Pensions Ombudsman anonymity move will protect individuals, but could lead to vexatious claims, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 13th, 2016 in anonymity, complaints, news, ombudsmen, pensions, vexatious litigants by sally

‘The UK Pensions Ombudsman has begun publishing adjudicators’ opinions and formal ombudsman determinations on its website and will make the complainants anonymous in most cases.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 10th June 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Economic complexity: CAT vs High Court – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

‘One of the advantages of the Competition Appeal Tribunal is said to be the fact that its three-member panel typically includes an economist. But is that really such a big advantage over the High Court?’

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Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 9th June 2016

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

Home Office refuses to reveal whether women in Yarl’s Wood have been raped in case it ‘damages the commercial interests’ of companies – The Independent

‘Last year, the chief prisons inspector called Yarl’s Wood ‘a place of national concern’ following concerns over alleged sexual abuse and intimidation of women detained there.’

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The Independent, 13th June 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Court finds UK gangmaster liable for modern slavery victims – The Guardian

‘A British company has been found liable for the first time for victims of modern slavery in a landmark high court judgment.’

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The Guardian, 10th June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Skip hire firm boss jailed for injuring 21 people when his Mercedes careered into charity ball marquee – Daily Telegraph

‘A wealthy businessman who drunkenly ploughed his new Mercedes into a marquee at a charity ball injuring 21 people has been jailed for more than a year.’

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Daily Telegraph, 10th June 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Man jailed for 150mph car chase on A1 with girl, 3, in back seat – BBC News

‘A drug dealer who drove at speeds of up to 150mph with a three-year-old girl in his car during a police chase has been jailed for two years and eight months.’

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BBC News, 10th June 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Revenge porn’ threats could be made a crime in England and Wales – The Guardian

‘The threat of circulating “revenge porn” would be criminalised and the evidence threshold lowered to bring England and Wales in line with Scottish law, under changes to be proposed by a former Lib Dem cabinet minister.’

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The Guardian, 11th June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Sarah McClay death: South Lakes Safari Zoo fined – BBC News

Posted June 13th, 2016 in animals, costs, employment, fines, guilty pleas, health & safety, inquests, news, sentencing by sally

‘A zoo where a keeper was mauled to death by a tiger has been fined for health and safety breaches.’

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BBC News, 10th June 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Migrants from UK urged to give evidence to child abuse inquiry – The Guardian

Posted June 13th, 2016 in child abuse, immigration, inquiries, news, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘Men and women transported to Australia and Canada after being sexually and physically abused as children in the UK are being encouraged to give evidence to Britain’s public inquiry into historic and ongoing child abuse.’

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The Guardian, 13th June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Met officer wins sex discrimination case after towel incident – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 10th, 2016 in news, police, sex discrimination by sally

‘A respected police officer has won a sex discrimination case against the Metropolitan Police after he was “unlawfully punished” by a female officer following an incident involving a towel.’

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Daily Telegraph, 10th June 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Council to challenge term-time holiday decision – BBC News

‘A court decision not to fine a father who took his daughter on an unauthorised term-time holiday is set to be challenged.’

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BBC News, 9th June 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Crown Prosecution Service statement: Operation Lydd – CPS News Brief

‘The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has considered a file of evidence from the Metropolitan Police relating to one suspect in connection with allegations made concerning the movement and alleged ill treatment of Abdel Hakim Belhadj and his wife, Fatima Boudchar, and Sami Al Saadi and his wife and children from countries in South East Asia to Libya in 2004.’

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CPS News Brief, 9th June 2016

Source: http://blog.cps.gov.uk

Southern Health trust accepts responsibility for teenager’s death – The Guardian

Posted June 10th, 2016 in compensation, disabled persons, hospitals, negligence, news by sally

‘The family of an 18-year-old man who drowned following an epileptic seizure while under the care of Southern Health NHS foundation trust has been awarded £80,000 compensation.’

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The Guardian, 9th June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Knife crime: Almost half of repeat offenders spared jail – BBC News

Posted June 10th, 2016 in news, offensive weapons, recidivists, sentencing, statistics by sally

‘Almost half of repeat knife offenders were not immediately jailed, despite new legislation requiring judges to impose a prison sentence.’

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BBC News, 9th June 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bar Council: use direct access barristers instead of paid McKenzie Friends – Legal Futures

Posted June 10th, 2016 in barristers, budgets, fees, McKenzie friends, news by sally

‘Litigants with limited funds should use direct access barristers to represent them in court rather than pay for McKenzie Friends, the Bar Council has argued.’

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Legal Futures, 10th June 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Government rules that shoppers have the right to buy items online – as it shames major golf club brand – Daily Telegraph

‘Shoppers cannot legally be denied the right to buy goods online, the Government has ruled, as its consumer arm declared a major golfing retailers’ ban on shops selling its products online as unlawful.’

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Daily Telegraph, 9th June 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Adult Defendant Anonymity in Criminal Proceedings – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted June 10th, 2016 in anonymity, news, reporting restrictions, trials by sally

‘Should defendant anonymity be granted to prevent reputational damage?
The current position for adult defendants is that the media will generally be able to report the name of a defendant facing a criminal charge. Anonymity will not be granted to defendants on the basis of embarrassment or stigma, harassment or economic loss caused by the publication of their name in criminal proceedings.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 9th June 2016

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Two jurors given suspended sentences for contempt of court – BBC News

Posted June 10th, 2016 in contempt of court, juries, news, sentencing, suspended sentences by sally

‘A juror who caused a criminal trial to collapse at a cost of £80,000 has been been given a nine-month suspended sentence for contempt of court.’

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BBC News, 9th June 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Defendant who represented himself gets new case review hope – The Guardian

‘A dyslexic defendant who represented himself in a crown court trial – after being handed 790 hours of CCTV footage to review in prison to support his alibi – is challenging his conviction for attempted murder.’

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The Guardian, 10th June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

R+V Versicherung AG v Robertson & Co SA – WLR Daily

R+V Versicherung AG v Robertson & Co SA [2016] EWHC 1243 (QB)

‘The claimant reinsurer, a German company, engaged the defendant, a Swiss company, to provide loss-adjusting services in joint instruction with another reinsurer, AIG, a New Zealand-based company, which was already instructing the defendant. When a dispute arose between the claimant and the defendant concerning the performance of its loss-adjusting services, the claimant brought proceedings in England on the basis that it had contracted with the defendant on terms contained in a master agreement made between the defendant and another AIG company which provided for application of English law and the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts. The claimant served the proceedings on the defendant, relying on article 23 of the Lugano Convention on Jurisdiction and the Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters 2007. The defendant, denying that the terms of the master agreement had been incorporated into its contract with the claimant, applied to set aside service of the proceedings for want of jurisdiction.’

WLR Daily, 27th May 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk