Wolverhampton heroin death toddler’s parents plead guilty – BBC News
“The parents of a toddler, who died from a heroin overdose, have admitted causing his death.”
BBC News, 10th June 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: news
Do I Want Your Opinion: the use of opinion evidence in law witness statements – Zenith Chambers
“Gordon Exall discusses the use of opinion evidence in witness statements. Looking, in particular, at two recent decisions which discuss opinion evidence.”
Full story (PDF)
Zenith Chambers, 6th June 2013
Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk
Avoiding Jackson’s sharp teeth: a practical view from the Bar – Littleton Chambers
“In his monthly column, James Bickford Smith considers recent decisions in which courts have taken a strict approach to compliance with the CPR following Jackson implementation, and offers some practical suggestions on how best to limit the risks of falling foul of the developing approach.”
Littleton Chambers, 5th June 2013
Source: www.littletonchambers.com
Scuppering unscrupulous spouses – New Law Journal
“What are the implications of a court setting aside a disposal made by a divorcing spouse to a third party? Anna Heenan & Ed Heaton report.”
New Law Journal, 7th June 2013
Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk
Joint Pain – Right or Wrong? – Criminal Law and Justice Weekly
“In a flurry of press reports, the trials of 20 young people charged in connection with a savage murder came to an end with unequivocally strong views on the parts of the families of both the convicted and the victim. This article looks briefly at the doctrine of joint enterprise in English criminal law, used to convict some, but it seems – surprisingly – not all of the defendants charged.
Soyfen Belamouadden was just 15 years old when on March 25, 2010 he was murdered in a vicious knife assault by a number of youths in the booking office in Victoria Station, London. Thirteen defendants were originally charged, with murder, with seven others charged with other offences. After a series of trials, 13 were convicted of various offences ranging from manslaughter to lesser offences such as violent disorder and three of the defendants were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that they serve a minimum of 18 years.”
Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 8th June 2013
Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk
Claims management companies that break the rules will be named online – Ministry of Justice
“Consumers will be able to check if claims management companies (CMCs) are subject to investigation with the launch of a new online tool.”
Ministry of Justice, 7th June 2013
Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
Six would-be terrorists who targeted EDL march jailed for total of 114 years – The Guardian
“Six men who planned an attack on an English Defence League rally which could have sparked ethnic violence on Britain’s streets, have been jailed for a total of more than a 100 years.”
The Guardian, 10th June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Six reasons the cuts to legal aid will ruin our justice system – The Independent
“Even the government’s own lawyers are horrified by these reforms.”
The Independent, 7th June 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Kevin Kennedy death: ‘Love rival’ guilty of murder – BBC news
“A Nottingham man has found guilty of killing and dismembering a love rival.”
BBC News, 7th June 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Ofcom anti-piracy code delayed until 2015 – OUT-LAW.com
“Internet users who are suspected of illegally downloading copyrighted material will not be sent warning letters about their behaviour until the second half of 2015 at the earliest, the Government has confirmed.”
OUT-LAW.com, 10th June 2013
Source: www.out-law.com
West Burton power station: 21 protesters sentenced – BBC News
“Twenty-one people who occupied a power station for a week have avoided custodial sentences.”
BBC News, 6th June 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Conor Gearty: Legal Aid Changes – UK Constitutional Law Group
“The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 has already brought to an end the availability of legal aid across a whole range of areas of law that have direct relevance to the poor. Under cover of generalised claims about opportunistic litigation, the goal has clearly been to remove the capacity for challenge to the implementation (whether lawless or not) of the coalition’s various attacks on benefits. The same legislation also withdrew state support from foreign nationals in prison who are threatened with deportation, as many are – regardless of how long they had been here and how British they are in fact. The idea behind this change was to prevent resistance to removal by showing an infringement of the right to respect for private life in the Human Rights Act (a matter on which government now also intends to legislate separately). In both these cases, the government appears close to accepting that their goal is to prevent meritorious cases getting to court, on the ground that the laws that make them meritorious (human rights legislation; equality law; the common law of procedural fairness) are not laws they like. They have been tempted to remove the litigants rather than the laws, hoping there’ll be less fuss.”
UK Constitutional Law Group, 10th June 2013
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
CCTV: new controls on private security cameras to stop homeowners snooping on neighbours – Daily Telegraph
“Homeowners who set up their own CCTV cameras to improve security could face new controls, after an official said there had been a surge in complaints about snooping neighbours.”
Daily Telegraph, 9th June 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Polish trio convicted of insurance fraud murder of Catherine Wells-Burr – The Guardian
“A factory worker has been found guilty of murdering his girlfriend after hatching a plot with his secret lover and her uncle to secure a £120,000 life insurance payout and a share of a house.”
The Guardian, 7th June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Devout Christian awarded £100k in Blu-Tack sexual harassment case – Daily Telegraph
“A council has been forced to pay a devout Christian more than £100,000 after colleagues stuck mini models of male genitalia made of Blu-Tack on her telephone.”
Daily Telegraph, 7th June 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Suspected Jamaican rapist banned from UK for a decade as police employ new tactic – The Independent
“A suspected Jamaican sex-offender charged five times but never convicted for allegedly raping vulnerable women has been banned from Britain for a decade in a controversial new police tactic to target foreign criminals.”
The Independent, 7th June 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Five centuries of crime and punishment leave the Old Bailey in need of repairs – Daily Telegraph
“For nearly 500 years the Old Bailey has been one of the world’s most famous criminal courts, hosting the trials of notorious killers like Dr Crippen, Ruth Ellis, Peter Sutcliffe and Ian Huntley.”
Daily Telegraph, 9th June 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
UK to expect more colonial-era compensation claims – The Guardian
“Following news of payments over Mau Mau insurgency, more claims likely from Kenya, Cyprus and other former colonies.”
The Guardian, 6th June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Lord Chief Justice calls for children to have evidence video recorded – Daily Telegraph
“Senior judges have called for children to be spared from the ‘damage’ of appearing in criminal trials, and instead have their evidence video recorded.”
Daily Telegraph, 10th June 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
