Day: 17 September 2012

Tilting at Windmills – The “New” Offence of Squatting in a Residential Building – Zenith Chambers

Posted September 17th, 2012 in crime, news, squatting by sally

“The provisions of s. 144 Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 ‘create’ the offence, punishable by a fine on summary conviction or a maximum of 51 weeks in prison, of squatting in a residential building. This has resulted in a Government Circular (2012/04) explaining the offence and its ambit, issued on 22nd August 2012 and implemented on 1st September 2012. This article does not propose to comment on the perceived political or social imperative for creating yet another summary criminal offence, but rather the purpose, effect and guidance given by the government in investigating and prosecuting the offence.”

Full story (PDF)

Zenith Chambers, 10th September 2012

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk

Environmental and Planning Law – Uneasy Bedfellows? – Thirty Nine Essex Street

Posted September 17th, 2012 in environmental protection, news, planning by sally

“This paper sets out to provide an inevitably selective overview of the environmental law and policy developments in recent years and how, if at all, the planning system can contribute to meeting those objectives, or (if bad decisions are taken) detracting from them. This will involve two main strands of discussion, based on the commonly quoted idea that environmental law and policy range from very large matters (‘the stratosphere’) to very local concerns (‘the street corner’).”

Full story

Thirty Nine Essex Street, 15th September 2012

Source: www.39essex.com

Law of Possession is it really under control? – One Inner Temple Lane

Posted September 17th, 2012 in firearms, medicines, news by sally

“Being in possession of a prohibited firearm is a serious issue as is being in possession of a prohibited article, whether it be a weapon or a drug. The law has quite rightly been very strict regarding this area of law, and the leading authorities have always sought to restrict the defences.”

Full story

One Inner Temple Lane, 3rd September 2012

Source: www.1itl.com

‘Fagin-style sex offender’ is jailed again – The Independent

Posted September 17th, 2012 in news, notification, recidivists, sentencing, sexual offences by sally

“A Satanist branded a ‘Fagin-style sex offender’ is back behind bars after local residents mounted a campaign to keep local children safe.”

Full story

The Independent, 17th September 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

A Salutary Lesson on Bad Character – The Devil Is In The Detail – Zenith Chambers

Posted September 17th, 2012 in bad character, news, prosecutions by sally

“In a recent Crown Court trial the Prosecution made a Bad Character application alleging that the factual basis of a previous conviction was so similar to the alleged facts of the instant case, that the previous conviction should be admitted. This was propensity with a heavy dollop of similar fact.”

Full story (PDF)

Zenith Chambers, 17th September 2012

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk

Ian Tomlinson case: PC Simon Harwood guilty of gross misconduct – The Guardian

Posted September 17th, 2012 in disciplinary procedures, news, police, professional conduct by sally

“The police officer acquitted of killing Ian Tomlinson during the G20 protests in London faces certain dismissal after a disciplinary panel found he had committed gross misconduct.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Woman jailed for self-abortion – The Independent

Posted September 17th, 2012 in abortion, news, poisoning, sentencing by sally

“A woman who aborted her own baby within a week of his due date has been jailed for eight years.”

Full story

The Independent, 17th September 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

HFEA launches public consultation on ‘three parent’ IVF technique – Family Law Week

Posted September 17th, 2012 in assisted reproduction, consultations, news by sally

“The Human Fertilisation & Embyology Authority has launched a public consultation on the ethics of new IVF-based techniques designed to avoid serious mitochondrial diseases.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 17th September 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Fact Finding Hearings: Who Pays? – Family Law Week

Posted September 17th, 2012 in appeals, children, costs, families, family courts, news by sally

“Stuart Hughes, Senior Solicitor at Greene and Greene Solicitors, and Sabuhi Chaudhry, barrister at Coram Chambers, consider recent developments concerning costs in fact finding hearings and the divergence between private law and public law cases.”

Full story

Family Law Week, 14th September 2012

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

LSB publishes response to approaches to quality consultation – Legal Services Board

Posted September 17th, 2012 in consultations, legal services, news, quality assurance by sally

“The LSB today publishes its response to its consultation on approaches to quality in the legal services market.”

Full story

Legal Services Board, 17th September 2012

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

So you want to be a police and crime commissioner… – BBC News

Posted September 17th, 2012 in elections, local government, news, police by sally

“In just a few weeks’ time, 41 individuals will become police and crime commissioners after pitching their vision for cleaning up the streets of England and Wales.”

Full story

BBC News, 14th September 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘All soldiers should die’ Facebook poster found guilty – The Independent

Posted September 17th, 2012 in armed forces, malicious communications, news by sally

“The parents of one of six British troops killed in the most deadly attack in Helmand were among those horrified to read a Facebook message days later that said ‘all soldiers should die and go to hell’, a court heard.”

Full story

The Independent, 14th September 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Complaints hike follows surge in unrepresented litigants – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 17th, 2012 in barristers, complaints, litigants in person, news by sally

“An increase in litigants in person has been cited as the reason for a sharp spike in complaints against barristers alleging discrimination.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th September 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Hillsborough families’ lawyer calls for permanent ‘commission of truth’ – The Guardian

Posted September 17th, 2012 in barristers, inquiries, news, perverting the course of justice, police, sport by sally

“A new ‘commission of truth’ that can hold state institutions to account is required to prevent further cover-ups like Hillsborough, according to a high-profile barrister who is assisting families of the victims of the tragedy.”

Full story

The Guardian, 16th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Theresa May’s hopes of deporting Italian ‘hammer killer’ quashed by judges – The Independent

Posted September 17th, 2012 in appeals, deportation, murder, news by sally

“Home Secretary Theresa May’s hopes of deporting an Italian father-of-five who hit his flatmate over the head with a hammer then strangled him with the flex of an iron were yesterday dashed by senior judges.”

Full story

The Independent, 15th September 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Tomlinson death case officer faces Met disciplinary hearing – The Guardian

Posted September 17th, 2012 in demonstrations, disciplinary procedures, news, police, professional conduct, unlawful killing, violence by sally

“The police officer cleared of killing Ian Tomlinson on the fringes of the G20 protests in London will this week face further scrutiny into his conduct through an internal Metropolitan police disciplinary hearing which, unusually, will be held in public. It will be only the second time such an internal police hearing will take place in the open since a 2008 law gave the Independent Police Complaints Commission powers to compel this in instances with particular public interest.”

Full story

The Guardian, 16th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Airport to ditch ‘naked’ scanners – The Independent

Posted September 17th, 2012 in airports, news, privacy by sally

“Controversial ‘naked’ security scanners are to be ditched by airport bosses.”

Full story

The Independent, 17th September 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

DPP launches final guidelines for prosecutors on cases affecting the media following public consultation – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted September 17th, 2012 in media, news, prosecutions, public interest by sally

“Following a public consultation, Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), has today published final guidelines on the approach prosecutors should take when assessing the public interest in cases affecting the media.”

Full story

Crown Prosecution Service, 13th September 2012

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Hillsborough disaster: West Yorkshire police chief referred to IPCC – The Guardian

Posted September 17th, 2012 in complaints, conspiracy, news, police, professional conduct, reports, sport by sally

“Police watchdog to investigate Sir Norman Bettison after independent report alleges ‘black propaganda’ campaign by senior officers.”

Full story

The Guardian, 15th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Former Met commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson visits British court – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 17th, 2012 in courts, magistrates, news, police by sally

“Sir Paul Stephenson, Britain’s former top policeman, spends a day at a magistrates’ court, and is shocked by what he finds.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 16th September 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Related link: Our creaking courts: a day inside Westminister Magistrate’s