Top judge: ‘use of drones intolerable’ – The Independent

Posted July 6th, 2009 in news, weapons by sally

“The use of unmanned drones as weapons of war in conflicts around the world has been called into question by one of Britain’s most senior judges. Lord Bingham, until last year the senior law lord, said that some weapons were so ‘cruel as to be beyond the pale of human tolerance’.

Full story

The Independent, 6th July 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Solicitors take advantage of LDP rules while the bar still lags behind – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 6th, 2009 in barristers, law firms, legal disciplinary practices, news by sally

“Three months after Legal Services Act 2007 reforms took effect, solicitors have gained the ‘upper hand’ over the bar, with 61 firms becoming legal disciplinary practices (LDPs).”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 2nd July 2009

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Sentencing policy attacked by MPs for being incoherent and inconsistent – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 6th, 2009 in news, sentencing by sally

“MPs have branded current sentencing policy incoherent and inconsistent, and warned that it risks being driven by a misguided view of what the public want.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 2nd July 2009

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted July 6th, 2009 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

P, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for Justice [2009] EWCA Civ 701 (06 July 2009)

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Downer, R. v [2009] EWCA Crim 1361 (06 July 2009)

High Court (Administrative Court)

Home Office & Anor v The Information Commissioner [2009] EWHC 1611 (Admin) (06 July 2009)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Clift v Slough Borough Council & Anor [2009] EWHC 1550 (QB) (06 July 2009)

Source: www.bailii.org.

GISDA Cyf v Barratt – WLR Daily

Posted July 6th, 2009 in employment, law reports, time limits, unfair dismissal by sally

GISDA Cyf v Barratt [2009] EWCA Civ 648; [2009] WLR (D) 229

“The ‘effective date of termination of employment’ within section 97(1)(b) of the Employment Rights Act 1996 was not necessarily the date yielded by contractual analysis. When determining the relevant time limit for making an unfair dismissal claim, an employment tribunal had not erred in concluding that the effective date of termination of employment was when the employee read the letter of summary dismissal and not the date when the letter reached the employee’s home address when she was away.”

WLR Daily, 3rd July 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Revenue and Customs Commissioners v Holland and another – WLR daily

Posted July 6th, 2009 in company directors, insolvency, law reports, misfeasance by sally

Revenue and Customs Commissioners v Holland and another [2009] EWCA Civ 625; [2009] WLR (D) 228

“A human director of a corporate director could in certain circumstances be regarded as a de facto director of the subject company but he would not automatically be so regarded.”

WLR Daily, 3rd July 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Radmacher (formerly Granatino) v Granatino – WLR Daily

Posted July 6th, 2009 in contracts, divorce, financial provision, law reports by sally

Radmacher (formerly Granatino) v Granatino [2009] EWCA Civ 649; [2009] WLR (D) 227

“A judge should give due weight to the marital property regime into which a couple entered so as to legitimately exercise the very wide discretion conferred on judges to achieve fairness between the parties to ancillary relief proceedings.”

WLR Daily, 3rd July 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Regina v Morley (Anthony) – Times Law Reports

Posted July 6th, 2009 in law reports, murder, sentencing by sally

Regina v Morley (Anthony)

Court of Appeal

“However comprehensive legislation relating to sentences might seek to be, it could not cover all the many different facets of human criminal behaviour which sentencing judges had to take into account.”

The Times, 6th July 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Boyle v SCA Packaging Ltd, Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening – Times Law Reports

Boyle v SCA Packaging Ltd, Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening

House of Lords

“In determining whether a person was disabled within the meaning of the Disability Discrimination Act 1975 by reason of having an impairment which, although capable of being controlled by measures taken to treat it, would be likely to have substantial adverse effects but for those measures, the word ‘likely’ did not mean ‘probable’ but ‘could well happen’.”

The Times, 6th July 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Law on damages – consultation response – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 6th, 2009 in damages, press releases by sally

“Law on damages – consultation response.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 1st July 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Regulating Damages Based Agreements – consultation – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 6th, 2009 in consumer protection, damages, fees, press releases by sally

“This consultation paper seeks views on the proposals to regulate damages based agreements, a type of no win no fee, which is commonly used in Employment Tribunals in England and Wales.”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 1st July 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Press Release: Sonnex & Farmer Unduly Lenient Sentence Decision – Attorney General’s Office

Posted July 6th, 2009 in murder, press releases, sentencing by sally

“The Attorney General, Baroness Scotland QC, has decided not to refer the minimum life terms of Dano Sonnex and Nigel Farmer to the Court of Appeal as possibly unduly lenient.”

Full press release

Attorney General’s Office, 2nd July 2009

Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

BSB committed to quality when considering new legal structures – Bar Standards Board

Posted July 6th, 2009 in barristers, legal profession, press releases by sally

“The Chair of the Bar Standards Board, Baroness Ruth Deech, talks today of the need to take a scrupulous approach when considering barristers’ involvement in new legal structures.”

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 3rd July 2009

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Mother fights to save frozen embryos – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 6th, 2009 in assisted reproduction, embryology, news by sally

“A mother faces losing 11 frozen embryos under a new law which rules they must be destroyed after five years.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 5th July 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Man’s ‘double jeopardy’ trial ends with guilty verdict – The Independent

Posted July 6th, 2009 in double jeopardy, homicide, news, sentencing by sally

“A violent footballer who beat his ex-girlfriend to death yesterday became the first person acquitted of a crime to be jailed for it under new ‘double jeopardy’ laws. The former Maidstone United player Mario Celaire, 31, must serve a minimum of eight years after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Cassandra McDermott.”

Full story

The Independent, 4th July 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Begging Jack Straw’s lack of pardons – The Guardian

Posted July 6th, 2009 in news, pardons by sally

“Two decisions by Jack Straw last week, two men kept in prison. Ronnie Biggs and Michael Shields were not linked, nor did the cases raise similar issues, but the timing made it only too easy to portray Straw as hard-hearted and cynical, his decisions based on political grounds and/or the desire to court the public.”

Full story

The Guardian, 6th July 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Serious Fraud Office called in by Business Secretary to investigate MG Rover collapse – The Times

Posted July 6th, 2009 in company directors, fraud, inquiries, news by sally

“Lord Mandelson will tell Parliament today that he has asked the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to investigate the collapse of MG Rover, the Midlands carmaker, four years ago.”

Full story

The Times, 6th July 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Planning laws leave war memorials at risk, says London Assembly – The Times

Posted July 6th, 2009 in monuments, news, planning by sally

“Hundreds of war memorials are at risk of being lost or damaged because planning laws fail to cover their preservation, according to a report published today.”

Full story

The Times, 6th July 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Disability hate crimes ‘unseen’ – BBC News

Posted July 6th, 2009 in disabled persons, hate crime, news, sentencing, victims, Wales by sally

“Hate crimes against people with disabilities in Wales are unreported or unrecognised for what they are, campaigners and charities say.”

Full story

BBC News, 6th July 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

War crime suspects may see UK immunity loophole closed – The Observer

Posted July 6th, 2009 in genocide, immunity, news, war crimes by sally

“There has been a huge increase in action against suspected war criminals by the UK authorities, the Guardian has learned, as anti-genocide campaigners await an announcement on Tuesday on whether the government will act to end immunity for genocide suspects.”

Full story

The Observer, 5th July 2009

Source: www.http://observer.guardian.co.uk/