Perceptions of criminal advocacy report – Bar Standards Board
“We commissioned ORC International to conduct research into the frequency with which underperformance is encountered in the criminal courts.”
Bar Standards Board, 18th April 2012
Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk
Abu Qatada and the law of time – Carl Gardner – UK Human Rights Blog
“The BBC reported yesterday that there’s ‘doubt’ about the deportation of Abu Qatada, following his arrest on Tuesday and now his appeal to the European Court of Human Rights – which the Home Secretary Theresa May says is out of time. So: is she right? Is the appeal out of time? How has the Home Office got into this apparent mess? And what if any difference does this appeal make?”
UK Human Rights Blog, 19th April 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
Activists given High Court go ahead to pursue HMRC over alleged ‘sweetheart’ deals – OUT-LAW.com
“A group of activists is to raise a preliminary challenge to an alleged ‘sweetheart’ tax settlement between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and investment bank Goldman Sachs, according to a national newspaper.”
OUT-LAW.com, 18th April 2012
Source: www.out-law.com
Basingstoke loses Core Strategy and SHLAA High Court claim – OUT-LAW.com
“The High Court has ruled that Basingstoke and Dean Borough Council was wrong to exclude 809 hectares of land from its potential housing allocation sites in its emerging Core Strategy.”
OUT-LAW.com, 18th April 2012
Source: www.out-law.com
Breivik – insanity as a defence – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
“Anders Behring Breivik knew what he was doing, and he knew it was wrong. Claiming insanity is not enough to protect a person from the consequences of his own evil acts. Alternatively, he must be mad. His killing spree was so shocking and so utterly at odds with normality as to be sufficient evidence of insanity in its own right. Res ipsa loquitur. And there you have it – the whole point of the argument about ‘criminal insanity’, which has been running for centuries.”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 18th April 2012
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Involving the Family Court Advisor in Pre-proceedings Practice – Initial lessons from the Coventry and Warwickshire pilot – Family Law Week
“Dr Karen Broadhurst of Lancaster University and Kim Holt of Bradford university describe the pilot study carried out into the involvement of children’s guardians prior to the issue of proceedings.”
Family Law Week, 17th April 2012
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
Student demonstration jury fails to reach verdict in violent disorder case – The Guardian
“Jurors failed to reach a verdict on Wednesday on whether a student who suffered a brain injury at a university fees demonstration was guilty of violent disorder.”
The Guardian, 18th April 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Villagers lose High Court battle against ‘lord of the manor’ banker – Daily Telegraph
“A group of villagers was yesterday left with a six-figure legal costs bill after losing a court battle with a retired banker who styled himself lord of the manor.”
Daily Telegraph, 18th April 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Stilton seeks right to use its own name for its cheese – Daily Telegraph
“The village of Stilton is kicking up a stink for the right to use its own name for the cheese it produces.”
DailyTelegraph, 18th April 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Consultation over language tests for foreign doctors – BBC News
“Doctors wanting to work for the NHS will have to prove they are fluent in English if proposals go ahead. Experts will consult over the next few months on the plan put forward by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.”
BBC News, 18th April 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
European court of human rights is not perfect, but it’s still precious – The Guardian
“When imagined post-Nuremberg, the human rights convention and Strasbourg court was never supposed to be a substitute for national protection of human rights.”
The Guardian, 19th April 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
BA fuel surcharge fine halved by OFT – The Guardian
“The Office of Fair Trading has more than halved a £121.5m fine levied against British Airways for colluding with Virgin Atlantic in a fuel surcharge scam. The consumer watchdog reduced the fine to £58.5m to reflect new guidelines for financial sanctions and BA’s co-operation with the inquiry. Virgin Atlantic escaped any penalty because it blew the whistle on the collusion over setting fuel surcharges between 2004 and 2006.”
The Guardian, 19th April 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Director of Public Prosecutions Kier Starmer admits CPS ‘faces tough decisions’ on phone hacking cases – Daily Telegraph
“Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer says each of the four files presented to the CPS on phone hacking will be considered as an individual case.”
Daily Telegraph, 18th April 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
May’s bid to deport Qatada descends into farce – Daily Telegraph
“The deportation of Abu Qatada descended into farce after a potential blunder by the Home Office allowed his lawyers to lodge a last-minute appeal which could extend his stay in Britain and derail attempts to remove him from the country.”
Daily Telegraph, 18th April 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Ofcom: press self-regulation could work – The Guardian
“Newspaper proprietors and editors hoping to stop David Cameron introducing statutory regulation of the press won support today from the broadcasting regulator Ofcom.”
The Guardian, 18th April 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Still suffering from an accident for which you weren’t to blame? – The Guardian
“To nobody’s surprise, the government last night rejected arguments on behalf of mesothelioma sufferers and overturned a Lords amendment that would have exempted them from the effects of Part 2 of the legal aid bill (known as the Jackson reforms).”
The Guardian, 18th April 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
BAILII: Recent Decisions
Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
Stapylton v R [2012] EWCA Crim 728 (18 April 2012)
High Court (Administrative Court)
Ford v Financial Services Authority & Anor [2012] EWHC 997 (Admin) (18 April 2012)
High Court (Commercial Court)
Finmoon Ltd & Anor v Baltic Reefers Management Ltd & Ors [2012] EWHC 920 (Comm) (17 April 2012)
Source: www.bailii.org
DPP launches public consultation on cases affecting the media – Crown Prosecution Service
“Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), has today published interim guidelines on the approach prosecutors should take when assessing the public interest in cases affecting the media.”
Crown Prosecution Service, 18th April 2012
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
BAILII: Recent Decisions
Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
Mullen & Ors, R. v (Rev 1) [2012] EWCA Crim 606 (01 March 2012)
High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)
Adams v The Law Society of England and Wales & Ors [2012] EWHC 980 (QB) (17 April 2012)
High Court (Administrative Court)
Source: www.bailii.org
