Birmingham mosque stabbings: attacker insane at time, jury rules – The Guardian

Posted February 5th, 2014 in attempted murder, attempts, insanity, murder, news, wounding by sally

‘A mentally ill man who stabbed a police constable and two worshippers at a mosque was insane at the time of the offences, a jury has ruled.’

Full story

The Guardian, 4th February 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Cellar girl case rapist Ilyas Ashar has sentence increased – BBC News

Posted February 5th, 2014 in appeals, news, rape, sentencing, trafficking in human beings by sally

‘A couple who trafficked a 10-year-old girl to the UK and kept her as a servant for almost a decade have had their sentences increased.’

Full story

BBC News, 4th February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

QASA: time to move on – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted February 5th, 2014 in advocacy, barristers, judicial review, news, quality assurance by sally

‘“It is a critical test of the freedom inherent in our democratic society that those accused (usually by the State) of committing criminal offences can and should be represented by capable criminal advocates…”

So opens the judgment, which was handed down last month by Lord Justice Leveson, in the judicial review of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA). QASA, it ruled, “is lawful, does not contravene European law and falls well within the legitimate exercise of the powers of the LSB and the three regulators that submitted it to the LSB for approval”.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 4th February 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

PCSO James McIvor sentenced over police helicopter laser – BBC News

‘A PCSO who claimed he was looking for a cat when he was caught shining a laser pen beam at a police helicopter has been given a two-year community order.’

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BBC News, 4th February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Court of Appeal finds rape and human trafficking sentences unduly lenient –

Posted February 5th, 2014 in appeals, news, sentencing, trafficking in human beings by sally

‘Manchester couple who kept vulnerable woman as unpaid domestic servant see sentences increased.’

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Attorney General’s Office, 4th February 2014

Source: www.gov.uk/ago

Will writer Keith Webber guilty of stealing £280,000 from clients – BBC News

‘A will writer who stole more than £280,000 from clients over nearly three years has been found guilty of fraud.’

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BBC News, 4th February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Call for review of rape complainants’ treatment after woman’s death – The Guardian

Posted February 5th, 2014 in complaints, news, police, rape, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘A police and crime commissioner has called for a review of how sex offence complainants are treated by the courts after the death of a woman days after a jury acquitted a man accused of raping her.’

Full story

The Guardian, 4th February 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Charity Commission not fit for purpose, warn MPs – BBC News

Posted February 5th, 2014 in Charity Commission, enforcement, news by sally

‘The Charity Commission is not “fit for purpose” and has persistently failed to tackle abuses of charitable status properly, MPs have said.’

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BBC News, 5th February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Crackdown on lenient punishments will see 14,000 fewer cautions issued each year – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 5th, 2014 in cautions, news, police, punishment by sally

‘Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, announces plans for legislation to ban police from giving simple cautions to repeat offenders and those who commit serious crimes.’

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Daily Telegraph, 5th February 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Court of appeal rejects challenge over legality of stop-and-search powers – The Guardian

‘A woman who was stopped and searched by police after her Oyster travel card was refused has had a legal challenge dismissed by the court of appeal.’

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The Guardian, 4th February 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Court fees could exceed legal costs under government plans, lawyers warn – Litigation Futures

Posted February 5th, 2014 in costs, courts, fees, news by sally

‘The government’s proposals to increase court fees for commercial cases could lead to claimants facing a fee demand greater than their legal costs, litigators have warned.’

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Litigation Futures, 5th February 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Lewis Dale guilty of murdering grandmother Irene Dale – BBC News

‘A teenager has been found guilty of the murder of his grandmother and the attempted murder of his grandfather in an attack “like the film Psycho”.’

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BBC News, 4th February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal aid cuts could put Britain’s reputation for impartiality and fairness at risk – The Guardian

Posted February 4th, 2014 in civil justice, legal aid, news by sally

‘Britain’s international reputation for justice is not just a matter of pride: it also earns billions in exports.’

Full story

The Guardian, 4th February 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

High Court refuses permission to appeal QASA ruling and makes maximum costs order – Legal Futures

Posted February 4th, 2014 in appeals, barristers, costs, news, quality assurance by sally

‘The High Court has today refused permission to appeal against the recent ruling on the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA).’

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Legal Futures, 4th February 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Keir Starmer’s call for a “Victims’ Law” – all heart and no substance – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted February 4th, 2014 in codes of practice, legislation, news, victims by sally

‘“From a victim’s point of view, our justice system is hardly fit for purpose.. “What is needed is a fundamental rethink, leading to a specific and legally enforceable Victims’ Law, alongside a real and radical shift in attitude and approach.”

So wrote former DPP Sir Kier Starmer QC in an article for the Guardian yesterday in which he proposed a “Victims’ Law”.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 4th February 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexhange.co.uk

Ann Juliette Roberts loses police stop-and-search case – BBC News

Posted February 4th, 2014 in appeals, human rights, London, news, police, race discrimination, stop and search by sally

‘A woman who was searched by police after refusing to pay a bus fare in London has had her appeal case over stop-and-search powers rejected.’

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BBC News, 4th February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Finance and Divorce Update – Family Law Week

Posted February 4th, 2014 in divorce, family courts, fees, financial provision, McKenzie friends, news by sally

‘Jessica Craigs, senior solicitor and David Salter, Joint Head of Family Law at Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the financial remedies and divorce news and cases published in January.’

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Family Law Update, 2nd February 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

‘Chilling’ Prestwich sex attacker is jailed – BBC News

Posted February 4th, 2014 in assault, DNA, guilty pleas, news, robbery, sentencing, sexual offences by sally

‘A man who tried to rape a woman in a “chilling” attack while she was on the phone to police has been jailed.’

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BBC News, 3rd February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Woman falls to death days after man accused of raping her is cleared – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 4th, 2014 in complaints, evidence, news, police, rape, suicide by sally

‘The Independent Police Complaints Commission is to investigate the death of a woman who twice gave evidence in the trial of a man accused of raping her.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 3rd February 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

No more getting your clerk to do it – BSB bids to improve barristers’ diversity reporting – Legal Futures

Posted February 4th, 2014 in barristers, diversity, news by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is set to introduce a series of measures to improve diversity reporting among barristers after the vast majority refused to answer many of the questions posed about their backgrounds.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 4th February 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk