RBS fined £56m for IT meltdown – The Guardian

Posted November 20th, 2014 in banking, computer programs, financial regulation, fines, news by sally

‘Royal Bank of Scotland has been fined £56m for a meltdown in its consumer systems that locked 6.5 million customers out of their bank accounts for days on end in June 2012.’

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The Guardian, 20th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Video recordings – Panopticon

Posted November 19th, 2014 in human rights, international law, news, video recordings by sally

‘The classification requirements imposed by the Video Recording Acts are lawful, the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) has ruled, on 14 November 2014, in R v Dryzmer and Play Media Distribution Ltd. The prohibition on supplying video recordings which have not been classified by the British Board of Film Classification is not rendered unlawful either by ECHR Article 10, on freedom of expression, or by TFEU Articles 34-36 on non-interference with trade. The reason is the same in both cases. Qualitative restrictions on grounds of public health and morals are justified.’

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Panopticon, 18th November 2014

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Panic room woman challenges bedroom tax – The Guardian

Posted November 19th, 2014 in assault, benefits, domestic violence, harassment, housing, news, rape, stalking by sally

‘A woman whose council home has been fitted with a secure panic room to protect her from a violent ex-partner is going to court on Wednesday to challenge the government’s so-called bedroom tax.’

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The Guardian, 18th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Neurosurgeon jailed for sexually assaulting six patients – The Guardian

Posted November 19th, 2014 in abuse of position of trust, doctors, news, sentencing, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘An eminent consultant neurosurgeon has been jailed for 16 years for sexually assaulting six female patients during intimate medical examinations.’

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The Guardian, 18th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Software patents – the lines of communication are no clearer – Technology Law Update

Posted November 19th, 2014 in appeals, computer programs, EC law, news, patents by sally

‘Patents for computer programmes are not patentable in Europe. That seems like a simple statement. But a recent high level decision shows that it is far from simple to apply.’

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Technology Law Update, 18th November 2014

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

Family pressure group “had no business” in applying for habeas corpus on behalf of mother – UK Human Rights Blog

‘An application for habeas corpus by a pressure group was completely “hopeless” and “entirely misconceived”. The appellant’s challenge to the decision of the judge below was equally devoid of merit. Third party applications are only appropriate where the prisoner is incommunicado or where the impediment preventing the prisoner from acting is ignorance or disability. It was entirely inappropriate in these circumstances, where the prisoner had been represented by counsel throughout the proceedings which resulted in her imprisonment, or where her detention had already ended before the application for habeas corpus was made.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 18th November 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

PCC admits Essex Police failed child rape victim – BBC News

Posted November 19th, 2014 in child abuse, children, news, police, rape, young offenders by sally

‘A five-year-old rape victim who wrote to officers telling them they had let her down was failed by Essex Police, the force’s police and crime commissioner has said.’

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BBC News, 18th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The jail that has reduced violence by helping inmates escape from the gang – The Guardian

Posted November 19th, 2014 in crime, families, gangs, murder, news, prisons, rehabilitation, young offenders by sally

‘Gang rivalries are driving up assaults in custody, but one prison has cut violent incidents by 75%.’

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The Guardian, 19th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Tania Clarence sentenced: Husband of depressed New Malden mother who killed children criticises medics for ‘pressuring family to submit to operations’ – The Independent

Posted November 19th, 2014 in disabled persons, families, homicide, mental health, news, sentencing by sally

‘The husband of a depressed mother who killed her three young disabled children has criticised medical professionals for the “constant pressure” placed on the family to “submit the children to operations and other interventions”.’

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The Independent, 18th November 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Rotherham abuse scandal: IPCC to investigate conduct of 10 police officers – The Guardian

Posted November 19th, 2014 in child abuse, children, evidence, negligence, news, police, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is to investigate the conduct of 10 South Yorkshire police officers in relation to their handling of reported child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.’

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The Guardian, 18th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Japanese Knotweed: Asbos for failure to control invasive plants – BBC News

Posted November 19th, 2014 in ASBOs, environmental protection, news, sale of land by sally

‘People who fail to control the spread of invasive non-native plants such as Japanese Knotweed could be fined or receive anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos), the government says.’

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BBC News, 19th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Theresa May unveils shakeup of police disciplinary system – The Guardian

Posted November 19th, 2014 in complaints, consultations, corruption, disciplinary procedures, news, police by sally

‘The Home Secretary, Theresa May, has announced a shakeup of the internal police disciplinary system, including holding hearings in public and ending payoffs for senior officers found guilty of misconduct, to be introduced before the general election.’

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The Guardian, 18th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Parents face funding test to stop their children going into care – The Bar Council

Posted November 18th, 2014 in care orders, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

‘Parents facing the prospect of having their children taken away from them should have legal aid to fight their case, the Bar Council has said.’

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The Bar Council, 17th November 2014

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Article 6 – the Right to a fair trial – and discrimination in the Armed Forces – Cloisters

‘At a time when the UK’s membership of the European Convention of Human Rights (“ECHR”) and our domestic Human Rights Act 1998 (“HRA”) is a hot political topic, it is timely that the Employment Appeal Tribunal (“EAT”) has handed down a judgment considering Article 6 ECHR in relation to special time limit provisions for discrimination complaints brought by those in the Armed Forces: Duncan v Ministry of Defence.’

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Cloisters, 23rd October 2014

Source: www.cloisters.com

Motivate to Mediate – the carrot and the stick – Family Law Week

Posted November 18th, 2014 in arbitration, divorce, news by sally

‘Annmarie Carvalho, Associate and Family Mediator with Farrer & Co LLP, examines two recent High Court cases which illustrate the court’s powers to ‘encourage’ parties into mediation.’

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Family Law Week, 17th November 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Finance & Divorce Update – Family Law Week

Posted November 18th, 2014 in civil partnerships, divorce, financial provision, fraud, news by sally

‘Jessica Craigs, senior solicitor of Mills & Reeve LLP analyses the financial remedies and divorce news and cases published by Family Law Week during October.’

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Family Law Week, 14th November 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Human Rights: The Law – Gresham College

Posted November 18th, 2014 in constitutional law, human rights, international law, news by sally

‘An exploration of Human Rights law as it developed and which draws criticism from the general public. The audience will be invited to consider what, if anything, they complain of in what is nowadays referred to as Human Rights law. The lecture will deal with topics raised and those which are more generally the subject of criticism. Time will be allowed for (structured and time limited) contributions from the audience.’

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Gresham College, 5th November 2014

Source: www.gresham.ac.uk

High Court slashes Google trial budget but says it’s too late for costs capping – Litigation Futures

Posted November 18th, 2014 in budgets, costs, costs capping orders, internet, news, trials by sally

‘The High Court has refused to make a costs-capping order in a case against Google because the case was so close to trial and so much had already been spent at a level which made detailed assessment inevitable.’

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Litigation Futures, 18th November 2014

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

2014 Update: Focusing on Legal Status, Disability and Flexible Working – Cloisters

‘Once employment protection was focused upon conventional patterns of work – open-ended, regular full-time jobs with a single employer. Our norms have now moved on. Recent developments reflect this. It has never been more important to pinpoint the underlying prerequisites for the existence of a contract of employment.’

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Cloisters, 20th November 2014

Source: www.cloisters.com

Blowing the budget – New Law Journal

Posted November 18th, 2014 in budgets, case management, costs, disclosure, news by sally

‘Richard Harrison argues that the present structure of case and costs management is misconceived.’

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New Law Journal, 12th November 2014

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk