Home Secretary announces reforms to IPCC – Home Office
‘Organisation to have new governance model and name.’
Home Office, 7th March 2016
Source: www.gov.uk/home-office
Speech by Sir Ernest Ryder: The Modernisation of Access to Justice in Times of Austerity – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
‘Speech by Sir Ernest Ryder: The Modernisation of Access to Justice in Times of Austerity; 5th Annual Ryder Lecture at the University of Bolton.’
Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 7th March 2016
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
Senior judge voices concern over police investigation control – Law Society’s Gazette
‘Judges must “tread carefully” if they are granted powers to control the length of police investigations, the senior presiding judge for England and Wales has said in response to human rights organisation Justice’s report on complex and lengthy criminal trials.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 7th March 2016
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Pair jailed for dumping body of Italian former art thief in London canal – The Guardian
‘Three men involved in dumping the body of a man in a canal and emptying his bank account have been jailed.’
The Guardian, 8th March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
First British smoke-free beach unveiled – Daily Telegraph
‘Little Haven beach in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, is the first seaside resort in Britain to trial the no-smoking signs on the sand.’
Daily Telegraph, 8th March 2016
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Recorded child sex abuse cases increase by more than 30% – The Guardian
‘Cases of recorded child sexual abuse increased by more than 30% last year, figures suggest. Police chiefs fear the rise is being driven by predators searching online for victims.’
The Guardian, 9th March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
HMP Doncaster: Inspectors criticise safety at ‘very poor’ site – BBC News
‘A prison branded inadequate two years ago remains “very poor”, with “many violent incidents” leaving staff and inmates injured, inspectors have said. Privately-run HMP Doncaster suffered from a “lack of staff” and “ineffective initiatives” aimed at reducing violence, a report said.’
BBC News, 9th March 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Discriminating against Gypsies and Travellers is ‘common across Britain’, report finds – The Independent
‘Discrimination against Gypsies and Travellers by the public, the police and other authorities is “common across Britain”, according to a damning report by the UK’s human rights watchdog which warns the groups are among several being “locked out” by society.’
The Independent, 8th March 2016
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Kenneth Clarke ‘failed to act’ over Lord Janner and Cyril Smith child abuse tip-offs – Daily Telegraph
‘Government’s sex abuse inquiry – which has first preliminary hearing on Wednesday – will hear claims that former home secretary was warned of abuse in the early 90s.’
Daily Telegraph, 8th March 2016
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Legal battle over Margaret Thatcher aide’s £8m Ming porcelain collection – Daily Telegraph
‘An exquisite £8 million Ming porcelain collection built up by a confidant of Margaret Thatcher has sparked a bitter legal feud which has torn apart a once close-knit family.’
Daily Telegraph, 9th March 2016
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has radio advert banned after it breached rules – The Independent
‘The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has been censured over a Christmas advert in which Father Christmas tells a little girl who wants a puppy to tell her mother to sponsor a charity dog for £1 a week instead.’
The Independent, 9th March 2016
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Government ad ‘ridiculed’ for claiming teachers can earn £65,000 is cleared – The Guardian
‘A government TV ad that said that “great” teachers can make up to £65,000 per year has been cleared, despite 140 complaints that it misrepresented potential salaries.’
The Guardian, 9th March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Calls for review of police use of restraint over lung cancer patient’s death – The Guardian
‘A senior coroner has called for a national review of police use of restraints after an inquest jury found a decision to restrain a 57-year-old man suffering from lung cancer and pneumonia in hospital contributed to his death.’
The Guardian, 8th March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Supreme Court learns lessons of IT implementation as it heads towards going paperless – Litigation Futures
‘Lord Kerr, the Supreme Court justice, is leading an initiative to improve the use of technology at the court and cut down on paper, it has emerged.’
Litigation Futures, 7th March 2016
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
School closure consultation – Education Law Blog
‘The School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013 sets out the process for establishing, altering and discontinuing schools in Wales. R (Edwards) v Flintshire County Council [2016] EWHC 459 (Admin) was an unsuccessful judicial review challenge of a decision by the Defendant LEA to issue statutory notices under Section 48 of that Act to close a High School. The ground of challenge was that the Council failed, in its consultation process, to comply with its obligation under Section 38(4) of the Act to act in accordance with the Welsh Ministers’ Code of School Organisation. The Act requires the Welsh Ministers to issue a code on school organisation. It may contain requirements and/or guidelines. By Section 38(4), those who exercise functions in relation to school organisation in Wales, including local education authorities, must, when exercising those functions, act in accordance with any relevant requirements contained in the Code, and have regard to any relevant guidelines contained in it. Section 48 requires a proposer for change to publish the proposals, consult and publish a report on the consultation, all in accordance with the published code. In April 2013, the Welsh Ministers published a Code on School Organisation. It came into force on 1 October 2013.’
Education Law Blog, 8th March 2016
Source: www.education11kbw.com
Research suggests Family Drug and Alcohol Courts make major savings – Local Government Lawyer
‘Family Drug and Alcohol Courts (FDACs) save the state money, with the London FDAC alone generating estimated gross savings of £1.29m to public sector bodies over five years, research has suggested.’
Local Government Lawyer, 8th March 2016
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Sharon Edwards: Violent wife murdered lawyer husband – BBC News
‘A woman who regularly beat her newly-wed husband has been convicted of his murder by stabbing him through the heart.’
BBC News, 8th March 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Prison smoking ban overturned by court of appeal – The Guardian
‘A compulsory, immediate ban on smoking in prisons has been overturned by the court of appeal, allowing the Ministry of Justice to introduce its own voluntary, phased controls.’
The Guardian, 8th March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Why is domestic abuse still not taken seriously in UK courts? – The Guardian
‘Female victims left in fear for their lives speak out about the failure of the justice system to punish abusers with long prison sentences.’
The Guardian, 8th March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
