Met Police ‘Taser use on children rises sixfold’ – The Independent

Posted March 7th, 2014 in children, news, police, weapons, young persons by sally

‘The number of children tasered by the Metropolitan Police has risen almost sixfold over four years, according to campaigners. The Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) said Taser stun guns were used on 53 young people in 2012, signalling a sharp increase from just nine in 2008.’

Full story

The Independent, 6th March 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Ministers to axe ‘bureaucratic’ rules on school dinners – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 7th, 2014 in food, health, news, school children by sally

‘ Strict guidelines regulating the amount of sugar in school dinners have been scrapped just as health experts raise alarm over the deteriorating standard of people’s daily diet. The Government said nutritional guidance – setting out the levels of vitamins and minerals in lunches – would be axed because the rules are too complicated.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 6th March 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Widow wins battle over late husband’s sperm – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 7th, 2014 in assisted reproduction, consent, human tissue, married persons, news by sally

‘Physiotherapist Beth Warren, 28, from Birmingham, today won a High Court   battle with the UK fertility regulator. A judge ruled in Mrs Warren’s favour after a trial in London. But Mrs Justice Hogg gave the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) the go-ahead to take the case to the appeal court.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 6th March 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Stephen Lawrence case: Theresa May orders inquiry into police spies – The Guardian

Posted March 7th, 2014 in inquiries, murder, news, police, racism, spying by sally

‘The home secretary has ordered a public inquiry into the undercover infiltration of political groups after an independent inquiry confirmed that Scotland Yard had spied on the family of Stephen Lawrence.’

Full story

The Guardian, 6th May 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Boy fed nine litres of goat milk a day cannot stay with his mother, court rules – The Independent

Posted March 7th, 2014 in care orders, children, food, mental health, news, parental responsibility by sally

‘A boy who was fed nine litres of goat’s milk a day for six months will not be allowed to live with his mother, a senior family court judge has ruled.’

Full story

The Independent, 6th March 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Network Rail apologises to families over level crossing deaths – BBC News

Posted March 7th, 2014 in accidents, health & safety, news, railways by sally

‘Network Rail has offered a “full and unreserved apology” to families bereaved by level crossing accidents. Chief executive Mark Carne apologised for “failings” in managing public safety and for “failing to deal sensitively” with affected families. Since 2010 the risk at level crossings had been reduced by a quarter, it said. The apology came as MPs published a report heavily critical of the way the rail infrastructure company had handled tragedies in the past.’

Full story

BBC News, 7th March 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The disturbing conflict of interest at the heart of British justice – Garden Court Chambers

‘Today, lawyers go on strike for the second time since January. The battle is with the Lord Chancellor, Chris Grayling, over his proposed reforms to legal aid. Strike action, from a generally traditional and conservative profession, is all but unprecedented and threatens to bring the criminal justice system to a halt. What has brought relations between the legal profession and Mr Grayling to this pitch?’

Full story

Garden Court Chambers, 7th March 2014

Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com

Supreme Court decision provides much-needed clarity on VAT status of online tour operators, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 6th, 2014 in agency, holidays, news, Supreme Court, taxation, VAT by sally

‘A travel company which marketed and arranged the sale of holiday accommodation to holidaymakers through its website was acting as an “agent” for the providers of that accommodation, and so did not have to account for VAT on those sales, the UK’s highest court has ruled.’

Full text

OUT-LAW.com, 5th March 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

SFO head defends agency’s perceived “lack of appetite” for prosecuting senior UK bankers – OUT-LAW.com

‘The head of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which investigates and prosecutes serious and organised crime in England and Wales, has defended the agency’s record against UK banks and senior bankers in the aftermath of the financial crisis.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 6th October 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Precedent H to be amended in CPR update but no news yet on costs management limit – Litigation Futures

Posted March 6th, 2014 in budgets, civil procedure rules, costs, news, time limits by sally

‘The statement of truth to be used in verifying a costs budget is to be changed, the latest update to the Civil Procedure Rules has revealed – but there is no word as yet about whether the level at which the costs management exemption kicks in will be increased.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 6th March 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Senior judges lay bare hostility to government’s court fee rises – Litigation Futures

Posted March 6th, 2014 in consultations, courts, fees, judiciary, news by sally

‘The senior judiciary has dismantled the government’s proposals to raise court fees, questioning the underlying policy, highlighting the “clearly inadequate” evidence and warning that introducing enhanced fees in commercial cases is “unworkable”.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 5th March 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Cuts to legal aid: seeking permission for judicial review – CrimeLine

Posted March 6th, 2014 in judicial review, legal aid, news, parole, prisons by sally

‘Two charities will go to court tomorrow (6 March) to seek permission to challenge the government’s decision to cut legal aid for prisoners.’

Full story

CrimeLine, 5th March 2014

Source: www.crimeline.info

Derek Williams jailed over abuse images and bestiality videos – BBC News

Posted March 6th, 2014 in indecent photographs of children, news, recidivists, sentencing by sally

‘A paedophile previously spared prison because of overcrowding has been jailed for downloading child abuse images and videos of bestiality.’

Full story

BBC News, 5th March 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Stephen Lawrence: report on police corruption allegations to be published – The Guardian

Posted March 6th, 2014 in corruption, inquiries, news, police, reports by sally

‘A report into allegations that police corruption shielded the racist mob that murdered Stephen Lawrence will be published on Thursday by the Home Office. The report was ordered by the home secretary after pressure from Lady Lawrence, Stephen’s mother. She has always believed corruption played a part in police failings and hopes the new report will lead to a fresh official inquiry.’

Full story

The Guardian, 5th March 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Regressive attitudes’ hold up stop and search changes – BBC News

Posted March 6th, 2014 in London, news, police, stop and search by sally

‘Plans to limit police stop and search powers in England and Wales have been held up by “regressive” attitudes in Downing Street, senior Conservatives have told BBC Newsnight.’

Full story

BBC News, 6th March 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Beth Warren waits on sperm legal fight result – BBC News

‘The High Court will rule later on a widow’s attempt to prevent her dead husband’s sperm from being destroyed.’

Full story

BBC News, 6th March 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sharing Risk in Collective Actions – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted March 5th, 2014 in class actions, competition, consultations, costs, damages, news by sally

‘Readers of this blog will be familiar with the Government’s announcement, following the conclusion last year of its consultation on private actions in competition law, that it intends to introduce an “opt out” regime for collective competition law actions. In brief, unless they specifically choose to opt out, UK-domiciled consumers and businesses will automatically be included as claimants in collective actions, provided they satisfy the criteria for membership set by the Competition Appeal Tribunal when it certifies the class. One of the particular policy objectives behind this proposal is to empower small businesses and consumers to seek redress in respect of anti-competitive behaviour. The combination of the complexity and cost of seeking such redress is seen currently to form an almost insurmountable hurdle to all but the largest claims.’

Full story

Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers,

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

Anthony White Estates Ltd v National Grid Electricity Transmission plc – WLR Daily

Posted March 5th, 2014 in appeals, compensation, contracts, energy, law reports, news, sale of land, valuation by sally

Anthony White Estates Ltd v National Grid Electricity Transmission plc [2014] EWCA Civ 216; [2014] WLR (D) 108

‘Fair compensation payable to a landowner in respect of the grant of statutory wayleave for an electricity power line, pursuant to paragraphs 6 and 7 of Schedule 4 to the Electricity Act 1989, was to be calculated by reference to the loss in value of the land and the principle of equivalence. Where a landowner had entered into a contract for the sale of land, which was conditional on the termination of an existing contractual wayleave for a power line and the removal of the line, and the Secretary of State had granted a statutory wayleave on the termination of the contractual one, the compensation to which the landowner was entitled was the difference between the contract price for the land in question at the valuation date and the open market value of the land once the statutory wayleave had been granted.’

WLR Daily, 3rd March 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

The Termination of Parental Responsibility: Awaiting the Court of Appeal’s Judgment in the Appeal of CW v SG [2013] EWHC 854 (Fam) – Family Law Week

Posted March 5th, 2014 in appeals, children, family courts, news, parental responsibility by sally

‘Esther Lieu, barrister of Queen Square Chambers in Bristol, explores the circumstances in which parental responsibility may be terminated and considers the effect of s.4(2A) in anticipation of the Court of Appeal’s judgment in the appeal from CW v SG.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 4th March 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Statutory guidance on legal education and training – Legal Services Board

Posted March 5th, 2014 in consultations, legal education, Legal Services Board, news by sally

‘The Legal Services Board (LSB) consulted in September 2013 on proposed statutory guidance for
education and training, in advance of regulators proceeding with detailed plans for implementation
of the Legal Education and Training Review (LETR) which itself was initiated following the LSB
Chairman’s Upjohn Lecture of October 2010.’

Full story

Legal Services Board, 4th March 2014

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk