Electronic signatures are valid, confirms Law Commission – Law Commission

‘Electronic signatures can be used to execute documents, including where there is a statutory requirement for a signature, the Law Commission has today confirmed. This means that, in most cases, electronic signatures can be used as a viable alternative to handwritten ones.’

Full press release

Law Commission, 4th September 2019

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk

‘VIP abuse’ accuser Carl Beech inquiry to cost Met Police £4m – BBC News

‘An investigation into false claims of murder and child sexual abuse against public figures could cost the Metropolitan Police £4m.’

Full Story

BBC News, 4th September 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Paedophile who ordered child abuse in Philippines jailed – BBC News

‘A paedophile who ordered the live online sexual abuse of Filipino children by their parents has been jailed for nine years.’

Full Story

BBC News, 4th September 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Albanian crime boss who ran multi-million pound drugs racked ordered to pay only £14,380 – Daily Telegraph

‘An Albanian drugs kingpin who ran a multi-million pound cocaine racket only has to pay back £14,380 after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) requested a “risible” sum, a judge has complained.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 4th September 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre failings led to girl’s sepsis death – BBC News

‘A series of hospital failings contributed to the death of a five-year-old girl who died from toxic shock syndrome, an inquest jury has found.’

Full Story

BBC News, 4th September 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

More violent crime reported on British railways – BBC News

Posted September 5th, 2019 in assault, news, police, railways, sexual offences, statistics, theft, violence by sally

‘Crime recorded on British railways increased by 12% last year including a rise in the number of violent and sexual offences, new figures show.’

Full Story

BBC News, 5th September 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Private school forced to re-admit ‘aggressive’ pupil after parents claim their son was discriminated against – Daily Telegraph

‘A private school has been forced to re-admit an “aggressive” pupil after his parents took legal action, claiming that their son had been discriminated against.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 4th September 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Shamima Begum: journalists will not have to hand over notes – The Guardian

Posted September 5th, 2019 in citizenship, confidentiality, disclosure, media, news, police, terrorism by sally

‘Journalists who interviewed Shamima Begum will not be forced to hand over their notes to counter-terrorism investigators, as police look to build a potential prosecution of the young “Isis bride”.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 4th September 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

BSB introduces new rules to remove restrictions on reporting barristers’ sexual orientation, religion and belief data – Bar Standards Board

Posted September 4th, 2019 in barristers, disclosure, diversity, equality, press releases, statistics by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today published new rules that remove restrictions on the reporting by the profession of sexual orientation, religion and belief data.’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 2nd September 2019

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted September 4th, 2019 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Bennett (Construction) Ltd v CMC MBS Ltd [2019] EWCA Civ 1515 (30 August 2019)

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Gunn v Service Prosecuting Authority [2019] EWCA Crim 1470 (03 September 2019)

High Court (Administrative Court)

Bridges, R (On Application of) v The Chief Constable of South Wales Police [2019] EWHC 2341 (Admin) (04 September 2019)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Promontoria (Henrico) Ltd v Samra [2019] EWHC 2327 (Ch) (03 September 2019)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Flowgroup Plc v Co-Operative Energy Ltd [2019] EWHC 2344 (Comm) (04 September 2019)

Orexim Trading Ltd v Mahavir Port And Terminal Private Ltd (Costs) [2019] EWHC 2338 (Comm) (04 September 2019)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

CJ Motorsport Consulting Ltd v Bird & Anor [2019] EWHC 2330 (QB) (03 September 2019)

Source: www.bailii.org

Gang guilty of London to Cornwall county lines drug operation – The Guardian

Posted September 4th, 2019 in children, conspiracy, drug trafficking, gangs, news, young offenders by sally

‘Seven gang members have been found guilty of running a sophisticated county lines operation in which heroin and crack cocaine were shipped from London to Cornwall with vulnerable young people exploited to sell drugs.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 3rd September 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Environmental lawyers put local authorities “on notice” over alleged climate inaction – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 4th, 2019 in charities, climate change, environmental protection, local government, news by sally

‘Environmental law charity ClientEarth has written to 100 local authorities across England to warn that they will violate their legal obligations and risk legal challenge if they do not introduce proper climate change plans.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 2nd September 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘Misleading’ PeTA ad banned for claiming wool ‘as cruel as fur’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 4th, 2019 in advertising, animal cruelty, animals, complaints, news by sally

‘An advert claiming wool is as cruel as fur has been banned by the watchdog because it said sheep need shearing.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 4th September 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Police use of facial recognition is legal, Cardiff high court rules – The Guardian

Posted September 4th, 2019 in data protection, facial mapping, news, police, privacy by sally

‘Police use of automatic facial recognition technology to search for people in crowds is lawful, the high court in Cardiff has ruled.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 4th September 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Written signatures under threat as law commission backs electronic versions – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 4th, 2019 in electronic commerce, electronic filing, Law Commission, news by sally

‘A 20-month investigation by the Commission into electronic signatures has ruled they are a legally viable alternative to handwritten ones including on deeds from trust documents to powers of attorney, commercial deals, personal financial transactions and across Government.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 3rd September 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

High Court backs former Claims Direct boss over £21m claim – Legal Futures

Posted September 4th, 2019 in breach of trust, claims management, fiduciary duty, fraud, news by sally

‘Colin Poole, the former chief executive of Claims Direct and a struck-off solicitor, has won a High Court battle with shareholders over an alleged £21m debt.’

Full Story

Legal Futrues, 4th September 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Murderer of boy, five, says probation service should have done more – The Guardian

Posted September 4th, 2019 in children, murder, news, probation, victims by sally

‘A man with multiple convictions for violence including murdering his partner’s child has said the probation service should have done more to protect his victims.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 3rd September 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Right to manage still extends across shared estate, despite practical difficulties – Tanfield Chamber

Posted September 4th, 2019 in landlord & tenant, news, service charges by sally

‘Property analysis: A right to manage (RTM) company succeeded in its claim in the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) that the tenants of a block of flats which was part of a larger estate no longer had to pay an estate charge to the management company of the estate because the RTM company had already acquired the right to manage the estate as appurtenant property. The freeholder appealed to the Upper Tribunal and unsuccessfully sought to persuade it that the 2012 Court of Appeal Gala Unity decision on this point was wrong.’

Full Story

Tanfield Chambers, 30th August 2019

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Suspended Jail Sentences For Campaigners Protesting Site Of UK’s ‘Biggest Fracking Tremor’ – Rights Info

‘Three campaigners who breached an injunction restricting protest at a shale gas site struck by what is believed to be the UK’s biggest fracking tremor have been given suspended prison sentences.’

Full Story

Rights Info, 3rd September 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

SEND reforms have “failed to make system less adversarial for parents” – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 4th, 2019 in budgets, children, disabled persons, news, special educational needs by sally

‘A key aim of the SEND (special educational needs and disability) reforms introduced in England five years ago – to make the system feel less adversarial for parents – has not been achieved in relation to children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), it has been claimed.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 3rd September 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk