Police and prosecution lawyers fail to correctly disclose evidence in nearly half of cases, watchdog says – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 13th, 2018 in disclosure, evidence, news, police, reports by sally

‘Police and prosecution lawyers are failing to correctly disclose evidence in nearly half of court cases, watchdog review has found.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th July 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Legal challenge to the Undercover Police Inquiry — will it succeed? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted July 11th, 2018 in diversity, inquiries, news, police, spying by sally

‘It was reported on Thursday, 5 July 2018, that three core participants in the Undercover Policing Inquiry are intending to launch a legal challenge against the Home Secretary’s decision not to appoint a panel to sit with the Chair, Sir John Mitting. They say a diverse panel is needed who will better understand the issues of racism, sexism and class discrimination that the inquiry will inevitably raise. So where has this challenge come from, and is it likely to succeed?’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 10th July 2018

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Sheffield tree protester guilty of obstructing PC – BBC News

‘An anti-tree felling campaigner has been convicted of obstructing police for failing to give his name and address when he was being arrested.’

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BBC News, 9th July 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inquest jury condemns Surrey police over death of man placed in spit hood – The Guardian

Posted July 6th, 2018 in death in custody, inquests, news, police, restraint by sally

‘A jury has found that Surrey police seriously failed in its duty of care to a 33-year-old labourer who was handcuffed, placed in leg restraints and had a spit hood placed over his head in the hours before he died.’

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The Guardian, 5th July 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Gaia Pope: Police watchdog launches new probe over handling of rape allegation two years before teenager’s death – The Independent

Posted July 5th, 2018 in complaints, mental health, news, police, rape, suicide, victims, young persons by sally

‘Police who failed to act on an allegation of rape made by Gaia Pope two years before her tragic death are under investigation in a fresh probe.’

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The Independent, 5th July 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Undercover policing inquiry: victims launch legal action – The Guardian

Posted July 5th, 2018 in diversity, inquiries, investigatory powers, news, police, victims by sally

‘Victims of undercover police officers have started legal action against the home secretary over the troubled public inquiry into the conduct of police spies.’

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The Guardian, 5th July 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Hampshire police hand investigation into Gosport hospital deaths to another force after admitting failings – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 22nd, 2018 in doctors, homicide, hospitals, news, police, professional conduct, prosecutions by sally

‘Hundreds of deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital are to be investigated by a new force after Hampshire’s chief constable admitted its inquiries were not fit for purpose.’

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Daily Telegraph, 21st June 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Speech by Lord Justice Gross: Disclosure – Again – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted June 21st, 2018 in case management, criminal justice, disclosure, police, speeches by sally

‘Speech by Lord Justice Gross: Disclosure – Again.’

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Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 19th June 2018

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Rashan Charles: Family brand inquest a ‘farce’ after jury finds death was accidental – The Independent

Posted June 21st, 2018 in accidents, death in custody, inquiries, news, police by sally

‘The family of a young man who died while being restrained by police have branded the inquest a “farce”. Rashan Charles, 20, died in July last year after being chased into a shop in Hackney, east London, where CCTV showed an officer from the Metropolitan Police struggling with him on the floor. The jury found his death was an accident following justified use of force.’

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The Independent, 20th June 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

ICO hits police force with £80k penalty for revealing identities of abuse victims – Local Government Lawyer

Posted June 18th, 2018 in child abuse, data protection, electronic mail, fines, news, police by sally

‘A police force has been hit with an £80,000 monetary penalty by the Information Commissioner’s Office after it sent a bulk email that identified victims of non-recent child abuse.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th June 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Appealing adjournments in misconduct hearings – UK Police Law Blog

Posted June 15th, 2018 in adjournment, appeals, case management, news, police, tribunals by sally

‘Challenges to a failure to adjourn seem to be popping-up at the moment. There was the recent decision of the Court of Appeal in Solanki v (1) Intercity Telecom Ltd (2) Guidinglight Finance Ltd [2018] EWCA Civ 101 – where a judge had failed to give adequate reasons for rejecting medical evidence justifying an adjournment. By contrast, in the recent decision of Lindsay v Solicitors’ Regulatory Authority [2018] EWHC 1275 (Admin), the respondent in misconduct proceedings failed to advance adequate evidence to support such an application. What lies deeper beneath, however, is whether an appeal against a decision not to adjourn requires the appellate court or tribunal to consider whether the original decision lay within the range of reasonable responses open to the decision maker below or, alternatively, has to determine the question of fairness / correctness itself.’

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UK Police Law Blog, 15th June 2018

Source: ukpolicelawblog.com

Child abuse victims named in police bulk email error – The Guardian

Posted June 15th, 2018 in child abuse, data protection, electronic mail, fines, news, police by sally

‘A police force has been fined and heavily criticised for sending out a bulk email that identified victims of historical child abuse. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said the error by Gloucestershire police was likely to have caused “substantial distress” to alleged abuse victims, some of whom were legally entitled to lifelong anonymity.’

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The Guardian, 14th June 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police and service dogs and horses receive protection by law – The Guardian

Posted June 15th, 2018 in bills, dogs, horses, news, police, prisons by sally

‘A bill making it a specific offence to attack police or prison officer dogs or police horses is set to become law after the government decided to back the measure, closing what campaigners said was a loophole in existing legislation.’

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The Guardian, 15th June 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police face legal challenge over ‘authoritarian’ facial recognition technology – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 15th, 2018 in facial mapping, news, photography, police by sally

‘The Metropolitan Police is facing a legal challenge over its use of facial recognition technology to spot potential suspects in crowds. Civil liberties group Big Brother Watch on Thursday launched what it described as a landmark legal challenge, with the backing of Baroness Jenny Jones.’

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Daily Telegraph, 14th June 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The Avoidance of Doubt(fire): police pensions and subsequent Selected Medical Practitioner determinations – UK Police Law Blog

Posted June 14th, 2018 in industrial injuries, news, pensions, police by sally

‘The determinations of Selected Medical Practitioners (SMPs) made under the various Police Pensions Regulations and the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 are, in many cases, supposed to be final unless or until they are appealed. Subsequent SMPs, Police Medical Appeal Boards and, on occasion, the lawyers acting for both officers and police pension authorities, seem prone to forget this principle. When they do, the High Court always welcomes them with open arms and a consistent eagerness to remind them that careful adherence to the statutory procedures for injury on duty awards is in everyone’s long-term interest. The case of R (Evans) v Chief Constable of Cheshire Constabulary and Police Medical Appeals Board [2018] EWHC 952 (Admin) is the latest case to confirm this principle.’

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UK Police Law Blog, 13th June 2018

Source: ukpolicelawblog.com

Revenge porn: One in three allegations dropped – BBC News

Posted June 14th, 2018 in anonymity, complaints, harassment, news, police, pornography, victims by sally

‘One in three allegations of so-called revenge porn are withdrawn by the complainant, new figures show.’

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BBC News, 14th June 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police watchdog criticises failings in England and Wales – The Guardian

Posted June 13th, 2018 in news, police by sally

‘Police leaders in England and Wales are failing to plan for demand and putting public safety at risk, the forces’ official watchdog has warned.’

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The Guardian, 12th June 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Delaying disclosure for effective investigation – UK Police Law Blog

Posted June 12th, 2018 in delay, disclosure, news, police, reports by sally

‘The Family Division of the High Court in G v G (Chief Constable of Dorset Police intervening) [2018] EWHC 1100 (Fam) ordered that the service and disclosure of a CAFCASS report be delayed for a week in order to allow an effective police investigation into allegations that the father had sexually abused one of the children. The judgment of 4 May 2018 was delivered in private and Holman J gave leave for an anonymised version to be published one week later, stating that the decision had been made upon the Court “being asked to take a very unusual course” in “a very unusual application”.’

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UK Police Law Blog, 11th June 2018

Source: ukpolicelawblog.com

Judge asked to lift prosecution ban on Hillsborough officer – The Guardian

Posted June 12th, 2018 in abuse of process, health & safety, homicide, news, police, prosecutions, sport by sally

‘An application by the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute David Duckenfield, the South Yorkshire police officer who was in command at the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough in 1989 when 96 people were killed, has begun at Preston crown court.’

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The Guardian, 11th June 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Proceeding in absence: Adeogba reaffirmed – UK Police Law Blog

Posted June 11th, 2018 in disciplinary procedures, news, police by sally

‘The position on proceeding in absence of a defendant officer in police misconduct hearings was always thought to mirror that in criminal proceedings – and for good reason. The central authority of R v Jones (Anthony) [2003] 1 AC 1, setting out the very high bar to proceeding in criminal actions was followed by Tate v The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons [2003] UKPC 34, which adopted that test for disciplinary hearings. It is worth noting that although Tate was heard by the Privy Council, it did so as a first (and only) tier appeal tribunal. Regardless, the position in Tate no longer holds.’

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UK Police Law Blog, 9th June 2018

Source: ukpolicelawblog.com