Police watchdog criticised for errors in investigation into death in custody – The Guardian

Posted May 17th, 2013 in complaints, death in custody, news, police, reports, restraint by sally

“The official police watchdog made a series of errors in an investigation which cleared officers over the death of a man in custody, an independent report has found.”

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The Guardian, 17th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Gay marriage: Review of civil partnerships possible but not until 2019 – BBC News

Posted May 17th, 2013 in bills, civil partnerships, homosexuality, marriage, news by sally

“Ministers have said they are prepared to review whether civil partnerships should be extended to heterosexual couples but not until 2019.”

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BBC News, 17th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

SFO considers criminal inquiry into alleged price fixing by oil firms – The Guardian

Posted May 17th, 2013 in energy, inquiries, news, price fixing, Serious Fraud Office by sally

“The Serious Fraud Office said on Thursday it is considering a criminal inquiry into alleged price fixing at BP and other oil companies already being investigated by European competition authorities.”

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The Guardian, 16th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Death contracts’ could give terminally ill the right to die – The Independent

Posted May 17th, 2013 in assisted suicide, bills, news by sally

“Terminally ill people could sign a ‘death contract’ allowing doctors to help them end their lives under new legal proposals.”

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The Independent, 16th May 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Council wrongly classed asylum seeker children as adults – The Guardian

Posted May 17th, 2013 in asylum, children, costs, immigration, local government, London, news by sally

“A London council has had to pay out more than £1m in costs for wrongly assessing asylum seeker children as adults. These wrong decisions have condemned some children to homelessness, prevented them from going to school and led to some being unlawfully held in adult detention centres.”

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The Guardian, 17th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Coeliac sufferer made ‘violently sick’ at Jamie Oliver restaurant – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 16th, 2013 in allergies, fines, food, news by sally

“Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant chain was fined £8,000 after a woman who told staff three times she was allergic to gluten was served wheat pasta.”

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Daily Telegraph, 16th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Man jailed for abuse of ‘enslaved’ woman in London – BBC News

Posted May 16th, 2013 in news, rape, sentencing, trafficking in human beings by sally

“A man has been jailed for 11 years for raping an Indian woman who was treated like a ‘slave’ at his home.”

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BBC News, 16th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

ICO updates guidance on dealing with vexatious FOI requests following Tribunal criticism – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 16th, 2013 in freedom of information, news, proportionality by sally

“Public bodies should consider whether freedom of information (FOI) requests are ‘likely to cause a disproportionate or unjustified level of disruption, irritation or distress’ when determining whether those requests are vexatious or not, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 16th May 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

IT expert jailed for attacks on Oxford and Cambridge websites – The Guardian

Posted May 16th, 2013 in computer crime, news, sentencing by sally

“A man who used his IT expertise to launch cyber-attacks on the websites of Oxford and Cambridge universities has been jailed for two years.”

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The Guardian, 16th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lulzsec hacker group handed jail sentences – BBC News

Posted May 16th, 2013 in computer crime, extradition, news, sentencing by sally

“British hackers who were behind a series of high profile cyber-attacks in 2011 have been sentenced.”

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BBC News, 16th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bar Council and Bar Standards Board 2nd biennial survey of the profession – The Bar Council

Posted May 16th, 2013 in barristers, news, reports by sally

At a time of unprecedented change in the way in which legal services are delivered, it has never been more important to gather the views of the profession about their experience of life at the Bar. The Bar Council and the Bar Standards Board (BSB) are carrying out the second biennial survey of the Bar, the results of which will inform strategic planning and provide information on the working lives of barristers.

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The Bar Council, 15th May 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Legal profession joins forces to oppose unreasonable legal aid proposals – The Bar Council

Posted May 16th, 2013 in criminal justice, legal aid, legal profession, news, tenders by sally

“Representatives of the Law Society and the Bar Council have joined forces with wider practitioner bodies to oppose the Ministry of Justice Consultation on proposed savage cuts to the funding of the Criminal Legal Aid Budget, the introduction of Price Competitive Tendering and other changes to the criminal justice system.”

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The Bar Council, 14th May 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Government response to the report on the operation in 2012 of the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011 – Home Office

“The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Theresa May): In accordance with section 20(2), 20(3), 20(4) and 20(5) of the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation (David Anderson QC) prepared a report on the operation of the Act in 2012, which I laid before the House on 14 March 2013.”

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Home Office, 16th May 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Stopping poor quality and time-wasting expert evidence in family courts – Ministry of Justice

Posted May 16th, 2013 in consultations, delay, expert witnesses, family courts, fees, news, standards by sally

“New national standards to raise the quality of experts used in family courts and get rid of time-consuming evidence which adds little value in helping judges reach a decision were announced by the Government today.”

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Ministry of Justice, 16th May 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Standards for expert witnesses in the family courts in England and Wales – Ministry of Justice

“This is a consultation on minimum standards for expert witnesses providing evidence in the family courts in proceedings relating to children in England and Wales.”

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Ministry of Justice, 16th May 2013

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

UK Uncut loses legal challenge over Goldman Sachs tax deal with HMRC – The Guardian

Posted May 16th, 2013 in HM Revenue & Customs, illegality, judicial review, news, taxation by sally

“Campaign group UK Uncut Legal Action has lost its high court challenge over the legality of the ‘sweetheart’ tax deal between HM Revenue and Customs and Goldman Sachs.”

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The Guardian, 16th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Charity unable to claim rates relief – Wi-Fi transmitters were “minimal” use, says High Court – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 16th, 2013 in charities, news, rates, telecommunications by sally

“A registered charity that provides free Wi-Fi services and broadcasts public safety messages using transmitters installed in otherwise empty commercial properties cannot claim business rates relief, the High Court has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 15th May 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Saudi princes fail to win sovereign immunity in UK court case – The Guardian

Posted May 16th, 2013 in appeals, immunity, news, reporting restrictions, royal family by sally

“Two senior Saudi princes have failed to extract themselves from English justice after the court of appeal upheld a ruling that they are not entitled to sovereign immunity in a case involving their London-based business interests.”

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The Guardian, 16th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Victoria station killing: Odegbune minimum tariff reduced – BBC News

“A teenager convicted of murdering a schoolboy in Victoria Station has had his sentence’s minimum term reduced.”

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BBC News, 15th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Supreme Court rules that God is above the law – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 16th, 2013 in Christianity, employment, news, Supreme Court, unfair dismissal by sally

“It has passed judgments affecting multimillionaires, multinational banks and MPs but now Britain’s highest court has made clear that it does not have jurisdiction over God.”

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Daily Telegraph, 15th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk