Council tax rebel claims a moral victory – The Times

Posted October 1st, 2007 in council tax, environmental health, news by sally

“A woman who withheld her council tax after claiming that a decision to collect rubbish only twice a month had led to a rat infestation in her home yesterday claimed a moral victory in her battle with the authorities.”

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The Times, 29th September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Elastic band “attack” in school landed a 12-year-old in court – The Times

Posted October 1st, 2007 in grievous bodily harm, news, school children by sally

“A 12-year-old boy who used an elastic band to fire a piece of cardboard at a classmate was charged with grievous bodily harm, in a process estimated to have cost taxpayers at least £10,000.”

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The Times, 29th September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Head fined over fall that led to boy’s death – The Times

Posted October 1st, 2007 in duty of care, health & safety, news, school children by sally

“The headmaster of a private school was ordered to pay £20,000 in fines and legal costs yesterday following the death of a three-year-old pupil who had hit his head in the playground.”

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The Times, 29th September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

£90 expenses investigation cost taxpayers £500,000 – The Times

Posted October 1st, 2007 in news, police, race discrimination by sally

“A policeman who sued Lancashire Police for racial discrimination after the force spent three years and an estimated £500,000 investigating allegations that he fiddled £90 on his expenses has now settled the claim out of court.”

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The Times, 29th September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

No extra funds to fight sex-traffickers – The Times

Posted October 1st, 2007 in news, trafficking in human beings by sally

“The Government will ask police to tackle sex-trafficking next week but is refusing to provide extra funds for the fight against the fastest-growing area of organised crime.”

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The Times, 29th September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Thames Water fined £12m for poor service – The Times

Posted October 1st, 2007 in compensation, fines, news, utilities by sally

“Thames Water faces a fine of £12.5million for failing to compensate customers for poor service and loss of water supplies. The fine covers the period between July 2005 and July 2006, but the company has admitted that it failed to deal properly with its customers for the preceding five years.”

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The Times, 29th September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Prisoners may be given 20 per cent cut in sentences to ease crowding – The Times

Posted October 1st, 2007 in news, prisons, sentencing by sally

“Ministers are investigating reducing the length of time that prisoners spend in jail by 20 per cent as an emergency measure to cut the total number of inmates, which yesterday reached a record 81,135.”

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The Times, 29th September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted September 28th, 2007 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council v Bainbridge & Ors [2007] EWCA Civ 910 (21 September 2007)

High Court (Administrative Court)

South Cambridgeshire District Council v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government & Anor [2007] EWHC 2117 (Admin) (18 September 2007)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Ross River Ltd & Anor v Cambridge City Football Club Ltd [2007] EWHC 2115 (Ch) (19 September 2007)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Oliver and Anor v Dubai Bank Kenya Ltd [2007] EWHC 2165 (Comm) (24 September 2007)

Source: www.bailii.org

Recent Statutory Instruments – OPSI

Posted September 28th, 2007 in legislation by sally

The Medical Act 1983 Amendments (Further Transitional Provisions) Order of Council 2007

The Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (England) Regulations 2007

The Plastic Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (Lid Gaskets) (England) Regulations 2007

The Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water (England) Regulations 2007

Source: www.opsi.gov.uk

Inmates ‘forcibly strip-searched’ – BBC News

Posted September 28th, 2007 in news, prisons, young offenders by sally

“Young offenders are being forcibly strip searched according to a report by prison inspectors.”

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BBC News, 27th September 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk  

Diana inquest process begins at High Court – The Times

Posted September 28th, 2007 in inquests, juries, news by sally

“The process of selecting the jury for the Diana, Princess of Wales, inquest got under way today as up to 200 potential jurors filed into the High Court.”

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The Times, 27th September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Should judges face appraisals? – The Times

Posted September 28th, 2007 in judiciary, news, quality assurance by sally

“Many professionals – including City law firm partners – now face performance assessments by their peers. Some judges think they should have them, too.”

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The Times, 27th September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Expanded Highway Code tells learners to drive with courtesy – The Independent

Posted September 28th, 2007 in news, road safety, road traffic by sally

“For the first time in eight years an updated version of the Highway Code has been released, with 133 pages to cover 29 new road rules and a plethora of safety tips.”

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The Independent, 28th September 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Disaster area’ prison and probation agency to be scrapped in weeks – The Guardian

Posted September 28th, 2007 in news, prisons, probation by sally

“The government’s troubled £2.6bn programme to manage convicted criminals in order to cut reoffending rates is to be scrapped within weeks, the Guardian has learned.”

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The Guardian, 28th September 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Warnings over probation shortages – BBC News

Posted September 28th, 2007 in news, probation by sally

“Thousands of people are not completing their Community Service Orders because of staff shortages within the Probation Service, a union says.”

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BBC News, 27th September 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New powers to stop gun and knife violence – Home Office

Posted September 28th, 2007 in firearms, news, offensive weapons, press releases by sally

“A range of tough new powers to fight gun and knife crime take effect this week.”

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Home Office press release, 27th September 2007

Source: www.homeoffice.gov.uk

Warning signals – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 28th, 2007 in legal aid, special report by sally

“The future of legal aid remains under threat unless the government changes its stubborn approach to reforms and, as Alan Beith tells Rupert White, carefully rethinks its policies.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 27th September 2007

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has criticised government plans to introduce a ‘potentially costly’ quality assurance scheme for publicly-funded criminal defence work – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 28th, 2007 in barristers, news, quality assurance by sally

“The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has criticised government plans to introduce a ‘potentially costly’ quality assurance scheme for publicly-funded criminal defence work.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 27th September 2007

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Reforms spell ‘disaster’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 28th, 2007 in legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

“Proposed reforms to criminal defence legal aid contracts risk ‘pushing the defence service towards disaster’ and should be resisted ‘to the end’, Roger Peach, the president of the Criminal Defence Solicitors’ Union has warned.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 27th September 2007

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Top job at US law firm for Goldsmith – The Times

Posted September 27th, 2007 in attorney general, law firms, news by sally

“The former Attorney-General, Lord Goldsmith, QC, is joining a top American law firm today to lead its European litigation practice.”

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The Times, 27th September 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk