Bradford City stadium fire: ‘Police were to blame’ for most life lost in tragedy – The Independent

Posted November 12th, 2015 in fire, inquiries, news, police, sport by sally

‘The Home Secretary, Theresa May, has been told that Bradford City fans were wrongly held responsible for deaths in the stadium fire on 11 May 1985 which killed 56 people, in an echo of the way that Liverpool supporters were blamed for the Hillsborough disaster four years later.’

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The Independent, 10th November 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Child abuse inquiry to begin taking victims’ testimony in private hearings – The Guardian

Posted November 12th, 2015 in child abuse, evidence, inquiries, news, victims by sally

‘An ambitious project to take testimony from thousands of victims of child abuse across the country will begin within days as part of an independent inquiry into institutionalised abuse.’

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The Guardian, 11th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Jack Straw and senior spy could avoid torture prosecution – The Guardian

‘The former foreign secretary Jack Straw and Sir Mark Allen, a former senior MI6 officer, could avoid prosecution over complicity in the rendition and torture of two Libyan dissidents by claiming immunity, the supreme court has been told.’

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The Guardian, 11th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lynette White: Corruption probe conviction ‘not realistic’ – BBC News

‘There was “no realistic prospect” of convicting eight police officers involved in the Lynette White murder investigation, the High Court has heard.’

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BBC News, 11th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The Koh-i-Noor diamond affair shows ‘returning’ relics is never simple – The Guardian

Posted November 12th, 2015 in artistic works, international relations, news, theft by sally

‘No one wants to open the floodgates by establishing a principle that everything plundered must be repatriated. But one court case could do just that.’

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The Guardian, 11th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Adoptions from Abroad: Article 8 Fails to Assist – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 12th, 2015 in adoption, appeals, children, families, human rights, immigration, news, tribunals by sally

‘A child (SM) who was adopted in Algeria by a French couple living in the UK was refused an application for a right of entry as a family member. Having been overturned in the Upper Tribunal, the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) successfully appealed to the Court of Appeal. SM was not, the court held, a family member of Mr M. A keen human rights observer might think this was an apparent infringement of article 8 ECHR (the right to family life).’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 12th November 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Pro bono charity reports surge in volunteer lawyers – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 12th, 2015 in charities, law centres, news, pro bono work, reports, solicitors by sally

‘Qualified solicitors and barristers made up more than three-quarters of a surge in volunteer lawyers last year, according to pro bono charity LawWorks’ latest annual report.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 11th November 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Ex-butcher beheaded woman before hiding her head as souvenir, court hears – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 12th, 2015 in murder, news by sally

‘Christopher May accused of dismembering Tracey Woodford using ‘expertise’ from former job before hiding her head 450ft down drain.’

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Daily Telegraph, 11th November 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Indian lawyer disbarred from Inner Temple a century ago is reinstated – The Guardian

Posted November 12th, 2015 in barristers, disqualification, inns of court, news, professional conduct by sally

‘More than a century after being disbarred for advocating independence for India, the nationalist leader and barrister Shyamji Krishna Varma has been posthumously reinstated by London’s Honourable Society of the Inner Temple.’

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The Guardian, 11th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Tick-box police never go to court, says official report – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 12th, 2015 in case management, courts, Crown Prosecution Service, news, police, reports, victims by sally

‘Official inspection is critical of the way police and prosecutors treat vulnerable victims and witnesses.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th November 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Nathan Matthews case reignites debate over violent sexual images – The Guardian

Posted November 12th, 2015 in child abuse, news, pornography, sexual offences, violence, violent offenders by sally

‘The conviction of Nathan Matthews will focus attention once more on the threat posed to women and children by the viewing of violent pornography and sexual abuse online.’

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The Guardian, 11th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Becky Watts stepbrother and his girlfriend guilty of killing – BBC News

‘The stepbrother of Becky Watts has been found guilty of murdering her during a sexually motivated kidnap plot.’

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BBC News, 11th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Domestic violence victims ‘put at risk’ by erratic handling of cases – The Guardian

‘Victims of domestic violence and other vulnerable witnesses are being put at risk by the erratic handling of sensitive cases by police and prosecutors, inspectors have said.’

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The Guardian, 12th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Collapse of Olympus fraud case fuels calls for UK law reforms – The Independent

Posted November 11th, 2015 in accounts, auditors, fraud, news, prosecutions, whistleblowers by sally

‘Legal experts have called for an overhaul of UK corporate laws to hold companies to account after the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) dropped its prosecution of Japanese optical giant Olympus Corporation.’

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The Independent, 11th November 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

“… this can no longer be tolerated”: a short guide to the correct use of section 20, Children Act 1989 – Family Law Week

‘Alex Laing, barrister of Coram Chambers, concludes his review of N (Children) (Adoption: Jurisdiction) by considering what the President said about section 20 agreements.’

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Family Law Week, 11th November 2015

source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Barristers “under pressure” to agree not to act against big clients if they want their work – Legal Futures

‘Barristers need to resist pressure from big clients and government departments to agree not to act against them in the future if they want instructions, the Bar Council has said.’

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Legal Futures, 11th November 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lord Woolf warns of ‘dangers’ and ‘expense’ of scrapping Human Rights Act – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 11th, 2015 in deportation, EC law, human rights, international law, judges, news, treaties by sally

‘Abolishing current human rights laws will create uncertainty and give clever lawyers a field day, says former Lord Chief Justice.’

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Daily Telegraph, 10th November 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Rebecca Kandare death: Parents jailed for malnourished baby killing – BBC News

‘The parents of a dying baby girl, who failed to seek urgent medical care for her because of their religious beliefs, have been jailed.’

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BBC News, 10th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Debt advice firm that made 1m unsolicited calls fined £120,000 – The Guardian

‘A company that made more than1m unsolicited calls in a month offering to write off people’s debts has been fined £120,000 by a government watchdog.’

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The Guardian, 10th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Limping Infants and Article 15 BIIA: the “magisterial” judgment in In the Matter of N (Children) (Adoption: Jurisdiction) – Family Law Week

Posted November 10th, 2015 in adoption, appeals, care orders, EC law, foreign jurisdictions, news, treaties by sally

‘Alex Laing, barrister of Coram Chambers, considers two aspects of the decision in N (Children) (Adoption: Jurisdiction): (1) the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales to order the non-consensual adoption of a foreign child; and (2) the construction and use of Article 15 of Brussels IIA to transfer care proceedings.’

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Family Law Week, 10th November 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk