New rules to crackdown on violent prisoners come into force – Attorney General’s Office

Posted February 27th, 2015 in assault, press releases, prisons, prosecutions, sentencing, violence by sally

‘A significant step forward in the fight against violence in prisons has been taken, with the publication of a joint national protocol.’

Full press release

Attorney General’s Office, 27th February 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/ago

International Children Law Update: February 2015 – Family Law Week

Posted February 27th, 2015 in child abduction, costs, enforcement, foreign jurisdictions, news, wardship by sally

‘Jacqueline Renton, barrister of 4 Paper Buildings, reviews the latest key decisions in international children law.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 23rd February 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Surrogacy Law Update (February 2015) – Family Law Week

Posted February 27th, 2015 in consent, limitations, news, surrogacy by sally

‘Andrew Powell, barrister of 4 Paper Buildings, reviews recent important judgments concerning surrogacy including the President’s landmark decision in Re X.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 26th February 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Jimmy Savile and the complex question of victim compensation – The Guardian

‘It is now known that 60 people from Stoke Mandeville hospital were abused by Jimmy Savile. But will they and his other victims receive compensation? And where will the money come from?’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 26th February 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Airlines told to stop delaying flight compensation claims – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 27th, 2015 in airlines, compensation, delay, news by sally

‘Airlines have been told by a judge in a test case that they cannot keep passengers waiting for compensation for delayed flights. The decision will affect tens of thousands of people demanding compensation for flight delays, according to solicitors representing Kim Allen, the passenger in today’s case.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 26th February 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Bank of England to boost watchdog role after failing to spot forex rigging – The Guardian

Posted February 27th, 2015 in banking, financial regulation, news by sally

‘The Bank of England plans to beef up its watchdog role after it failed to spot one of the biggest scandals in the City’s recent history. The central bank said a “root-and-branch” review of its market intelligence operations had found that some staff were unfamiliar with the way City firms operated.’

Full story

The Guardian, 26th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Jimmy Savile scandal: Anger as no one is blamed for allowing abuse in hospitals – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 27th, 2015 in child abuse, disabled persons, hospitals, news, reports, sexual offences by sally

‘Jimmy Savile’s victims have reacted with anger after a series of reports into his decades of abuse failed to apportion blame to any senior NHS managers. More than 40 hospitals, including Stoke Mandeville – where Savile abused at least 60 victims during a 24-year reign of terror – have investigated how the entertainer was allowed to get away with his crimes for so long. But victims branded the findings a “whitewash”, after NHS bosses claimed they had no idea what was going on.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 26th February 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

David Cameron orders new inquiry into treatment of Lee Rigby murderer – The Guardian

Posted February 27th, 2015 in armed forces, inquiries, intelligence services, murder, news, terrorism by sally

‘The prime minister has ordered a new inquiry into claims the security services may have been complicit in the ill treatment of Michael Adebolajo, who went on to butcher a British soldier in a London street, it has emerged. The inquiry will be conducted by the intelligence services commissioner, Sir Mark Waller, an independent watchdog over the security services.’

Full story

The Guardian, 26th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Jimmy Savile NHS investigations: lessons learned – Department of Health

Posted February 27th, 2015 in child abuse, disabled persons, hospitals, reports, sexual offences by sally

‘The Secretary of State for Health asked former barrister Kate Lampard to produce a ‘lessons learned’ report, drawing on the findings from all published investigations and emerging themes.’

Full report

Department of Health, 26th February 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/government/publications

Cameron and Clegg’s powers and funding pledge for Wales – BBC News

Posted February 27th, 2015 in devolution, ministers' powers and duties, news, Wales by sally

‘David Cameron and Nick Clegg will set out plans to transfer more powers from Westminster to Wales on Friday, after months of cross-party talks. They include guaranteed minimum funding for the Welsh government and allowing ministers in Wales to raise cash from the money markets for major projects.’

Full story

BBC News, 27th February 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted February 26th, 2015 in legislation by sally

SI 2015/329 – The Election Judges Rota Rules 2015

SI 2015/326 – The Criminal Legal Aid (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2015

SI 2015/325 – The Civil and Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 2015

SI 2015/316 – The Town and Country Planning (Hearings and Inquiries Procedure) (England) (Amendment and Revocation) Rules 2015
Continue reading…

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted February 26th, 2015 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Continue reading…

Benkharbouche v Embassy of the Republic of Sudan (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and others intervening); Janah v Libya (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and others intervening) – WLR Daily

Benkharbouche v Embassy of the Republic of Sudan (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and others intervening); Janah v Libya (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and others intervening) [2015] EWCA Civ 33; [2015] WLR (D) 83

‘Domestic workers employed as members of the service staff of foreign diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom were entitled to bring proceedings asserting their employment rights against the employer state, in claims including unfair dismissal and breach of working time provisions, and such claims were not barred by the doctrine of state immunity pursuant to provisions in the State Immunity Act 1978.’

WLR Daily, 5th February 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Regina v McDowell; Regina v Singh – WLR Daily

Posted February 26th, 2015 in appeals, confiscation, law reports, licensing, proceeds of crime, sentencing, waste by sally

Regina v McDowell; Regina v Singh [2015] EWCA Crim 173; [2015] WLR (D) 84

‘Where trading receipts were obtained as a result of lawful trading activity rather than a failure to register particulars with the local authority under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964 before carrying on business as a scrap metal dealer, the trading activity was not criminal conduct from which benefit accrued, and the trading receipts were excluded from the criminal lifestyle provisions under section 75(2) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.’

WLR Daily, 19th February 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

JSC Bank of Moscow v Kekhman and others – WLR Daily

Posted February 26th, 2015 in banking, bankruptcy, domicile, insolvency, law reports by sally

JSC Bank of Moscow v Kekhman and others [2015] EWHC 396 (Ch); [2015] WLR (D) 82

‘When considering whether to exercise its discretion to make a bankruptcy order on a debtor’s petition, the court was to have regard to whether the petitioner could show (1) that he had a sufficiently close connection with England and Wales; (2) that there was a reasonable possibility of benefit resulting from the making of a bankruptcy order; and (3) that one or more persons interested in the distribution of assets were persons over whom the English court could exercise jurisdiction.’

WLR Daily, 20th February 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Regina v Gurpinar; Regina v Kojo-Smith and another – WLR Daily

Posted February 26th, 2015 in appeals, defences, evidence, homicide, juries, law reports, provocation by sally

Regina v Gurpinar; Regina v Kojo-Smith and another [2015] EWCA Crim 178; [2015] WLR (D) 80

Where a defendant was charged with murder and the issue arose as to whether the partial defence of loss of self-control should be left to the jury the trial judge had to undertake a much more rigorous evaluation of the evidence before that defence could be left to the jury than had been required under the former law of provocation.

WLR Daily, 20th February 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

“Keep our kids safe from predators” FB page on the rampage again – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 26th, 2015 in damages, human rights, internet, news, privacy, release on licence by sally

‘The plaintiff was a former sex offender who had been identified on a Facebook page run by the second defendant called “Keep Our Kids Safe From Predators 2″. He had been released on licence and he was apprehensive about his safety upon his return to the community.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 25th February 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Barrister disbarred for practising without valid PC – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 26th, 2015 in barristers, crime, disciplinary procedures, disqualification, fines, news by sally

‘A barrister has been disbarred after he was found to have practised for almost 10 months without a valid practising certificate.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 23rd February 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Facing justice: judgment against Facebook in privacy/data protection case – Panopticon

Posted February 26th, 2015 in data protection, EC law, internet, news, privacy by sally

‘The extent to which privacy and data protection rights can effectively resonate within the online environment is an acutely important issue for all information law practitioners. Moreover, it is an issue which seems to be gaining ever increasing traction in the litigation context, as is illustrated not least by the following developments.’

Full story

Panopticon, 25th February 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

EVENT: The Trial of Macbeth

Posted February 26th, 2015 in Forthcoming events by sally

‘What if everything you knew about Macbeth was challenged?

Could a line-up of top QCs change his fate?

Following the 2011 sell-out Trial of Romeo, Shakespeare Schools Festival return to the courtroom putting a killer cast of actors – including Christopher Eccleston, Haydn Gwynne and David Oakes – in the box to be questioned by the stars of the bar – John Kelsey-Fry QC, Jonathan Laidlaw QC, Dinah Rose QC, and Ian Winter QC.

Jeremy Paxman chairs the jury and High Court judge Sir Michael Burton keeps order during this unforgettable fundraising event.’

Date: 8th March 2015, 7.00pm

Location: Noel Coward Theatre

Charge: see website for details

More information can be found here.