ECHR cases won by UK government show flexibility of human rights system – The Guardian

‘Strasbourg human rights court is ready to admit it gets things wrong when presented with good arguments.’

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The Guardian, 17th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Failed London 21/7 suicide bombers lose appeal – The Guardian

Posted December 16th, 2014 in appeals, explosives, human rights, news, suicide, terrorism, trials by tracey

‘Three men who attempted to carry out suicide bombings on the London Underground in July 2005 have failed to overturn their convictions. The European court of human rights ruled that Muktar Said Ibrahim, Ramzi Mohammed and Yassin Omar received a fair trial. The men, who are Somali nationals, had complained that there had been a delay in allowing them access to a solicitor.’

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The Guardian, 16th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Barrister translates “text-speak” for jury – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 4th, 2014 in affray, firearms, gangs, interpretation, news, telecommunications, trials by sally

‘Barrister forced to translate youths’ “text-speak” into English for a jury.’

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Daily Telegraph, 3rd December 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Judge criticises National Crime Agency over collapse of fraud trial – The Guardian

‘The National Crime Agency has been labelled “incompetent” by an Old Bailey judge after a series of blunders led to the collapse of a £5m trial.’

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The Guardian, 2nd December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Speech to the Bar Conference – Nicholas Lavender QC, Chairman of the Bar Council

Speech to the Bar Conference (PDF)

Nicholas Lavender QC, Chairman of the Bar Council

The Bar Council, 8th November 2014

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Jimmy Mubenga’s final moments acted out before Old Bailey jury – The Guardian

Posted December 3rd, 2014 in aircraft, airports, deportation, homicide, news, police, restraint, trials by sally

‘The wife of an Angolan man who died as he was being deported from the UK broke down in court as a G4S guard described her husband’s last moments.’

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The Guardian, 2nd December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Crown court fees – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 2nd, 2014 in courts, Crown Court, fees, news, trials by sally

‘The first change relates to cases when the defendant elected trial and solicitors had been restricted to the fixed fee, even though the Crown did not proceed at all, and the defendant is acquitted on the order of a judge. In these cases, provided the case goes beyond the plea and case management hearing, a cracked trial fee will be paid.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 1st December 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Attorney general’s rejection of ruling on Charles letters was unlawful, court told – The Guardian

Posted November 25th, 2014 in attorney general, disclosure, documents, news, royal family, Supreme Court, trials, veto by sally

‘The government’s most senior legal adviser acted unlawfully when he overrode a court and blocked the publication of secret letters written by Prince Charles, the supreme court has been told.’

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The Guardian, 25th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina v Pooley (Jonathan); Regina v Lubemba – WLR Daily

Posted November 18th, 2014 in children, criminal procedure, cross-examination, law reports, trials, witnesses by sally

Regina v Pooley (Jonathan); Regina v Lubemba [2014] WLR (D) 472

‘The court gave guidance as to what measures a trial judge might legitimately take to protect a vulnerable witness without impacting adversely on the right of a defendant to a fair trial.’

WLR Daily, 9th October 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Article 6 – the Right to a fair trial – and discrimination in the Armed Forces – Cloisters

‘At a time when the UK’s membership of the European Convention of Human Rights (“ECHR”) and our domestic Human Rights Act 1998 (“HRA”) is a hot political topic, it is timely that the Employment Appeal Tribunal (“EAT”) has handed down a judgment considering Article 6 ECHR in relation to special time limit provisions for discrimination complaints brought by those in the Armed Forces: Duncan v Ministry of Defence.’

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Cloisters, 23rd October 2014

Source: www.cloisters.com

High Court slashes Google trial budget but says it’s too late for costs capping – Litigation Futures

Posted November 18th, 2014 in budgets, costs, costs capping orders, internet, news, trials by sally

‘The High Court has refused to make a costs-capping order in a case against Google because the case was so close to trial and so much had already been spent at a level which made detailed assessment inevitable.’

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Litigation Futures, 18th November 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Jihadis who travel to Syria could be barred from UK return for two years – The Guardian

‘Suspected jihadis, including teenagers, who travel to Syria will be prevented from returning to Britain for two years and only allowed to re-enter if they consent to face trial, home detention, regular police monitoring or go on a deradicalisation course. The plan, agreed after months of internal Whitehall talks, has been cleared by government law officers and devised to minimise legal claims that the British government will be rendering citizens stateless by barring them from the UK.’

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The Guardian, 14th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lord chief justice attacks secret trials – BBC News

‘The lord chief justice of England and Wales has condemned an attempt to hold a completely secret trial, saying it should never happen again.’

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BBC News, 12th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Couple rack up legal bills of nearly £1m fighting divorce battle (over assets worth just £2.9m) – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 13th, 2014 in costs, divorce, news, trials by tracey

‘A businessman and his estranged wife ran up legal bills of more than £900,000 while fighting over assets worth less than £2.9 million, a High Court judge heard. Mr Justice Mostyn said the couple had spent nearly a third of everything they had built up over 18 years funding litigation.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th November 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Regina v P (J); Regina v Lubemba – WLR Daily

Posted November 11th, 2014 in children, criminal procedure, cross-examination, evidence, law reports, trials, witnesses by tracey

Regina v P (J); Regina v Lubemba: [2014] WLR (D) 472

‘The court gave guidance as to what measures a trial judge might legitimately take to protect a vulnerable witness without impacting adversely on the right of a defendant to a fair trial.’

WLR Daily, 9th October 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Bar Standards Board left with £100,000 bill after QASA costs ruling – Legal Futures

Posted November 4th, 2014 in appeals, barristers, costs, news, public interest, quality assurance, trials by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is facing a bill for over £100,000 after the Court of Appeal ruled that there was no need for it to be separately represented at the hearing of the judicial review against the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA).’

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Legal Futures, 4th November 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Abdel Hakim Belhaj wins right to day in court over his kidnap by MI6 and CIA – The Guardian

Posted October 30th, 2014 in appeals, intelligence services, kidnapping, Libya, news, rendition, torture, trials by sally

‘A Libyan exile who was abducted in a joint MI6-CIA operation has won the right to bring his claim against the government to court.’

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The Guardian, 30th October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Chris Huhne challenges court costs for points case – BBC News

Posted October 28th, 2014 in costs, news, road traffic offences, trials by sally

‘Former cabinet minister Chris Huhne is challenging a court order for £77,750 in costs relating to his prosecution for passing speeding points to his former wife.’

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BBC News, 28th October 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Secret’ terror trial begins at Old Bailey – BBC News

Posted October 14th, 2014 in closed material, news, private hearings, reporting restrictions, terrorism, trials by sally

‘A jury has been sworn in at the Old Bailey for a terror trial that will be partially held in secret.’

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BBC News, 13th October 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Child witness court video evidence expansion planned – BBC News

Posted September 10th, 2014 in children, Crown Court, evidence, news, sexual offences, trials, victims, video recordings, witnesses by sally

‘Changes to allow children and abuse victims in England and Wales to film their evidence before a trial begins should be brought in “as fast as possible”, a justice minister has said.’

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BBC News, 9th September 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk