New family contracts – key documents – Legal Aid Handbook

Posted January 31st, 2012 in contracts, documents, families, legal aid, news by sally

“Tomorrow, 1st February, is the start date for new contracts for family and housing with family practitioners.”

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Legal Aid Handbook, 31st January 2012

Source: www.legalaidhandbook.com

Rape cases: why judicial training is needed – The Guardian

Posted January 31st, 2012 in continuing professional development, judiciary, legal education, news, rape by sally

“Special training for rape case judges is needed to tackle preconceived ideas – and already it is starting to work.”

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The Guardian, 31st January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Falkland Islands: Government rules out protection law – BBC News

Posted January 31st, 2012 in colonies, news by sally

“The government has ruled out bringing in a UK law to ensure the Falkland Islands’ right to remain British.”

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BBC News, 31st January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Banker banned from City for obtaining £1.4m dishonestly to cover debts – The Guardian

Posted January 31st, 2012 in banking, disciplinary procedures, financial regulation, fines, news by sally

“One of the most senior figures in the banking industry, Ravi Sinha, who once fronted a bid for Northern Rock, has been banned from working in the City and fined £2.9m by the Financial Services Authority after dishonestly obtaining millions of pounds to cover his debts.”

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The Guardian, 31st January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Attorney General: London Common Law and Commercial Bar Lecture – Attorney General’s Office

Posted January 31st, 2012 in attorney general, human rights, news, speeches by sally

London Common Law and Commercial Bar Lecture

Attorney General’s Office, 26th January 2012

Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

Network Rail admits safety breaches over girls’ deaths – BBC News

Posted January 31st, 2012 in accidents, health & safety, news, railways by sally

“Network Rail has admitted three health and safety breaches over the deaths of two girls at an Essex level crossing in 2005, a court has heard.”

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BBC News, 31st January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Nominet proposes new code of rules for members – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 31st, 2012 in codes of practice, domain names, internet, news by sally

“The internet registry for .uk domain names has proposed a new code that would allow it to prevent members associating themselves with its brand if they display a lack of professionalism, integrity or accountability.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 31st January 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Timing is Everything – Section 14A in Practice – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted January 31st, 2012 in damages, limitations, negligence, news, time limits by sally

“In a claim for damages for the tort of negligence the cause of action accrues at the date that damage occurs, even if is no-one knows about it at the time. The problem with this principle is vividly illustrated by the famous decision of the House of Lords in Pirelli v Oscar Faber & Partners [1983] 2 AC 1 where the defendant engineers were retained by the claimants to design a chimney at their factory. The chimney was lined with a new material Lytag and completed in July 1969. By April 1970 cracks had appeared at the top of the chimney but the claimants did not become aware of them until November 1977. They made repairs and issued a writ in October 1978. Overturning the decision below the Lords held that the claim was statute barred because the damage had occurred in April 1970, and thus the cause of action was complete more than six years before the claim was issued and, as it happened, more than six years before the claimants knew they had a claim.”

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Hardwicke Chambers, 25th January 2012

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Independent scrutiny of database will not breach privacy rights, High Court says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 31st, 2012 in data protection, news, privacy, trade unions by sally

“A trade union has been ordered to let an independent expert examine its computer database to try to identify anonymous users of a forum it operated who allegedly defamed and harassed an airline pilot.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 31st January 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Bar Council and Criminal Bar Association Lead on EU Factsheet on Defendants’ Rights – The Bar Council

Posted January 31st, 2012 in barristers, defence, EC law, news by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, and the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) have played a leading role in the development of a factsheet which outlines the rights of defendants in the English and Welsh justice system.”

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The Bar Council, 30th January 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Crime map website to reveal hotspots – BBC News

Posted January 31st, 2012 in crime, news, police by sally

“The number and type of crimes which take place at hotspots like nightclubs, subways and parks are to be revealed on a crime-mapping website from Tuesday.”

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BBC News, 31st January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bar Council Urges Government to Amend Civil Litigation Reforms – The Bar Council

Posted January 31st, 2012 in barristers, bills, fees, legal aid, news by sally

“As Peers debate reforms to civil litigation funding within Part 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Bill, the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has urged the Government to consider seriously its alternative proposals for reform.”

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The Bar Council, 30th January 2012

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Ken Clarke: £50m for victims’ services – Ministry of Justice

Posted January 31st, 2012 in consultations, crime, criminal injuries compensation, fines, news, victims by sally

“An overhaul of victims’ services could see up to £50m generated from offenders to help create a speedier, more supportive system for victims of serious crime.”

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Ministry of Justice, 30th January 2012

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

AIB fraud trial of Mayfair property tycoon collapses – The Guardian

Posted January 31st, 2012 in conspiracy, fraud, news, retrials, Serious Fraud Office by sally

“The trial of Achilleas Kallakis, the onetime Mayfair property tycoon accused of using forged paperwork to trick banks, including HBOS and Allied Irish Bank, into lending £750m, has collapsed after four months. A retrial has been ordered.”

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The Guardian, 30th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

More secret trials? No thanks – UK Human Rights Blog

“A child learns early that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it. Thankfully that principle does not apply to Government consultations and this is aptly demonstrated by the responses to the consultation into whether ‘closed material’ (secret evidence) procedures should be extended to civil trials.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 31st January 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

PCC chief tells Leveson newspapers should be fined for breaching code – The Guardian

Posted January 31st, 2012 in complaints, fines, inquiries, media, news, penalties by sally

“Newspapers should be fined if they are found to be in ‘systemic’ breach of the standards set out in the industry’s code of practice, the director of the Press Complaints Commission has conceded at the Leveson inquiry.”

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The Guardian, 30th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police raid on whistleblower’s home was ‘total abuse of power’ – The Independent

Posted January 31st, 2012 in data protection, inquiries, news, police, whistleblowers by sally

“The Information Commissioner asked police to raid the home of a whistleblower days before he was due to give damaging evidence about alleged failings by the watchdog to Lord Justice Leveson’s public inquiry into media standards.”

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The Independent, 31st January 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Deaths in police custody figures ‘understated’ – BBC News

Posted January 31st, 2012 in complaints, death in custody, news, restraint, statistics by sally

“Official figures understate the number of people who die in custody after being restrained by police, a BBC investigation has found.”

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BBC News, 31st January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Libyan dissidents sue MI6 officer over abduction and torture claims – The Guardian

Posted January 31st, 2012 in intelligence services, misfeasance in public office, news, rendition, torture by sally

“Two prominent Libyan dissidents are suing a former senior MI6 officer in a move which could expose the role of ministers in the men’s abduction to Tripoli, where they say they were tortured by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s secret police.”

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The Guardian, 31st January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Stephen Lawrence killers to launch appeal – BBC News

Posted January 30th, 2012 in appeals, evidence, murder, news, video recordings by sally

“David Norris and Gary Dobson are to appeal against their convictions for the racist murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence in south-east London in 1993.”

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BBC News, 30th January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk