Judges scorn American-style sentencing to control prison overcrowding – The Times

Posted June 30th, 2008 in news, prisons, sentencing by sally

“Plans for an American-style sentencing ‘grid’ to control prison numbers appear doomed because of overwhelming opposition from the judiciary.”

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The Times, 30th June 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Psychiatrist who released killer patient is suing for compensation – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 28th, 2008 in mental health, news, psychiatrists by sally

“A psychiatrist is suing her employer for £300,000 compensation because she was ‘humiliated’ and made to stop work after she released a mental patient who fatally stabbed a retired banker the next day.”

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Daily Telegraph, 28th June 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Mother jailed for abandoning son – BBC News

Posted June 28th, 2008 in child neglect, news, perverting the course of justice, sentencing by sally

“A woman who left her two-year-old son alone for the weekend has been jailed for 18 months.”

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BBC News, 27th June 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Couple jailed after leaving girl to die in ‘filth and squalor’ – The Guardian

Posted June 28th, 2008 in child neglect, homicide, news, sentencing by sally

“A judge today questioned a decision by prosecutors not to pursue a murder charge against a mother who left her three-year-old daughter to die from malnutrition in her bedroom.”

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The Guardian, 27th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Midwives: Law on breastfeeding must be widened – The Independent

Posted June 28th, 2008 in breastfeeding, news by sally

“Midwives and maternity groups are urging the Government to extend a new law to give mothers the legal right to breastfeed babies more than six months old in public.”

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The Independent, 28th June 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Addict who murdered had been freed on bail – The Guardian

Posted June 28th, 2008 in bail, Crown Prosecution Service, murder, news, sexual offences by sally

“Police last night criticised prosecutors for failing to charge a crack addict accused of rape who went on to sexually assault and murder a woman a week after being released from custody.”

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The Guardian, 28th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Overworked’ QBD judges blast long hours culture – The Lawyer

Posted June 28th, 2008 in judiciary, news by sally

“The High Court’s Queen’s Bench Division (QBD) is in turmoil after being branded ‘chaotic’ by a raft of judges, some of whom claim not to have had a break in the past 10 months.”

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The Lawyer, 28th June 2008

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Report questions gun crime policy – BBC News

Posted June 28th, 2008 in firearms, news by sally

“Policies on gun crime are flawed because ministers overlook its root causes – poverty and inequality, a report by criminologists claims.”

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BBC News, 28th June 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Caretaker wins ladder fall case – BBC News

Posted June 27th, 2008 in damages, health & safety, news, personal injuries by sally

“A school caretaker has successfully sued Hampshire County Council after he was injured falling off a stepladder.”

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BBC News, 27th June 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Shiv Malik ordered to hand police source material for terrorism book – The Guardian

Posted June 27th, 2008 in confidentiality, judicial review, news, police, terrorism by sally

“Freelance journalist Shiv Malik must hand over his source material for a book on terrorism to Greater Manchester Police within seven days and pay legal costs, a judicial review of the case ruled yesterday.”

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The Guardian, 27th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Responses to the Sentencing Commission Working Group consultation paper: A Structured Sentencing Framework and Sentencing Commission – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted June 27th, 2008 in consultations, news, sentencing by sally

Response on behalf of the Council of Her Majesty’s Circuit Judges (PDF) and Postscript (PDF)

Response on behalf of the Magistrates Association (Word)

Judiciary of England and Wales, 26th June 2008

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Childless couples denied as anonymity loss scares egg and sperm donors – The Times

Posted June 27th, 2008 in anonymity, assisted reproduction, news by sally

“The removal of anonymity from sperm and egg donors has provoked a crisis in fertility treatment that is denying couples the chance to try for a baby.”

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The Times, 26th June 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Government will crack down on unnecessary CRB checks, Phil Hope says – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 27th, 2008 in child abuse, criminal records, news by sally

“Voluntary groups who force adults to have unnecessary criminal records checks will be given special training by the Government, ministers said.”

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Daily Telegraph, 26th June 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

State to take action against parents who can’t control their children – The Times

Posted June 27th, 2008 in ASBOs, children, news, parental responsibility by sally

” Children as young as 5 will be identified as being at risk of becoming criminals or troublemakers under government plans to tackle offending and disorder on the streets.”

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The Times, 27th June 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Straw’s emergency bill to shield witnesses – The Guardian

Posted June 27th, 2008 in anonymity, news, witnesses by sally

“Jack Straw, the justice secretary, will introduce an emergency bill in the Commons next week to try to stop hundreds of serious criminal cases collapsing because of concerns about anonymous witnesses. Announcing the move yesterday, he said the bill was expected to go through all its Commons stages the week beginning July 7.”

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The Guardian, 27th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Expro takeover given High Court approval – The Times

Posted June 27th, 2008 in news, takeovers by sally

“The Takeover Panel received a significant boost to its authority to police takeovers today after the High Court approved a £1.8 billion acquisition of Expro, the oil services provider, by a private equity consortium.”

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The Times, 26th June 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Haulier hit car while on phone – The Guardian

Posted June 27th, 2008 in dangerous driving, news, sentencing by sally

“A lorry driver who caused a fatal accident while talking on his Bluetooth headset was jailed yesterday for four-and-a-half years. Haulier Mervyn Richmond, 49, was so distracted during a conversation with his mother that he ploughed into a line of stationary traffic, killing father-of-two Michael Buston.”

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The Guardian, 27th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Man freed early ‘committed rape’ – BBC News

Posted June 27th, 2008 in news, parole, prisons, rape by sally

“A prisoner allegedly raped someone after being released early under a government scheme aimed at easing jail overcrowding, it has emerged.”

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BBC News, 27th June 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Website domain names: any suffixes could be possible after landmark vote – The Guardian

Posted June 27th, 2008 in domain names, news by sally

“Icann, the organisation that regulates the internet domain name system, has passed a landmark vote to relax rules limiting web addresses to ‘top-level’ suffixes, such as .com and .uk, a move that could see people and companies register almost anything they want.”

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The Guardian, 26th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

21/7 ‘obstruction’ case dropped – BBC News

Posted June 26th, 2008 in disclosure, news, terrorism by sally

“Prosecutors have dropped charges against a man who was accused of failing to disclose information about one of the attempted 21 July bombers.”

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BBC News, 26th June 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk