One-stop courts to help women confront abuse – The Times

Posted August 10th, 2009 in domestic violence, news, victims, women by sally

“One-stop courts to help victims of domestic violence win legal redress are to be established across the country to encourage battered women to come forward and identify their abusers.”

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The Times, 9th August 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Speeding driver jailed for killing magistrate’s wife – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 10th, 2009 in dangerous driving, news, sentencing by sally

“Postman Darren Blight was jailed on Friday for mowing down and killing Susan Peters, a magistrate’s wife, while driving at twice the speed limit with traces of cannabis in his system.”

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Daily Telegraph, 7th August 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Gang warfare killers jailed for up to 35 years – The Independent

Posted August 10th, 2009 in gangs, murder, news, sentencing by sally

“Four gang members were told today they must serve minimum prison terms of up to 35 years after they were found guilty of murdering a 17-year-old youth who was gunned down outside a barber shop.”

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The Independent, 7th August 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Police to ignore European Court of Human Rights ruling on stored DNA – The Times

Posted August 10th, 2009 in DNA, human rights, news, police by sally

“Chief constables have been told to ignore a landmark European Court ruling and continue storing the DNA samples of innocent people.”

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The Times, 8th August 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

A request to snoop on public every 60 secs – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 10th, 2009 in investigatory powers, news, statistics by sally

“Councils, police and other public bodies are seeking access to people’s private telephone and email records almost 1,400 times a day, new figures have disclosed.”

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Daily Telegraph, 9th August 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

‘Racist bias’ blamed for disparity in police DNA database – The Guardian

Posted August 10th, 2009 in DNA, news, police by sally

“Almost one in four black children over 10 have had their profiles placed on the police DNA database. The disclosure has sparked claims from the chair of an influential parliamentary committee that the disparity with white children is undermining social integration.”

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The Guardian, 9th August 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Revealed: Britain’s most lenient judge – The Times

Posted August 10th, 2009 in judges, news, sentencing by sally

“A circuit judge who sits at Birmingham crown court has had 10 of her sentences increased on appeal, placing her top of a list of judges whose decisions have been overturned for excessive leniency.”

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The Times, 9th August 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Extradited priest remanded in custody – The Independent

Posted August 10th, 2009 in child abuse, extradition, news, sexual offences by sally

“A former Roman Catholic priest was remanded in custody today after being extradited to Britain from the United States to face allegations of sexual abuse.”

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The Independent, 8th August 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Prison population at record high despite early releases – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 10th, 2009 in early release, news, prisons by sally

“The prison population has hit a record high despite more than 65,000 criminals being released early to ease overcrowding in the last two years.”

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Daily Telegraph, 7th August 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Failed banana case cost £20,000 – BBC News

Posted August 10th, 2009 in costs, news, prosecutions, theft by sally

“Prosecutors say they were justified in spending an estimated £20,000 on the crown court trial of a man who was acquitted of stealing a 25p banana.”

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BBC News, 7th August 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal Services Board seeks powers to impose huge fines on regulators – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 7th, 2009 in fines, Legal Services Board, news by sally

“The Legal Services Board could punish the Law Society and other regulators with multi-million-pound fines if they fail to meet its regulatory objectives, under proposals published this week.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 6th August 2009

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Justice Committee Report Calls For An ‘Overall Vision’ For Crown Prosecution Service – The Bar Council

Posted August 7th, 2009 in criminal justice, Crown Prosecution Service, news by sally

“The Bar Council and the Criminal Bar Association welcome the publication of the House of Commons Justice Select Committee’s report on the Work of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The report, entitled The Crown Prosecution Service: Gatekeeper of the Criminal Justice System, highlights areas for attention which include consistency, the piecemeal way in which its functions are developing and the proportion of cases taken by in-house advocates.”

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The Bar Council, 6th August 2009

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Changes to the Criminal Procedure Rules – Ministry of Justice

Posted August 7th, 2009 in criminal procedure, news by sally

“The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee has amended the Criminal Procedure Rules 2005 and the changes will come into force on 5 October 2009.”

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Ministry of Justice, 6th August 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Miners win negligence payouts from solicitors over coal health claims – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 7th, 2009 in compensation, industrial injuries, miners, negligence, news, solicitors by sally

“Injured miners who successfully sued their former solicitors for under-settling coal health compensation claims have won tens of thousands of pounds in settlements, it has emerged.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 6th August 2009

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Train robber Ronnie Biggs to be freed on medical grounds – The Guardian

Posted August 7th, 2009 in early release, news by sally

“This morning, once the paperwork is complete, three prison staff who have been mounting a round-the-clock bedwatch on a sick man close to his 80th birthday will slip away, leaving one of Britain’s most notorious villains free.”

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The Guardian, 7th August 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Fake barrister wins Asbo appeal – BBC News

Posted August 7th, 2009 in ASBOs, impersonating a barrister, news by sally

“A Middlesbrough man who impersonated a barrister in a string of court cases has won an appeal to overturn his anti-social behaviour order (Asbo).”

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BBC News, 6th August 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Harman denies conflict over rape law – The Independent

Posted August 7th, 2009 in news, rape by sally

“Her brief spell in charge of the country has been marked by Cabinet fall-outs and accusations that she was attempting to launch a leadership bid. But Harriet Harman warned yesterday that she has no intention of changing her outspoken approach.”

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The Independent, 7th August 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Laser owners ‘arrested on sight’ – BBC News

Posted August 7th, 2009 in endangering safety of aircraft, news by sally

“There has been a marked rise in the number of UK pilots reporting incidents of laser torches being shone at their aircraft.”

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BBC News, 6th August 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

PCC to undergo independent review – The Guardian

Posted August 7th, 2009 in complaints, media, news by sally

“The Press Complaints Commission, the self-regulation body of the UK newspaper industry, is to launch the first independent review of its governance structure since it was created 18 years ago.”

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The Guardian, 6th August 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Minister admits: rape review plans back to drawing board – The Times

Posted August 6th, 2009 in news, rape by sally

“A Home Office minister today (5 August) admitted plans to review rape laws had gone back to the drawing board after an intervention by Labour’s deputy leader Harriet Harman.”

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The Times, 5th August 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk