Recent Statutory Instruments – OPSI

Posted December 9th, 2008 in legislation by sally

The Leeds City College (Incorporation) Order 2008

The Leeds City College (Government) Regulations 2008

The Civil Procedure (Amendment No.2) Rules 2008

The Education (School and Local Education Authority Performance Targets) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008

The Transfrontier Shipment of Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Regulations 2008

The Insurance Companies (Corporation Tax Acts) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2008

The Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisations Etc.) Amendment Regulations 2008

The Home Information Pack (Amendment) (No.3) Regulations 2008

Source: www.opsi.gov.uk

Science paves way for climate lawsuits – The Guardian

Posted December 9th, 2008 in climate change, energy, environmental protection, news by sally

“People affected by worsening storms, heatwaves and floods could soon be able to sue the oil and power companies they blame for global warming, a leading climate expert has said.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th December 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Frenchman jailed for life for attempted murder of schoolgirl – The Guardian

Posted December 9th, 2008 in homicide, news, sentencing by sally

“A Frenchman was jailed for life today after being found guilty of a frenzied knife attack on a schoolgirl as she walked through a Lancashire park earlier this year.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th December 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Setback for small businesses under new VAT dispute rules – The Times

Posted December 9th, 2008 in costs, news, VAT by sally

“Small businesses already struggling because of the economic downturn are facing a further setback under new rules that will prevent them from recovering their costs in VAT disputes with the taxman.”

Full story

The Times, 8th December 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Comment is Free: Taking liberties with the law – The Guardian

Posted December 9th, 2008 in human rights, special report by sally

“Hold the front page. The Lord High Chancellor doesn’t like our Human Rights Act and feels ‘frustrated’ by those pesky lawyers and judges who sometimes stand in his way. The Right Honourable Former Foreign Secretary of the War on Terror would like to send foreigners to places of torture. After all if it was good enough for his chums in the outgoing Bush administration.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th December 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Jeremy Clarkson cleared by Ofcom over joke about lorry drivers and prostitutes – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 9th, 2008 in complaints, media, news by sally

“Jeremy Clarkson has been cleared by the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom of causing offence after making a joke about lorry drivers murdering prostitutes.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

MPs condemn failure to prosecute rich tax dodgers – The Guardian

Posted December 9th, 2008 in news, tax evasion by sally

“The black economy is normally associated with dodgy builders or painters and decorators. But white collar professionals are increasingly fiddling taxes, according to an MPs’ report today that discloses that 36 barristers have been forced to return £605,000 to tax authorities. Hundreds of thousands of pounds have been recovered from lawyers, surgeons, medical consultants, and landlords under private deals with the tax authorities.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th December 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Schoolboy gang jailed over punishment rape attack on 14-year-old girl – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 9th, 2008 in gangs, news, rape, sentencing, young offenders by sally

“Nine members of a schoolboy gang who raped a 14-year-old girl in a punishment attack after she insulted their leader, have been jailed.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Government ‘ripped up’ competition law to push through Lloyds merger with HBOS – The Times

Posted December 9th, 2008 in banking, competition, mergers, news by sally

“An activist group today accused Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling of ‘ripping up’ competition rules in pushing through the merger of HBOS and Lloyds TSB.”

Full story

The Times, 8th December 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

UK challenged the right to civil partnerships of gay couples abroad – The Guardian

Posted December 9th, 2008 in civil partnerships, news by sally

“The government attempted to prevent same-sex couples in other countries from gaining the right to enter into civil partnerships, the Guardian has learned.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th December 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Jail for sex act death crash driver – The Independent

Posted December 8th, 2008 in dangerous driving, news, sentencing by sally

“A drunk driver who killed a father and son was pleasuring himself at the wheel moments before the fatal crash, a court heard today.”

Full story

The Independent, 8th December 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Madonna claims millions from Mail on Sunday over wedding pictures – The Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2008 in copyright, media, news, privacy by sally

“Singer Madonna is claiming more than £5m in damages after the Mail on Sunday published private photographs of her wedding to film director Guy Ritchie.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th December 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Naturists threaten legal action to stop closure of nudist beach – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 8th, 2008 in news by sally

“Naturists are threatening legal action to stop the planned closure of Britain’s first official nudist beach.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Browne: costs pose threat to legal representation – The Lawyer

Posted December 8th, 2008 in costs, legal aid, news by sally

“The increasing cost of legal action and the curbing of public funding could threaten the quality of legal representation, in-coming Bar Council chair Desmond Browne QC has warned.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 8th December 2008

Source: www.thelawyer.com

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted December 8th, 2008 in law reports by sally

High Court (Administrative Court)

Boggis & Anor, R (on the application of) v Natural England & Anor [2008] EWHC 2954 (Admin) (05 December 2008)

Hutchinson v General Dental Council [2008] EWHC 2896 (Admin) (28 November 2008)

Source: www.bailii.org

Desmond Browne QC sets Bar Council’s 2009 agenda: inaugural speech calls for a strong and united profession – The Bar Council

Posted December 8th, 2008 in barristers, news by sally

“The 2009 Chairman of the Bar Council, Desmond Browne QC, will set the Bar Council’s agenda for 2009 later today, in his inaugural speech to be delivered at 1730 in the Spy Room, 10 South Square, Gray’s Inn.”

Full story

The Bar Council, 8th December 2008

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

S and Marper v United Kingdom (Application Nos 30562/04 and 30566/04) – Times Law Reports

Posted December 8th, 2008 in data protection, DNA, human rights, law reports by sally

S and Marper v United Kingdom (Application Nos 30562/04 and 30566/04)

European Court of Human Rights

“The blanket and indiscriminate nature of the powers of retention of fingerprints, cellular samples and DNA profiles of persons suspected but not convicted of offences failed to strike a fair balance between the competing public and private interests.”

The Times, 8th December 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

Recent Statutory Instruments – OPSI

Posted December 8th, 2008 in legislation by sally

The Non-Domestic Rating (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2008

The Children Act 1989 (Contact Activity Directions and Conditions: Financial Assistance) (Wales) Regulations 2008

The Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 3 Assessment Arrangements) (England) (Amendment) Order 2008

The Education and Skills Act 2008 (Commencement No. 1 and Savings) Order 2008

Source: www.opsi.gov.uk

Jack Straw says human rights culture must be shaken up – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 8th, 2008 in human rights, news by sally

“Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, has insisted that the Government still wants to press ahead with a new Bill of Rights and Responsibilities to rebalance the country’s human rights culture.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Claims against ageism at work triple in a year – The Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2008 in age discrimination, news by sally

“As Selina Scott settles with Channel Five, new figures show discrimination cases rose to 3,000.”

Full story

The Guardian, 7th December 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk