Norwich child sex abuser sentence ‘not unduly lenient’ – BBC News

“A child sex abuser who was spared jail due to the impact on his family was not given an ‘unduly lenient’ sentence, the solicitor general has decided.”

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BBC News, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal firms don’t respond to SME legal needs which is both a problem and an opportunity – Legal Services Board

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in fees, legal services, news, small businesses, statistics by sally

“The Legal Services Board publishes today a report on the legal needs of small businesses. The
report – In need of Advice? – is the first time that this issue has been investigated in England and
Wales.”

Full story (PDF)

Legal Services Board, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Related link: Findings of the Small Business Legal Needs Benchmarking Survey

New equality and diversity goals set out at Board meeting – Bar Standards Board

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in barristers, diversity, equality, news by sally

“Twelve equality objectives for 2013-14, set out in five priority areas, were approved and adopted by the Bar Standards Board at the May Board meeting – in line with statutory equality duties.”

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Bar Standards Board, 21st May 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Army sniper gets £100k after MoD blew his cover – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in anonymity, armed forces, compensation, data protection, disclosure, news, privacy by sally

“An Army sniper has been paid £100,000 in compensation after being driven into hiding when Ministry of Defence officials blew his cover.”

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Daily Telegraph, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Novartis AG v Hospira UK Ltd – WLR Daily

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in appeals, injunctions, law reports, patents by sally

Novartis AG v Hospira UK Ltd [2013] EWHC 1285 (Pat); [2013] WLR (D) 184

“When considering an application for an interim injunction pending an appeal, the court must not mechanically equate the existence of a real prospect of success on an appeal by a losing party with that of a good arguable case on the merits at the outset of proceedings prior to trial so that the granting of an interim injunction at the outset of proceedings before the parties’ rights had been decided would automatically justify an interim injunction pending an appeal.”

WLR Daily, 14th May 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Worcester child killer David McGreavy anonymity waived – BBC News

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in anonymity, disclosure, murder, news, parole, prisons by sally

“The High Court has overturned an order granting anonymity to a man who murdered three children in Worcester.”

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BBC News, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Access to justice at risk with court fee plans, warns CJC – Litigation Futures

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in consultations, courts, fees, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

“Government plans to reform the regime for court fees remissions and introduce a means test are too severe and ‘will diminish access to justice for a sizeable group of low-income families’, the Civil Justice Council (CJC) has warned.”

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Litigation Futures, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Distress must be directly linked to data breach for consumers to claim compensation, rules Court of Appeal – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in appeals, compensation, data protection, news, privacy by sally

“Businesses do not have to pay compensation for causing distress to consumers if they break data protection laws unless the distress suffered by consumers is linked to the breach itself, the Court of Appeal has ruled.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Interflora wins trademark case against Marks & Spencer – The Guardian

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in advertising, consumer protection, damages, internet, news, trade marks by sally

“Marks and Spencer has lost a five-year legal battle with Interflora after it bought advertising space tied to Google searches for the flower delivery network’s name.”

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The Guardian, 21st May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK Uncut loses: Taxman’s Goldman Sachs deal “not a glorious episode”, but lawful – UK Human Rights Blog

“Tax avoidance has hit the news again, with Apple currently facing questions from the US Senate about its exploitation of Irish company law loopholes and David Cameron writing to offshore tax havens to push for more transparency over tax rules. As it happens, the High Court has just handed down a ruling in a case which raises many of the same issues.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Massive unmet legal need among small businesses, landmark research finds – Legal Futures

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in fees, legal services, news, small businesses, statistics by sally

“Legal problems are costing small businesses in England and Wales £100bn a year, with fears over the cost of legal advice meaning they are far more likely to go it alone than seek help, authoritative new research from the Legal Services Board (LSB) has found.”

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Legal Futures, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Sugar daddy’ serial conman jailed for seven years – BBC News

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in fraud, news, sentencing by sally

“A conman who fleeced more than £170,000 out of women he met on a website for ‘sugar daddies’ has been jailed.”

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BBC News, 21st May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Chris Grayling to crack down on criminals freed early from jail – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in early release, news, prisons, sentencing by sally

“Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has plans to crack down on criminals who are freed from jail halfway through their sentence.”

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Daily Telegraph, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Abdel Hakim Belhaj torture case may be heard in secret court – The Guardian

“One of the first cases to be heard by the government’s new generation of secret courts may be a claim brought by a Libyan dissident who was kidnapped along with his pregnant wife and flown to one of Muammar Gaddafi’s prisons.”

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The Guardian, 21st May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Disarray as DPP contradicts new guidance on naming of suspects – The Independent

“Controversial plans to protect the identity of suspects arrested by police were in disarray last night after the Director of Public Prosecutions called for more ‘wriggle room’ to name suspects before they were charged.”

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The Independent, 21st May 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Doubling in innocent people branded criminals by Criminal Records Bureau – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in criminal records, mistake, news, statistics by sally

“Hundreds of innocent people could have been given criminal records last year, more than double the previous year, new figures show.”

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Daily Telegraph, 21st May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Brain training: how can experts ensure justice is unbiased? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in bias, expert witnesses, forensic science, news by sally

“In an ideal world, experts would be brought into a case to help ascertain what has happened, use objective instruments that quantify and interpret the evidence, and provide the court with an unbiased view. However, the reality is that often experts are recruited to help make a case for an existing theory of what has happened, and they rely on subjective judgments and interpretations. Can we expect experts to be objective? Is it realistic that without specific cognitive measures experts can be impartial?”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 21st May 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Newspaper royal charter plans are ‘bizarre’, says Liberty director – The Guardian

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in charters, damages, fines, inquiries, media, news, ombudsmen, privacy, professional conduct by sally

“A key adviser to the Leveson report, the civil rights campaigner Shami Chakrabarti, has hit out against politicians and newspaper barons, accusing them of letting down the public over promises to set up a new press watchdog.”

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The Guardian, 21st May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Three forgers jailed after undercover operation that revealed £50,000 of fake £1 coins – The Independent

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in coinage, conspiracy, forgery, news, sentencing by sally

“Three forgers have been jailed for what police believe is the largest ever plot to make fake £1 coins in the UK – some of which may still be in circulation.”

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The Independent, 21st May 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Torture victims win test case over detention in UK immigration centres – The Guardian

Posted May 21st, 2013 in asylum, compensation, detention, immigration, news, torture, victims by sally

“The Home Office has been ordered by the high court to pay compensation to four torture survivors who were unlawfully held in British immigration detention centres.”

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The Guardian, 21st May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk