I Want My Baby Back – BBC One Panorama

Posted January 13th, 2014 in adoption, evidence, expert witnesses, family courts, news, social services by sally

‘John Sweeney investigates the secretive world of the family courts and asks whether some parents may have unfairly lost their children forever. BBC One 13th January 2014’

Further details

BBC One, 13th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Hillcroft nursing home care workers jailed for abusing elderly residents – The Guardian

‘Three nursing home staff have been jailed and a fourth given a community sentence for tormenting and abusing elderly residents with dementia, actions described by the trial judge as “gratuitous sport at the expense of vulnerable victims”.’

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The Guardian, 10th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BNP activist Adam Walker challenges lifetime teaching ban – BBC News

‘A British National Party (BNP) activist has taken Education Secretary Michael Gove’s office to court in a bid to overturn a lifetime teaching ban.’

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BBC New, 10th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Concern over number of soldiers who end up in jail prompts review – The Guardian

Posted January 13th, 2014 in armed forces, news, prisons, rehabilitation, statistics by sally

‘Rory Stewart, the Tory MP who served as deputy governor of an Iraqi province after the 2003 war, is to lead a government review to improve the rehabilitation of ex-service personnel who are jailed.’

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The Guardian, 11th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Mark Duggan coroner invites family to help shape police gun policy – The Guardian

Posted January 13th, 2014 in coroners, families, firearms, inquests, news, police, victims by sally

‘The coroner in the Mark Duggan inquest is to invite the dead man’s family to help shape police firearms procedure. The senior circuit judge Keith Cutler, who is preparing recommendations on firearms procedure for the home secretary after issues raised at the inquest, described his decision to consult the family as “unusual, perhaps unique” but the right thing to do to achieve transparency.’

Full story

The Guardian, 12th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Plebgate’ affair: Police Federation launches legal action – BBC News

‘The Police Federation says it wants a judicial review of the police watchdog’s decision to investigate three officers who met the MP at the centre of the “plebgate” row.’

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BBC News, 12th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Pressure grows for inquiry into UK role in Iraq ‘war crimes’ – The Independent

‘Legal experts from around the world are to join calls for an investigation into whether British politicians and senior military figures should be prosecuted for alleged war crimes in Iraq.’

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The Independent, 12th January 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Mark Duggan marksman cleared to return to armed police duties – The Guardian

Posted January 13th, 2014 in firearms, inquests, news, police, professional conduct by sally

‘The police marksman who killed Mark Duggan will be allowed to have his gun back and return to armed duties. The officer was found to have lawfully killed Duggan by an inquest jury last week though the jury decided his account of the shooting, in which he said Duggan had had a gun in his hand, was wrong.’

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The Guardian, 12th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Payday lenders’ default fees could break the law – The Independent

Posted January 13th, 2014 in consumer protection, debts, fees, loans, news by sally

‘Many payday lenders could be breaking the law by charging excessive default fees to borrowers who miss repayments, according to Which? An investigation by the consumer group revealed that 10 of 17 leading payday lenders have default fees of £20 or more, and four charged £25 and above, with Wonga topping the table at £30.’

Full story

The Independent, 13th January 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Sex crimes against young children rise, research suggests – BBC News

Posted January 13th, 2014 in charities, child abuse, news, sexual offences, statistics by sally

‘Recorded sex crimes against children under 11 in England and Wales went up by 16% last year, research suggests. There were 5,547 incidents, against the previous year’s 4,772, according to data from 41 police forces obtained by children’s charity, the NSPCC.’

Full story

BBC News, 14th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Detention of children overnight in police cells ‘is chronic breach of law’ – The Guardian

Posted January 13th, 2014 in children, detention, news, police, statistics, young offenders by sally

‘Senior officer tells MPs that practice of holding children overnight before court appearance is big concern for police.’

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The Guardian, 13th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Is the Mental Capacity Act incompatible with the ECHR? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘A group of leading lawyers has expressed concern that the current system for representation of certain protected parties (P) in Court of Protection proceedings is incompatible with the ECHR.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 10th January 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Dr Mansoor Kassim sentenced for faking Viagra scripts – BBC News

Posted January 10th, 2014 in breach of trust, doctors, fraud, news, professional conduct, sentencing, theft by sally

‘A doctor with “marital difficulties” forged prescriptions for Viagra because he was too embarrassed to see his GP. Dr Mansoor Kassim, 37, who worked at Ystrad Fawr Hospital near Caerphilly, faked £340.67 worth of scripts, Newport magistrates heard. He was given a suspended jail sentence after admitting four charges of making a false prescription, two of theft by an employee and one of fraud.’

Full story

BBC News, 10th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Plebgate’ affair: Met PC admits misconduct – BBC News

Posted January 10th, 2014 in misfeasance in public office, news, police, professional conduct by sally

‘A Met police officer plans to resign after admitting misconduct in public office over the “plebgate” affair. PC Keith Wallis, 53, has admitted falsely claiming to have witnessed a row between then-cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell and police officers in Downing Street in September 2012. The diplomatic protection group officer has been bailed until 6 February when he is due to be sentenced.’

Full story

BBC News, 10th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Court of Appeal refuses blogger permission to appeal in libel case – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 10th, 2014 in appeals, defamation, harassment, internet, news, perverting the course of justice by sally

‘The Court of Appeal last month refused a blogger permission to appeal in her libel claim against a council and its chief executive, it has emerged.’

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Local Government Lawyer,  6th January 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

MLA guidelines for foreign authorities – Home Office

Posted January 10th, 2014 in criminal procedure, foreign jurisdictions, judiciary, news by sally

‘These guidelines describe mutual legal assistance (MLA) that can be provided by the UK.’

Full text

Home Office, 6th January 2014

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Personal data: Tribunal analyses the ‘relates to’ and ‘identification’ limbs – Panopticon

Posted January 10th, 2014 in benefits, complaints, data protection, freedom of information, news, tribunals by sally

‘I have commented in previous posts on how infrequently the Data Protection Act 1998 has been the subject of substantive litigation before the courts. One consequence of this is persistent uncertainty over how pivotal concepts such as “personal data” are to be analysed and approached. Last year, the High Court in Kelway v The Upper Tribunal, Northumbria Police and the Information Commissioner (2013) EWHC 2575 (Admin) considered how “personal data” issues should be approached.’

Full story

Panopticon, 9th January 2014

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

UK firm fined £25,000 for failure to monitor, supervise and manage its appointed representatives – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 10th, 2014 in financial regulation, fines, insurance, news, unfair commercial practices by sally

‘A firm has been fined £25,000 by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for the misconduct of two of its sales staff acting as its ‘appointed representatives’ (ARs). Amongst other cases of misconduct, the ARs were found to have used “high-pressure sales tactics and misleading information” to push vulnerable customers into buying insurance policies.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 8th January 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Bias has ‘significant’ effect on verdicts, jury research says – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 10th, 2014 in bias, burden of proof, juries, news, verdicts by sally

‘Jurors should be tested before trials to reduce the effect of prejudices on their understanding of the burden of proof, according to the authors of a study suggesting bias has a “significant” impact on verdicts.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 10th January 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Police officer Christopher Semak jailed for sexual activity with girl, 14 – BBC News

Posted January 10th, 2014 in child abuse, news, police, sentencing, sexual grooming, sexual offences by sally

‘A police officer who engaged in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl has been jailed for six years.’

Full story

BBC News, 9th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk