England and Wales to get extra 4,000 prison places in record expansion – The Guardian

Posted February 18th, 2022 in Ministry of Justice, news, prisons, statistics by sally

‘Dominic Raab has announced the creation of 4,000 new prison places in England and Wales, as the government plans for an increase of almost 25% that could take the prison population to an all-time high.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 18th February 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

SmartWater: The forensic spray helping keep women safe – BBC News

‘The first person in the UK has been convicted and jailed for domestic abuse after being sprayed with SmartWater – a forensic liquid which shows up under ultraviolet light. The technology is being trialled by police forces in the hope of keeping women safe.’

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BBC News, 18th February 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Criminal courts face possible lawyer strike – BBC New

Posted February 17th, 2022 in barristers, criminal justice, industrial action, legal aid, news, remuneration by sally

‘Criminal barristers in England and Wales may strike, in an action that could close down Crown Courts.’

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BBC News, 16th February 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New Judgment: Bloomberg LP v ZXC [2022] UKSC 5 – UKSC Blog

‘The Respondent is a US citizen. He and his employer were the subject of a criminal investigation by a UK Legal Enforcement Body. During that investigation, the UKLEB sent a confidential Letter of Request to the authorities of a foreign state seeking, among other things, information and documents relating to the Respondent. The Letter expressly requested that its existence and contents remain confidential.’

Full Story

UKSC Blog, 16th February 2022

Source: ukscblog.com

Falsely convicted postal workers must be ‘fully compensated’, says committee – The Guardian

‘The Post Office and the government need to speed up compensation payments to workers who were victims of the Horizon IT scandal, according to a report by an influential group of MPs.’

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The Guardian, 17th February 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Vos issues stern warning to chambers and law firms about embargoes – Legal Futures

‘The Court of Appeal has issued a stern warning about breaking embargoes on judgments after a leading chambers accidentally issued a press release a day before the ruling was handed down.’

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Legal Futures, 17th February 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bloomberg loses landmark UK supreme court case on privacy – The Guardian

Posted February 17th, 2022 in media, news, privacy, Supreme Court by sally

‘The supreme court has ruled against Bloomberg News in a landmark privacy case that will make it harder for British media outlets to publish information about individuals subject to criminal investigations.’

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The Guardian, 16th February 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Tinder rapist Tom Rodwell’s jail sentence ‘not unduly lenient’ – BBC News

Posted February 17th, 2022 in appeals, news, rape, sentencing by sally

‘A multiple rapist who attacked five women he met on the dating app Tinder will not have his jail term reconsidered by the Court of Appeal.’

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BBC News, 17th February 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Returning instructions a “last resort”, Bar Council tells criminal barristers – Legal Futures

Posted February 16th, 2022 in appeals, barristers, codes of practice, criminal procedure, news by sally

‘Criminal defence barristers should recognise that returning instructions where they are not under a professional duty to do so “should always be a matter of last resort”, the Bar Council has said.’

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Legal Futures, 16th February 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Former civil servant convicted of stalking ex-colleague after camping outside Whitehall with ‘waiting for my Wilko’ placard – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 16th, 2022 in civil servants, news, stalking by sally

‘A former civil servant has been convicted of stalking an ex-colleague after camping outside his office on Whitehall with a “waiting for my Wilko” placard.’

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Daily Telegraph, 15th February 2022

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

What is ‘gaslighting’ and what does it mean in family court cases? – Transparency Project

‘We have noticed assumptions that family courts are familiar with the terms “gaslighting” and “being gaslit”, but is the meaning widely known and understood? A straw poll suggests not. This post will look at the origins of the concept, and its occurrence in modern case law and policy.’

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Transparency Project, 11th February 2022

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Barristers plan ground-breaking transparency over income and caseloads – Legal Futures

Posted February 16th, 2022 in barristers, diversity, equality, fees, news, remuneration by sally

‘One of the country’s largest chambers is planning to be the first to publish details of barristers’ incomes and caseloads, which would enable comparisons to be made based on gender and ethnicity.’

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Legal Futures, 16th February 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The leasehold reform consultation – Mills & Reeve

‘The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is seeking views on the reform of the residential leasehold and commonhold system in England and Wales.’

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Mills & Reeve, 14th February 2022

Source: www.mills-reeve.com

Boohoo ad banned by regulator for objectifying women – BBC News

Posted February 16th, 2022 in advertising, complaints, news, ombudsmen, women by sally

‘An T-shirt advert for fashion retailer Boohoo has been banned after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received a complaint the images objectified and sexualised women.’

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BBC News, 16th February 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Wrongly convicted Post Office workers say former bosses should face jail – The Guardian

‘Former Post Office workers who were among those wrongfully convicted for theft, fraud and false accounting have called for the company’s former management to go to jail for their part in the long-running scandal.’

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The Guardian, 15th February 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

This is not my beautiful house – Nearly Legal

Posted February 15th, 2022 in disclosure, injunctions, landlord & tenant, news, repossession, trespass by sally

‘Rasool v Paddington Company One Ltd (2021) EWHC 3633 (QB). A combined hearing of a return date on an ex parte interim injunction for re-entry, and a claim for possession by the property owner against a trespasser. A somewhat unusual combination, you might think, though not outside the bounds of possibility. But bear with me, because this will turn out to be quite the ride.’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 13th February 2022

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

“Hysterical woman” barrister to argue free speech in reprimand appeal – Legal Futures

‘The barrister reprimanded for describing his opponent’s instructing lawyer as a “hysterical woman” says he is being “persecuted for expressing inconvenient truths” ‘

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Legal Futures, 14th February 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Telling the wrong stories: Rough sex, coercive control and the criminal law – Family Law

‘The relationship between “rough sex” and the criminal law has recently been subject to considerable scrutiny. Much of this debate has focused on male defendants in homicide cases, who have claimed the death of the female victim resulted accidentally from consensual rough sex. As a result, more commonplace occurrences of rough sex that do not result in death have received limited attention. In particular, the role that rough sex plays in abusive relationships, whether and how this is criminalised, has been largely overlooked.’

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Family Law, 11th February 2022

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Recycling firm admits causing manslaughter of employee who died of fatal head injuries – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted February 15th, 2022 in corporate manslaughter, guilty pleas, health & safety, news by sally

‘Managers at a recycling firm where a scrap metal worker was killed after suffering head injuries have today admitted health and safety failures.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 11th February 2022

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Speech by the Lord Chief Justice: Blackstone Lecture 2022 – Court and Tribunals Judiciary

‘The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales has delivered the Blackstone Lecture 2022 at Pembroke College in Oxford. Lord Burnett of Maldon gave a speech entitled The hidden value of the Rule of Law and English Law.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 11th February 2022

Source: www.judiciary.uk