MPs face fines for abusing expenses – The Independent
“MPs who abuse their expenses face being fined under new proposals to beef up the role of Parliament’s standards watchdog.”
The Independent, 10th December 2009
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Driver fined £2,000 for using bus lane – The Independent
“A driver has landed fines of more than £2,000 after being caught 35 times illegally using a temporary bus lane in Bournemouth.”
The Independent, 10th December 2009
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Teenager jailed for killing boy, 15, in 50mph hit-and-run in city centre – The Guardian
“A teenager who knocked over and killed a 15-year-old boy as he sped through a city centre in a Mercedes has been jailed for almost five years.”
The Guardian, 10th December 2009
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Gary McKinnon challenges extradition – The Guardian
“Lawyers say new evidence shows computer hacker Gary McKinnon could not survive US prison system.”
The Guardian, 10th December 2009
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Bomb plot leader’s friend Adam Khatib sentenced to life in jail – The Times
“A Muslim man was jailed for life with a minimum of 18 years today after being convicted of conspiracy to murder by plotting with Abdulla Ahmed Ali, the convicted ringleader of the foiled plan to blow up passenger jets.”
The Times, 10th December 2009
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Anger over ‘cost-cutting’ plans for serious criminal cases – Law Society’s Gazette
“Solicitors and barristers have reacted with anger to last-minute ‘cost-cutting’ proposals on pay for the most serious criminal cases, which they say ‘drive a coach and horses through two years of patient and careful negotiation’.”
Law Society’s Gazette. 10th December 2009
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
BAILII: Recent Decisions
Supreme Court
Barratt Homes Ltd v Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig (Welsh Water) [2009] UKSC 13 (09 December 2009)
Horncastle & Ors, R. v [2009] UKSC 14 (09 December 2009)
A, R (on the application of)v B [2009] UKSC 12 (09 December 2009)
Court of Appeal (Civil Division)
Glaister & Ors v Appelby-In-Westmorland Town Council [2009] EWCA Civ 1325 (09 December 2009)
Dadourian Group International Inc & Ors v Simms & Ors [2009] EWCA Civ 1327 (09 December 2009)
Dhami & Anor v Lloyds TSB General Insurance Ltd [2009] EWCA Civ 1326 (09 December 2009)
Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
IB v R [2009] EWCA Crim 2575 (09 December 2009)
High Court (Commercial Court)
Kazeminy & Ors v Siddiqi & Ors [2009] EWHC 3207 (Comm) (09 December 2009)
High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)
Lord Chancellor v Purnell & Anor [2009] EWHC 3158 (QB) (07 December 2009)
Hughes v Risbridger & Anor [2009] EWHC 3244 (QB) (09 December 2009)
High Court (Technology and Construction Court)
Anglo Swiss Holdings Ltd & Anor v Packman Lucas Ltd [2009] EWHC 3212 (TCC) (09 December 2009)
Source: www.bailii.org
Recent Statutory Instruments – OPSI
The Traffic Management (London Borough of Hounslow) Permit Scheme Order 2009
The Traffic Management (London Borough of Redbridge) Permit Scheme Order 2009
The Traffic Management (London Borough of Islington) Permit Scheme Order 2009
The Traffic Management (Transport for London) Permit Scheme Order 2009
The Traffic Management (City of Westminster) Permit Scheme Order 2009
The Traffic Management (London Borough of Wandsworth) Permit Scheme Order 2009
The Carbon Accounting (Amendment) Regulations 2009
The Education (School Teachers’ Qualifications) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2009
The Non-Domestic Rating (Small Business Rate Relief) (England) (Amendment) (No.2) Order 2009
The Non-Domestic Rating (Rural Settlements) (England) (Amendment) Order 2009
The Non-Domestic Rating (Stud Farms) (England) Order 2009
The Value Added Tax (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulations 2009
Source: www.opsi.gov.uk
Freedom of information – update on recent FoI cases – Law Society’s Gazette
“The recent controversy over bonuses paid to civil servants employed by the Ministry of Defence highlights the public interest in salaries and bonuses of public sector officials.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 10th December 2009
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Lawyers attack government plans to extend family reporting – Law Society’s Gazette
“Family lawyers have attacked government plans to extend the media’s right to report family cases, warning that they will clog the courts with preliminary hearings and lead to miscarriages of justice.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 10th December 2009
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
MPs lobby to exclude solicitors from asbestos compensation scheme – Law Society’s Gazette
“MPs are lobbying prime minister Gordon Brown to exclude solicitors from any government-run scheme to compensate workers for asbestos-related pleural plaques.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 10th December 2009
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
New ombudsman scheme for legal complaints – Ministry of Justice
“The Office for Legal Complaints has announced further moves to set up a new ombudsman scheme that will investigate and resolve complaints by consumers of legal services.”
Ministry of Justice, 9th December 2009
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
Regina v Horncastle and Another; Regina v Marquis and Another – Times Law Reports
Regina v Horncastle and Another; Regina v Marquis and Another
Supreme Court
“A defendant’s right to a fair trial guaranteed by article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights would not be violated where his conviction was based solely or to a decisive extent on the statement of an absent witness, provided that the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 were observed.”
The Times, 10th December 2009
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Ex-BBC presenter Ashley Blake refused leave to appeal – BBC News
“A former BBC TV presenter who was jailed for two years for hitting a teenager with a pole has been told he cannot appeal against his sentence.”
BBC News, 9th December 2009
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Improving and clarifying the law on conspiracy and attempts to commit crimes – Law Commission
“On 10 December 2009 we published our report on Conspiracy and Attempts. This report makes recommendations to reform the law governing the criminal liability of those who agree, or attempt, to commit offences.”
Law Commission, 10th December 2009
Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk
Call to change ‘criminal conspiracy’ law – BBC News
“Senior lawyers say the law in England and Wales should be changed to make it easier to prove criminal conspiracy. The Law Commission says criminals can currently escape prosecution for conspiracy by claiming they did not know what they were doing was illegal.”
BBC News, 10th December 2009
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Using intercept evidence in court ‘not yet viable’ – BBC News
“The use of intercept evidence in criminal trials is not yet ‘legally or practically viable’, the independent reviewer of terror laws has said.”
BBC News, 10th December 2009
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Former MI5 man loses supreme court case in memoirs fight – The Guardian
“Judges rule battle to publish book must be pursued in secretive investigatory powers tribunal.”
The Guardian, 9th December 2009
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Government-ordered review to call for sport to unite in corruption war – The Guardian
“A review launched by the government in the wake of high-profile match-fixing allegations is set to recommend the creation of a single unit dedicated to investigating corruption in sports betting.”
The Guardian, 10th December 2009
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
