UK Supreme Court judgment: R (Chester) v Justice Secretary, McGeoch v Lord President – Head of Legal

Posted October 18th, 2013 in elections, human rights, news, prisons, Supreme Court by sally

“It’s no surprise that the Supreme Court has today unanimously dismissed appeals by two prisoners who wanted various remedies under the Human Rights Act and EU law for being denied the vote in Parliamentary, local, Scottish Parliament and European elections. These cases were always weak.”

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Head of Legal, 16th October 2013

Source: www.headoflegal.com

Coroner Alan Crickmore pleads guilty to £2 million fraud of the dead – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 18th, 2013 in abuse of position of trust, coroners, executors, fraud, news, solicitors by sally

“A coroner has pleaded guilty to a £2 million fraud which saw him steal some of the money from the estates of the dead.”

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Daily Telegraph, 17th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ex-BBC DJ Michael Souter guilty of sex attacks on boys – BBC News

Posted October 18th, 2013 in children, indecent photographs of children, news, sexual offences by sally

“A former BBC radio presenter described as a ‘dominant predator’ has been found guilty of sexually abusing boys.”

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BBC News, 17th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Young mother’s suicide ‘could have been prevented’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 18th, 2013 in hospitals, mental health, news, suicide by sally

“The NHS has admitted liability for the death of a new mother suffering severe post-natal depression after she was allowed to leave a hospital unsupervised despite warnings she was at ‘very high risk’ of suicide.”

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Daily Telegraph, 17th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

More transparency for Court of Protection – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 18th, 2013 in Court of Protection, disclosure, news, reporting restrictions by sally

“The Court of Protection could be opened up to the public and media in the future, one of the country’s most senior judges said.”

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Daily Telegraph, 17th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Human trafficking gets life term in drive on slavery – BBC News

Posted October 18th, 2013 in bills, news, sentencing, trafficking in human beings by sally

“A maximum life sentence for the worst cases of human trafficking and exploitation is to be introduced.”

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BBC News, 18th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Military at risk of paralysis from human rights cases, think-tank argues – The Guardian

Posted October 18th, 2013 in armed forces, human rights, news, reports, trials by sally

“British military operations are at risk of being undermined by human rights law and health and safety red tape, a research institute has warned.”

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The Guardian, 18th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Transsexual PC suing Essex Police after ‘being forced to out herself over radio’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 18th, 2013 in compensation, news, police by sally

“PC Emma Chapman alleges that Essex Police did not do enough to help officers
understand transgender issues or investigate her claims properly, in what is
believed to be the first case of its kind. ”

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Daily Telegraph, 18th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Could new guidelines have stopped Savile? – BBC News

Posted October 17th, 2013 in crime prevention, Crown Prosecution Service, news, sexual offences, victims by sally

“The Crown Prosecution Service has published detailed guidance on how to handle sex abuse allegations. It comes down to is a simple shift in thinking that can make a profound difference: Trust, rather than doubt, what the victim is saying.”

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BBC News, 17th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

David Mead: The Continuing Mystery of “Publicness” Within Section 6 of the HRA – UK Constitutional Law Group

Posted October 17th, 2013 in demonstrations, human rights, news, sport, trespass by sally

“Guessing that it was not on my usual diet of journals, a colleague recently suggested an article in The Conveyancer that might be of interest. Emma Lees had written an interesting piece ((2013) 77 Conv. 211) on protest occupations and actions for possession but one aspect unrelated to the main topic intrigued me more than any other. In Olympic Delivery Authority v Persons Unknown [2012] EWCA 1012 Ch, the ODA, established under s.3 of the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006, sought injunctions to restrain protesters from entering and/or occupying land that was being developed as part of the Olympic site. Mr Justice Arnold had held that he was required to balance the rights of the putative protesters under Articles 10 and 11 with the ODA’s rights to peaceful enjoyment of possessions under the 1st Protocol (at [24]). I’d skimmed the case last year when judgment was delivered but hadn’t really noticed the point that Emma Lees was making: that it was ‘somewhat surprising that [the ODA] is deemed capable also of possessing human rights’ (Lees, p.215) as it is acknowledged elsewhere in the judgment as a public authority (though Lees uses the term ‘public body’).”

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UK Constitutional Law Group, 17th October 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Crime figures fall to record low – The Guardian

Posted October 17th, 2013 in crime, fraud, news, sexual offences, statistics, theft by sally

“Crime against households and adults in England and Wales fell 7% to a record low in the year to June, official figures have revealed.”

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The Guardian, 17th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Why We Can’t Trust Judges to Beat the Bedroom Tax – Garden Court Chambers Blog

Posted October 17th, 2013 in benefits, housing, news, political parties, social security by sally

“Liz Davies explains that, although the courts may be able to help a few individuals, we need to step up the political battle.”

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Garden Court Chambers Blog, 17th October 2013

Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com

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