Coalition overturns Lords amendments on welfare and bans further dissent – The Guardian

Posted February 2nd, 2012 in bills, news, parliament by sally

“Government uses rare parliamentary procedure to annul seven adjustments to reform and prevent further challenges from peers.”

Full story

The Guardian, 1st February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Deech: barristers and solicitors should share training – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 2nd, 2012 in barristers, legal education, news, solicitors by sally

“Barristers and solicitors should share most of their training, the chair of the Bar Standards Board has proposed.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 2nd February 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Thousands wrongly labelled as criminals – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 2nd, 2012 in criminal records, news, vetting by sally

“At least 20,000 people have been wrongly labelled as criminals or accused of more serious offences because of blunders by the police and the Criminal Records Bureau.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 2nd February 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Civil litigation cost reforms to be delayed until 2013, Government confirms – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 2nd, 2012 in bills, civil justice, fees, news by sally

“Proposed changes to ‘no win, no fee’ agreements will not be introduced until April 2013 at the earliest, the Government has said. The changes will prevent losing parties having to pay certain elements of an injured party’s successful damages claim.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 1st February 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Police spies: watchdog calls for safeguards over ‘intrusive tactic’ – The Guardian

Posted February 2nd, 2012 in investigatory powers, news, police, reports by sally

“A clandestine operation that secretly deployed police spies in political groups for 40 years is severely criticised today by the official policing inspectorate, which concludes that the “intrusive” tactic should in future be used only after independent authorisation.”

Full story

The Guardian, 2nd February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Coogan and Phillips v NGN – give a thought to the under-privileged – Kirsten Sjovoll – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 2nd, 2012 in appeals, interception, news, privilege, self-incrimination, telecommunications by sally

“The Court of Appeal today (1 February) dismissed Mr Glenn Mulcaire’s appeal against an order that he provide information to claimants in the phone hacking litigation. The Court (Lord Judge, Lord Neuberger and Maurice Kay LJ) unanimously upheld the rulings of Mann J and Vos J that, as a result of the operation of section 72 of the Senior Courts Act 1981, Mr Mulcaire was not entitled to rely on his privilege against self-incrimination (‘PSI’).”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 1st February 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Amy Winehouse inquest put in doubt by coroner’s qualifications – The Guardian

Posted February 2nd, 2012 in coroners, inquests, news by sally

“A judicial investigation has been launched into the appointment of the coroner who chaired Amy Winehouse’s inquest, raising fears that the circumstances of the singer’s death might need to be examined again.

Full story

The Guardian, 1st February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Sentences of Dobson and Norris not to be referred to Court of Appeal – Attorney General’s Office

Posted February 1st, 2012 in appeals, murder, news, racism, sentencing by sally

“After careful review, the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC MP, has decided not to refer the sentences of Gary Dobson and David Norris to the Court of Appeal as possibly unduly lenient.”

Full story

Attorney General’s Office, 1st February 2012

Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted February 1st, 2012 in legislation by sally

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences (Amendment) Regulations 2012

The Greater London Authority Elections (Amendment) Rules 2012

The Police (Amendment) Regulations 2012

The Social Security Pensions (Flat Rate Accrual Amount) Order 2012

The Social Security Pensions (Low Earnings Threshold) Order 2012

The Social Security Revaluation of Earnings Factors Order 2012

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Assessment of FOI regime should be based on evidence not emotion, watchdog says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 1st, 2012 in consultations, freedom of information, news, parliament by sally

“MPs reviewing the UK’s freedom of information (FOI) regime should assess its success based on evidence and facts, the Information Commissioner has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 1st February 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Judges ponder action over pensions – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 1st, 2012 in judiciary, news, pensions by sally

“Judges are considering legal action to block an increase in their pension contributions.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 1st February 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Glenn Mulcaire ordered to reveal phone hacking details by appeal court – The Guardian

“Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator at the centre of the phone-hacking scandal, has lost his appeal against an earlier high court ruling requiring him to reveal who at the News of the World instructed him to hack into Steve Coogan’s voicemails.”

Full story

The Guardian, 1st February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted February 1st, 2012 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Hutchings-Whelan v Hutchings [2012] EWCA Civ 38 (26 January 2012)

D v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] EWCA Civ 39 (31 January 2012)

Annison v Nolan [2012] EWCA Civ 54 (31 January 2012)

Revenue and Customs v The GKN Group [2012] EWCA Civ 57 (31 January 2012)

Specsavers International Healthcare Ltd & Ors v Asda Stores Ltd [2012] EWCA Civ 24 (31 January 2012)

Barrett v Bem & Ors [2012] EWCA Civ 52 (31 January 2012)

High Court (Administrative Court)

Deputy Chief Ombudsman, R (on the application of) v French [2012] EWHC 113 (Admin) (18 January 2012)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Integrated Power Technologies -Powertech SAL v Hits Telecom Holding Co KSC [2012] EWHC 97 (Comm) (31 January 2012)

Source: www.bailii.org

Regina (Elam) v Secretary of State for Justice – WLR Daily

Posted February 1st, 2012 in law reports, legislation, release on licence, sentencing by sally

Regina (Elam) v Secretary of State for Justice [2012] EWCA Civ 29; [2012] WLR (D) 14

“The licence expiry date applicable to a prisoner serving consecutive terms of imprisonment including at least one term of 12 months or more was to be determined by the provisions of section 264(3) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 unless all the offences for which the sentences were imposed had been committed before section 264 came into force on 4 April 2005; in such a case, section 37(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 continued to govern the licence expiry date by virtue of the saving provision in paragraph 19 of Schedule 2 to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Commencement No 8 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2005.”

WLR Daily, 27th January 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Wokuri v Kassam – WLR Daily

Posted February 1st, 2012 in conflict of laws, diplomats, employment, immunity, law reports, news by sally

Wokuri v Kassam [2012] EWHC 105 (Ch); [2012] WLR (D) 13

“A diplomatic agent who had left a mission continued to enjoy immunity in respect of acts performed by him or her in the exercise of his or her functions as a member of that mission within the meaning of article 39(2) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) as scheduled to the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964. The residual immunity under article 39(2) was, however, less extensive than that enjoyed by a serving diplomat. The former diplomat would not necessarily have immunity in relation to claims by employees carrying out domestic duties.”

WLR Daily, 30th January 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

A Practical and Legal Analysis of Islamic Marriage, Divorce and Dowry – Family Law Week

Posted February 1st, 2012 in divorce, islamic law, marriage, news by sally

“Charlotte Proudman, a pupil at Coram Chambers, provides some legal and practical guidance on Islamic marriage, divorce and dowry and describes the procedures at Birmingham Central Mosque’s Sharia Council.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 31st January 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

PCC chairman unveils plans for new watchdog at Leveson inquiry – The Guardian

Posted February 1st, 2012 in inquiries, media, news, ombudsmen by sally

“The new chairman of the Press Complaints Commission has unveiled a blueprint for a ‘totally new’ newspaper watchdog which he hopes will eradicate ‘bad journalism’ and practices that have brought ‘shame’ on the industry.”

Full story

The Guardian, 31st January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bar Council and Bar Standards Board release Barristers’ Working Lives survey results – Bar Standards Board

Posted February 1st, 2012 in barristers, diversity, news by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, and the Bar Standards Board (BSB), the regulator of barristers in England and Wales, have today released the results of Barristers’ Working Lives, the first in a planned series of biennial surveys of the Bar.”

Full story

Bar Standards Board, 31st January 2012

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Seven Wolverhampton people jailed for Wrexham sham marriages – BBC News

Posted February 1st, 2012 in conspiracy, deportation, immigration, marriage, news by sally

“A bride at a sham double wedding pointed to the wrong ‘groom’ when quizzed by Border Agency officials, Mold Crown Court has heard.”

Full story

BBC News, 31st January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Are lawyers in right-to-die cases breaking the law? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 1st, 2012 in assisted suicide, judicial review, legal profession, news, prosecutions by sally

“Albert Camus famously wrote: ‘there is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide.’ However profound a philosophical problem, the question of suicide or, more precisely, assisted suicide is proving quite a legal conundrum.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 31st January 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com