ago, brutal child killer Colin Pitchfork became the first person to be convicted using DNA profiling.’

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BBC News, 6th September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ex-prisoners with mental health problems ‘more likely to reoffend’ – The Guardian

Posted September 3rd, 2015 in affidavits, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, mental health, news, recidivists, reports by sally

‘Ex-prisoners with common mental health problems, such as bipolar disorder, and who misuse drugs and alcohol are more likely to commit violent offences after their release than other former prisoners, according to research.’

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The Guardian, 3rd September 2015

Source: www.guaridan.co.uk

Rickshaw driver in Westminster standoff spared further jail – The Guardian

Posted September 2nd, 2015 in criminal damage, mental health, news, parliament, public order, sentencing, trespass by sally

‘A rickshaw driver who caused £5,500 of damage to the Houses of Parliament during an overnight rooftop standoff has been spared further time in custody after admitting criminal damage and trespassing.’

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The Guardian, 1st September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Date fixed for Lord Janner hearing – BBC News

‘A judge will decide at a hearing on 7 December whether Lord Janner, who is facing child sex abuse charges spanning three decades, is fit to plead.’

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BBC News, 1st September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Urgent review’ of appropriate adults needed – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 27th, 2015 in learning difficulties, mental health, news, reports by sally

‘Solicitors have urged the government to review, as a matter of urgency, the provision of appropriate adults (AA) for mentally vulnerable detainees in police stations after a report published today highlighted ‘significant shortcomings’.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 26th August 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Appropriate adults not being used’ for many vulnerable people in custody – BBC News

Posted August 26th, 2015 in detention, learning difficulties, local government, mental health, news, police by sally

‘About a quarter of a million vulnerable people are not receiving the support of an “appropriate adult” while in police custody, a report has suggested.’

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BBC News, 26th August 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lord Janner not at court to face child sex abuse charges – BBC News

Posted August 14th, 2015 in child abuse, elderly, mental health, news, sexual offences, trials by tracey

‘Lord Janner has failed to appear at court to face child sex abuse charges, despite the High Court ruling he must attend a hearing.’

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BBC News, 14th August 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lord Janner child sex abuse charges: Former Labour MP expected to appear in court – The Independent

‘Lord Janner is expected to appear in court to face child abuse charges after his lawyers lost a High Court bid to prevent him having to attend.’

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The Independent, 14th August 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Appeal judges limit professional privilege where lives are at risk – Legal Futures

Posted August 11th, 2015 in appeals, mental health, news, nurses, privilege, restraint, solicitors by sally

‘Legal professional privilege can be qualified in the “rare circumstances” where it is necessary to impose a requirement that other people are present at discussions between lawyers and clients, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 10th August 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Mental health background checks: new guidance issued by Home Office – The Guardian

‘New guidelines to be issued by the Home Office will make clear the factors that must be considered before mental health crises are disclosed in background checks made on people applying to work with vulnerable groups.’

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The Guardian, 9th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lord Janner abuse proceedings to start in court – BBC News

Posted August 7th, 2015 in child abuse, elderly, evidence, mental health, news, trials by tracey

‘Criminal proceedings against Lord Janner over allegations of child sexual abuse in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s are to begin later. The Westminster Magistrates’ Court case comes after a review overturned a Crown Prosecution Service decision not to bring charges because of his dementia.’

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BBC News, 7th August 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Regina v Brown (Edward) – WLR Daily

Posted August 4th, 2015 in appeals, crime, law reports, mental health, privilege, restraint, trials by sally

Regina v Brown (Edward) [2015] EWCA Crim 1328; [2015] WLR (D) 344

‘By way of an additional common law qualification or exception to the inviolable nature of legal professional privilege, and in what was likely to be an extremely narrow band of cases, it was appropriate to impose a requirement that particular individuals could be present at discussions between an individual and his lawyers if there was a real possibility that the meeting would be misused for a purpose, or in a manner, that involved impropriety amounting to an abuse of the privilege that justified interference.’

WLR Daily, 29th July 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk