Where the Common Law fears to tread – Speech by Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls

Posted November 9th, 2012 in judiciary, precedent, speeches by sally

“Where the Common Law fears to tread – Annual Lecture for ALBA 2012 by Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls.”

Full speech

Judiciary of England and Wales, 9th November 2012

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

New definition of domestic violence and abuse to include 16 and 17 year olds – Home Office

Posted November 9th, 2012 in domestic violence, press releases, victims, young persons by sally

“Victims of domestic violence and abuse aged 16 and 17 will be recognised under a new cross-government definition, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg announced today (Wednesday 19 September 2012).”

Full press release

Home Office, 5th November 2012

Source: www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Flip Flopping: Telefonica UK v Office of Communications – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted November 9th, 2012 in competition, EC law, news, telecommunications by sally

“What should Ofcom do when mobile network operators (‘MNOs’) spot a loophole in the regulator’s price control mechanism and proceed to ‘game’ the system over several years, increasing their revenues by many millions of pounds?”

Full story

Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 6th November 2012

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

Juror jailed for discussing trial with defendants – Attorney General’s Office

Posted November 9th, 2012 in contempt of court, juries, press releases, sentencing by sally

“Judges at the High Court today jailed a juror for four months for contempt of court, after he admitted discussing the trial with two of the defendants while it was still ongoing.”

Full story

Attorney General’s Office, 8th November 2012

Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

Iraq soldier families can bring negligence but not human rights claims – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 9th, 2012 in armed forces, human rights, negligence, news, state immunity by sally

“Smith & Ors v The Ministry of Defence [2012] EWCA Civ 1365

Last month, the Court of Appeal decided that the negligence claims of the families of five British soldiers killed on duty in Iraq could go ahead. It would be for the High Court to decide on the facts whether decisions made about troops’ equipment and training fell within the long-standing doctrine of ‘combat immunity’.  The appellants were however unsuccessful in arguing that the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) applied.

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 9th November 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Update on recent Tribunal decisions part 2: personal data of “low inherent sensitivity” – Panopticon

Posted November 9th, 2012 in data protection, disclosure, freedom of information, news, tribunals by sally

“The ‘personal data’ provisions under s. 40(2) FOIA and regulation 13 EIR can often be very difficult to apply, particularly in light of the Durant ‘notions of assistance’, namely biographical significance and focus. It is correspondingly difficult to predict how such arguments will fare before the Tribunal. Two recent cases offer good illustrations. Both saw the Tribunal order disclosure of property-related personal data which was deemed to be of ‘low inherent sensitivity.’ ”

Full story

Panopticon, 8th November 2012

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Content of emails should generally not be considered as property, rules High Court – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 9th, 2012 in confidentiality, disclosure, electronic mail, intellectual property, news by sally

“Businesses do not have a general claim of ownership over the content in staff emails, a High Court judge has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 8th November 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Stamp duty land tax avoidance scheme was effective says the Upper Tribunal – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 9th, 2012 in leases, news, partnerships, stamp duty, tax avoidance by sally

“A stamp duty land tax (SDLT) avoidance scheme which involved the interaction of the sub-sale and the partnership rules was effective, according to the Upper Tribunal.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 8th November 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

The Article 8 Toys Go Back in the Box – NearlyLegal

Posted November 9th, 2012 in housing, human rights, landlord & tenant, local government, news, succession by sally

“The Court of Appeal has handed down judgement in a case that will probably come to characterise the operation of Article 8 in the daily life of the County Courts.”

Full story

NearlyLegal, 9th November 2012

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk/blog/

Chancery Lane hits out at LETR over claim – Law Society’s Gazette

“The Law Society has hit back at claims that the current system of legal education and training is unfit for purpose. In a critical response to a discussion paper published by the cross-professional Legal Education and Training Review (LETR), the Society says it is ‘not aware of clear evidence that the current system is broken’.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 8th November 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Speeding biker Gary Dobson who did 144mph on A63 banned – BBC News

Posted November 9th, 2012 in dangerous driving, guilty pleas, motorcycles, news, sentencing by sally

“A biker who reached speeds of 144mph (232km/h) on an A-road in North Yorkshire has been banned from riding for six months.”

Full story

BBC News, 8th November 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Council ‘failed to consider differing needs of elderly and dementia patients when setting care home fees’ – Daily Telegraph

“A group of care homes has won a legal challenge against their local council, after accusing it of setting care fees too low and putting elderly and frail people at serious risk.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th November 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Husband who beat wife’s lover freed after she finally admits affair – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 9th, 2012 in appeals, grievous bodily harm, news, sentencing, suspended sentences by sally

“A man jailed for beating up a friend he saw embracing his wife has been freed on appeal – after she belatedly confessed to the affair.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th November 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Injured workers face tougher battle for compensation under government plans – The Guardian

“Personal injury lawyer says bill making workers prove company negligence favours insurance industry at expense of taxpayer.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th November 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Phone hacking: Andy Coulson fights high court ruling over legal fees – The Guardian

Posted November 9th, 2012 in contract of employment, fees, interception, media, news by sally

“Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson has challenged a high court ruling that News International is not liable to pay his legal fees over the phone-hacking scandal. Lawyers for Coulson told the court of appeal in London on Thursday that criminal charges relating to his time as editor of the Sunday tabloid were ‘absolutely essential’ to the meaning of a key clause in his contract with News International.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th November 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Scissor death killer Sandra Clinch jailed for husband’s manslaughter – BBC News

Posted November 9th, 2012 in diminished responsibility, domestic violence, homicide, news, sentencing by sally

“A woman who fatally stabbed her husband with a pair of scissors in a row about tidying their house has been jailed.”

Full story

BBC News, 8th November 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Abu Hamza son Imran Mostafa jailed over King’s Lynn raid – BBC News

Posted November 9th, 2012 in firearms, news, robbery, sentencing by sally

“The son of Islamic cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri has been jailed for 11 years over an armed raid on a Norfolk jewellers.”

Full story

BBC News, 8th November 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Lady of the manor’ wins £8.7m in divorce from landed gentry – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 9th, 2012 in divorce, financial provision, news by sally

“A multi-millionaire estate owner from an ‘illustrious family’ has been ordered to pay his ex-wife £8.7m after falling in love with a penniless young singer, as a judge ruled the ‘lady of the manor’ should be kept in the luxury she had expected since birth.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th November 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Immigration backlog is the size of Iceland – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 9th, 2012 in delay, immigration, news by sally

“The Commons home affairs select committee said the growing number of immigration cases — which includes almost 174,000 missing illegal immigrants — is equivalent of the population of Iceland. Mismanagement by the UK Border Agency could lead to tens of thousands more illegal immigrants being granted an ‘effective amnesty’ as officials write off their cases, the MPs said.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th November 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Upper Tribunal confirms the legitimacy of the new immigration rules – but questions their completeness – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 8th, 2012 in deportation, human rights, immigration, news, tribunals by sally

“Before the new immigration rules were introduced in July, cases involving Article 8 ECHR ordinarily required a two-stage assessment: (1) first to assess whether the decision appealed against was in accordance with the immigration rules; (2) second to assess whether the decision was contrary to the appellant’s Article 8 rights. In immigration decisions, there was no doubt that human rights were rooted in primary legislation: s.84(1)(c) and (g) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, the ‘2002 Act’) allows an appeal to be brought against a decision which unlawful under section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 (c. 42) (public authority not to act contrary to Human Rights Convention) as being incompatible with the appellant’s Convention rights. In addition to this, there is s.33(2) of the UK Borders Act 2007 which provides, as one of the statutory exceptions to the automatic deportation regime, ‘…where removal of the foreign criminal in pursuance of a deportation order would breach (a) a person’s Convention rights’.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 8th November 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com