Woman deceived by undercover officer accuses police of delaying lawsuit – The Guardian

‘A woman who is suing police after discovering that she had a sexual relationship with an undercover officer has accused police of using a variety of delaying tactics to obstruct her legal action.’

Full story

The Guardian, 19th December 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Edlington boy torturer ‘now a different person’ – BBC News

Posted December 20th, 2016 in anonymity, children, grievous bodily harm, news, rehabilitation, young offenders by sally

‘One of two teenage brothers who tortured two boys in South Yorkshire told a judge he was now “the opposite of that person who did the crimes”.’

Full story

BBC News, 19th December 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Millionaire seeks greater share in divorce because he is a ‘genius’, prompting court to examine the meaning of the word – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 20th, 2016 in appeals, divorce, financial provision, news by sally

‘When Oscar Wilde reputedly told a US customs official that he had nothing to declare but his genius, he was, it is assumed, joking.

But genius has become a term used in everyday life to describe everything from hot-housed children to footballers, pop stars and celebrity chefs.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 20th December 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Give judges a role in legal regulation, Society suggests – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 20th, 2016 in judiciary, Law Society, Legal Services Board, news by sally

‘Giving the judiciary a role in appointments to the Legal Services Board could help protect the independence of the legal profession, the Law Society has suggested. Responding to the government’s call for opinions on the future existence and shape of the legal super-regulator, Chancery Lane warns of the international perception that the LSB is an arm of the state.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 19th December 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Woman guilty of Letchworth casserole dish murder – BBC News

Posted December 20th, 2016 in burglary, families, murder, news, perverting the course of justice by sally

‘A woman who killed her half-sister with a chicken-shaped casserole dish while disguised in a goatee beard and wig has been found guilty of murder.’

Full story

BBC News, 19th December 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Jedi order fails in attempt to register as religious group – The Guardian

Posted December 20th, 2016 in charities, freedom of expression, news by sally

‘A Star Wars-inspired organisation has failed to use the force of its arguments to convince the charity watchdog that it should be considered a religious organisation.’

Full story

The Guardian, 19th December 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bringing defamation case may have done company more harm than good, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 20th, 2016 in airlines, damages, defamation, news by sally

‘An aircraft charter company has recorded a “pyrrhic victory” in winning £10 in damages for defamatory comments made about the health of its finances by a rival aviation business, an expert has said.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 19th December 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Mail pays out £150,000 to Muslim family over Katie Hopkins column – The Guardian

Posted December 20th, 2016 in compensation, costs, Islam, media, news by sally

‘Mail Online has been forced to pay out £150,000 to a British Muslim family over a Katie Hopkins column which falsely accused them of extremism.’

Full story

The Guardian, 19th December 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Do we all have a right to cross borders? – The Independent

Posted December 20th, 2016 in freedom of movement, human rights, immigration, news by sally

‘In early December, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was forced to deny reports that he’d told a group of ambassadors he was personally in favour of the free movement of people across the European Union.’

Full story

The Independent, 19th December 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Southern Water fined record £2m for sewage leak on Kent beaches – The Guardian

Posted December 20th, 2016 in fines, news, pollution, sewerage, water companies by sally

‘Southern Water has been fined a record £2m for flooding beaches in Kent with raw sewage, leaving them closed to the public for nine days.’

Full story

The Guardian, 19th December 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Domestic violence legal aid applications rise – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 19th, 2016 in domestic violence, legal aid, legal representation, news, statistics, time limits by sally

‘Relaxing time limits for reporting domestic violence may have contributed to the steep increase in legal aid applications from victims this year, latest government figures suggest.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 15th December 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Court of Appeal upholds English court’s jurisdiction in Portuguese derivatives case – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 19th, 2016 in appeals, banking, international law, jurisdiction, news, treaties by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has dismissed a high profile challenge by four Portuguese state-owned transport companies to the jurisdiction of the English courts in a dispute over a commonly-used standard form derivatives agreement.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 14th December 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Bar Standards Board removes minimum CPD hours for experienced barristers – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 19th, 2016 in barristers, continuing professional development, news by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board has published the details of its new CPD regime, effective from 1st January 2017, removing the minimum hourly training requirement for barristers with more than three years experience.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 15th December 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Family solicitors welcome call for tougher enforcement powers – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 19th, 2016 in enforcement, families, financial provision, Law Commission, news by sally

‘The Law Commission has called for a cultural change to ensure family financial orders are enforced more effectively, estimating that millions of pounds go unpaid every year as a result of non-compliance. The report has been welcomed by family practitioners.’

Full story

Law Society, 19th December 2016

Source: www.lawsociety.org.uk

Richard Clayton QC: New Directions for Article 10: Strasbourg Reverses the Supreme Court in Kennedy – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The Supreme Court decision in Kennedy v Charity Commission was striking from many points of view. Mr Kennedy was a journalist frustrated by the way the Commission handled his allegations concerning George Galloway MP’s controversial Iraq charity, the Miriam Appeal. He applied for disclosure of documents under the Freedom of Information Act, arguing that a prohibition from disclosure under s 32 should be interpreted compatibly with Article 10, as required by s 3 of the HRA. However, the Supreme Court declined to follow the recent ECtHR case law, holding that Article 10 did not encompass a right of access to information, deprecating the parties’ failure to rely upon the common law right to information and disagreeing over the question of whether proportionality should replace Wednesbury unreasonableness: see my previous post on this here.’

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 13th December 2016

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Justice catches up with 101-year-old paedophile – BBC News

Posted December 19th, 2016 in child abuse, elderly, news, sexual offences by sally

‘A 101-year-old man – thought to be the oldest defendant convicted in England and Wales – has been found guilty of a string of historical child sex offences.’

Full story

BBC News, 16th December 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Incurred costs do not need to be contested at first CMC, rule committee says – Litigation Futures

Posted December 19th, 2016 in case management, civil procedure rules, costs, news by sally

‘The cost budgeting rules are to be amended to make it clear that the case management hearing is not the forum to debate incurred costs.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 16th December 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Human rights and business: is international law relevant? – OUP Blog

Posted December 19th, 2016 in company law, human rights, international law, news, United Nations by sally

‘Corporations are now widely seen as having responsibilities in regard to human rights abuses. This was thrown starkly onto the front pages recently when a number of high profile UK companies, including M&S and Asos, were caught up in allegations of child refugees from Syria working in very poor conditions for clothing suppliers based in Turkey. They are just one of many instances around the world where corporations have been shown to be involved in human rights abuses.’

Full story

OUP Blog, 19th December 2016

Source: www.blog.oup.com

Application for Permission to Bring Contempt Proceedings: A Useful Illustration (Aviva IInsurance Ltd V Randive) – Zenith PI Blog

Posted December 19th, 2016 in contempt of court, costs, damages, news, personal injuries, road traffic by sally

‘In Aviva Insurance Ltd v Randive [2016] EWHC 3152 (QB). Slade J dealt with the Applicant’s application for permission to bring contempt proceedings against the Respondent. No new points of principle arise, but Slade J’s recitation of the existing principles and treatment of the issues in the case is a useful indication of how common RTA issues are treated in contempt proceedings.’

Full story

Zenith PI Blog, 15th December 2016

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

Babies made from three people approved in UK – BBC News

Posted December 19th, 2016 in assisted reproduction, DNA, embryology, news by sally

‘Babies made from two women and one man have been approved by the UK’s fertility regulator.’

Full story

BBC News, 15th December 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk