Whistleblowing: is new ‘public interest’ test a good thing? – The Guardian
“In the wake of the Edward Snowden disclosures, some fear that changes to UK whistleblowing laws could discourage those here wanting to spill the beans.”
The Guardian, 25th June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Regina v L(C) (Children’s Commissioner for England and Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening); Same v N(HV) (Children’s Commissioner for England and Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening); Same v N(TH) (Children’s Commissioner for England and Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening); Same v T(HD) (Children’s Commissioner for England and Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening) – WLR Daily
“Where the question arose as to whether a defendant who had committed an offence was a victim of trafficking the prosecution was, and remained, responsible for deciding whether to prosecute or not. The court’s role was to protect the rights of a victim of trafficking by overseeing the decision of the prosecutor and refusing to countenance any prosecution which failed to acknowledge and address the victim’s subservient situation.”
WLR Daily, 21st June 2013
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Trustees of the Lehman Brothers Pension Scheme and another v LB Re Financing No Ltd and another – WLR Daily
“When the Pensions Regulator, acting by the determinations panel, made a determination about a financial support direction in relation to a pension scheme, the trustees of that scheme, by virtue of their office, were persons “directly affected” by that determination for the purposes of section 96(3) of the Pensions Act 2004, and accordingly had standing as of right to refer that determination to the Upper Tribunal under that provision. Further, where any person referred such a determination of the Regulator to the Upper Tribunal under section 96(3) of the Act, the two-year time limit in section 43(9), which, prior to amendment by the Pensions Act 2011, required the Regulator to issue a financial support direction within two years of the time which he selected for determining whether the preconditions in section 43(2) for the issue of a direction had been fulfilled, did not apply to any directions which the Upper Tribunal might give regarding a financial support direction under section 103(5) and (6), or to any order made on appeal from those directions.”
WLR Daily, 21st June 2013
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Riežniece v Zemkopības ministrija and another – WLR Daily
Riežniece v Zemkopības ministrija and another (Case C-7/12); [2013] WLR (D) 247
“In circumstances where a much higher number of women than men took parental leave, Council Directive 76/207/EEC of 9 February 1976 (as amended) and the Framework Agreement on Parental Leave, contained in the Annex to Council Direction 96/34/EC precluded a situation where (1) as part of an assessment of workers in the context of abolishment of officials’ posts due to national economic difficulties, a worker who had taken parental leave was assessed in his or her absence on the basis of assessment principles and criteria which placed the worker who had taken leave in a less favourable position compared to workers who did not take parental leave; and (2) a female worker who had been transferred to another post at the end of her parental leave following that assessment was dismissed due to the abolishment of that new post, where it was not impossible for the employer to allow her to return to her former post or where the work assigned to her was not equivalent or similar and consistent with her employment contract or employment relationship because, at the time of the transfer, the employer was informed that the new post was due to be abolished.”
WLR Daily, 20th June 2013
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
New allegations of police misconduct in Stephen Lawrence case to be investigated – Ministry of Justice
“Allegations that undercover officers were used to smear reputations of Stephen Lawrence’s family will be investigated, says Home Secretary.”
Ministry of Justice, 24th June 2013
Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
UNISON applies for judicial review of employment tribunal fees – OUT-LAW.com
“UNISON has applied to the High Court for a judicial review of the Ministry of Justice’s decision to introduce employment tribunal fees from the end of next month, it has announced.”
OUT-LAW.com, 25th June 2013
Source: www.out-law.com
CPS under fire for failures in two serious cases – Law Society’s Gazette
The Crown Prosecution Service has been criticised by two separate Crown court judges after sending an ‘incompetent’ advocate to prosecute a murder trial and for ‘lamentable failures’ that delayed a rape trial.
Law Society’s Gazette, 25th June 2013
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Ballet dancer Jack Widdowson’s attacker jailed for 13 years – BBC News
“A man who attacked a ballet dancer, broke his neck and left him lying in the street has been jailed for 13 years.”
BBC News, 24th June 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Watchdog wants new code of conduct for UK bankers – Daily Telegraph
“Bankers should be subject to a new code of conduct overseen by a body similar to the General Medical Council, a consumer watchdog has claimed.”
Daily Telegraph, 25th June 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Lord chief justice warns Chris Grayling on courts privatisation plans – The Guardian
“The justice secretary, Chris Grayling, has been warned by the lord chief justice, Lord Judge, not to undermine the independence of the judiciary through plans to privatise parts of the court service or make it self-financing.”
The Guardian, 24th June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Jake Davis: Freed hacker faces strict tech rules – BBC News
“A convicted hacker who was detained in a young offender institution has been released – but will now face strict limitations on his technology use.”
BBC News, 24th June 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Spinster sisters could win legal right to be treated as married couples, Peers told – Daily Telegraph
“The introduction of same-sex marriage could finally open the way for carers and relatives such as unmarried sisters who live together to be given the same legal status as married couples, the House of Lords has been told.”
Daily Telegraph, 24th June 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Jeremy Forrest: child protection experts warn against romanticising case – The Guardian
“To glance at some headlines, a reader might think this was a conventional love story: ‘I still love him’; ‘He’s wonderful, I’ll fight for him’. But this was, child protection professionals agree, a relationship built around abuse.”
The Guardian, 24th June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Military judge raises court martial concerns – BBC News
“The UK’s senior military judge has expressed concern about the way in which members of the armed forces can be convicted of serious offences by a majority of just one member of a military jury.”
BBC News, 25th June 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Official: 13,000 more criminals to be jailed every year from Chris Grayling reforms – Daily Telegraph
“Thousands of criminals who re-offend after serving only a few months in prison will be locked up again under a new Ministry of Justice crackdown, the department’s own estimates show.”
Daily Telegraph, 24th June 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Privatising probation service will put public at risk, officials tell Grayling – The Guardian
“The justice secretary, Chris Grayling, has been warned by his most senior officials that plans to privatise 70% of the probation service lack support, are being pushed through on an aggressive timetable and potentially endanger public safety, leaked documents show.”
The Guardian, 24th June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Stephen Lawrence’s father demands judicial inquiry into police spying – The Guardian
“The home secretary, Theresa May, came under pressure from the father of the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence to set up an independent inquiry into the Guardian’s revelations that undercover police spied on and attempted to smear his family.”
The Guardian, 24th June 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Keanu Williams case: Mother guilty of murdering toddler – BBC News
“A mother has been found guilty of murdering her two-year-old son.”
BBC News, 24th June 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
