Metropolitan Police at G20 were poorly trained, say MPs – The Times

Posted June 29th, 2009 in demonstrations, news, police by sally

“Inexperienced and inadequately trained police officers were pitched into the middle of the ‘highly combustible’ G20 protests in London, according to a highly critical report published today.”

Full story

The Times, 29th June 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Pardon decision imminent on jailed Liverpool fan Shields – The Guardian

Posted June 29th, 2009 in attempted murder, attempts, murder, news, pardons by sally

“A decision whether to pardon the jailed Liverpool football fan Michael Shields is days away, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed. The decision could set a precedent for cases of Britons convicted abroad on contested evidence.”

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The Guardian, 26th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Epidemic of self-harm sweeps women’s jails – The Independent

Posted June 29th, 2009 in news, prisons, self-harm, women by sally

“The number of women deliberately harming themselves in prison has almost doubled in five years – despite repeated government promises to improve conditions in women’s jails.”

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The Independent, 27th June 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

New body to oversee expenses ‘could have chilling effect on MPs’ freedom of speech’ – The Guardian

Posted June 29th, 2009 in expenses, freedom of expression, news, parliament by sally

“Gordon Brown’s plans to set up an ­independent body to take charge of parliamentary expenses could have a ‘chilling effect’ on MPs’ freedom of speech, the most senior official in the House of Commons warned today.”

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The Guardian, 26th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted June 29th, 2009 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Branchflower, R v [2009] EWCA Crim 1239 (20 May 2009)

Clarke, R v [2009] EWCA Crim 1228 (21 May 2009)

Seager, R v [2009] EWCA Crim 1303 (26 June 2009)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Swift Technical Group Holdings Ltd & Ors v Mulcahy [2009] EWHC 1485 (QB) (08 June 2009)

Lockheed Martin Group v Willis Group Ltd [2009] EWHC 1436 (QB) (09 June 2009)

B v Reading Borough Council & Ors [2009] EWHC 998 (QB) (24 June 2009)

Rig Holdings LP v Aeroflex Test Solutions Ltd [2009] EWHC 1440 (QB) (25 June 2009)

Peters & Anor v Andrew [2009] EWHC 1511 (QB) (26 June 2009)

Source: www.bailii.org

Dozens of sharia courts are giving illegal advice, claims Civitas report – The Guardian

Posted June 29th, 2009 in islamic law, news by sally

“Dozens of sharia courts in the UK are regularly giving illegal advice on issues including marriage and divorce, a report published today claims.”

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The Guardian, 29th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Private prisons ‘performing worse than state-run jails’ – The Independent

Posted June 29th, 2009 in news, prisons by sally

“Britain’s private prisons are performing worse than those run by the state, according to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.”

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The Independent, 29th June 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Show Britain is on the right side by barring torture, say security experts – The Guardian

Posted June 29th, 2009 in news, torture by sally

“Defence, security and intelligence grandees will next week launch a critique of the government’s strategy for dealing with terror, including a demand that ministers should show that Britain has ‘unambiguously’ renounced the use of torture.”

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The Guardian, 27th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Babysitter beat toddler to death – BBC News

Posted June 29th, 2009 in child abuse, murder, news by sally

“A 15-year-old boy has been convicted of murdering a two-year-old girl who was left in his care for 90 minutes.”

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BBC News, 26th June 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Suicide is legal, helping someone to die is not. Must the law be changed? – The Independent

Posted June 29th, 2009 in assisted suicide, news by sally

“Debbie Purdy and Michael Wenham, both living with terminal illnesses, put their opposing views ahead of this week’s Lords debate.”

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The Independent, 28th June 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Sex attacker’s sentence reviewed – BBC News

Posted June 29th, 2009 in news, rape, sentencing, sexual offences by sally

“The sentence of a serial sex attacker who preyed on women in south-west London for more than two decades is to be reviewed by the Attorney General.”

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BBC News, 28th June 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prosecutors press for action against BNP leaflets – The Guardian

Posted June 29th, 2009 in hate crime, inciting racial hatred, news, political parties by sally

“Senior prosecutors are calling for the laws on race hate crimes to be strengthened to counter the threat posed by the British National party.”

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The Guardian, 28th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted June 26th, 2009 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

James, R v [2009] EWCA Crim 1261 (25 June 2009)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Walbrook Trustees (Jersey) Ltd & Ors v Fattal & Ors [2009] EWHC 1446 (Ch) (25 June 2009)

High Court (Admiralty Division)

Western Neptune (Owners, Demise Charters and Time Charterers of) v Owners and Demise Charterers of the Philadelphia Express [2009] EWHC 1274 (Admlty) (25 June 2009)

Source: www.bailii.org

Met police chief willing to release Blair Peach report – The Guardian

Posted June 26th, 2009 in demonstrations, disclosure, news, police by sally

“The report on the controversial death of the anti-racist campaigner Blair Peach should finally be published more than 30 years after he died in a demonstration in west London. The commissioner of the Metropolitan police, Sir Paul Stephenson, agreed today that it should be made public after an unanimous call to do so by the Metropolitan Police Authority.”

Full story

The Guardian, 25th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Torture claims against British secret agents go to inquiry – The Guardian

Posted June 26th, 2009 in intelligence services, news, terrorism, torture by sally

“A parliamentary inquiry into allegations of British collusion in torture is set to investigate whether counter-terrorism chiefs ordered the repeated torture and rendition of a former British resident.”

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The Guardian, 25th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Vodafone2 v Commissioners for Revenue and Customs – Times Law Reports

Posted June 26th, 2009 in corporation tax, EC law, freedom of establishment, law reports by sally

Vodafone2 v Commissioners for Revenue and Customs

Court of Appeal

“In order to interpret United Kingdom legislation concerning the profits of controlled foreign companies in a way which avoided any unlawful restriction of a taxpayer company’s right to freedom of establishment, conferred by article 43 of the European Treaty, the court was entitled to introduce an additional exception to those contained in section 748(1)(a) to (e) and (3) of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988.”

The Times, 26th June 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Regina v Fazal – Times Law Reports

Posted June 26th, 2009 in conversion, law reports, proceeds of crime by sally

Regina v Fazal

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

“A defendant who allowed another person, B, to lodge, receive, retain or withdraw money which amounted to criminal property from the defendant’s bank account, was to be regarded as having criminally converted that property.”

The Times, 26th June 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

OFT vows to pursue bank charges – BBC News

Posted June 26th, 2009 in banking, financial regulation, news by sally

“The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) will still pursue bank overdraft charges as unfair, even if it loses the current legal appeal in the House of Lords.”

Full story

BBC News, 25th June 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Law firm boss ‘at centre of immigration scam’ – The Independent

Posted June 26th, 2009 in fraud, immigration, news by sally

“A law firm manager was at the heart of a lucrative plot to con the Home Office into allowing ‘hundreds’ of foreign nationals to settle in Britain, a court heard today.”

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The Independent, 25th June 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Hackers recruited to help fight against cybercrime – The Independent

Posted June 26th, 2009 in computer crime, news by sally

“Reformed computer hackers are being recruited by the Government to defend Britain from international crime gangs and terrorists plotting cyber attacks on the country.”

Full story

The Independent, 26th June 2009

Source: www.independent.co.uk