Marine Alexander Blackman conviction reduced to manslaughter – BBC News

‘A Royal Marine jailed for shooting an injured Taliban fighter in Afghanistan has had his murder conviction reduced to manslaughter by an appeal court.’

Full story

BBC News, 15th March 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MPs will be banned from hiring family members at the public’s expense, IPSA says as 130 relatives of MPs could lose their jobs – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 16th, 2017 in employment, expenses, families, news, parliament by sally

‘MPs will be banned from hiring their children and spouses on the public purse after the next election, it has been announced.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 15th March 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Conservative Party fined £70,000 after investigation finds ‘significant’ election campaign expenses issues – The Independent

Posted March 16th, 2017 in elections, expenses, fines, news, political parties by sally

‘The Electoral Commission has fined the Conservative Party £70,000 over “significant” election campaign expenses issues.’

Full story

The Independent, 16th March 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Student accused of ETS fraud found to have been unlawfully detained – Free Movement

Posted March 15th, 2017 in detention, examinations, fraud, immigration, judicial review, news, notification by sally

‘In R (on the application of Iqbal) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2017] EWHC 79 (Admin) the Secretary of State for the Home Department (SSHD) was found to have unlawfully detained a claimant whom they had alleged had fraudulently obtained an Educational Test Service (ETS) certificate to show that he spoke English to the level required for his immigration application.’

Full story

Free Movement, 15th March 2017

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted March 15th, 2017 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority v First Tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber) (Criminal Injuries Compensation) & Anor [2017] EWCA Civ 139 (14 March 2017)

Dartford Borough Council v The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government & Ors [2017] EWCA Civ 141 (14 March 2017)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Soulcycle Inc v Matalan Ltd [2017] EWHC 496 (Ch) (14 March 2017)

The Football Association Premier League Ltd v British Telecommunications Plc & Ors [2017] EWHC 480 (Ch) (13 March 2017)

Martin v Williams [2017] EWHC 491 (Ch) (13 March 2017)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Marathon Asset Management LLP & Anor v Seddon & Ors [2017] EWHC 479 (Comm) (14 March 2017)

High Court (Family Division)

Benmusa, Re [2017] EWHC 494 (Fam) (14 March 2017)

Source: www.bailii.org

Trial judges should not “trammel” costs judges’ jurisdiction when parties go over budget – Litigation Futures

Posted March 15th, 2017 in budgets, costs, dilapidations, news, part 36 offers by sally

‘A deputy High Court judge has refused to provide a receiving party with an “indication” of whether it acted reasonably in exceeding its costs budget, saying trial judges should “not seek to trammel the costs judge’s jurisdiction” unless there are specific issues they want to raise.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 14th March 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

£2 damages winner faces costs bill for nine-day hearing – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 15th, 2017 in costs, damages, data protection, misuse of private information, news by sally

‘A claimant who secured £2 in nominal damages has been told they face a substantial costs bill for turning down an earlier offer to settle.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th March 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Disabled man born from incestuous rape denied compensation – The Guardian

Posted March 15th, 2017 in compensation, criminal injuries compensation, incest, news, rape by sally

‘A disabled man born with a serious genetic disorder, due to an incestuous rape, has failed to obtain compensation for his medical condition.’

Full story

The Guardian, 14th March 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge rules boy must be taught in Islamic school despite complaints from ‘Anglo-Saxon’ father – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 15th, 2017 in children, divorce, education, Islam, news by sally

‘A father who describes himself as “Anglo-Saxon” has lost a legal battle to prevent his Muslim ex-wife from sending their 10-year-old son to an Islamic secondary school.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 14th March 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Identity fraud reached record levels in 2016 – BBC News

Posted March 15th, 2017 in identity fraud, news, statistics, young persons by sally

‘Young people are a growing target for identity theft cases, which have reached record levels in 2016, fraud prevention organisation Cifas says. Almost 25,000 victims of fraud were aged under 30, with the number of under-21s defrauded rising by a third.’

Full story

BBC News, 15th March 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Social media firms accused of ‘commercial prostitution’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 15th, 2017 in hate crime, internet, news, select committees by sally

‘Social media companies have been accused of “commercial prostitution” and having “no shame” after being grilled by MPs over their failure to take down abusive content.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 14th March 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Thomas Orchard custody death: Three officers found not guilty of killing man with schizophrenia in police custody – The Independent

Posted March 15th, 2017 in death in custody, homicide, mental health, news, police, restraint by sally

‘A custody sergeant and two detention officers have been found not guilty of killing a man with mental health problems in police custody.’

Full story

The Independent, 14th March 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Supreme Court to rule on case of daughter left out of mother’s £160k will in favour of animal charities – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 15th, 2017 in appeals, charities, news, Supreme Court, wills by sally

‘A six-figure award to a woman who was left out of her estranged mother’s will is at the centre of a ruling by the UK’s highest court today.’

Full story

The Independent, 15th March 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

DWP ‘tells disability benefits assessors to discriminate against people with mental health conditions’ – The Independent

Posted March 15th, 2017 in benefits, disabled persons, mental health, news by sally

‘The Department for Work and Pensions has told its disability benefits assessors to discriminate against people with mental health conditions compared to those with physical problems.’

Full story

The Independent, 14th March 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

The Priory hospital ordered to improved after inadequate rating – BBC News

Posted March 15th, 2017 in hospitals, mental health, news, quality assurance by sally

‘One of the country’s best known private health clinics has been rated “inadequate” for safety by inspectors.’

Full story

BBC News, 14th March 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted March 14th, 2017 in law reports by sally

High Court (Commercial Court)

Deutsche Bank AG v Vik & Anor [2017] EWHC 459 (Comm) (13 March 2017)

Ruby Roz Agricol LLP v The Republic of Kazakhstan [2017] EWHC 439 (Comm) (08 March 2017)

High Court (Family Division)

SW & TW (Children : Human Rights Claim: Procedure) (Rev 1) [2017] EWHC 450 (Fam) (08 March 2017) [2017] EWHC 450 (Fam) (08 March 2017)

J v U; U v J (No.2) (Domicile) [2017] EWHC 449 (Fam) (08 March 2017)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Hourani v Thomson & Ors [2017] EWHC 432 (QB) (10 March 2017)

Monroe v Hopkins [2017] EWHC 433 (QB) (10 March 2017)

Maylin v Dacorum Sports Trust (t/a XC Sportspace) [2017] EWHC 378 (QB) (09 March 2017)

High Court (Technology and Construction Court)

Car Giant Ltd & Anor v London Borough of Hammersmith [2017] EWHC 464 (TCC) (10 March 2017)

Symbion Power LLC v Venco Imtiaz Construction Company [2017] EWHC 348 (TCC) (10 March 2017)

Oldcorn & Anor v Southern Water Services Ltd [2017] EWHC 460 (TCC) (09 March 2017)

Source: www.bailii.org

NHS data loss scandal has prompted five inquiries, ministers say – The Guardian

Posted March 14th, 2017 in data protection, disclosure, documents, health, inquiries, news by sally

‘The NHS’s loss of more than half a million pieces of confidential medical correspondence is so serious that it has triggered five separate investigations, ministers have admitted.’

Full story

The Guardian, 13th March 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted March 14th, 2017 in legislation by sally

The Infrastructure Act 2015 (Commencement No. 7) Regulations 2017

The Value Added Tax (Amendment) Regulations 2017

The Income Tax (Relevant Maximum for Calculating Trade Profits on the Cash Basis) Order 2017

The Investment Allowance and Cluster Area Allowance (Investment Expenditure) Regulations 2017

The Value Added Tax (Increase of Registration Limits) Order 2017

The Trade Union (Facility Time Publication Requirements) Regulations 2017

The Nursing and Midwifery (Amendment) Order 2017

The Infrastructure Planning Fees (Amendment) Regulations 2017

The Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 (Estimates and Accounts) Order 2017

The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2017

The Policing and Crime Act 2017 (Possession of Pyrotechnic Articles at Musical Events) Regulations 2017

The Taxes (Interest Rate) (Amendment) Regulations 2017

The National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) (Amendment) Regulations 2017

The Social Security (Social Care Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2017

The Seeds (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2017

The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions Designation and Consequential Amendment Order 2017

The Social Fund (Amendment) Regulations 2017

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Police body-worn video leads to domestic abuse conviction – Crown Prosecution Service

‘Police body-worn video evidence has been used to prosecute a man who assaulted a woman and a boy.’

Full press release

Crown Prosecution Service, 10th March 2017

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Business and Property Courts – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted March 14th, 2017 in civil justice, courts, dispute resolution, press releases by sally

‘From June of this year, the specialist civil courts are to be known as the “Business and Property Courts of England and Wales”.’

Full press release

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 13th March 2017

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk