Vestergaard – creating another buzz – RPC IP Hub
‘This long-running case has now reached a finale – a High Court decision on the assessment of damages, handed down in October 2014.’
RPC IP Hub, 4th December 2014
Source: www.rpc.co.uk
‘Selection’ patents invalid unless they make ‘plausible’ technical contribution, rules High Court – OUT-LAW.com
‘Pharmaceutical companies stand to lose patent monopolies that cover a number of individual compounds within a broader chemical formula if they cannot show a plausible link between the compounds covered by the patent and a technical contribution to treatment claimed in the patent, the High Court has confirmed.’
OUT-LAW.com, 4th December 2014
Source: www.out-law.com
Above and below the waterline: IPT finds that Prism and Tempora are lawful – Panopticon
‘The now famous revelations by US whistleblower Edward Snowden focused on US government programmes under which vast amounts of data about individuals’ internet usage and communications were said to have been gathered. The allegations extended beyond the US: the UK government and security agencies, for example, were also said to be involved in such activity.’
Panopticon, 5th December 2014
Source: www.panopticonblog.com
Revealed: Law Society did not seek advice on Sharia law before issuing controversial wills guidance – Legal Futures
‘The Law Society did not consult any experts in Sharia law before issuing the controversial practice note on Sharia-compliant wills that it was forced to withdraw last month, it has emerged.’
Legal Futures, 8th December 2014
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Judge resigns after making racist remark about victim – The Guardian
‘An immigration judge has been forced to resign as a district judge after making a racist remark about a crime victim.’
The Guardian, 7th December 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Government launches consultation into mandatory reporting of FGM – Home Office
‘Further details unveiled of funding recipients and new unit to tackle female genital mutilation.’
Full story
Home Office, 5th December 2014
Source: www.gov.uk/home-office
Legal aid slashed with no thought for consequences, MoJ chief admits – The Independent
‘The legal aid bill is being slashed by £300m without research into the potential effect of the cuts, the most senior civil servant at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has admitted.’
The Independent, 5th Decemeber 2014
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Finance & Divorce Update – Family Law Week
‘Jessica Craigs, senior solicitor of Mills & Reeve LLP analyses the financial remedies and divorce news and cases published by Family Law Week during November.’
Family Law Week, 5th December 2014
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
A Constitutional Convention for the UK: What Form Should It Take? – UCL Constitution Unit
‘Four of the five main UK political parties have voiced support for a constitutional convention based on popular participation. But what form should such a convention take? There are a variety of possible models and some would work much better than others. This presentation will set out criteria that can be used to evaluate the options and then draw on evidence from recent reform processes – notably in Canada, Iceland, and Ireland – to see which options are more or less likely to meet those criteria in the UK.’
Katie Ghose – A Constitutional Convention for the UK: What Form Should It Take?
Dr Alan Renwick- A Constitutional Convention for the UK: What Form Should It Take?
UCL Constitution Unit, 12th November 2014
Source: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Give child abuse viewers medical help, not prison terms, says police chief – The Independent
‘Child abuse viewers who access images and video on the internet need medical help to overcome “perverse attractions” rather than serve prison terms, said a senior police officer.’
The Independent, 6th December 2014
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Mazher Mahmood: CPS to re-examine 25 ‘Fake Sheikh’ cases – Daily Telegraph
‘The Crown Prosecution Service says 25 cases where the undercover journalist was a prosecution witness will be reviewed.’
Full story
Daily Telegraph, 4th December 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Judge issues ultimatum after ‘absurd’ £1.3m family dispute – Law Society’s Gazette
‘A judge has taken the unusual step of removing most case documents from court and giving partners a final ultimatum to settle their separation dispute.’
Law Society’s Gazette,
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
First Bus wins wheelchair court judgement – BBC News
‘Bus companies are not required by law to force parents with buggies to make way for wheelchair users in designated bays on vehicles, senior judges ruled.’
Full story
BBC News, 8th December 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Too many young adults go from ‘in care’ directly to jail – The Independent
‘Young adults leaving care are being let down by the justice system, according to a new academic study. Despite up to a third of the current prison population having experienced the care system, criminal justice professionals are ignorant of ways to help young care leavers stay out of jail, it warns.’
The Independent, 7th December 2014
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Criminals breaching community orders ‘should be jailed for a week’ – Daily Telegraph
‘Major new report calls for new ‘short, sharp shock’ for prolific offenders.’
Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
The elephant in the bedroom – NearlyLegal
‘Finally, the long awaited Upper Tribunal decision on room size and the bedroom tax has been released.’
NearlyLegal, 7th December 2014
Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk
Bradford Lidl ‘slip’ fraudster Waheed Iqbal sentenced – BBC News
‘A man who deliberately “slipped” on a wet bag in a supermarket so he could make a £10,000 insurance claim has been given a suspended jail term.’
BBC News, 5th December 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
GP ‘disgust’ at watchdog errors – BBC News
‘GPs have told the BBC their reputations have been “tarnished by incompetence” from the health watchdog.’
BBC News, 5th December 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
UK mass surveillance laws do not breach human rights, tribunal rules – The Guardian
‘Britain’s legal regime governing mass surveillance of the internet by intelligence agencies does not violate human rights, a tribunal has ruled.’
The Guardian, 5th December 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
