Rare butterfly killer Philip Cullen spared jail – BBC News
‘A collector who captured and killed the UK’s rarest butterfly – the Large Blue – has been spared jail.’
BBC News, 7th April 2017
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Man who beat wife with cricket bat is jailed after misleading court – The Guardian
‘A man who beat his wife with a cricket bat and forced her to drink bleach has been resentenced to 18 months after he avoided jail at an earlier hearing by falsely claiming to have a job offer as a professional cricketer.’
The Guardian, 7th April 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Solicitors, trainee and paralegal jailed after landmark convictions for insurance fraud conspiracy – Legal Futures
‘Two solicitors, a trainee and a paralegal are among six men who have today been jailed for a total of 13 and a half years at Liverpool Crown Court for insurance fraud that cost victims £426,000.’
Legal Futures, 7th April 2017
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Collective Proceedings in the CAT: mobility scooters roll on for now – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers
‘Last Friday the CAT handed down a judgment on the first ever-application for a collective proceedings order under the new regime introduced by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The judgment will generally be welcomed by potential claimants, but it has a sting in the tail which may cause serious difficulties for class actions in other vertical infringement cases.’
Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 6th April 2017
Source: www.competitionbulletin.com
Swindon man jailed for single punch killing on night out – BBC News
‘A man has been jailed for eight years after killing a man with a single punch during a night out in Swindon.’
BBC News, 9th April 2017
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Thousands of domestic violence victims withdrawing from legal action after Government cuts, figures reveal – The Independent
‘More than 160,000 victims of domestic violence in England withdrew their support for charges against their abusers in 2016, a number that rocketed by almost 40 per cent compared with the previous 12 months, exclusive figures reveal.’
The Independent, 9th April 2017
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Decriminalising homosexuality: An apology at last – BBC News
‘It has been 50 years since the Sexual Offences Act decriminalised private homosexual acts between men aged over 21 in England and Wales, in 1967.’
BBC News, 10th April 2017
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Subpostmasters fight to clear names in theft and false accounting case – The Guardian
‘More than 1,000 subpostmasters who claim they were wrongly accused of theft or false accounting could join a class action against the Post Office to clear their names.’
The Guardian, 9th April 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Parents film children to win custody battles in bitter divorce cases – Daily Telegraph
‘Desperate parents are increasingly resorting to filming or recording their children in an attempt to win custody in bitter divorce cases, lawyers have said.’
Daily Telegraph, 8th April 2017
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Judge disciplined for offering to pay teenage girl’s penalty – BBC News
‘A judge has been disciplined for offering to pay a penalty for a girl who had stabbed her abuser.’
BBC News, 8th April 2017
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Judge rules ‘paedophile hunters’ can continue posing as children online – The Guardian
‘Self-described “paedophile hunters” have welcomed a court ruling that will allow them to continue to pose as children online to catch sexual predators.’
The Guardian, 8th April 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Anuja Dhir becomes first non-white circuit judge at Old Bailey – The Guardian
‘The first non-white circuit judge to sit at the Old Bailey has revealed she was often mistaken for a defendant or witness when she first entered the judiciary.’
The Guardian, 8th April 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
BAILII: Recent Decisions
Supreme Court
Isle of Wight Council v Platt [2017] UKSC 28 (6 April 2017)
AB v Her Majesty’s Advocate [2017] UKSC 25 (5 April 2017)
Essop & Ors v Home Office (UK Border Agency) [2017] UKSC 27 (5 April 2017)
Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Ltd v Revenue and Customs (5 April 2017)
High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)
Stunt v Associated Newspapers Ltd [2017] EWHC 695 (QB) (06 April 2017)
Cleeves v University of Oxford [2017] EWHC 702 (QB) (05 April 2017)
High Court (Technology and Construction Court)
Aecom Design Build Ltd v Staptina Engineering Services Ltd [2017] EWHC 723 (TCC) (05 April 2017)
RCS Contractors Ltd v Conway [2017] EWHC 715 (TCC) (04 April 2017)
Source: www.bailii.org
Drug company’s use of trade mark rights to restrict rival imports legitimate, rules Court of Appeal – OUT-LAW.com
‘A drug company was entitled to rely on its trade mark rights to stop two businesses from importing into the UK the same product as it sold on the basis that the rivals’ product would be sold under the drug company’s name, the Court of Appeal in London has ruled.’
OUT-LAW.com, 6th April
Source: www.out-law.com
The government’s ‘English votes for English laws’ review: an assessment – UCL Constitution Unit
‘Last Thursday the government published its technical review of the operation of the “English votes for English laws” (EVEL) procedures in the House of Commons. The review concluded against making “any substantive changes”. Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny argue that this is a missed opportunity. The decision to close down this chance for parliament to engage in meaningful debate about the EVEL system is regrettable, and may prove to be short-sighted.’
UCL Constitution Unit, 5th April 2017
Source: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Regency Villas v Diamond Resorts: “Sport is not a matter of ‘mere recreation or amusement’, it’s more important than that.” – Sports Law Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers
‘Anyone looking for a judicial discussion of the importance of sport in modern life might not immediately think of looking in a judgment on the law of easements. But that is what the Court of Appeal has given us in Regency Villas Title Ltd v Diamond Resorts (Europe) Ltd [2017] EWCA Civ 238, which concerns the grant of rights to use various sports and recreational facilities in a leisure complex.’
Sports Law Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 7th April 2017
Source: www.sportslawbulletin.org
Solicitor and firm fined in first criminal prosecution by Pensions Regulator – Legal Futures
‘A solicitor and the firm where he is a partner have been ordered to pay more than £16,000 in fines and costs for refusing to give documents to The Pensions Regulator (TPR) which were required as part of a wider investigation.’
Legal Futures, 7th April 2017
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
New powers to tackle illegal working in licensed premises – Home Office
‘New powers to prevent illegal working in premises that sell alcohol or provide late night refreshment have come into force in England and Wales today.’
Home Office, 6th April 2017
Source: www.gov.uk/home-office
Con man convicted of wine fraud – Crown Prosecution Service
‘A con man who tricked his girlfriend and others out of £100,000 by pretending he was a successful international businessman has been found guilty of 22 counts of fraud.’
Crown Prosecution Service, 6th April 2017
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
Judge disciplined over speech saying racism ‘alive and well’ in judiciary – The Guardian
‘Peter Herbert, a part-time judge and chair of the Society of Black Lawyers, has been disciplined by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office for making a public speech on a political issue.’
The Guardian, 6th April 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
