Category: news

Why must a secret service fair hearing be heard in secret? – The Times

Posted June 11th, 2009 in freedom of expression, intelligence services, investigatory powers, news by sally

“Former MI5 officers guard many secrets. But, as Dame Stella Rimington well knows, they can tell their own stories. A former agent has to seek prior approval for publication from his or her former employers and, if it is not given, any dispute will ultimately be adjudicated by a High Court Judge with all the usual safeguards to ensure a fair trial. Or so it was thought until the Court of Appeal gave judgment in A v B.”

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The Times, 11th June 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Case study: stateless Palestinian came to Britain as refugee – The Times

Posted June 11th, 2009 in control orders, human rights, news, terrorism by sally

“Mahmoud Abu Rideh is a stateless Palestinian who came to Britain as a refugee and in 1998 was granted indefinite leave to remain.”

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The Times, 11th June 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Analysis: contol orders ruling – information or freedom – The Times

Posted June 11th, 2009 in control orders, human rights, legal representation, news, terrorism by sally

“Yesterday’s ruling highlights the conflicting demands faced by the Government since the September 11 attacks: the need to protect the public from terrorists and the fundamental rights of the individual.”

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The Times, 11th June 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Civil justice system: why we are doing well but can do better – The Times

Posted June 11th, 2009 in civil justice, civil procedure rules, costs, news by sally

“Ten years ago I took on the task of looking at how we could reform our slow and costly civil justice system. The resulting proposals were enshrined in new civil procedure rules (CPR). They were intended to transform, and I believe did transform, the legal system. The object was to create a new way of conducting civil litigation in England and Wales.”

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The Times, 11th June 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Metropolitan police officers flushed my head in toilet, says suspect – The Guardian

Posted June 11th, 2009 in news, police, torture by sally

“One of the victims of alleged torture by six Metropolitan police officers claims his head was thrust down a toilet which was repeatedly flushed over him as he was interrogated, the Guardian has learned.”

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The Guardian, 10th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Q&A: terror control orders – The Times

Posted June 11th, 2009 in control orders, news by sally

“What are control orders?

They allow the Home Secretary to impose restrictions on a person suspected of involvement in terrorist related activity.”

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The Times, 10th June 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Brown gets tough in Parliament clean-up – The Independent

Posted June 11th, 2009 in constitutional law, news, parliamentary privilege by sally

“Legislation is to be rushed through Parliament to end Westminster’s system of self-regulation and impose a new code of conduct on MPs in the wake of the expenses scandal, Gordon Brown announced today.”

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The Independent, 10th June 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Criminal responsibility – BBC News

Posted June 10th, 2009 in children, criminal responsibility, news by sally

“In England and Wales the age of criminal responsiblity is 10 – but should it be raised?”

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BBC News, 10th June 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Defrocked priest squatting in vicarage given reprieve – The Guardian

Posted June 10th, 2009 in clergy, disciplinary procedures, news by sally

“A judge has denied the Church of England the power to evict a defrocked cleric who is squatting in a vicarage.”

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The Guardian, 10th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Law Lords devastate terror control orders in secret evidence ruling – The Times

Posted June 10th, 2009 in control orders, human rights, legal representation, news, terrorism by sally

“The Law Lords today blew a hole in the Government’s controversial control orders for terrorist suspects in a ruling against the use of secret evidence.”

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The Times, 10th June 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Met officers accused of ‘torture’ – BBC News

Posted June 10th, 2009 in complaints, news, police, torture by sally

“Six Metropolitan Police officers have been suspended or placed on restricted duties following allegations of ill-treatment after a police raid.”

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BBC News, 10th June 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Gary McKinnon, hacker with Asperger syndrome, fights extradition to US – The Times

Posted June 10th, 2009 in autism, computer crime, extradition, news by sally

“A British ‘UFO eccentric’ accused of hacking into US military networks brought a last challenge in the High Court yesterday against extradition to America on health grounds.”

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The Times, 10th June 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Rape victims face postcode lottery for justice – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 10th, 2009 in criminal justice, news, rape, victims by sally

“Rape victims face a postcode lottery in bringing their attackers to justice with victims in one area standing just a one in sixty chance.”

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Daily Telegraph, 10th June 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Court of Appeal clarifies procurement rules and ends local authorities’ insurance venture – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 10th, 2009 in company law, local government, news by sally

“Local authorities have been barred from joining together to form an insurance company. The Court of Appeal has blocked London authorities from forming the mutual firm, ruling that councils acted beyond their powers and broke procurement rules.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 10th June 2009

Source: www.out-law.com

Secret evidence: undermining the great traditions of British justice – The Times

Posted June 10th, 2009 in control orders, human rights, legal representation, news, terrorism by sally

“Tomorrow the law lords will hand down their decision on the legality of the control orders regime under which terrorist suspects are detained.”

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The Times, 9th June 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

New MP voting system considered – BBC News

Posted June 10th, 2009 in constitutional law, elections, news, parliament by sally

“Gordon Brown is set to announce plans to examine a new system of voting MPs to the House of Commons.”

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BBC News, 10th June 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Gang of six guilty of Shaquille Smith murder – The Independent

Posted June 10th, 2009 in affray, gangs, murder, news by sally

“A gang of six youths were found guilty at the Old Bailey today of murdering an innocent 14-year-old schoolboy stabbed in a park.”

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The Independent, 9th June 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Jack Straw accused of passing buck over French student murders – The Guardian

Posted June 9th, 2009 in murder, news, probation by sally

“David Scott, the chief probation officer who resigned over the murder of two French students by a convicted violent criminal and his accomplice, has launched a scathing attack on the justice secretary, Jack Straw.”

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The Guardian, 9th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Murder pleas ‘had to be dropped’ – BBC News

Posted June 9th, 2009 in evidence, murder, news, pleadings by sally

“Two brothers convicted of killing a bank chief expected to face a murder trial until their court case started.”

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BBC News, 9th June 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Time spent in error counts towards FOI rejections, says Information Tribunal – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 9th, 2009 in freedom of information, news by sally

“An organisation is allowed to count time spent on errors in calculating when it can refuse a Freedom Of Information (FOI) Act request, the Information Tribunal has ruled.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 9th June 2009

Source: www.out-law.com