The Justice Committee and the Information Commissioner – Panopticon

Posted March 26th, 2013 in data protection, freedom of information, news, reports, select committees by sally

“On 21st March 2013 the House of Commons Justice Committee published a report (HC 962) on the functions, powers and resources of the Information Commissioner. It is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the current role and future prospects of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).”

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Panopticon, 25th March 2013

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Targeted support for women offenders – Ministry of Justice

Posted March 26th, 2013 in news, prisons, rehabilitation, reports, women by sally

“Female offenders should receive more targeted support to break the cycle of crime and abuse many of them face, Justice Minister Helen Grant said today.”

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Ministry of Justice, 22nd March 2013

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

IPCC report on Mark Duggan shooting to be completed next month – The Guardian

Posted March 26th, 2013 in complaints, delay, firearms, homicide, news, police, reports, Russia by sally

“The report into the police shooting of Mark Duggan will finally be completed next month, over a year later than it was first promised, the police watchdog has announced.”

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The Guardian, 25th March 2013

Source:www.guardian.co.uk

Intestacy and Family Provision Claims on Death – Law Commission

Posted March 22nd, 2013 in intestacy, Law Commission, news, reports, trusts by sally

“Government has accepted, in part, the recommendations we made in our report Intestacy and Family Provision Claims on Death.”

Intestacy and Family Provision Claims on Death

Law Commission, 21st March 2013

Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk

Helen Fenwick: The Report of the Bill of Rights Commission: disappointing Conservative expectations or fulfilling them? – UK Constitution Law Group

“The Commission delivered its Report – A UK Bill of Rights? – The Choice Before Us – to the Government in December 2012. It is an odd document, dominated by the lack of agreement in the Commission as to the role that any human rights’ instrument in Britain should play. That was unsurprising since at the inception of the Commission the Coalition partners appeared to want it to play two different roles – defending or attacking the HRA. From the very outset the Commission and the idea of a Bill of Rights (BoR) was relied upon by Cameron and other senior Conservatives to allay anger in the Conservative party, and among some voters, directed at decisions made under the Human Rights Act. David Cameron announced the Commission’s inception in March 2011 at Prime Ministers’ Questions as a reaction to criticism of the decision of the Supreme Court that sex offenders should be able to challenge their inclusion on the Sex Offenders’ register. He indicated that a BoR would address the concerns expressed (17.3.11; see the Telegraph in relation to R and Thompson v SSHD). The idea that a BoR could right the wrongs of the HRA – would provide a panacea for the HRA’s ills – had apparently been embedded in the Conservative party psyche for some years: David Cameron in a speech to the Centre for Policy Studies in 2006 Balancing freedom and security – A modern British Bill of Rights said that the HRA should be repealed: ‘….The Human Rights Act has a damaging impact on our ability to protect our society against terrorism…. . I am today committing my Party to work towards the production of a Modern Bill of Rights’. In contrast, the 2010 Liberal Democrat election manifesto promised to ‘Ensure that everyone has the same protections under the law by protecting the Human Rights Act.'”

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UK Constitution Law Group, 21st March 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionllaw.org

Public inquiries should avoid mock trial image, says study – The Guardian

Posted March 21st, 2013 in inquiries, news, reports, trials by sally

“Public inquiries should avoid the atmosphere of a ‘mock trial’ in order to improve dialogue among participants, according to a study.”

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The Guardian, 21st March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Disability hate crime victims being let down, official report says – The Guardian

Posted March 21st, 2013 in crime, disabled persons, hate crime, news, reports, victims by sally

“Victims of disability hate crime are being let down by the criminal justice system and attacks are not being properly recorded, according to a report by three official inspectorates.”

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The Guardian, 21st March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Doctors put lower value on lives of the disabled, study finds – Daily Telegraph

“NHS doctors are more likely to allow patients to die if they suffer from a mental disability, a damning Government-backed report suggests.”

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Daily Telegraph, 19th March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Unfair terms in consumer contracts – Law Commission

“The Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission have today recommended reforms to provide better protection for consumers from unfair charges in small print.”

Full report

Law Commission, 19th March 2013

Source: www.justice.gov.uk/lawcommission

Law commissions urge tougher action on hidden charges – BBC News

“Consumers need more protection against hidden charges often tucked away in the
small print, according to two bodies responsible for promoting law reform.”

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BBC News, 19th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Not good’: Ofsted gives a mixed verdict on education reforms in major setback for Michael Gove – The Independent

Posted March 18th, 2013 in education, government departments, news, ombudsmen, reports by sally

“Michael Gove’s flagship education project has been dealt an embarrassing blow after inspectors demanded that three of the new wave of ‘free schools’ must improve their teaching, leadership and pupil performance. In the first official verdict on the Education Secretary’s free schools programme, Ofsted inspectors have ruled that three of the first nine institutions to be examined are “not good” schools.”

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The Independent, 17th March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Terrorism Reviewer: Control Order successor “broadly acceptable” – UK Human Rights Report

“David Anderson QC, the Independent Reviewer of terrorism legislation, has released his first report into the operation of Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures, introduced in 2011 with the aim of protecting the public from persons believed to have engaged in terrorism, but who can neither be prosecuted nor deported.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 14th March 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Privacy and data protection developments in 2013: Google, Facebook, Leveson and more – Panopticon

Posted March 15th, 2013 in data protection, EC law, enforcement, internet, news, penalties, privacy, regulations, reports by tracey

“Data protection law was designed to be a fundamental and concrete dimension of the individual’s right to privacy, the primary safeguard against misuse of personal information. Given those ambitions, it is surprisingly rarely litigated in the UK. It also attracts criticism as imposing burdensome bureaucracy but delivering little in the way of tangible protection in a digital age. Arguably then, data protection law has tended to punch below its weight. There are a number of reasons for this.”

Full story

Panopticon, 11th March 2013

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Cameron pulls the plug on press talks – and sets stage for fight – The Guardian

Posted March 15th, 2013 in freedom of expression, legislation, media, news, parliament, reports by tracey

“PM’s ejector-seat diplomacy over Leveson leaves him facing a complex parliamentary battle.”

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The Guardian, 14th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MPs alarmed at rising use of force to restrain young offenders in detention – The Guardian

Posted March 14th, 2013 in inquiries, news, reports, restraint, security companies, young offenders by sally

“MPs have raised serious concerns about the rising use of force to restrain young offenders in detention last year.”

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The Guardian, 14th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Warning over ‘needless criminalisation’ of children in care – BBC News

Posted March 14th, 2013 in care homes, children, crime, education, news, reports, select committees by sally

“Children in care in England and Wales are being needlessly criminalised for ‘trivial incidents’, MPs have warned.”

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BBC News, 14th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Under the spotlight: perverting the course of justice and wasting police time in cases involving allegedly false rape and domestic violence allegations – Crown Prosecution Service

“The first ever study by the Crown Prosecution Service into so-called false allegations of rape and domestic violence is being published today by the Director of Public Prosecutions.”

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Crown Prosecution Service, 12th March 2013

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Sexual relationships in undercover policing – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted March 12th, 2013 in investigatory powers, news, police, reports, select committees by sally

“Like most people who are commenting in the ether at the moment, I find disturbing one of the two principal threads of the story about undercover policing which are in the news: the forging by one or more undercover officers of sexual relationships with people in the protest groups they had infiltrated. Have a look at this report on the BBC website, for a flavour of the coverage it is receiving, and a call for tighter controls to prevent such activity in the future. And then look at the Home Affairs Select Committee interim report.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 11th March 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Jimmy Savile: Police failed to join the dots, HMIC report concludes – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 12th, 2013 in child abuse, complaints, news, police, reports, sexual offences, victims by sally

“Police buried sex abuse allegations against Jimmy Savile in files marked ‘restricted’ and ‘sensitive’ because of his celebrity status, a damning report has revealed.”

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Daily Telegraph, 12th March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Related link: “Mistakes were made.” HMIC’s review into allegations and intelligence material concerning Jimmy Savile between 1964 and 2012 (PDF)

May rejects calls from MPs for fundamental rethink of drugs strategy – BBC News

Posted March 8th, 2013 in drug abuse, news, rehabilitation, reports by tracey

“Home Secretary Theresa May has rejected calls from MPs for a root-and-branch
review of drugs strategy, insisting the government’s approach is working.”

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BBC News, 7th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk