Sentences of Dobson and Norris not to be referred to Court of Appeal – Attorney General’s Office

Posted February 1st, 2012 in appeals, murder, news, racism, sentencing by sally

“After careful review, the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC MP, has decided not to refer the sentences of Gary Dobson and David Norris to the Court of Appeal as possibly unduly lenient.”

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Attorney General’s Office, 1st February 2012

Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted February 1st, 2012 in legislation by sally

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences (Amendment) Regulations 2012

The Greater London Authority Elections (Amendment) Rules 2012

The Police (Amendment) Regulations 2012

The Social Security Pensions (Flat Rate Accrual Amount) Order 2012

The Social Security Pensions (Low Earnings Threshold) Order 2012

The Social Security Revaluation of Earnings Factors Order 2012

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Assessment of FOI regime should be based on evidence not emotion, watchdog says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 1st, 2012 in consultations, freedom of information, news, parliament by sally

“MPs reviewing the UK’s freedom of information (FOI) regime should assess its success based on evidence and facts, the Information Commissioner has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 1st February 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Judges ponder action over pensions – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 1st, 2012 in judiciary, news, pensions by sally

“Judges are considering legal action to block an increase in their pension contributions.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 1st February 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Glenn Mulcaire ordered to reveal phone hacking details by appeal court – The Guardian

“Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator at the centre of the phone-hacking scandal, has lost his appeal against an earlier high court ruling requiring him to reveal who at the News of the World instructed him to hack into Steve Coogan’s voicemails.”

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The Guardian, 1st February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted February 1st, 2012 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Hutchings-Whelan v Hutchings [2012] EWCA Civ 38 (26 January 2012)

D v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] EWCA Civ 39 (31 January 2012)

Annison v Nolan [2012] EWCA Civ 54 (31 January 2012)

Revenue and Customs v The GKN Group [2012] EWCA Civ 57 (31 January 2012)

Specsavers International Healthcare Ltd & Ors v Asda Stores Ltd [2012] EWCA Civ 24 (31 January 2012)

Barrett v Bem & Ors [2012] EWCA Civ 52 (31 January 2012)

High Court (Administrative Court)

Deputy Chief Ombudsman, R (on the application of) v French [2012] EWHC 113 (Admin) (18 January 2012)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Integrated Power Technologies -Powertech SAL v Hits Telecom Holding Co KSC [2012] EWHC 97 (Comm) (31 January 2012)

Source: www.bailii.org

Regina (Elam) v Secretary of State for Justice – WLR Daily

Posted February 1st, 2012 in law reports, legislation, release on licence, sentencing by sally

Regina (Elam) v Secretary of State for Justice [2012] EWCA Civ 29; [2012] WLR (D) 14

“The licence expiry date applicable to a prisoner serving consecutive terms of imprisonment including at least one term of 12 months or more was to be determined by the provisions of section 264(3) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 unless all the offences for which the sentences were imposed had been committed before section 264 came into force on 4 April 2005; in such a case, section 37(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 continued to govern the licence expiry date by virtue of the saving provision in paragraph 19 of Schedule 2 to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Commencement No 8 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2005.”

WLR Daily, 27th January 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Wokuri v Kassam – WLR Daily

Posted February 1st, 2012 in conflict of laws, diplomats, employment, immunity, law reports, news by sally

Wokuri v Kassam [2012] EWHC 105 (Ch); [2012] WLR (D) 13

“A diplomatic agent who had left a mission continued to enjoy immunity in respect of acts performed by him or her in the exercise of his or her functions as a member of that mission within the meaning of article 39(2) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) as scheduled to the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964. The residual immunity under article 39(2) was, however, less extensive than that enjoyed by a serving diplomat. The former diplomat would not necessarily have immunity in relation to claims by employees carrying out domestic duties.”

WLR Daily, 30th January 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

A Practical and Legal Analysis of Islamic Marriage, Divorce and Dowry – Family Law Week

Posted February 1st, 2012 in divorce, islamic law, marriage, news by sally

“Charlotte Proudman, a pupil at Coram Chambers, provides some legal and practical guidance on Islamic marriage, divorce and dowry and describes the procedures at Birmingham Central Mosque’s Sharia Council.”

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Family Law Week, 31st January 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

PCC chairman unveils plans for new watchdog at Leveson inquiry – The Guardian

Posted February 1st, 2012 in inquiries, media, news, ombudsmen by sally

“The new chairman of the Press Complaints Commission has unveiled a blueprint for a ‘totally new’ newspaper watchdog which he hopes will eradicate ‘bad journalism’ and practices that have brought ‘shame’ on the industry.”

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The Guardian, 31st January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bar Council and Bar Standards Board release Barristers’ Working Lives survey results – Bar Standards Board

Posted February 1st, 2012 in barristers, diversity, news by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, and the Bar Standards Board (BSB), the regulator of barristers in England and Wales, have today released the results of Barristers’ Working Lives, the first in a planned series of biennial surveys of the Bar.”

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Bar Standards Board, 31st January 2012

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Seven Wolverhampton people jailed for Wrexham sham marriages – BBC News

Posted February 1st, 2012 in conspiracy, deportation, immigration, marriage, news by sally

“A bride at a sham double wedding pointed to the wrong ‘groom’ when quizzed by Border Agency officials, Mold Crown Court has heard.”

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BBC News, 31st January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Are lawyers in right-to-die cases breaking the law? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 1st, 2012 in assisted suicide, judicial review, legal profession, news, prosecutions by sally

“Albert Camus famously wrote: ‘there is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide.’ However profound a philosophical problem, the question of suicide or, more precisely, assisted suicide is proving quite a legal conundrum.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 31st January 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Nathaniel Brown found guilty of Tottenham murder – BBC News

Posted February 1st, 2012 in murder, news, trials by sally

“A man who stabbed his ex-wife to death in the street as their children looked on has been found guilty of murder.”

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BBC News, 31st January 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The UK supreme court: an interactive history – The Guardian

Posted February 1st, 2012 in news, Supreme Court by sally

“The UK’s highest court of appeal has ruled on cases ranging from prenups to Star Wars helmets and the definition of a miscarriage of justice.”

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The Guardian, 31st January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

FSA issues guidance on how businesses can avoid using unfair contract terms – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 1st, 2012 in financial regulation, news, unfair contract terms by sally

Businesses are using consumer contracts that give them too much leeway to unfairly change the terms of those contracts, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has said.

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OUT-LAW.com, 1st February 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

MoJ to use private debt collectors to help recover unpaid court fines – The Guardian

Posted February 1st, 2012 in courts, debts, enforcement, fines, news by sally

“Private debt collectors have been called in to help collect £420m in unpaid court fines on behalf of the Ministry of Justice under pilot schemes that may be rolled out across the country.”

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The Guardian, 31st January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

John Terry racist language case due before court – BBC News

Posted February 1st, 2012 in news, racism, sport, trials by sally

“England football captain John Terry is due to have his case heard for the first time in court over whether he used racist language in a match.”

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BBC News, 1st February 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Julian Assange enters final stage of extradition battle – The Guardian

Posted February 1st, 2012 in appeals, extradition, news, rape, sexual offences, Supreme Court, warrants by sally

“Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is to enter the final stage of his legal battle to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning over sex crime allegations.”

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The Guardian, 1st February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge calls for law change over deathbed wills – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 1st, 2012 in evidence, news, wills, witnesses by sally

“A judge has called for a change in the law on deathbed wills after an eight-year legal wrangle over whether a dying man’s sister offered him a ‘steadying hand’ as he signed all his possessions over to her.”

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Daily Telegraph, 31st January 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk