‘The ubiquitous mobile phone has transformed criminal investigations and prosecutions over the last 15-20 years. Mobile phone evidence is a key tool in the fight against crime. But the phone in your pocket can also become a confession of a crime never committed. Evidence of presence at a scene, of messages received or comments made can sometimes give a false impression. How does an un-witting suspect on the wrong end of phone evidence begin to tackle what may seem like formidable evidence against him or her?’

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Doughty Street Chambers, 4th April 2025

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

‘The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which completed its first passage through the House of Commons last month, now includes a set of corporate parenting responsibilities for Secretaries of State, the Lord Chancellor, education and health bodies, Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission and the Youth Justice Board. This is a landmark development which was proposed in 2022 by the care review established by the former Conservative government, led by Josh MacAlister who was elected Labour MP for Whitehaven and Workington in 2024.’

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The Barrister Group, 9th April 2025

Source: thebarristergroup.co.uk

‘In the recent case of Kau Media Group Limited v Thomas Hart [2025] EWHC 553 (KB), Jeremy Hyman KC sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court reaffirmed the principals in relation to the enforcement of post-termination restrictions (“PTRs”). This case also serves as a reminder as to the importance of pleading your case properly.’

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KCH Garden Square, 4th April 2025

Source: kchgardensquare.co.uk

‘A former reality TV star has been left with a £250,000 court bill after a dispute with his bird-breeding neighbours in a West Country hamlet. Barnes Thomas, a 29-year-old ex-London art dealer who appeared on Bear Grylls’ The Island in 2018, clashed with brothers Martin and Scott Nicholas, 32 and 31 respectively, over noisy building work on his farm in St Just, Cornwall.’

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The Independent, 9th April 2025

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘On 1 October 2023, a new track came into force which shook up the rules on allocation and fixed costs. There are some exceptions carved out in the rules for housing matters however, which has resulted in much confusion among solicitors, barristers and even judges about whether and how this new track applies in housing matters, even a year and a half since it came into force.’

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Doughty Street Chambers, 7th April 2025

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

‘Alice Nash considers the decision, which confirms that professional firms offering insolvency services are not vicariously liable for the acts and omissions of employees accepting appointments as Receivers, as they act in a personal capacity rather than in the course of their employment.’

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Hailsham Chambers, 4th April 2025

Source: www.hailshamchambers.com

‘Pre-Sentence Reports (“PSRs”) are a crucial part of the sentencing process. They are often the deciding factor in a finding of dangerousness, or whether a custodial or community sentence is more suitable. But what is the position for a client when the PSR author raises unfounded allegations as evidence of previous offending? What grounds of objection do you have, as Defence counsel, when a Prosecutor invites the judge to rely on unfounded allegations in their assessment of dangerousness? As a Prosecutor, what are the limits to material you can put before the judge? This article, by Charlie Myatt and Eliza Harris, sets out the parameters of section 308(d) of the Sentencing Act 2020 (“SA 2020”). It considers the extent to which a judge can consider unproven allegations, matters on which no further action (NFA) has been taken, acquittals, and police intelligence in their assessment of dangerousness, and in wider sentencing considerations.’

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Drystone Chambers, 8th April 2025

Source: www.drystone.com

‘Poor-quality immigration legal aid work is having “devastating consequences” for clients and shifting an “enormous – and often unmet – burden” onto the wider non-profit advice sector, a report has found.’

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Legal Futures, 9th April 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘A prison governor who began a relationship with a drug-dealing gang boss locked up in the jail she ran has been found guilty of two counts of misconduct in public office.’

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BBC News, 8th April 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘In the last month, the Court of Appeal has heard – and dismissed – two cases involving challenges to legislation on the basis of an alleged incompatibility with Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Each case is, of course, specific to its own factual matrix. But there are also some interesting commonalities which underpin both cases, which are detailed below.’

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Administrative Court Blog, 8th April 2025

Source: administrativecourtblog.wordpress.com

‘Two teenagers have been found guilty at Leicester crown court of the manslaughter of Bhim Kohli after the 80-year-old was attacked in a park near Leicester in September.’

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The Guardian, 8th April 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘A man who murdered his wife in a “persistent and frenzied” attack at their home in West Yorkshire has been jailed for life.’

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BBC News, 8th April 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Retail tycoon Sir Philip Green has lost a legal case against the UK government after complaining about being publicly named in the House of Lords as facing misconduct allegations.’

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The Guardian, 8th April 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Delivering his 1978 Chorley lecture, Griffith explained that during the inter-war period what constitutional theorists really wanted “to know was where the reality of political and economic power lay … who was pulling the levers, where the levers were being pulled”.’

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King's Law Journal, 7th April 2025

Source: doi.org

‘Survivors of sexual violence often consent to forensic medical examinations for medical and legal purposes, including healthcare treatment, trace evidence collection, and documentation of injuries. Internal vaginal examinations, necessary in cases of penetrative vaginal rape, can be invasive and cause trauma. Recent efforts aim to minimise harm through victim- and trauma-centred approaches. Despite this, there are instances where forensic samples lack evidentiary value due to issues like degradation, contamination, tampering, sample backlog, or collection of forensic evidence that is not necessary (for example, in cases of consent and where identification of the perpetrator is not required). However, internal vaginal examinations are still taking place, turning the collection into a potentially harmful, performative process for the survivor. Limited healthcare resources and structural constraints can contribute to these challenges worldwide. This paper examines the British civil law context because of the contemporary global debate around patient autonomy and understanding of informed consent. It considers that much can be learnt from the British approach when ensuring survivors of sexual violence undergoing forensic medical examination are adequately informed.’

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Feminist Legal Studies, 7th March 2025

Source: link.springer.com

‘Following a recent Crown Court sentencing hearing, Maria Karaiskos KC and Guy Cecil outline why the Crown Court Compendium Part II needs to be updated in line with legislative changes on release provisions, and provide a summary of the current provisions for offenders.’

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Church Court Chambers, 24th March 2025

Source: churchcourtchambers.co.uk

‘An Islamic extremist who arrived in the UK seeking asylum has been jailed for supporting terror group Islamic State.’

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BBC News, 7th April 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘The investigatory powers tribunal, which investigates whether the domestic intelligence services have acted unlawfully, on Monday rejected a bid by the Home Office to withhold from the public the “bare details” of the case.’

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The Guardian, 7th April 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com