The terror of young offender institutions – BBC News

Posted September 12th, 2016 in detention, inquiries, news, prisons, young offenders by sally

‘Levels of violence in young offender institutions have been described as unacceptably high, with inmates and staff facing the daily threat of beatings and stabbings. The government is promising a thorough review of the system. But what’s life like for young people who get locked up?’

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BBC News, 12th September 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Rendition victims challenge decision not to prosecute MI6 officer – The Guardian

‘Lawyers representing a Libyan husband and wife who were kidnapped and flown to one of Muammar Gaddafi’s prisons are seeking to overturn a decision that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute a former MI6 officer for his alleged role.’

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The Guardian, 11th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

LSB tells Bar regulator not to keep changing the pass mark for aptitude test – Legal Futures

Posted September 9th, 2016 in barristers, examinations, legal education, news by sally

‘The Legal Services Board (LSB) has warned the Bar’s regulator that it cannot keep changing the cut score for the test would-be barristers have to pass before being allowed to take the Bar professional training course (BPTC).’

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Legal Futures, 8th September 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Duties of Local Authorities to Unaccompanied Migrant Children – Family Law Week

Posted September 9th, 2016 in care orders, children, EC law, local government, news, refugees by sally

‘Jennifer Kotilaine, barrister of 42 Bedford Row, analyses the duties of local authorities to unaccompanied migrant children in the light of the House of Lords European Union Select Committee’s recent critical report on the subject.’

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Family Law Week, 1st September 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

MasterCard sued for £14bn in largest ever British legal claim – The Guardian

‘Credit card group MasterCard is being sued for £14bn, the largest legal claim in British history, in a landmark lawsuit over allegations that it overcharged 46m UK consumers.’

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The Guardian, 8th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Some victims may boycott the troubled sex abuse inquiry. What has gone wrong? – The Guardian

Posted September 9th, 2016 in child abuse, inquiries, news, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘Even the fiercest critic of Dame Lowell Goddard must admit she’s got a point. Earlier this week, Goddard revealed why she resigned last month as chair of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse. She sent a 10-page critique of the setup of the inquiry to the home affairs select committee, saying it was too big, took in too many institutions (church, councils, schools, Westminster, Medomsley detention centre – to name but a few of its 13 strands), was too complex, went back too far (60 years), would take too long (possibly 10 years), and was underfunded.’

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The Guardian, 8th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Antiques dealer found guilty of trying to sell elephant tusk at Christie’s after being ‘misled by expert’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 9th, 2016 in animals, auctioneers, environmental protection, fines, news by sally

‘A dealer who tried to sell an elephant tusk at Christie’s has been spared a fine after claiming he was “misled” by their antiques experts.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th September 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Disability hate crime convictions surge by 40 per cent – The Independent

Posted September 9th, 2016 in disabled persons, hate crime, news, prosecutions, statistics by sally

‘Prosecutions for disability hate crimes surged by more than 40 per cent last year compared to the year before, official figures show. The Attorney General’s Office released statistics showing that the Crown Prosecution Service completed 941 prosecutions for such crimes in 2015/16 compared to 666 in the previous year. Convictions were also up by a similar rate, from 503 to 707, also around a 40 per cent increase.’

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The Independent, 8th September 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Theresa May heading for fight over ‘perverse’ election boundaries review that will slash MP numbers – The Independent

Posted September 9th, 2016 in elections, electoral register, news, parliament by sally

‘Theresa May is on a collision course with Parliament over controversial plans to redraw the election map of the UK after Conservative MPs attacked them, with one branding them “perverse”. The review of constituencies due to be published next week will see the number of MPs in the Commons slashed from 650 to 600.’

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The Independent, 8th September 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Fugitive Pole wins battle against extradition after ‘transforming’ his life – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 9th, 2016 in delay, extradition, fugitive offenders, human rights, news, Poland by sally

‘A fugitive from Poland who came to the UK and “transformed” his life has won a High Court battle against extradition for old criminal offences.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th September 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Theresa May to end ban on new grammar schools – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 9th, 2016 in education, news, parliament, school admissions, school children by sally

‘Theresa May will set aside decades of cross-party consensus in education policy by ending the ban on the creation of new grammar schools and attempt to head off critics by proposing measures intended to prevent poorer children losing out.’

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Daily Telegraph, 9th September 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Justice Secretary Liz Truss casts doubt on prison reforms – BBC News

Posted September 8th, 2016 in bills, human rights, news, prisons by sally

‘Justice Secretary Liz Truss has appeared to cast doubt on plans for a sweeping reform of prisons in England and Wales proposed by her predecessor, Michael Gove.’

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BBC News, 7th September 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Acquitted dad Craig Beattie ‘killed baby son’ family judge said – BBC News

Posted September 8th, 2016 in child abuse, criminal justice, family courts, homicide, news, reports by sally

‘A father who was acquitted by a jury of killing his six-week-old son has been named as the person responsible for his death in a ruling by a high court judge.’

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BBC News, 7th September 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Schoolboy killed by flood pump’s toxic fumes, coroner rules – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 8th, 2016 in children, inquests, news, poisoning by sally

‘A schoolboy died when the toxic fumes produced by a petrol pump designed to keep his family home from flooding poisoned him in his sleep, a coroner has ruled.’

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Daily Telegraph, 7th September 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

UK inquiry into child sexual abuse ‘will include historical cases’ – The Guardian

Posted September 8th, 2016 in child abuse, inquiries, judges, news, sexual offences by sally

‘The focus of the official inquiry into child sexual abuse will not be narrowed to exclude historical cases, the home secretary has made clear, as she also suggested that its former chair, Dame Lowell Goddard, may have quit because she was lonely.’

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The Guardian, 7th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Old Bailey judge retiring after 20 years condemns burden foreign criminals are placing on state – Daily Telegraph

‘An influx of Eastern European criminals risks clogging up the criminal justice system and placing an extra burden on its finances, a senior Old Bailey judge warns. His Honour Judge Tim Pontius also expresses concern at the surge in historic sex abuse cases which he called “troubling”, while conceding that the system is struggling to cope with young Islamist terrorists.’

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Daily Telegraph, 7th September 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Andy Tsege: High Court rejects 9-year-old’s plea for UK to bring back British father kidnapped by Ethiopia – The Independent

‘The High Court has rejected the case of a nine-year-old British girl demanding Theresa May’s government do more to help her father, who has been kidnapped by the Ethiopian authorities and now faces an impending death sentence.’

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The Independent, 7th September 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Zero-hours contracts used far beyond short-term work, research says – The Guardian

Posted September 8th, 2016 in contract of employment, employment, flexible working, news by sally

‘More than two-thirds of zero-hours workers aged over 25 have been with the same employer for more than a year, highlighting concerns that the insecure arrangements have become a permanent feature of working life for thousands of people.’

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The Guardian, 8th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Hillsborough Law’ drafted by victims’ families’ legal team – BBC News

Posted September 8th, 2016 in bills, inquests, inquiries, news, police by sally

‘Lawyers for the relatives of 96 people who died at Hillsborough have drafted a new law to compel public officials to tell the truth at inquiries.’

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BBC News, 8th September 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Britain’s weirdest laws: carpet beating, MPs in armour and carrying ladders – The Guardian

Posted September 8th, 2016 in legislation, news, reports by sally

‘A list of the 10 most bizarre British laws has been compiled by a Cambridge researcher to highlight the complexity and antiquity of statutes that remain in force.’

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The Guardian, 8th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk