DNA matches solve only a fraction of crimes, police admit – The Guardian

Posted January 6th, 2010 in crime, DNA, news, statistics by sally

“Only 33,000 of the 4.9m crimes the police recorded last year were solved as a result of a match on the national DNA database, police admitted today.”

Full story

The Guardian, 5th January 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ordering police trainee to cut his hair was not sex discrimination, tribunal rules – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 6th, 2010 in news, police, sex discrimination by sally

“A trainee police officer who was forced to cut his shoulder-length hair has failed in his claim that the order constituted sex discrimination. An Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) said that the police force’s dress code was fair.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 5th January 2010

Source: www.out-law.com

Judges examine rise in complaints against MI5 – The Independent

Posted January 6th, 2010 in complaints, intelligence services, investigatory powers, news by sally

“A record rise in the number of complaints against MI5 and other bodies authorised to spy on the public is being investigated by judges appointed to oversee the use of surveillance powers in Britain.”

Full story

The Independent, 6th January 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Quirk of law leaves larger issues at play – The Times

Posted January 6th, 2010 in news by sally

“The power for a private individual to seek an arrest warrant from a British court for a foreign national they wish to prosecute is an unusual but not unique quirk of English law. The ability, which derives from the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980, is also available in varying forms in the Netherlands, Spain, the Czech Republic and New Zealand.”

Full story

The Times, 6th January 2010

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

British government will fight legal attempts to indict Israeli leaders in UK – The Guardian

Posted January 6th, 2010 in Israel, jurisdiction, news, war crimes, warrants by sally

“Baroness Scotland announces plans to alter laws after attempts to obtain warrants against Israeli generals for war crimes.”

Full story

The Guardian, 5th January 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Teenager gets life for burning girlfriend to death – The Independent

Posted January 5th, 2010 in murder, news, sentencing, young offenders by sally

“A teenager who poured a can of petrol over his girlfriend and set her on fire was locked up for life today for her murder.”

Full story

The Independent, 5th January 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Law firm probe clients contacted – BBC News

Posted January 5th, 2010 in false accounting, law firms, news by sally

“Letters are being sent to clients of a firm of solicitors which was shut down in an investigation into claims of dishonesty and account irregularities.”

Full story

BBC News, 4th January 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government proposes exemption of small venues from live music licence – The Guardian

Posted January 5th, 2010 in licensing, news by sally

“New consultation announced into removing the licensing requirements for concerts with less than 100 attendees.”

Full story

The Guardian, 4th January 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ascot racehorse kill threat man sentenced – BBC News

Posted January 5th, 2010 in news, sentencing, threatening to destroy or damage property by sally

“A man who threatened to kill a top racehorse in a bid to avoid gambling debts of £55,000 has been given a 34-week suspended jail term.”

Full story

BBC News, 4th January 2010

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New scanners break child porn laws – The Guardian

Posted January 5th, 2010 in airports, indecent photographs of children, news by sally

“The rapid introduction of full body scanners at British airports threatens to breach child protection laws which ban the creation of indecent images of children, the Guardian has learned.”

Full story

The Guardian, 4th January 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Number of crimes caught on CCTV falls by 70 per cent, Metropolitan Police admits – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 5th, 2010 in closed circuit television, crime, news, statistics by sally

“Prosecutions linked to CCTV have fallen in parts of Britain, raising questions about the true impact of the security cameras.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 5th January 2010

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Deaths in prison custody 2009 – Ministry of Justice

Posted January 4th, 2010 in death in custody, news, prisons, statistics by sally

“The Ministry of Justice has announced today that there were 60 apparently self-inflicted deaths among prisoners in England and Wales in 2009.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 1st January 2010

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Freedom of information: caught in the act – The Guardian

Posted January 4th, 2010 in freedom of information, news by sally

“The Freedom of Information Act is five years old – a piece of groundbreaking legislation that has forced public bodies to reveal data they would really rather not.”

Full story

The Guardian, 4th January 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Court of Public Protection should be opened to media, top judge says – The Times

Posted January 4th, 2010 in news by sally

“One of Britain’s most secret courts is set to be opened up to the media in a move that could boost public confidence after widespread criticism of its workings.”

Full story

The Times, 4th January 2010

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

MPs invoke 1689 Bill to avoid prosecution – The Independent

Posted January 4th, 2010 in expenses, news, parliamentary privilege by sally

“Three labour MPs are arguing they cannot be prosecuted over expenses claims because they are protected by parliamentary privilege.”

Full story

The Independent, 4th January 2010

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Legal aid cuts could prevent crucial cases being heard, say lawyers – The Guardian

Posted January 4th, 2010 in legal aid, news by sally

“New plans to slash the legal aid bill will deprive the public of a crucial way of challenging government policy in the courts, preventing some of the most important cases from being heard, experts warn.”

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd January 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Smacking children: the law – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 4th, 2010 in children, corporal punishment, news by sally

“The law on smacking children is a grey area, which campaigners have sought to change in recent years.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 3rd January 2010

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Christmas Break

Posted December 21st, 2009 in holidays, news by sally

 There will be no posts during the Inner Temple Library’s Christmas closed period which starts at 1pm on 21st December. We will resume posting on 4th January 2010.

‘One-punch’ killers to get longer jail sentences – The Times

Posted December 21st, 2009 in news by sally

“Hefty jail terms are to be imposed when people die after a violent punch to the head, after a landmark ruling by a rare five-strong panel of senior judges yesterday.”

Full story

The Times, 19th December 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Macclesfield man jailed for driving wrong way drunk – BBC News

Posted December 21st, 2009 in alcohol abuse, dangerous driving, news, sentencing by sally

“A man, 44, who drove six miles the wrong way along a dual carriageway has been jailed for eight months and banned from driving for three years.”

Full story

BBC News, 19th December 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk