“The legal aid budget will face further cuts whoever wins the election, politicians from the three main parties warned last week.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 9th April 2010
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
“More than 55 per cent of criminal offences are dealt with outside our courts — on-the-spot fines exceed 200,000 a year and more than a fifth of offenders who breach conditional cautions are not pursued by the Crown Prosecution Service. A Commons select committee described this as representing ‘a fundamental change to our concept of a criminal justice system’.”
The Times, 8th April 2010
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“A ban on mephedrone and other so-called ‘legal highs’ was backed by the Lords today amid accusations ministers were guilty of a ‘knee-jerk’ response.”
The Independent, 8th April 2010
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“A teenager has admitted spreading false rumours about the supposed location of one of James Bulger’s killers, police confirmed today.”
The Guardian, 8th April 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Under-18s are to be banned from using sunbeds under new legislation passed by Parliament. Tanning salons will also have to be manned, meaning that coin-operated booths will be outlawed after several children suffered serious burns after using them without supervision.”
The Independent, 9th April 2010
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“What price access to justice for injured people? Right now it’s somewhere between £600 and £800.”
The Times, 8th April 2010
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“A woman called police after finding indecent images of children on her husband’s laptop, a court has heard.”
BBC News, 8th April 2010
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Jude Law has settled a breach of privacy action with Hello! magazine, with the magazine agreeing to pay £9,500 in damages and undertaking not to publish any pictures of the Alfie star with his children until they are 18.”
The Guardian, 8th April 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“PC and sergeant sentenced to 18 months’ jail after a judge said their treatment of suspect was ‘little short of torture.’ ”
The Guardian, 8th April 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Former care home manager Rachel Baker was today found not guilty of murdering two of her elderly residents. Baker, 44, was accused of murdering Frances Hay and Lucy Cox at Parkfields Residential Care Home in Butleigh, Somerset. She was cleared of the murder charges and an attempted murder charge involving Mrs Hay by a jury at Bristol Crown Court today.”
The Independent, 8th April 2010
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“Plans for compulsory sex education in schools have been dropped in the pre-election ‘wash up’ after being blocked by the Tories. The controversial measure would have ensured every 15-year-old had at least one year of sex education lessons. It was part of Ed Balls’ Children, Schools and Families Bill, but was shelved today in the last-minute rush to get legislation through before the election.”
The Times, 7th April 2010
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“A former heroin addict who became an award-winning businessman has been jailed for life for murdering a love rival who began an affair with his wife at the Glastonbury Festival.”
The Times, 8th April 2010
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“Burial rules in a West Midlands diocese have been changed after a mix-up with grave plots which led to a court ordering an exhumation.”
BBC News, 7th April 2010
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“The NSPCC has urged a major overhaul of the system for investigating cases of child abuse and neglect, saying it is too costly, too slow and may not work.”
BBC News, 8th April 2010
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Plans to cut the profits of law firms who bring libel claims against the media have been dropped, MPs have been told. Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, had promised an overhaul of Britain’s libel laws after a review found the rules had a ‘chilling effect’ on freedom of expression. Among the reforms was a draft law to reduce the fees charged by ‘no-win no-fee’ lawyers in defamation cases from 100 per cent to 10 per cent.”
The Independent, 8th April 2010
Soruce: www.independent.co.uk
“Two Royal Marines were sentenced today for assaulting an Afghan prisoner held on suspicion of planting a bomb. Sergeant Mark Leader, based at the Commando Training Centre in Lympstone, Devon, was found guilty by a court martial panel of assault causing actual bodily harm on Mohammad Ekhlas on March 19 last year. Captain Jody Wheelhouse, from 45 Commando, Arbroath, Scotland, admitted the same offence at an earlier hearing. Wheelhouse was sentenced to dismissal with disgrace, while Leader was dismissed.”
The Guardian, 7th April 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The death of a man aged 70 who was given an overdose by a foreign locum has prompted scrutiny of an EU-imposed system Urgent changes to the law are required to ensure that foreign doctors are competent in English and safe to treat patients on the NHS, MPs say today.”
The Times, 8th April 2010
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“A cheating husband who killed his wife as she walked to work after secretly insuring her for £250,000, was jailed for life yesterday.”
The Times, 8th April 2010
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“A father who hit his baby son because he knocked a photo frame off a television has been ordered to pay him £50 compensation.”
BBC News, 7th April 2010
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“The Ministry of Justice and Legal Services Commission have today outlined new steps that aim to rebalance the legal aid budget, reduce costs and increase value for money for legal aid.”
Ministry of Justice, 6th April 2010
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
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