Wearing Ugg boots while driving can cause accidents, judge warns – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 12th, 2012 in dangerous driving, fines, news by sally

“A judge has ruled a car head on smash caused when a woman’s Ugg boots became trapped under the brake pedal, was ‘entirely foreseeable.'”

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Daily Telegraph, 12th October 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Information stored in electronic recycle bins is held for purposes of FOI disclosure, says watchdog – OUT-LAW.com

“Public sector bodies will generally be required to disclose information even if it is stored in computer ‘recycle bins’, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 12th October 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Scientists to get extra protection from libel – The Independent

Posted October 12th, 2012 in bills, defamation, freedom of expression, news, public interest by sally

“Scientists and academics are to be given extra protection from bullying corporations that use Britain’s libel laws to suppress legitimate criticism and debate, the Government has indicated.”

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The Independent, 12th October 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Government to consult on temporary stop notices to prevent unauthorised traveller sites – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 12th, 2012 in consultations, fines, local government, news, planning, travellers by sally

“Communities secretary Eric Pickles has set out the details of plans announced by him earlier this week to remove restrictions on the use of temporary stop notices, giving councils greater freedom to prevent unauthorised traveller sites being set up.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 11th October 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Vet who killed driver wins landmark case to get unlawful killing verdict overturned – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 12th, 2012 in inquests, news, road traffic, unlawful killing by sally

“A trainee vet whose car fatally struck a tow truck driver by the side of a motorway has triumphed in a ground-breaking legal fight to overturn an inquest verdict that he was ‘unlawfully killed’.”

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Daily Telegraph, 11th October 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Professional fines may be tax deductable, tribunal finds – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 12th, 2012 in corporation tax, fines, news, penalties by sally

“The McLaren racing team is entitled to claim a corporation tax reduction in respect of a £32 million fine levied by the motor racing governing body because the fine was not a criminal penalty imposed by statute, a tribunal has held.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 11th October 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Iraq abuse inquiry little more than a whitewash, says official – The Guardian

Posted October 12th, 2012 in armed forces, inquiries, Iraq, news, torture by sally

“The Ministry of Defence says an investigation will be launched into claims that an inquiry it set up to examine whether British troops abused Iraqi prisoners has become ‘little more than a whitewash’.”

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The Guardian, 11th October 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

IPCC to decide on Hillsborough inquiry – The Independent

Posted October 12th, 2012 in health & safety, misfeasance in public office, news, police, sport by sally

“The Independent Police Complaints Commission will announce today whether it will hold a full-scale investigation into how the police behaved at the Hillsborough disaster.”

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The Independent, 12th October 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Woman ruined by Spanish property price collapse wins landmark compensation ruling – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 12th, 2012 in compensation, financial advice, mortgages, negligence, news by sally

“A woman who lost everything after investing in the Spanish property market has won a landmark legal ruling that could now benefit many others given bad financial advice.”

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Daily Telegraph, 11th October 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Serious sex offenders neglected by prison service, report finds – The Guardian

Posted October 12th, 2012 in news, prisons, rehabilitation, reports, sexual offences by sally

“Little or no effective work is being done with some of the most serious sex offenders behind bars, the chief inspector of prisons says in a report published on Friday.”

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The Guardian, 12th October 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Supreme Court reverses CoA ruling on the legal definition of a house – The Lawyer

Posted October 11th, 2012 in appeals, housing, leases, news, precedent, Supreme Court by sally

“The Supreme Court has ended years of legal uncertainty by ruling on what constitutes a house in the contest of leasehold enfranchisement.”

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The Lawyer, 11th October 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

An obvious observation about obviousness – ICLR Blog

Posted October 11th, 2012 in appeals, news, patents by sally

“The law of patents is not always patently clear, but one point is obvious. The question of obviousness is not one that admits of endless elaboration. It is, in fact, obvious.

In a judgment handed down yesterday, MedImmune Ltd v Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd [2012] EWCA Civ 1234, the Court of Appeal, dismissing appeals from Arnold J [2011] EWHC 1669 (Pat) and [2012] EWHC 181 (Pat) made a number of observations on the matter.”

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ICLR Blog, 11th October 2012

Source: www.theiclr.blogspot.co.uk

Barry Thew jailed for T-shirt mocking PCs deaths – BBC News

Posted October 11th, 2012 in news, public order, sentencing by sally

“A man from Greater Manchester who wore a T-shirt daubed with offensive comments about the killing of two police officers has been jailed.”

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BBC News, 11th October 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Board minutes of a public/private joint venture confidential and commercially sensitive – Panopticon

“Joint ventures between the public and private sectors are increasingly common. They are often a focus for vigorous political debate over issues such as the costs involved, the savings to the public purse, the profit to the private sector partner, and allegations of conflicts of interest. While those are political arguments on which Tribunals take no view, they do point to the significant public interests that are engaged when considering access to information. So said the Tribunal in David Orr v IC and Avon and Somerset Police Authority (EA/2012/0077), a recent decision notable for grappling with access to information about such a public/private joint venture.”

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Panopticon, 11th October 2012

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Subway loses legal challenge over VAT on hot food – The Lawyer

Posted October 11th, 2012 in appeals, food, news, taxation, VAT by sally

“Mr Justice Arnold has thrown out an appeal bid by a franchisee of sandwich chain Subway to challenge HM Revenue & Customs’ VAT policy on hot food.”

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The Lawyer, 11th October 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

More on more on damages – NearlyLegal

Posted October 11th, 2012 in appeals, damages, insurance, news by sally

“As you may know, the original Court of Appeal decision in Simmons v Castle on the 10% uplift in general damages was revisited after representations by the ABI and APIL.”

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NearlyLegal, 11th October 2012

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

SFO removes preference for civil settlement from Bribery Act self-reporting guidance – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 11th, 2012 in bribery, news, prosecutions, Serious Fraud Office by sally

“Businesses that ‘self-report’ illegal acts of bribery to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) could still face prosecution in cases where there is a ‘reasonable prospect of conviction’ and if it is ‘in the public interest’ to do so, the SFO has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 11th October 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

GCSE English marking faces high court challenge – The Guardian

Posted October 11th, 2012 in examinations, judicial review, news by sally

“The GCSE English fiasco that meant thousands of teenagers missed out on C grades this year faces a high court challenge, it was announced on Wednesday.”

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The Guardian, 11th October 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Abuse in care homes: corporate liability – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted October 11th, 2012 in care homes, corporate manslaughter, elderly, negligence, news, wilful neglect by sally

“It has been reported that three healthcare assistants have been charged with wilful neglect and ill treatment of patients following an investigation into the alleged abuse of elderly patients at Whipps Cross Hospital in north London.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 10th October 2012

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Flexible courts to open in dozens of areas – Ministry of Justice

Posted October 11th, 2012 in courts, criminal justice, magistrates, news, pilot schemes by sally

“Thousands more people will benefit from flexible courts, Criminal Justice Minister Damian Green said today as he unveiled a list of dozens of new pilot areas.”

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Ministry of Justice, 11th October 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk