Deaf workers accused of ‘new whiplash’ claims in insurance fraud – The Independent

Posted July 21st, 2014 in compensation, industrial injuries, news by sally

‘Compensation claims for industrial deafness have risen by two thirds over the past two years, according to insurance and legal experts. Despite the increase, however, only one in 10 cases are being paid out amid claims of widespread fraud.’

Full story

The Independent, 20th July 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Solicitors will close if fee cuts not delayed, warns Law Society chief – The Guardian

Posted July 21st, 2014 in budgets, criminal justice, fees, law firms, legal aid, news by sally

‘Hundreds of solicitors’ firms will close if the Ministry of Justice does not postpone fee cuts and delay changes to criminal legal aid contracts, the new president of the Law Society has warned.’

Full story

The Guardian, 21st July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Babysitter jailed for raping boy of three – BBC News

Posted July 18th, 2014 in child abuse, news, rape, sentencing by sally

‘A 66-year-old man has been jailed for life for raping a three-year-old boy he was babysitting.’

Full story

BBC News, 18th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Former PC jailed for 18 months for offering story on colleague to tabloid – The Guardian

Posted July 18th, 2014 in misfeasance in public office, news, police, sentencing by sally

‘A former police constable has been jailed for 18 months for offering to sell a salacious story about a “womanising and bullying” colleague to the Sun newspaper.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New Deepcut inquest to be held into death of Cheryl James – BBC News

Posted July 18th, 2014 in armed forces, human rights, inquests, news, young persons by sally

‘A new inquest has been ordered into the death of soldier Pte Cheryl James at Deepcut barracks in Surrey.’

Full story

BBC News, 18th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Banking sector faces wide-ranging review by finance watchdog – The Guardian

Posted July 18th, 2014 in banking, competition, financial regulation, news by sally

‘Britain’s big four high street banks could be forced to break themselves up after the competition watchdog signalled its intention to launch a sweeping investigation into the £10bn-a-year sector.’

Full story

The Guardian, 18th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Solicitor suspended over boiler-room scam – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A solicitor involved in a boiler-room scam to push financial products to clients has been suspended from practice for 18 months.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 17th July 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Local Authority Focus – July 2014 – Family Law Week

Posted July 18th, 2014 in care orders, costs, equality, fostering, judicial review, local government, news by sally

‘Sally Gore, barrister, of Fenners Chambers considers recent case law and other developments of particular significance to local authorities.’

Full story

Family Law week, 17th July 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Applications Without Notice: A Practitioner’s Guide – Family Law Week

Posted July 18th, 2014 in children, family courts, freezing injunctions, news by sally

‘Rodney Noon, solicitor, provides a detailed review of the law and practice of – and the court’s attitude to – without notice applications in family proceedings.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 17th July 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

‘On-the-run’ scheme flawed but not unlawful, inquiry finds – The Guardian

‘The post-Troubles scheme devised to reassure Irish republican “on-the-runs” (OTRs) that they were no longer wanted by the police was lawful and did not give terrorist suspects an amnesty, an independent review has concluded.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Teacher who jokingly threatened pupil with a knife banned for two years – The Guardian

‘A teacher who put his arm around a pupil’s neck while holding a knife and jokingly threatened to kill him for giving a wrong answer has been banned from the classroom for two years.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Electoral Commission ‘failed to probe crooked Lib Dem donor’ – BBC News

Posted July 18th, 2014 in elections, fraud, maladministration, news, ombudsmen, political parties by sally

‘The Electoral Commission is refusing to apologise after a watchdog ruled it had failed to properly investigate a Lib Dem donor later convicted of fraud.’

Full story

BBC news, 17th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Former Newcastle United footballer Nile Ranger fined for damaging door – BBC News

Posted July 18th, 2014 in criminal damage, fines, guilty pleas, news by sally

‘Footballer Nile Ranger has been fined for repeatedly kicking a jammed door at his penthouse flat in Swindon.’

Full story

BBC News, 17th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Terrorism laws watchdog issues warning over security services scrutiny – The Guardian

‘David Anderson says privacy and civil liberties board that is planned to replace his job must have unfettered access.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Man and former wife abused their children, court hears – BBC News

Posted July 18th, 2014 in assault, child abuse, families, news, sexual offences by sally

‘A separated couple have been convicted of sexually and physically abusing their children. The man and his former wife were convicted of sexual and physical assaults on children in the Merthyr Tydfil and Caerphilly areas but cleared of rape. A second man was acquitted.’

Full story

BBC News, 17th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Trojan Horse: Council findings to be released – BBC News

Posted July 18th, 2014 in education, inquiries, Islam, news, reports, school children by sally

‘An inquiry into 25 schools in Birmingham investigated over the alleged “Trojan Horse” plot is due to publish its findings later. Sir Ian Kershaw’s report was ordered by Birmingham City Council after claims some Muslim groups were attempting to take control of a number of schools.’

Full story

BBC News, 18th July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Tory Human Rights Plans, Child Abuse Inquiry and the Burqa Ban – the Human Rights Roundup – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted July 17th, 2014 in bills, freedom of expression, human rights, inquiries, judges, news by sally

‘This week, the role of Lady Butler-Sloss in the forthcoming inquiry into child abuse is challenged, while the government pushes for emergency legislation to monitor phone and internet records. Meanwhile, the European Court of Human Right upholds France’s niqab ban and the Tories get closer to announcing their plans for human rights reform.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 17th July 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Tom Hickman: Further Concerns about the DRIP Bill – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘In a blog post on Monday I expressed concerns about the lack of time for proper scrutiny of the changes to be brought in by the DRIP Bill. Towards the end of that blog I expressed puzzlement at a change to be made to the definition of “telecommunications system” in RIPA. This definition is central to the scheme of RIPA and is the basis for many of the powers therein.’

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 16th July 2014

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org/blog

Natasha Simonsen:Government cannot use a ‘statutory back door’ to implement major changes to legal aid services, Divisional Court says – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted July 17th, 2014 in human rights, legal aid, news, ultra vires by sally

‘In a judgment released yesterday a Divisional Court unanimously struck down the government’s attempt to introduce a residence test for eligibility for legal aid, finding it incompatible with the objective of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (“LASPO”). The ratio of the judgment was that the residence test had been introduced via an amendment to the schedule in the Act (that is, via subsidiary legislation) that was not compatible with the objective of the primary legislation. While that sounds like a rather technical decision, it has important ramifications for democratic accountability. It means, in essence, that if the government wants to make such a drastic change as this, it will need to do so via an amendment to the Act itself, with the full Parliamentary debate that that would entail. The case is also interesting because of the two rights-based grounds that were argued before it. The first, that the introduction of a residence requirement violated the fundamental right of access to a court, the court declined to engage with. The second was that residence was not a lawful ground for discriminating in the provision of legal aid between equally meritorious claims. The court accepted this claim, but apparently in obiter dicta, since only the statutory construction point was strictly required to reach the outcome.’

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 17th July 2014

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org/blog

 

Academies and FOI – Panopticon

Posted July 17th, 2014 in education, freedom of information, news, tribunals by sally

‘The question of whether information is ‘held’ by a public authority for FOIA or EIR purposes can raise difficulties. This is especially so where the boundaries between public and private service provision are blurred: consider outsourcing, privatisation of services, public/private partnerships, joint ventures, the use of external consultants and so on. Legal separation and practical day-to-day realities can often point in different directions in terms of who holds information on whose behalf.’

Full story

Panopticon, 16th July 2014

Source: www.panopticonblog.com