Attack of the Clones: Supreme Court keeps its white male first eleven – UK Human Rights Blog
“Baroness Helena Kennedy has argued that judges have a tendency to clone themselves when choosing successors. It is hard to avoid that impression in the Supreme Court, which kept its white male first eleven in place yesterday by appointing three new justices: Lord Justice Hughes, Lord Justice Toulson and Lord Hodge. The sole woman amongst 12 justices of our highest appeal court remains Lady Hale. There are no black or Asian judges, not have there ever been.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 27th February 2013
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
Divorce costs warning issued to lawyers – The Guardian
“Some solicitors are failing to advise divorcees to settle courtroom battles before costs rise out of control because of the ’emotional rawness’ of those involved, according to the legal ombudsman.”
The Guardian, 28th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Tamil deportations from UK blocked by London High Court – BBC News
“The High Court in London has blocked the deportation of a group of failed Tamil asylum seekers scheduled to be sent back to Sri Lanka on Thursday.”
BBC News, 28th February 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Three men convicted of sex-trafficking 13-year-old girl – The Guardian
“Three men have been convicting of abducting a 13-year-old girl and forcing her to become their sex slave.”
The Guardian, 17th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
UK files on murdered spy Litvinenko must stay secret, rules coroner – The Guardian
“Media groups have expressed disappointment after a coroner ruled that secret government files on the murdered Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko would be examined in private.”
The Guardian, 27th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Telling tales out of school: balancing public authority employees’ duties of confidentiality with their right to freedom of expression – Employment Law Blog
“A dinner lady told a child’s parents that their daughter had been tied to a fence and whipped with a skipping rope by some other pupils, repeated the same to the press and then was dismissed for breach of confidentiality and acting in a manner likely to bring the school into disrepute. An employment tribunal found the dismissal procedurally unfair but dismissed her whistleblowing claim and reduced her compensation for unfair dismissal on the grounds of Polkey and for contributory fault. The tribunal did not, however, determine the question of whether the claimant could lawfully be disciplined for ‘telling tales out of school’ (as it put it).”
Employment Law Blog, 27th February 2013
Source: www.employment11kbw.com
Judicial appointments: new boys at the supreme court – The Guardian
“Who’s in and who’s out of the top tier of the judiciary? Joshua Rozenberg’s money is on Lady Hale for deputy president.”
The Guardian, 27th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Drones, street art and more immigration law – BBC Law in Action
“Joining us this week is Ben Emmerson QC, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Counter Terrorism. As ‘drones’ – or unmanned aerial vehicles – are increasingly used by the United States to kill suspected terrorists in other nations, we look at the legal case for and against their use. And we ask: if they can legally be deployed in civilian areas in Yemen or Pakistan, could they also be used against targets in Britain? Plus: we look at the controversial European court rulings that stop illegal immigrants being deported if they are caring for children who are British citizens.”
BBC Law in Action, 26th February 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Rolling back the tide – Henderson v Henderson re-litigation – Hardwicke Chambers
“It always seems much easier in theory than in practice to have a claim struck out as an abuse of process under the well known principle against re-litigation known by its leading authority of Henderson v Henderson (1843) 3 Hare 100.”
Hardwicke Chambers, 20th February 2013
Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk
Number of female lawyers applying to be QC falls – The Guardian
“There has been a significant fall in the number of female lawyers applying to acquire the elite status of Queen’s Counsel (QC).”
The Guardian, 27th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Ombudsman warns of mis-selling risk around family law services – Legal Futures
“Innovation in family law services is working for consumers but could in time lead to mis-selling and hidden costs as complex financing and legal services structures emerge, the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has warned.”
Legal Futures, 28th February 2013
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Released prisoners to be banned from moving around country – The Guardian
“Newly released prisoners will be banned from moving around the country when they leave jail to ensure they complete rehabilitation programmes, Chris Grayling has told MPs.”
The Guardian, 27th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Legal loophole allows banned mechanical meat in UK sausages – BBC News
“The BBC has learned that European meat suppliers are using a loophole in the law to sell a banned low quality material to UK sausage makers.”
BBC News, 28th February 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Kenneth Clarke’s plans for secret courts savaged by lawyers – The Guardian
“Controversial government plans to introduce a new generation of secret courts have been dealt a major blow after hundreds of lawyers attacked them as ‘contrary to the rule of law’.”
The Guardian, 28th February 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Command Papers – official-documents.gov.uk
Internal Disciplinary Hearings and Injunctions – Littleton Chambers
“Dr Chhabra is a consultant psychiatrist at Broadmoor Hospital. She was alleged by a member of the public to have breached patient confidentiality whilst travelling on a train (an allegation that might cause lawyers who work on trains pause for thought…). Her employer Trust appointed an outside psychiatrist to investigate the allegations under the Trust’s procedures, implementing ‘Maintaining High Professional Standards in the Modern NHS’. The case manager, on reviewing the investigator’s report, decided that the matter should be brought before a disciplinary hearing at which Dr. Chhabra would face allegations of gross misconduct that may have led to dismissal. Separately the Trust referred capability concerns relating to Dr. Chhabra that had also been considered in the investigator’s report, to the National Clinical Assessment Service (‘NCAS’).”
Littleton Chambers, 12th February 2013
Source: www.littletonchambers.com
Kutchukian v Keepers and Governors of the Possessions Revenues and Goods of the Free Grammar School of John Lyon – WLR Daily
“When carrying out the hypothetical valuation of a property with development potential, pursuant to paragraph 3 of Schedule 6 to the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993, the Upper Tribunal ought to have decided the legal position in respect of the legal rights and liabilities arising under various leases, rather than allow for uncertainty on those legal points, insofar as leaving them undetermined, by a discount for the risk.”
WLR Daily, 20th February 2013
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Costly consequences: The pros and cons of disapplying CPR 36.14 – Hardwicke Chambers
“Unlike the general power provided by CPR 44.3, the costs consequences of Pt 36 do not lie in the discretion of the court. The court must apply them unless it considers it “unjust” to do so.”
Hardwicke Chambers, 20th February 2013
Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk