Motoring offences scam man Colin Lowndes jailed – BBC News

“A man who masterminded a nationwide scam to help drivers escape motoring convictions has been jailed. Colin Lowndes, 41, of Hattersley, Greater Manchester, helped more than 700 motorists avoid penalty points for speeding and other driving offences.”

Full story

BBC  News, 7th January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Football Association defends disciplinary system – BBC News

Posted January 9th, 2012 in disciplinary procedures, news, sport by tracey
 “The Football Association has defended its near perfect record in disciplinary cases last year involving clubs, players or managers. Its Independent Regulatory Commission heard 473 cases between December 2010 and December 2011, but only two of them ended in ‘not guilty’ verdicts.”
 
 
BBC News, 7th January 2012
 
 

Obscenity law in doubt after jury acquits distributor of gay pornography – The Guardian

Posted January 9th, 2012 in news, obscenity, pornography by tracey

“Experts say Obscene Publications Act now ‘makes no sense’ after jury rejects claims that mail-order material was capable of ‘depraving and corrupting.’ ”

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The Guardian, 7th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ken Clarke warned plan to curb open justice is flawed – The Guardian

Posted January 9th, 2012 in closed material, costs, investigatory powers, news, tribunals by tracey

“Britain’s most secretive court has warned the government that plans to restrict open justice in sensitive civil claims cases are seriously flawed and likely to incur excessive costs. Criticising the central thrust of Ken Clarke’s justice and security green paper, judges and members of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal say proposals for expanding ‘closed material procedures’ into other courts have not been thought through sufficiently.”

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The Guardian, 8th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Travellers will be offered sites to avoid repeat of Dale Farm – The Independent

Posted January 9th, 2012 in news, planning, travellers by tracey

“Moves to create some 800 permanent sites across England for Traveller families will be announced today in an effort to defuse community tensions with settled residents. Under the £47m initiative, new locations will be found from Cornwallto Co Durham for Travellers, preventing them from having to put their caravans on unauthorised land.”

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The Independent, 7th January 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

 

Wedgwood family call on Attorney General to save their museum – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 9th, 2012 in news, pensions, trusts by tracey

“Descendants of Josiah Wedgwood, the 18th-century pottery manufacturer, have called on the Government to intervene to prevent the selling off of the Wedgwood Museum.”

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Daily Telegraph, 9th January 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Michael Gove faces legal action as rebel primary battles his academy plan – The Guardian

Posted January 9th, 2012 in education, judicial review, news by tracey

“Michael Gove, the education secretary, is facing legal action by the primary school whose supporters he branded as ‘ideologues’ last week for fighting his plans to turn it into an academy. Lawyers for the governing body of Downhills primary in Haringey, north London, have escalated the row by accusing Gove of illegally trying to force the school to become independent of its local authority and be taken over by a sponsor. The Tory cabinet minister has been given less than two weeks to respond to a ‘statement of claim’ against him or face a judicial review over his conduct, which parents at the school say has been unfair and politically motivated.”

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The Guardian, 7th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Stephen Lawrence killers will not get parole if they refuse to confess guilt – The Guardian

Posted January 9th, 2012 in murder, news, parole, racism, sentencing by tracey

“Stephen Lawrence’s killers will serve many years in prison beyond their minimum sentence unless they admit their guilt, say legal experts.”

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The Guardian, 7th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

ABS big bang? Yes, but legal market is already changing – The Guardian

Posted January 6th, 2012 in alternative business structures, legal services, news by tracey

“Liberalisation of legal services begins this week but attempts to change the way law is delivered are increasing.”

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The Guardian, 6th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Jet bomb plotter Nezar Hindawi loses parole bid – BBC News

Posted January 6th, 2012 in aircraft, conspiracy, murder, news, parole by tracey

“A terrorist jailed for 45 years for plotting to blow up an Israeli airliner has lost a legal battle to secure his release, the BBC understands.”

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BBC News, 6th January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government should stop state secrets being aired in court, says spy watchdog – The Guardian

Posted January 6th, 2012 in disclosure, intelligence services, news, torture by tracey

“The parliamentary watchdog for Britain’s spies is lobbying the government to introduce sweeping curbs that could prevent UK courts from examining intelligence material.
Proposals by the intelligence and security committee (ISC), brought to light by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, go beyond measures proposed by the government, which the ISC says ‘do not go far enough’.”

Full story

The Guardian, 6th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Child asylum seekers win compensation for 13-month detention – The Guardian

Posted January 6th, 2012 in asylum, children, compensation, detention, news by tracey

“Four children who were incarcerated in detention centres for 13 months – the longest time children have ever been locked up in the UK – have won a six-figure compensation payout from the Home Office more than eight years after their release.”

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The Guardian, 6th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge critical of sentencing powers for anti-Muslim comments – BBC News

Posted January 6th, 2012 in fines, news, racism by tracey

“A judge said it was ‘quite staggering’ that he could only impose a fine on a former soldier who admitted making racist remarks about Muslims.”

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BBC News, 6th January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Caroline Meeking jailed for husband’s car row killing – BBC News

Posted January 6th, 2012 in domestic violence, homicide, news, sentencing by tracey

“A woman who caused the death of her husband in a crash by pulling on the handbrake in a drunken row has been jailed for two years.”

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BBC News, 6th January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

BAILII – Recent Decisions

Posted January 6th, 2012 in law reports by tracey

High Court (Chancery Division)

Maltby Holdings Ltd v Spratt & Anor [2012] EWHC 4 (Ch) (05 January 2012)

National Westminster Bank Plc v Msaada Group (a firm) & Ors [2012] EWHC 5 (Ch) (05 January 2012)

Source: www.bailii.org

Ackerman v Ackerman and others – WLR Daily

Posted January 6th, 2012 in law reports by tracey

Ackerman v Ackerman and others; [2011] EWHC 3428 (Ch);  [2011] WLR (D)  399

“The test for materiality in cases where an expert, appointed to make a determination, was alleged to have departed from his express or implied procedural instructions including an obligation of fairness was that: (a) if the decision was inevitable, it would not be material; (b) whether a determination was otherwise invalidated depended upon all the circumstances of the case, the nature of the omission or departure, and the effect it had on the expert in reaching his decision.”

WLR Daily, 21st December 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Extension of secret hearings would be “fundamentally unfair”, say Special Advocates – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted January 6th, 2012 in closed material, evidence, news, private hearings by tracey

“Government proposals to increase the number of court hearings held in secret, and in which parties can only see minimal evidence relied upon by the court, have been severely criticised by the ‘Special Advocates’ who play the central role in closed hearings.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 5th January 2012

Source: http://ukhumanrightsblog.com

A step closer to the legalisation of assisted suicide? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted January 6th, 2012 in assisted suicide, news by tracey

“The Commission on Assisted Dying, set up in September 2010 and chaired by former Lord Chancellor Charles Falconer, has issued its monumental report on assisted dying in England and Wales.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 5th January 2012

Source: http://ukhumanrightsblog.com

 

Unison pension adverts investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 6th, 2012 in advertising, news, pensions, trade unions by tracey

“Public sector union Unison is being investigated by the ASA after three advertisements it placed in the national press were described as ‘misleading’ and ‘inaccurate.’ ”

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Daily Telegraph, 5th January 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ofqual to launch probe into teachers’ exam seminars – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 6th, 2012 in examinations, news, teachers by tracey

“The qualifications regulator is to launch an official investigation into exam seminars staged to help teachers improve GCSE and A-level results amid concerns the system is open to abuse.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 6th January 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk