Outrage as ‘secret inquests’ plan revived – The Times

Posted October 21st, 2009 in news by sally

“Civil liberties campaigners today accused the Government of quietly reviving plans to hold investigations into controversial deaths in secret.”

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The Times, 21st October 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Bar Council and Criminal Bar Association Brief Peers on Provisions Contained with the Coroners and Justice Bill – The Bar Council

Posted October 21st, 2009 in barristers, coroners, inquests, news by sally

“The Bar Council and the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) have sent a briefing paper to members of the House of Lords, bringing to their attention their continued concerns about some aspects of the Coroners and Justice Bill. The Bill, which will enter Report Stage in the House of Lords today, addresses a broad range of provisions within the criminal justice system, including the inquest system; clarifying the law on encouraging and assisting suicide; special measures for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses; the introduction of a Sentencing Council; and an enabling provision to regulate Damages Based Agreements (DBAs) through statutory instrument. The briefing paper, sent to members of the House of Lords as they return for the final few weeks of the 2008-9 parliamentary session, sets out the views of the Bar Council and CBA on these issues, which remain a concern to both organisations.”

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The Bar Council, 21st October 2009

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Lord Chief Justice’s statement on “Super-Injunctions” – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted October 21st, 2009 in injunctions, news by sally

“In response to a question from a reporter at his media briefing this morning the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, outlined his view on ‘super-injunctions’.”

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Judiciary of England and Wales, 20th October 2009

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill second reading – Ministry of Justice

Posted October 21st, 2009 in constitutional reform, news, parliament by sally

“Government proposals to end the hereditary principle in the House of Lords will be debated today as the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill has its second reading.”

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Ministry of Justice, 20th October 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Freedom of Information – BBC News

Posted October 21st, 2009 in freedom of information, news by sally

“The Freedom of Information Act 2000 finally came into force on 1st January 2005.

Soon to celebrate its fifth birthday the Act is regarded by many as a crucial tool in bringing transparency and accountability to government.”

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BBC News, 20th October 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The jury’s still out on whether internet use affects the brain – The Times

Posted October 21st, 2009 in news by sally

“Advances in technology have revealed that our brains are far more altered by experience or training than was thought possible. The memory-storing hippocampus region of the brain in London taxi drivers is bigger, and the auditory areas of musicians more developed, than average. Even learning to juggle can result in a certain amount of rewiring of the brain.”

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The Times, 21st October 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Lord Judge calls for jury system that caters for computer generation – The Times

Posted October 21st, 2009 in news by sally

“The jury system is threatened by the internet generation, who no longer get their information from listening to people speaking, the Lord Chief Justice warned yesterday.”

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The Times, 21st October 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Lawyer guilty of conning bank out of millions – The Independent

Posted October 21st, 2009 in fraud, news by sally

“A powerful City lawyer was facing jail yesterday after being found guilty of conning one the world’s richest banks out of millions of pounds.”

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The Independent, 21st October 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Free speech in parliament is precious, says lord chief justice – The Guardian

Posted October 21st, 2009 in freedom of expression, injunctions, news, parliament by sally

“Britain’s most senior judge has warned his fellow judges that he cannot envisage any circumstances in which it would be “constitutionally possible or proper” for a court to make an order that gagged debate in parliament. His warning follows the Guardian’s free speech victory last week when lawyers for the oil trading company Trafigura gave up their attempt to gag parliament over its dumping of toxic waste in Ivory Coast.”

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The Guardian, 20th October 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Intern ‘had no access to inside information’ – The Times

Posted October 21st, 2009 in news by sally

“An intern at Hoare Govett accused of leaking secret information about takeovers was given menial tasks, a court heard.”

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The Times, 20th October 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Government measures against illegal file-sharing to be watered down – The Guardian

Posted October 21st, 2009 in copyright, internet, news by sally

“Culture secretary Ben Bradshaw revealed today that controversial measures to tackle illegal file-sharing will be watered down following fierce opposition.”

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The Guardian, 20th October 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Service related pay schemes at work could be unlawful – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 21st, 2009 in employment, equal pay, news, sex discrimination by sally

“Companies that pay staff more for long service could be forced to scrap schemes after a landmark ruling that they might discriminate against women.”

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Daily Telegraph, 20th October 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Top judge ‘to restore confidence’ – BBC News

Posted October 21st, 2009 in criminal justice, Crown Prosecution Service, news, prosecutions by sally

“The Lord Chief Justice has said public confidence in the justice system will be ‘undermined’ if prosecutions are abandoned because they cost too much.”

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BBC News, 20th October 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Tribunal quashes point of sale PPI ban – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 20th, 2009 in competition, insurance, news by sally

“The Competition Commission must reconsider its ban on the sale of payment protection insurance (PPI) at the same time as a loan or credit, the Competition Appeal Tribunal has ruled. But the decision is not necessarily the end of the point of sale prohibition.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 20th October 2009

Source: www.out-law.com

How our senior libel judge stamps on free speech – all over the world – The Guardian

Posted October 20th, 2009 in defamation, freedom of expression, injunctions, judges, news by sally

“Mr Justice Eady’s rulings amplify the democratic world’s most illiberal laws – enabled by 12 years of utterly feeble leadership.”

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The Guardian, 19th October 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Crime map to show burglary levels for every town and village – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 20th, 2009 in crime, internet, news, statistics by sally

“The public will be able to compare crime rates in every town and village in England and Wales following the launch of a new interactive map.”

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Daily Telegraph, 20th October 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Government steps lightly around ‘minefield’ of windfall bonus tax – The Times

Posted October 20th, 2009 in news by sally

“The Government has backed away in the face of speculation that it will impose a windfall tax on banks to punish them for paying excessive bonuses.”

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The Times, 20th October 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Spy v spy at new supreme court as MI5 secrecy is put to the test – The Guardian

Posted October 20th, 2009 in freedom of expression, intelligence services, investigatory powers, news by sally

“It may not have the ring of a historic legal battle. But the case of A v B, which opened at the new supreme court today, has a significance that goes way beyond the banal soubriquets of the two sides.”

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The Guardian, 20th October 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prosecutors to be given more discretion over sending cases to trial – The Times

Posted October 20th, 2009 in news by sally

“More offenders could escape going to court even when there is enough evidence to charge them under guidelines published by the Director of Public Prosecutions yesterday.”

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The Times, 20th October 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Newspaper archives can lose libel protection as stories change, rules High Court – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 20th, 2009 in archives, defamation, media, news by sally

“A newspaper which continued to publish a defamatory article on its website after its subject was cleared in an investigation lost its right to claim a special journalistic defence against libel, the High Court has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 19th October 2009

Source: www.out-law.com