NHS software saga will see former directors in court – BBC News
The City regulator has started criminal proceedings against four former directors of UK-based healthcare software company iSoft.
BBC News, 6th January 2010
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Iraq inquiry: we have every right to know why we went to war – The Times
“The Iraq inquiry has resumed this week, promising crucial witnesses — Tony Blair, Jack Straw, Lord Goldsmith and possibly Gordon Brown.We have been told repeatedly what it is not: a trial, an inquest, an inquisition, a court, a statutory inquiry. Nevertheless, however its investigative format is described, none of this fancy terminological footwork can evade the central expectation for a thorough, transparent and impartial quest for the truth about the way decisions and actions were carried out.”
The Times, 6th January 2010
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Parade protest case flawed, say lawyers – The Independent
“The case against Muslim protesters who branded soldiers murderers at a homecoming parade should never have been brought to court, their lawyers said today.”
The Independent, 6th January 2010
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Brothel-visiting celebrity remains anonymous after Moseley precedent – OUT-LAW.com
“The Sun newspaper has refused to name a top football manager it said it caught leaving a brothel. Privacy law experts say that the case underlines the strictness with which courts interpret the right to privacy of famous people.”
OUT-LAW.com, 6th January 2010
Source: www.out-law.com
Leading lawyers call for quicker ‘no-fault’ divorces – The Independent
“Britain’s medieval fault-based divorce system must be reformed so that couples are free to end their marriage without having to blame each other for the break-up, an overwhelming majority of lawyers have told the Government.”
The Independent, 7th January 2010
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Full body scanners could be used without violating privacy, says expert – OUT-LAW.com
“A privacy regulator has said that technical tweaks and policy changes could ensure that whole-body airport scanners do not violate people’s privacy.”
OUT-LAW.com, 7th January 2010
Source: www.out-law.com
LSB research reveals public ‘don’t know what lawyers do’ – Law Society’s Gazette
More than two-thirds of consumers have ‘little or no knowledge’ of what lawyers do, research published last week has revealed.
Law Society’s Gazette, 7th January 2010
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
New rules for MPs to be outlined – BBC News
“Details of how MPs’ expenses will be overhauled are to be outlined as part of a public consultation on changes to the now discredited former system.”
BBC News, 7th January 2010
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Advice for 2010? Love your clients and taking nothing for granted – The Times
“Last year was traumatic for many law firms. Few avoided staff cutbacks or shorter time working. In many cases partners took home significantly less than they had earned in recent years and managing partners have had to take tough decisions to deal with the downturn.”
The Times, 7th January 2010
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Extradition of Gary McKinnon ‘breaches Bill of Rights’ – Daily Telegraph
“Extraditing the alleged British computer hacker Gary Mckinnon to America will breach Britain’s 300-year-old Bill of Rights, a top human rights barrister has said.”
Daily Telegraph, 7th January 2010
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
BAILII: Recent Decisions
High Court (Chancery Division)
Far Out Productions Inc v Unilever UK & CN Holdings Ltd [2009] EWHC B42 (Ch) (16 December 2009)
High Court (Administrative Division)
Oakes v Secretary of State for Justice & Ors [2009] EWHC B27 (Admin) (17 December 2009)
Source: www.bailii.org
DNA matches solve only a fraction of crimes, police admit – The Guardian
“Only 33,000 of the 4.9m crimes the police recorded last year were solved as a result of a match on the national DNA database, police admitted today.”
The Guardian, 5th January 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Ordering police trainee to cut his hair was not sex discrimination, tribunal rules – OUT-LAW.com
“A trainee police officer who was forced to cut his shoulder-length hair has failed in his claim that the order constituted sex discrimination. An Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) said that the police force’s dress code was fair.”
OUT-LAW.com, 5th January 2010
Source: www.out-law.com
Judges examine rise in complaints against MI5 – The Independent
“A record rise in the number of complaints against MI5 and other bodies authorised to spy on the public is being investigated by judges appointed to oversee the use of surveillance powers in Britain.”
The Independent, 6th January 2010
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Quirk of law leaves larger issues at play – The Times
“The power for a private individual to seek an arrest warrant from a British court for a foreign national they wish to prosecute is an unusual but not unique quirk of English law. The ability, which derives from the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980, is also available in varying forms in the Netherlands, Spain, the Czech Republic and New Zealand.”
The Times, 6th January 2010
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
British government will fight legal attempts to indict Israeli leaders in UK – The Guardian
“Baroness Scotland announces plans to alter laws after attempts to obtain warrants against Israeli generals for war crimes.”
The Guardian, 5th January 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Teenager gets life for burning girlfriend to death – The Independent
“A teenager who poured a can of petrol over his girlfriend and set her on fire was locked up for life today for her murder.”
The Independent, 5th January 2010
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Pedro v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions – Times Law Reports
Pedro v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Court of Appeal
“In order to maintain the freedom of movement or EC workers, the Department of Work and Pensions was obliged to treat a dependent family member of an EU national, who retained his UK worker status, as living in Great Britain for the dependant’s eligibility for a United Kingdom pension credit.”
The Times, 5th January 2010
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Regina (Birmingham City Council) v Birmingham Crown Court, RR, interested party; Regina (South Gloucestershire District Council) v Bristol Crown Court, AW and NW, interested parties – Times Law Reports
Regina (Birmingham City Council) v Birmingham Crown Court, RR, interested party; Regina (South Gloucestershire District Council) v Bristol Crown Court, AW and NW, interested parties
Queen’s Bench Divisional Court
“When considering the grant of an application without notice to extend the time for appealing against an anti-social behaviour order under section 4(1) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and rule 7(5) of the Crown Court Rules (SI 1982 No 1109) the judge could take into account the age of the applicant.”
The Times, 5th January 2010
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
