Category: news

This Supreme Court prisoner voting decision really is a victory for common sense – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 17th, 2013 in appeals, elections, human rights, news, prisons, Supreme Court by sally

“The Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling recently told The Spectator that he wants ‘to see our Supreme Court being supreme again’. In light of his respect for the court, he should read today’s judgment on prisoner votes very carefully indeed, as should David Cameron who has already endorsed the decision as a ‘great victory for common sense’.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 16th October 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

No law degree required for would-be solicitors – Times Higher Education

Posted October 17th, 2013 in legal education, news, solicitors, universities by sally

“Solicitors will no longer need to have a degree in order to qualify under a radical shake-up of legal training that it has been claimed could spell the ‘death’ of some law undergraduate courses.”

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Times Higher Education, 17th October 2013

Source: www.timeshighereducation.co.uk

New legal battle over gay adverts on London buses – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 17th, 2013 in advertising, homosexuality, news, transport by sally

“Transport chiefs in London have been accused of reopening a bitter row over homosexuality which saw Boris Johnson step in to ban advertisements on London buses promoting the idea that gay people could be ‘cured’.”

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Daily Telegraph, 17th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Rulings ‘foreshadow’ clampdown on libel tourism in imminent defamation law reforms, say experts – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 17th, 2013 in choice of forum, defamation, news by sally

“The High Court’s refusals to hear the outcome of two defamation claims serve as a pre-cursor to stiffer rules on libel tourism, two experts have said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 16th October 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Judges rule schools not ‘hazard-free zones’ after mother tries to sue – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 17th, 2013 in appeals, children, education, news, personal injuries by sally

“Judges ruled that schools should not have to ‘to safeguard children against harm in all circumstances’ after a boy injured himself on a water fountain.”

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Daily Telegraph, 16th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

High Court orders disclosure of closed judgment in Afghanistan interrogation case – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 17th, 2013 in closed material, disclosure, judgments, news, witnesses by sally

“In ‘Evans (No. 1)’, a 2010 case concerning the transfer of suspected insurgents for questioning in certain military centres in Afghanistan, the High Court had ruled, partly in an open judgment, partly in closed proceedings, that UK transfers to NDS Kandahar and NDS Lashkar Gah could proceed without risk of ill treatment (which is contrary to UK policy), but that it would be a breach of the policy and therefore unlawful for transfers to be made to NDS Kabul. It was subsequently discovered that there had not been jurisdiction to follow a closed procedure in that case, but what was done could not be undone, so the confidentiality agreements and the closed judgment remained in force.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 16th October 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Prisoners’ right-to-vote appeal rejected by supreme court – The Guardian

Posted October 17th, 2013 in appeals, elections, human rights, news, prisons, Supreme Court by sally

“Two convicted murderers who argued that European Union law gave them the right to vote in UK elections have had their appeals dismissed by the supreme court at Westminster.”

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The Guardian, 16th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

High Court rejects challenge to BSB disciplinary tribunals – Legal Futures

Posted October 17th, 2013 in appeals, barristers, disciplinary procedures, inns of court, news, tribunals by sally

“A High Court judgment that refused three applications for judicial review of barristers’ disciplinary decisions is to be appealed, after the court found that anomalies in tribunal panel member appointments did not affect the validity of the findings.”

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Legal Futures, 17th October 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Foreign criminal awarded £25,000 damages – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 17th, 2013 in contempt of court, damages, detention, government departments, news by sally

“A foreign criminal jailed for robbery has been awarded £25,000 damages because of mistakes made by the Home Office during deportation proceedings.”

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Daily Telegraph, 16th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Middle classes who pay for care could get more rights – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 17th, 2013 in care homes, elderly, human rights, news by sally

“Hundreds of thousands of middle class elderly people may be protected under human rights laws for the first time after a vote in the House of Lords last night.”

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Daily Telegraph, 17th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ex-EDL leaders will not face court over alleged obstruction of police – The Guardian

Posted October 17th, 2013 in demonstrations, evidence, news, police, political parties, prosecutions by sally

“Two former English Defence League leaders will not have to answer a charge of obstructing police after prosecutors deemed there was insufficient evidence against them.”

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The Guardian, 16th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Leveson lawyer: Too many potential witness were scared off by threat of ‘monstering’ from certain newspapers – The Independent

Posted October 17th, 2013 in inquiries, media, news, witnesses by sally

“Potential witnesses holding relevant evidence that should have been heard by Lord Justice Leveson’s press probe were scared off by the perceived threat of being ‘monstered’ by certain newspapers, according to the QC who lead questioning at the inquiry.”

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The Independent, 16th October 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Ofcom to monitor quality of TV subtitling – BBC News

Posted October 17th, 2013 in complaints, disabled persons, media, news by sally

“Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom will begin a regular audit of the quality of broadcasters’ subtitles from next year.”

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BBC News, 16th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Pure evil’: 10-year-old deaf and mute girl trafficked to UK, kept in cellar and raped by pensioner – The Independent

Posted October 17th, 2013 in benefits, children, disabled persons, fraud, news, rape, trafficking in human beings by sally

“A pensioner who trafficked a 10-year-old deaf and mute girl into Britain, keeping her in his cellar to claim benefits, was convicted yesterday of repeatedly raping her.”

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The Independent, 17th October 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

DPP issues tough new guidelines for child sex cases aimed at ensuring more convictions, reveals Keir Starmer – The Independent

Posted October 17th, 2013 in barristers, children, cross-examination, Crown Prosecution Service, news, sexual offences, victims by sally

“New guidelines for dealing with child sex abuse cases published today will mark ‘the most fundamental attitude shift’ in the criminal justice system in a generation, the Director of Public Prosecutions has claimed.”

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The Independent, 17th October 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Extent of spies’ mass surveillance to be investigated by parliamentary body – The Guardian

Posted October 17th, 2013 in inquiries, intelligence services, news, select committees, spying by sally

“The extent and scale of mass surveillance undertaken by Britain’s spy agencies is to be scrutinised in a major inquiry to be formally launched on Thursday.”

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The Guardian, 17th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Modernising wildlife law – Law Commission

Posted October 16th, 2013 in animals, bills, birds, EC law, environmental protection, Law Commission, news, penalties by sally

“The Law Commission has today [15 October] set out its proposed principles for a new regulatory regime for wildlife.”

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Law Commission, 15th October 2013

Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk

The value of the rule of law to international trade and finance – Attorney General’s Office

Posted October 16th, 2013 in banking, international law, international relations, international trade, news, rule of law by sally

“Speech at City of London Guildhall on the central importance to the British economy of the rule of law.”

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Attorney General’s Office, 14th October 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/ago

BSB statement on Leathley, Mehey, Hayes v Visitors to the Inns of Court – Bar Standards Board

Posted October 16th, 2013 in Administrative Court, barristers, inns of court, judicial review, news, reports by sally

“A Bar Standards Board spokesperson said:

‘The administrative court has today handed down judgment in Leathley, Mehey, Hayes v Visitors to the Inns of Court: three judicial review applications which raised issues arising from the various anomalies revealed in 2011 in relation to the Council of the Inns of Courts’ panel member appointment processes. We are pleased that the court found all but two of the specific challenges made by the Claimants to be totally without merit and refused the applications on the two issues it considered were arguable. The judgment confirms the Bar Standard’s Board’s original view: that most of the historic anomalies, while a matter of great concern to us, did not affect the validity of the findings made in the cases that were potentially affected.'”

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Bar Standards Board, 16th October 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Interview with the Attorney General – BBC Law in Action

Posted October 16th, 2013 in appeals, attorney general, human rights, international law, news, sentencing by sally

“In this week’s programme, the Attorney General for England and Wales Dominic Grieve speaks to Joshua Rozenberg in an extended interview.”

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BBC Law in Action, 15th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk