Border agency condemned over backlog – BBC News
“MPs say the UK Border Agency is still plagued by backlogs of unresolved immigration cases.”
BBC News, 25th March 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Ken Clarke ‘misled’ parliament over secret courts bill – The Guardian
“Conservative cabinet minister Ken Clarke has been accused of misleading parliament as confusion mounts over the government’s plans to introduce secret courts ahead of this week’s crucial vote in the House of Lords.”
The Guardian, 24th March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Six months, no jail sentences: call for controversial squatter law to be axed – The Independent
“Six months after new laws were introduced to ‘protect homeowners’ from squatters, police have not arrested a single person for displacing residents from their home, leading to calls for the legislation to be scrapped.”
The Independent, 24th March 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Blogs likely to be excluded from press reforms by House of Lords – The Guardian
“Fears that bloggers and small-scale news websites will be dragged into the new proposed system of press regulation, so facing crippling costs, appeared to be lifting on Friday when Labour and the Liberal Democrats agreed to table last-minute amendments in the Lords to make it clear they will be excluded.”
The Guardian, 22nd March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Canterbury court sentences royal car protester Jonathan Elliott – The Independent
“A protester has been bound over to keep the peace for 12 months after he lunged at a car carrying the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall before the Archbishop of Canterbury’s enthronement.”
The Independent, 22nd March 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Independent ordered to pay damages for Nazi war criminal error – The Guardian
“A Croatian actor has accepted substantial undisclosed libel damages over an article in the Independent which wrongly identified him as a Nazi war criminal.”
The Guardian, 22nd March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Jail for soldier who terrorised bus with fake gun – Daily Telegraph
“A former soldier who left bus passengers fearing for their lives after he pointed a replica gun at them has been jailed for five years.”
Daily Telegraph, 22nd March 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Hillsborough inquest hearing date set – BBC News
“A hearing to decide the date and location of a fresh inquest into the deaths of the 96 Hillsborough victims will take place next month.”
BBC News, 22nd March 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Christian B&B owners sued over refusing gay guests can now turn away homosexual couples – The Independent
“A Christian couple who broke equality laws when they refused to let a gay couple stay in a double room in their bed and breakfast will now be able to legally turn away homosexual couples after becoming a not-for-profit organisation.”
The Independent, 22nd March 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Ex-gay’ London bus advert ban ruled lawful – BBC News
“A ban on a Christian group’s proposed bus advert suggesting gay people could be helped to change their sexuality has been ruled as lawful.”
BBC News, 22nd March 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
BAILII: Recent Decisions
Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
Nightingale, R. v – Temporary BAILII Citation Number: [2013] EWCA Crim B3 (13 March 2013)
Court of Appeal (Civil Division)
P -S (Children) [2013] EWCA Civ 223 (21 March 2013)
Whitehead v Bruce & Ors [2013] EWCA Civ 229 (21 March 2013)
Nelson’s Yard Management Company & Ors v Eziefula [2013] EWCA Civ 235 (21 March 2013)
High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)
Chandra & Anor v Brooke North & Anor (Rev 3) [2013] EWHC 417 (QB) (08 March 2013)
Serious Organised Crime Agency v Azam & Ors [2013] EWHC 627 (QB) (21 March 2013)
High Court (Family Division)
Arif v Anwar & Anor [2013] EWHC 624 (Fam) (21 March 2013)
High Court (Administrative Court)
McDaid v Nursing & Midwifery Council [2013] EWHC 586 (Admin) (21 March 2013)
High Court (Commercial Court)
Griffon Shipping LLC v Firodi Shipping Ltd [2013] EWHC 593 (Comm) (21 March 2013)
High Court (Patents Court)
Source: www.bailii.org
Intestacy and Family Provision Claims on Death – Law Commission
“Government has accepted, in part, the recommendations we made in our report Intestacy and Family Provision Claims on Death.”
Intestacy and Family Provision Claims on Death
Law Commission, 21st March 2013
Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk
Command Papers – official-documents.gov.uk
Hayes v Willoughby – WLR Daily
Hayes v Willoughby [2013] UKSC 17; [2013] WLR (D) 110
Where a person whose conduct would amount to harrassment of another within section 1(1) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 sought to rely on the defence under section 1(3)(a) of the Act of having acted for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime, he had to show that he had thought rationally about the material suggesting the possibility of criminality and had formed the view that the conduct said to constitute harassment was appropriate for the purpose of preventing or detecting it.
WLR Daily, 20th March 2013
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
No consultation on principle of criminal legal aid tendering – LAG News Blog
“It was clear from the meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Legal Aid yesterday evening that there is a wide gulf between legal aid practitioners and the government on the issue of competitive tendering for criminal legal aid services. Members of the audience, many of whom were solicitors and barristers specialising in criminal work, were shocked to hear Dr Elizabeth Gibby, the senior official at the Ministry of Justice responsible for the policy, declare that the consultation on competitive tendering planned for next month ‘will be on the model only and not the principle’.”
LAG News Blog, 21st March 2013
Source: www.legalactiongroupnews.org.uk
Bank Mellat (Appellant) v HM Treasury (Respondent) – Supreme Court
“Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court, made the following statement in open court this afternoon:
‘Yesterday morning, having heard full argument on the issue the previous day, we decided, for reasons to be given later – and, it should be added, by a majority of six to three – that we had power to consider the closed judgment of Mr Justice Mitting (‘the closed judgment’) in this case. This would involve part of this hearing being conducted in private without Bank Mellat or its representatives being present. We also indicated that, on the basis of the arguments we had so far heard, we were not persuaded that it was necessary to take such a course.'”
Supreme Court, 21st March 2013
Source: www.supremecourt.gov.uk
Historical first as Supreme Court boots Iranian bank out of secret hearing – UK Human Rights Blog
“Extraordinary developments in the Supreme Court today as the court, for the first time in its history, conducted a secret hearing during which one of the parties, an Iranian Bank, was not allowed to take part. Full background to the case, Bank Mellat (Appellant) v HM Treasury (Respondent) is here.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 21st March 2013
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
IPCC submits file to prosecutors over death of man after arrest – The Guardian
“The police watchdog has sent a file to the Crown Prosecution Service regarding the death of a man who was restrained and arrested by police officers in a city centre.”
The Guardian, 21st March 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk
The Police and Justice Act 2006 (Commencement No. 16) Order 2013
The Education (Inspectors of Education and Training in Wales) Order 2013
The Hinkley Point C (Nuclear Generating Station) Order 2013
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2013
The Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 2013
The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Amendment Order 2013
The Damages-Based Agreements Regulations 2013
The Civil Legal Aid (Costs) Regulations 2013
The Legal Aid (Information about Financial Resources) Regulations 2013
The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013
The Health Education England (Establishment and Constitution) Amendment Order 2013
The Financial Services Act 2012 (Commencement No. 3) Order 2013
Source: www.legislation.gov.uk
Plight of women in jail tackled with new policy on sentencing – The Independent
“Courts will be encouraged to hand more community sentences to women offenders – backed by curfews, tagging and unpaid work – in an attempt to reduce the female prison population.”
The Independent, 21st March 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
