Category: news

Jack Straw – Dilemmas of a Foreign Secretary – UCL Constitution Unit

Posted March 21st, 2013 in ministers' powers and duties, news, speeches by sally

“Jack Straw served continuously on the Labour front-bench for 30 years- from November 1980 until October 2010.

He was a senior member of the Labour Cabinet for the whole period of the 1997-2000 Labour Government. He served successively as Home Secretary (1997-2001), Foreign Secretary (2001-2006), Leader of the Commons (2006-7), and then Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary (2007-2010).”

Video

UCL Constitution Unit, 7th March 2013

Source: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Call for research into effects on children of giving evidence in abuse cases – The Guardian

Posted March 21st, 2013 in child abuse, children, evidence, news, speeches, witnesses by sally

“Research should be carried out into the long-term affects on those who give evidence about sexual abuse when they are a child, the lord chief justice, Lord Judge, has urged.”

Full story

The Guardian, 20th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Trouble for personal injury law firms means trouble for claimants – The Guardian

Posted March 21st, 2013 in costs, fees, law firms, news, personal injuries by sally

“While there is little public sympathy for solicitors the truth is that people will soon find it harder to claim compensation.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Supreme Court on harassment: purpose and rationality – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 21st, 2013 in crime, defences, harassment, news, Supreme Court by sally

“Harassment is both a civil wrong and a crime. It is a statutory defence to both that the conduct #was pursued for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime’ s.1(3) Protection of Harassment Act 1997. This decision grappled with the problem of the apparently honest but irrational harasser. Was he guilty or did this defence help him? In answering this, the Supreme Court looked at some basic concepts running through great swathes of the law, ‘purpose’, ‘subjective’, ‘objective’, ‘reasonableness’ and, critically, ‘rationality’ – so the case is one not simply for harassment lawyers to look at.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 20th March 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Public inquiries should avoid mock trial image, says study – The Guardian

Posted March 21st, 2013 in inquiries, news, reports, trials by sally

“Public inquiries should avoid the atmosphere of a ‘mock trial’ in order to improve dialogue among participants, according to a study.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Two men found responsible for Omagh bombing after landmark civil action – The Independent

Posted March 21st, 2013 in civil justice, explosives, news, retrials, terrorism by sally

“Two men connected to the republican movement in Northern Ireland have been ruled responsible for the Omagh bombing after a landmark civil action.”

Full story

The Independent, 20th March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

The “noisy minority” of barristers opposed to QASA hit back at BSB claims – Legal Futures

Posted March 21st, 2013 in advocacy, barristers, legal profession, news, quality assurance by sally

“The Bar Standards Board (BSB) chair’s description of opponents of the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) as ‘a noisy minority of dissenters’ received an immediate high-powered response from criminal law barristers.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 21st March 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Disability hate crime victims being let down, official report says – The Guardian

Posted March 21st, 2013 in crime, disabled persons, hate crime, news, reports, victims by sally

“Victims of disability hate crime are being let down by the criminal justice system and attacks are not being properly recorded, according to a report by three official inspectorates.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Doctors put lower value on lives of the disabled, study finds – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 20th, 2013 in disabled persons, doctors, learning difficulties, medical treatment, news, reports by sally

“NHS doctors are more likely to allow patients to die if they suffer from a mental disability, a damning Government-backed report suggests.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 19th March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

What will happen to human rights after the next election? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 20th, 2013 in elections, human rights, immigration, news, prisons, speeches by sally

“Human rights will be a politically live issue at the next election. Leading on the issue will by the Conservative Party, urged on by elements in the media such as the Daily Mail with a commercial interest in resistance to any law on privacy deriving from human rights. So, the Working Men’s College has done well to identify this topic for exploration. This evening is a celebration of the college’s stated aim to ‘engage positively with the past, while finding new ways to pursue its founders’ aims into the 21st century.’ ”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 20th March 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Privacy, Protests and Policing – Panopticon

Posted March 20th, 2013 in data protection, demonstrations, human rights, investigatory powers, judicial review, news, police by sally

“In Catt v ACPO and others; T v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and another [2013] EWCA Civ 192, the Court of Appeal considered two appeals regarding the powers of the police to collect and retain personal information about members of the public. Both cases turned on the application of Article 8 of the Convention; in both, the Court held that there had been an interference with the Article 8(1) right to respect for private life, and that the interference was not justified under Article 8(2).”

Full story

Panopticon, 20th March 2013

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Police community support officer guilty of sex charges – The Guardian

Posted March 20th, 2013 in abuse of position of trust, misfeasance in public office, news, police, sentencing, sexual offences by sally

“A police community support officer was jailed for seven years on Tuesday for repeatedly targeting vulnerable women for sex while on duty.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Supreme court rules it can examine secret judgements by lower courts – The Guardian

Posted March 20th, 2013 in closed material, evidence, news, private hearings, Supreme Court by sally

“The supreme court has ruled for the first time in its history that it can examine secret judgments given by lower courts.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Cold-calling firm fined £90,000 in first penalty of its kind – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 20th, 2013 in fines, harassment, news, telecommunications by sally

“A marketing firm has become the first to be fined £90,000 after plaguing members
of the public with thousands of unwanted calls.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 20th March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Press regulation: publishers may have grounds for legal challenge – The Guardian

Posted March 20th, 2013 in costs, damages, defamation, freedom of information, human rights, media, news, privacy, publishing, regulations by sally

“Newspapers likely to take action over regulations that will require huge payouts when stories are wrong.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Equal pay in City law: is there a light at the end of the tunnel? – The Guardian

Posted March 20th, 2013 in equal pay, equality, legal profession, news, women by sally

“We urgently need up to date research on gender and equality pay within the legal sector, say LSB.”

Full story

The Guardian, 20th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police overhaul of missing persons cases ‘could put children at risk’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 20th, 2013 in care homes, children, missing persons, news, police by sally

“An overhaul of how police deal with missing people could put vulnerable children
at risk of being groomed and sexually exploited, the NSPCC has said.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 20th March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Police hid files on celebrity suspects – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 20th, 2013 in child abuse, investigatory powers, media, news, police, sexual offences by sally

“Hundreds of police files on celebrities and politicians accused of sex assault
were so heavily protected that even officers investigating claims could not
access them.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 20th March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

MPs warn of £42.8m data protection shortfall – BBC News

Posted March 20th, 2013 in budgets, data protection, EC law, news by sally

“England’s Information Commissioner’s Office could be facing a £42.8m shortfall
that may have to be paid for by the taxpayer, MPs has warned.”

Full story

BBC News, 20th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Payday lender shut down by OFT over identity fraud – The Guardian

Posted March 19th, 2013 in consumer credit, identity fraud, loans, news by sally

“Payday lender MCO Capital has been shut down by the Office of Fair Trading, after it failed to stop fraudsters taking out loans using more than 7,000 stolen identities.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk