Border agency condemned over backlog – BBC News

Posted March 25th, 2013 in delay, housing, immigration, news by sally

“MPs say the UK Border Agency is still plagued by backlogs of unresolved immigration cases.”

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BBC News, 25th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ken Clarke ‘misled’ parliament over secret courts bill – The Guardian

Posted March 25th, 2013 in bills, closed material, habeas corpus, news by sally

“Conservative cabinet minister Ken Clarke has been accused of misleading parliament as confusion mounts over the government’s plans to introduce secret courts ahead of this week’s crucial vote in the House of Lords.”

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The Guardian, 24th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Six months, no jail sentences: call for controversial squatter law to be axed – The Independent

Posted March 25th, 2013 in homelessness, legislation, news, sentencing, squatting, statistics by sally

“Six months after new laws were introduced to ‘protect homeowners’ from squatters, police have not arrested a single person for displacing residents from their home, leading to calls for the legislation to be scrapped.”

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The Independent, 24th March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Blogs likely to be excluded from press reforms by House of Lords – The Guardian

Posted March 25th, 2013 in bills, damages, freedom of expression, inquiries, internet, media, news, regulations by sally

“Fears that bloggers and small-scale news websites will be dragged into the new proposed system of press regulation, so facing crippling costs, appeared to be lifting on Friday when Labour and the Liberal Democrats agreed to table last-minute amendments in the Lords to make it clear they will be excluded.”

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The Guardian, 22nd March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Canterbury court sentences royal car protester Jonathan Elliott – The Independent

Posted March 22nd, 2013 in demonstrations, fines, news, public order, royal family, sentencing by sally

“A protester has been bound over to keep the peace for 12 months after he lunged at a car carrying the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall before the Archbishop of Canterbury’s enthronement.”

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The Independent, 22nd March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Independent ordered to pay damages for Nazi war criminal error – The Guardian

Posted March 22nd, 2013 in damages, media, news, photography, war crimes by sally

“A Croatian actor has accepted substantial undisclosed libel damages over an article in the Independent which wrongly identified him as a Nazi war criminal.”

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The Guardian, 22nd March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Jail for soldier who terrorised bus with fake gun – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 22nd, 2013 in armed forces, firearms, news, sentencing, violence by sally

“A former soldier who left bus passengers fearing for their lives after he pointed a replica gun at them has been jailed for five years.”

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Daily Telegraph, 22nd March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Hillsborough inquest hearing date set – BBC News

Posted March 22nd, 2013 in health & safety, inquests, news, sport by sally

“A hearing to decide the date and location of a fresh inquest into the deaths of the 96 Hillsborough victims will take place next month.”

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BBC News, 22nd March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Christian B&B owners sued over refusing gay guests can now turn away homosexual couples – The Independent

“A Christian couple who broke equality laws when they refused to let a gay couple stay in a double room in their bed and breakfast will now be able to legally turn away homosexual couples after becoming a not-for-profit organisation.”

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The Independent, 22nd March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Ex-gay’ London bus advert ban ruled lawful – BBC News

Posted March 22nd, 2013 in advertising, homosexuality, news, transport by sally

“A ban on a Christian group’s proposed bus advert suggesting gay people could be helped to change their sexuality has been ruled as lawful.”

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BBC News, 22nd March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Intestacy and Family Provision Claims on Death – Law Commission

Posted March 22nd, 2013 in intestacy, Law Commission, news, reports, trusts by sally

“Government has accepted, in part, the recommendations we made in our report Intestacy and Family Provision Claims on Death.”

Intestacy and Family Provision Claims on Death

Law Commission, 21st March 2013

Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk

No consultation on principle of criminal legal aid tendering – LAG News Blog

Posted March 22nd, 2013 in consultations, criminal justice, legal aid, news, tenders by sally

“It was clear from the meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Legal Aid yesterday evening that there is a wide gulf between legal aid practitioners and the government on the issue of competitive tendering for criminal legal aid services. Members of the audience, many of whom were solicitors and barristers specialising in criminal work, were shocked to hear Dr Elizabeth Gibby, the senior official at the Ministry of Justice responsible for the policy, declare that the consultation on competitive tendering planned for next month ‘will be on the model only and not the principle’.”

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LAG News Blog, 21st March 2013

Source: www.legalactiongroupnews.org.uk

Bank Mellat (Appellant) v HM Treasury (Respondent) – Supreme Court

“Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court, made the following statement in open court this afternoon:

‘Yesterday morning, having heard full argument on the issue the previous day, we decided, for reasons to be given later – and, it should be added, by a majority of six to three – that we had power to consider the closed judgment of Mr Justice Mitting (‘the closed judgment’) in this case. This would involve part of this hearing being conducted in private without Bank Mellat or its representatives being present. We also indicated that, on the basis of the arguments we had so far heard, we were not persuaded that it was necessary to take such a course.'”

Full story

Supreme Court, 21st March 2013

Source: www.supremecourt.gov.uk

Historical first as Supreme Court boots Iranian bank out of secret hearing – UK Human Rights Blog

“Extraordinary developments in the Supreme Court today as the court, for the first time in its history, conducted a secret hearing during which one of the parties, an Iranian Bank, was not allowed to take part. Full background to the case, Bank Mellat (Appellant) v HM Treasury (Respondent) is here.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 21st March 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

IPCC submits file to prosecutors over death of man after arrest – The Guardian

Posted March 22nd, 2013 in complaints, death in custody, news, police by sally

“The police watchdog has sent a file to the Crown Prosecution Service regarding the death of a man who was restrained and arrested by police officers in a city centre.”

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The Guardian, 21st March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Plight of women in jail tackled with new policy on sentencing – The Independent

Posted March 22nd, 2013 in detention, news, rehabilitation, sentencing, women by sally

“Courts will be encouraged to hand more community sentences to women offenders – backed by curfews, tagging and unpaid work – in an attempt to reduce the female prison population.”

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The Independent, 21st March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Supreme Court sits in secret for first time in history – The Independent

“The highest court in the land controversially sat in secret for the first time in its history today but insisted it had reached the decision with ‘great reluctance’.”

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The Independent, 21st March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Lords plan parliamentary ‘ping pong’ to win battle over secret courts – The Guardian

Posted March 21st, 2013 in bills, closed material, news, parliament, private hearings by sally

“Peers intend to change justice and security bill as it shuttles between houses of parliament, government is warned.”

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The Guardian, 21st March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Norfolk rapist who held Cambridge woman hostage gets life – BBC News

Posted March 21st, 2013 in assault, domestic violence, kidnapping, news, rape, sentencing by sally

“A man who beat and raped his girlfriend and kept her hostage in his Norfolk flat for two weeks has been jailed for life.”

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BBC News, 21st March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Probation officers face social media gag as outsourcing row rumbles on – The Guardian

Posted March 21st, 2013 in civil servants, freedom of expression, internet, news, probation by sally

“The justice secretary, Chris Grayling, has issued instructions that probation officers face the risk of disciplinary action if they publicly criticise on Twitter or other social media his plans to outsource 70% of their work with offenders.”

Full story

The Guardian, 21st March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk