Caroline Meeking jailed for husband’s car row killing – BBC News
“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.”
BBC News, 6th January 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Ackerman v Ackerman and others – WLR Daily
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
“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.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 5th January 2012
Source: http://ukhumanrightsblog.com
A step closer to the legalisation of assisted suicide? – UK Human Rights Blog
“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.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 5th January 2012
Source: http://ukhumanrightsblog.com
Unison pension adverts investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority – Daily Telegraph
“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.’ ”
Daily Telegraph, 5th January 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Ofqual to launch probe into teachers’ exam seminars – Daily Telegraph
“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.”
Daily Telegraph, 6th January 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Views sought on UK’s copyright licensing system – OUT-LAW.com
“Creative industry representatives have been asked to give their views on whether the UK’s current copyright licensing system is fit for the digital age.”
OUT-LAW.com, 5th January 2012
Source: www.out-law.com
Image processing software not excluded from patentability, IPO rules – OUT-LAW.com
“A computerised method of processing images and categorising features within it into database-searchable words is not excluded from patentability, a hearing officer at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has ruled.”
OUT-LAW.com, 5th January 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
Is the regulation of cosmetic surgery only skin-deep? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
“Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has said that he hopes the government review into the rupture rate of a make of faulty breast implants will report by the end of the week.”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 5th January 2012
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Cameron extends PI fees cap in attack on ‘albatross’ safety culture – Law Society’s Gazette
“David Cameron today announced plans to cap lawyers’ fees from personal injury claims at £25,000. Speaking to an audience of small companies, the prime minister launched an attack on the so-called compensation culture and blamed it for holding back the growth of UK businesses.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 5th January 2012
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Burglars jailed after Salford homeowner killed raider – BBC News
“Three men have been jailed for aggravated burglary at the home of a man who fatally stabbed one of four intruders in Greater Manchester.”
BBC News, 5th January 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Poor teachers ‘will slip through the net’ under reforms – Daily Telegraph
“Hundreds of poor teachers are likely to be allowed to remain in the classroom under Government plans to scrap the profession’s official regulator, it is feared.”
Daily Telegraph, 6th January 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Coalition plans to kill off ‘health and safety monster’ with limits on lawyers’ fees – Daily Telegraph
“David Cameron said the move would provide protection for employers facing claims over workplace accidents and help end a ‘culture of fear’ among businesses over health and safety. Insurance companies suggested the change could lead to reduced premiums for motorists by reducing the number of ‘friviolous’ damages claims arising from traffic accidents. Existing limits on legal fees in personal injury cases will now be extended to claims for up to £25,000, officials said. For the first time, caps on lawyers’ fees will also apply to claims brought against employers.”
Daily Telegraph, 6th January 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Stephen Lawrence murder sentences to be reviewed by attorney general – The Guardian
“Dominic Grieve to look into leniency of sentences handed to Gary Dobson and David Norris after receiving complaint.”
The Guardian, 5th January 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Church of England calls assisted suicide plan morally unacceptable – Daily Telegraph
“The Rt Rev James Newcome, Bishop of Carlisle, said the best safeguard for vulnerable people would be to keep the existing law in place. He also claimed the Commission on Assisted Dying, a group of peers and academics chaired by the former Labour minister Lord Falconer, was a ‘self-appointed’ group that excluded anyone who objected to legalising assisted suicide.”
Daily Telegraph, 5th January 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Regina v James and another – WLR Daily
Regina v James and another; [2011] EWCA Crim 2991; [2011] WLR (D) 389
“Expenditure on scales, machinery parts, rent and wages for casual workers were not sums obtained as a result of or in connection with criminal conduct, in this case the evasion of excise duty on tobacco products, and therefore did not amount to a benefit from criminal conduct for the purposes of section 76(4) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.”
WLR Daily, 21st December 2011
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Delaney v Pickett and another – WLR Daily
Delaney v Pickett and another; [2011] EWCA Civ 1532; [2011] WLR (D) 390
“In looking to the possible application of the defence of ‘ex turpi’ in a claim of negligence arising out of a road traffic accident it could be crucial to ask whether the injury in issue was truly a consequence of the claimant’s unlawful act or whether it was a consequence of the unlawful act only in the sense that it would not have happened if the claimant had not been committing an unlawful act. In other words, could one say that, although the damage would not have happened but for the tortious conduct of the defendant, it was caused by the criminal act of the claimant; or was the position, rather, that, although the damage would not have happened without the criminal act of the claimant, it was caused by the tortious act of the defendant ?.”
WLR Daily, 21st December 2011
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Tim Martin Interiors Ltd v Akin Gump LLP – WLR Daily
Tim Martin Interiors Ltd v Akin Gump LLP; [2011] EWCA Civ 1574; [2011] WLR (D) 39
“As regards quantification and repayment, a third party assessment under section 71 of the Solicitors Act 1974 was of limited use to a third party, since, after payment, it was not possible to require solicitors to pay to the third party money which they had received from their client and which the client was bound to pay them, merely because the third party was not liable to pay the same amount to the client.”
WLR Daily, 21st December 2011
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
