Going down: criminal justice statistics – The Guardian

Posted May 31st, 2013 in cautions, crime, criminal justice, news, sentencing, statistics, young offenders by sally

“Recorded crime, convictions and the number of individuals entering prisons have shown a dramatic decline since 2011. We take a closer look at the data.”

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The Guardian, 30th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

April Jones’s mother speaks of her anguish as Mark Bridger is jailed for life – The Guardian

Posted May 31st, 2013 in families, murder, news, sentencing, victims by sally

“A former abattoir worker and lifeguard who was found to have abducted and murdered April Jones began a whole-life prison term on Thursday, still refusing to say what he did with her body.”

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The Guardian, 31st May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Employers forced to repay workers for refusing minimum wage – The Guardian

“Tens of thousands of workers who were denied the minimum wage have received hundreds of pounds in back pay from their employers following tougher enforcement policy by tax inspectors. Over the last year more than 26,000 workers were paid back £4m after action by HM Revenue and Customs, who are responsible for enforcing minimum wage laws.”

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The Guardian, 30th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Driver to be investigated after 17 whiplash claims in eight years – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 30th, 2013 in costs, fraud, insurance, news, perjury, personal injuries, recidivists by sally

“A driver who made 17 whiplash claims in eight years is to be investigated for perjury after a judge heard details of his latest compensation bid.”

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Daily Telegraph, 30th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Councils seek judicial review of Defra decision to withdraw PFI credits from waste projects – OUT-LAW.com

“Three local authorities who were told in February that the Government was withdrawing previously-awarded financial support for waste management projects have launched legal challenges to the decision.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 30th May 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

“More intrusive” big data profiling would be subject to new two-tier privacy rules, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 30th, 2013 in data protection, news, privacy by sally

“Big data projects that build profiles of individuals would ‘almost certainly’ trigger privacy rules and safeguards proposed by an EU watchdog, an expert has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 30th May 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted May 30th, 2013 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Turner v R. [2013] EWCA Crim 642 (09 May 2013)

Brinkley, R v [2013] EWCA Crim 760 (19 April 2013)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Abbar & Anor v Saudi Economic & Development Company (Sedco) Real Estate Ltd & Ors [2013] EWHC 1414 (Ch) (24 May 2013)

High Court (Patents Court)

Novartis Ag v Hospira UK Ltd [2013] EWHC 1285 (Pat) (14 May 2013)

Source: www.bailii.org

Unite Against the Cuts – Criminal Law and Justice Weekly

Posted May 30th, 2013 in civil justice, Law Society, legal aid, news by sally

“Lucy Scott-Moncrieff urges you to join the fight.”

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Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 25th May 2013

Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk

Vince v Wyatt: the FPR 2010 strikes back? – Family Law Week

Posted May 30th, 2013 in appeals, civil procedure rules, family courts, news, striking out by sally

“Sian Cox, barrister, Harcourt Chambers analyses the court’s power to strike out in family proceedings and considers in the light of the Court of Appeal judgment in Vince v Wyatt, the circumstances in which such applications may succeed.”

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Family Law Week, 29th May 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

How Free Is Our Speech? – BBC Unreliable Evidence

Posted May 30th, 2013 in freedom of expression, harassment, news by sally

“Are laws designed to protect individuals and minority groups from offence and harassment, inhibiting free speech?

Clive Anderson and his guests discuss whether cases such as the conviction of a woman for telling David Cameron he had ‘blood on his hands’ and the arrest of a man for calling a police horse ‘gay’ are bringing the law into disrepute.”

Listen

BBC Unreliable Evidence, 29th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Only the Innocent Need Apply for Compensation for a Miscarriage of Justice – Criminal Law and Justice Weekly

Posted May 30th, 2013 in bills, compensation, miscarriage of justice, news by sally

“The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, art.14(6) requires state parties to compensate those who have suffered ‘a miscarriage of justice’. Although the UK ratified the Covenant in 1976, for more than a decade compensation for miscarriages of justice continued to be paid by the Home Office only on an ex gratia basis. Payment was first put onto a statutory basis in 1988.”

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Criminal Law and Justice Weekly, 1st June 2013

Source: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk

European Union takes UK to court over migrants’ entitlement to benefits – The Independent

Posted May 30th, 2013 in benefits, EC law, immigration, news, social security by sally

“The EU is taking Britain to court over migrants’ entitlement to benefits.”

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The Independent, 30th May 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Surveillance: RIPA and the Communications Data Bill – Panopticon

“The Communications Data Bill, shelved amid political heavy weather, is back on the agenda in the wake of last week’s Woolwich murder. Today for example, Conservative MP and former policing minister Nick Herbert wrote an article in The Times in support of the Bill and responding to those who have called it a ‘snooper’s charter’.”

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Panopticon, 29th May 2013

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Death Penalty Legal Funding Refusal: Appeal Court Confirms Limits of Human Rights Act – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 30th, 2013 in appeals, death penalty, foreign jurisdictions, human rights, legal aid, news by sally

“On 22 April 2013 the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in refusing to pay for a lawyer to assist Lindsay Sandiford as she faces the death penalty for drug offences in Indonesia. Last Wednesday, they handed down the reasons for their decision.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 29th May 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Leading lawyers criticise plans to restrict legal aid – BBC News

“Ninety leading barristers have urged the government to withdraw ‘unjust proposals’ to restrict legal aid for people demanding judicial reviews.”

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BBC News, 29th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Review into Bribery Act would be ‘premature’, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 30th, 2013 in bribery, legislation, news, select committees by sally

“Any review of the UK bribery laws which came into force in July 2011 would be ‘premature’, an expert has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 29th May 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Women guilty over party drug that killed friend – Daily Telegraph

“The parents of a young woman who died after taking mephedrone have issued a warning against the so-called ‘party drug’ that ‘ripped our family apart’.”

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Daily Telegraph, 29th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Protesters launch appeal against HS2 High Court ruling – BBC News

“A protest group is to appeal against a High Court ruling that effectively gave the go ahead to the London-Birmingham section of the HS2 high-speed railway.”

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BBC News, 29th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Deferred Prosecution Agreements – No. 5 Chambers

Posted May 29th, 2013 in company law, deferred prosecution agreements, fines, news, sentencing by sally

“Following the Bribery Act 2010 the next instrument the Government is preparing in the ‘battle against economic crime’ is the Deferred Prosecution Agreement [‘DPA’]. Following a consultation in 2012 the Ministry of Justice inserted schedule 17 into the Crime and Courts Act 2013 [‘CCA 2013’]. Although the Crime and Courts Act 2013 received Royal Assent in April 2013, Schedule 17 is not yet in force.”

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No. 5 Chambers, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.no5.com

Run down on recent and anticipated welfare benefit changes – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted May 29th, 2013 in benefits, disabled persons, housing, news, taxation by sally

“In April 2013, the so called ‘bedroom tax’ was introduced, meaning that a single person or couple with no children will have their housing benefit reduced by 14% where they occupy two bedroom accommodation and 25% if they occupy three or more beds.”

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Hardwicke Chambers, 24th May 2013

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk