Intelligent rape investigation and prosecution – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
“It was widely reported last week that rape cases were not being properly investigated by the police. This followed the publication of a sensible and non-inflammatory joint report by the CPS inspectorate and the Inspectorate of Constabularies called Forging the links: Rape investigation and prosecution. News was that poor record keeping, writing off crimes and intelligence failings means that the police are insufficiently robust in pursuing complaints and miss evidence of serial rapists. It was not all bad news and it’s worth looking at what the report actually had to say rather than the headlines.”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 6th March 2012
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Mars Rio Ferdinand and Katie Price Twitter advert cleared – BBC News
“A Mars marketing campaign has been cleared by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in its first investigation involving Twitter.”
BBC News, 7th March 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
ISPs could act as ‘liaison’ in online defamation disputes, Government announces – OUT-LAW.com
“Internet service providers (ISPs) and other “online intermediaries” could be forced to act as go-betweens in defamation disputes on the internet in a bid to resolve cases before they reach court, the Government has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 6th March 2012
Source: www.out-law.com
Attorney General to probe Leveson testimony – Daily Telegraph
“The Attorney General is looking into concerns that the policewoman leading the investigation into illegal newsgathering could have prejudiced any potential trials.”
Daily Telegraph, 7th March 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Ken Clarke unsettled by criticism of secret courts plan – The Guardian
“The justice secretary, Ken Clarke, has admitted to being ‘unsettled’ by criticism from lawyers about his plans for extending secret courts.”
The Guardian, 6th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Call for tighter controls on payday lenders – The Guardian
“Payday lenders should be forced to limit the rolling over of loans, stop allowing customers to switch from one lender to another, and to share information about their customers with other lenders, the business, innovation and skills committee has recommended.”
The Guardian, 7th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Secret civil court hearings ‘would put government above the law’ – The Guardian
“Extending secret hearings into civil courts will undermine effective scrutiny of government operations in the ‘war on terror’, according to prominent civil liberties activists and lawyers.”
The Guardian, 6th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Bigger than ABSs? The high-stakes review of legal education – Legal Week
“While alternative business structures are gaining all the headlines right now, something perhaps even more fundamental is going on this year: the Legal Education and Training Review (LETR). Many know it’s happening, but I suspect few quite understand how radically it could reshape the foundation of becoming a lawyer.”
Legal Week, 6th March 2012
Source: www.legalweek.com
Lawyers beware: your clients are rebelling – The Guardian
“For too long, lawyers have got away with arcane pricing and billing practices. Those who don’t change their ways will pay for it.”
The Guardian, 6th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk
The Planning Act 2008 (Commencement No. 2) (England) Order 2012
The National Health Service Pension Scheme and Injury Benefits (Amendment) Regulations 2012
The Syria (European Union Financial Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
The Civil Courts (Amendment) Order 2012
The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
The Education (Induction Arrangements for School Teachers) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
The Non-Domestic Rating (Cancellation of Backdated Liabilities) Regulations 2012
The Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rating (Demand Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
The Education (Teacher Student Loans) (Repayment etc) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
The Town and Country Planning (Tree Preservation)(England) Regulations 2012
The Teachers’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012
Source: www.legislation.gov.uk
BAILII: Recent Decisions
Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
Blackwood, R v [2012] EWCA Crim 390 (05 March 2012)
Court of Appeal (Civil Division)
High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Local Health Board v Iorashi [2012] EWHC 448 (QB) (05 March 2012)
KC v MGN Ltd [2012] EWHC 483 (QB) (05 March 2012)
WXY v Gewanter & Ors [2012] EWHC 496 (QB) (06 March 2012)
High Court (Administrative Court)
Lawrence v The General Medical Council [2012] EWHC 464 (Admin) (02 March 2012)
Reeves (Listing Officer) v Northrop [2012] EWHC 415 (Admin) (06 March 2012)
High Court (Family Division)
Fisher Meredith LLP v JH & Anor (Rev 2) [2012] EWHC 408 (Fam) (02 March 2012)
High Court (Commercial Court)
JSC BTA Bank v Ablyazov & Ors [2012] EWHC 455 (Comm) (29 February 2012)
Source: www.bailii.org
Amending Suspended Sentence Orders: Have we been getting it wrong all this time? – Zenith Chambers
“The Suspended Sentence Order created by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 has had a relatively straightforward existence, particularly in comparison to some of the other provisions of that much criticised Act.”
Full story (PDF)
Zenith Chambers, 27th February 2012
Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk
Government department must disclose data from private email correspondence, ICO rules – OUT-LAW.com
“The Department for Education (DfE) must disclose information sent from a private email address belonging to the Education Secretary unless there is a legitimate reason to refuse doing so, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 6th March 2012
Source: www.out-law.com
BT and Talk Talk lose file-sharing appeal – BBC News
“BT and Talk Talk have lost an appeal over controversial measures to tackle copyright infringement online.”
BBC News, 6th March 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Human Rights Review 2012 – Equality and Human Rights Commission
“The Commission today publishes a landmark review of how well public authorities deliver human rights protection and promotion in England and Wales. It is the second report in the ‘How Fair is Britain?’ series.”
Equality and Human Rights Commission, 5th March 2012
Source: www.equalityhumanrights.com
Related link: Human Rights Review 2012
DPP issues guidance to prosecutors in public protest cases – Crown Prosecution Service
“Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), has today issued Crown Prosecution Service prosecutors with new guidance on dealing with people who may have committed an offence during a protest or demonstration.”
Crown Prosecution Service, 6th March 2012
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
Google not a ‘publisher’ of Blogger postings, High Court rules – OUT-LAW.com
“Google was not responsible for allegedly defamatory comments posted on its blogging platform because it could not be said to be a publisher of the information, the High Court has ruled.”
OUT-LAW.com, 5th March 2012
Source: www.out-law.com
Who should have the final word on human rights? – Dr Ed Bates – UK Human Rights Blog
“Much of the criticism directed toward the European Court of Human Rights over the last year or so, in this country at least, has been that it is too ready to overrule decisions made by the competent United Kingdom national authorities. It is said that British courts have already addressed the relevant human rights arguments under the Human Rights Act, so it is quite wrong that Strasbourg should now ‘overrule’ them.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 6th March 2012
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
Employment tribunals: Government considers overhaul – BBC News
“It is a typical day of employment tribunal hearings – but the rules are set to change as the government considers an overhaul of proceedings in these courts.”
BBC News, 5th March 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
