Amritsar massacre: David Cameron launches inquiry into ‘SAS involvement’ in 1984 Golden Temple killings – The Independent

Posted January 15th, 2014 in armed forces, documents, India, inquiries, news by tracey

‘David Cameron says he has launched an urgent investigation after previously secret documents appeared to show possible SAS involvement in the 1984 Amritsar massacre.’

Full story

The Guardian, 14th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Saudi Arabia ‘torture’ Britons told they cannot sue – BBC News

Posted January 15th, 2014 in appeals, damages, human rights, news, Saudi Arabia, state immunity, torture by tracey

‘Four British men have failed to overturn a decision by the UK’s highest court which stopped them suing Saudi Arabia for alleged torture. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that the men’s human rights had not been breached by the British court’s decision.’

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BBC News, 14th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Family judge ‘cannot control foreign media’ – BBC News

Posted January 15th, 2014 in anonymity, children, disclosure, family courts, foreign jurisdictions, judges, media, news by tracey

‘A senior family judge says he cannot stop the foreign media from publishing the story of a Slovakian mother whose son has been placed into care.’

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BBC News, 14th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police chief issues partial apology over Lawrence whistleblower documents – The Guardian

‘A police chief has issued a partial apology over his attempt to force Channel 4 to hand over documents about a whistleblower who revealed how undercover officers infiltrated the campaign to bring the killers of Stephen Lawrence to justice.’

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The Guardian, 14th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Minimum wage fine raised to £20,000 in UK – The Guardian

Posted January 15th, 2014 in fines, minimum wage, news by tracey

‘Vince Cable, the business secretary, is to toughen the regulations to ensure that a new maximum fine of £20,000 could be levied for every worker denied the minimum wage. Under the previous system, employers faced just one maximum fine of £5,000 plus a financial penalty of 50% of the missing wages.’

Full story

The Guardian, 15th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Command Papers – official-documents.gov.uk

Posted January 14th, 2014 in parliamentary papers by tracey

Treasury minutes: Government responses on the twenty-third to the twenty-sixth, the twenty-ninth and thirtieth reports from the Committee of Public Accounts (session 2013-14), and progress on Government cash management 23rd report: Progress in tackling tobacco smuggling, 24th report: Rural Broadband Programme, 25th report: The Duchy of Cornwall, 26th report: Progress in delivering the Thameslink Programme, 29th report: New Homes Bonus, 30th report: Universal Credit: early progress, Cm 8774 (PDF)

Source: www.official-documents.gov.uk

War Crimes, Annoyance Injunctions, and the Whole Life Tariff Saga – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted January 14th, 2014 in armed forces, bills, human rights, injunctions, news, sentencing, war crimes by tracey

‘This week, the International Criminal Court has received a dossier detailing the UK’s involvement in abuse in Iraq. Meanwhile, the House of Lords has put up a fight over the so-called “annoyance injunctions”, while the Government has sought to find a solution to the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling on whole life tariffs.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 13th January 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Council fends off High Court challenge over day centre closure – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 14th, 2014 in appeals, care homes, consultations, learning difficulties, local government, news by tracey

‘A High Court judge has rejected a judicial review challenge to a local authority’s decision to close a day centre for adults with a learning disability.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th January 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Publication of reports to prevent future deaths – CrimeLine

Posted January 14th, 2014 in coroners, news, publishing, reports by tracey

‘Reports made by coroners to help prevent future deaths will be routinely published online for the first time today (Tuesday 14th January). Following an inquest a coroner may make a report to a person, organisation, local authority or government department or agency with a view to preventing future deaths (a PFD report). From today the Chief Coroner’s office will publish PFD (preventing future deaths) reports made by coroners on the judiciary website and for the first time the public will have access to these reports online in a readable and searchable format.’

Full story

CrimeLine, 14th January 2014

Source: www.crimeline.info

DLA Piper UK LLP v BDO LLP – WLR Daily

Posted January 14th, 2014 in costs, criminal procedure, law reports, third parties, witnesses by tracey

DLA Piper UK LLP v BDO LLP [2013] EWHC 3970 (Admin); [2013] WLR (D) 515

‘Where a person had attended court and successfully resisted being made subject to a witness summons under section 2 of the Criminal Procedure (Attendance of Witnesses) Act 1965 the only basis for the Crown Court ordering costs against the solicitor of the party seeking the summons would be that for which statute provided, namely, a wasted costs order under section 19A of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.’

WLR Daily, 13th January 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted January 14th, 2014 in law reports by tracey

High Court (Chancery Division)

Key Homes Bradford Ltd & Ors v Patel [2014] EWHC B1 (Ch) (10 January 2014)

Source: www.bailii.org

Police demand details about Stephen Lawrence whistleblower – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 14th, 2014 in crime, media, news, official secrets act, police, whistleblowers by tracey

‘Police have asked for information about Peter Francis, the whistleblower who revealed a raft of claims about a police undercover unit, including that they had spied on relatives of Stephen Lawrence.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 14th January 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Mark Bridger drops appeal against whole-life sentence for murdering April Jones – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 14th, 2014 in appeals, news, sentencing by tracey

‘Bridger, who was convicted of the murder of five-year-old April Jones, abandons application for permission to appeal against whole-life tariff.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 13th January 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Birmingham fake money: Four jailed for £1.3m counterfeit scam – BBC News

‘Four men have been jailed for making more than £1.3m worth of counterfeit £10 notes.’

Full story

BBC News, 13th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

 

Supervision of high-risk criminals will not be handed to private sector – The Guardian

Posted January 14th, 2014 in contracting out, news, probation by tracey

‘The supervision of high-risk criminals who have committed notorious offences that have attracted significant and prolonged media attention will not be handed to the private sector when 70% of the probation service is outsourced this year.’

Full story

The Guardian, 13th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Atheist Afghan man granted asylum in UK to protect him from ‘religious’ persecution – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 14th, 2014 in Afghanistan, asylum, human rights, Islam, news by tracey

‘A young Afghan man who became an atheist after coming to Britain has been granted asylum on the grounds that the threat to his life for having no faith would amount to “religious” persecution.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 13th January 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Michael Souter: Ex-BBC man to appeal against sex attack conviction – BBC News

Posted January 14th, 2014 in appeals, indecent photographs of children, news, sexual offences by tracey

‘An ex-BBC presenter jailed for 22 years for sex attacks on boys is to appeal against his conviction and sentence.’

Full story

BBC News, 13th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Park Christmas club savings thief Joanne Jones jailed for 18 months – BBC News

Posted January 13th, 2014 in abuse of position of trust, news, sentencing, theft by tracey

‘A mother-of-four who stole nearly £8,000 from a Christmas savings club in south Wales has been jailed for 18 months.’

Full story

BBC News, 13th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted January 13th, 2014 in legislation by tracey

The Mobile Homes (Site Rules) (England) Regulations 2014

The Architects Act 1997 (Amendments etc) Order 2014

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

I Want My Baby Back – BBC One Panorama

Posted January 13th, 2014 in adoption, evidence, expert witnesses, family courts, news, social services by tracey

‘John Sweeney investigates the secretive world of the family courts and asks whether some parents may have unfairly lost their children forever. BBC One 13th January 2014’

Further details

BBC One, 13th January 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk