Magistrate numbers in England and Wales fall by 1,837 – BBC News
‘The number of magistrates in England and Wales fell by 1,837 last year, new figures have revealed.’
BBC News, 27th February 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Month: February 2014
Soldier jailed for brutally kicking injured cat to death – The Independent
‘A former soldier has been jailed for 18 weeks after he savagely kicked an injured cat to death in the middle of the street.’
The Independent, 26th February 2014
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Prince Charles’s letters: recipients’ identities must stay secret, say lawyers – The Guardian
‘The identities of the ministers who received confidential letters from Prince Charles promoting his personal views must remain concealed, government lawyers argued on Wednesday.’
The Guardian, 26th February 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Attorney General considers whether single punch killing sentence was ‘too lenient’ – Daily Telegraph
‘Dominic Grieve, the Attorney General, will decide whether to refer the four-year jail term given to Lewis Gill for the killing of Andrew Young in Bournemouth to the Court of Appeal.’
Daily Telegraph, 26th February 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
John Jenkins: Aylesbury conman builder jailed in absence – BBC News
‘A builder who conned a “vulnerable and lonely” Hertfordshire widow out of £532,695 has been jailed for six years in his absence.’
BBC News, 26th February 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Sentencing Council launches new definitive guideline for environmental offences – Sentencing Council
‘The Sentencing Council is publishing a new guideline for judges and magistrates on the sentencing of environmental offences.’
Sentencing Council, 26th February 2014
Bereaved families at the heart of the coroner system – Ministry of Justice
‘Bereaved loved ones will be put at the heart of the coroner system, Justice Minister Simon Hughes said today as he launched a new guide for people who have to become involved with inquests.’
Ministry of Justice, 24th February 2014
Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
Rule committee set to introduce blanket £10m costs management exemption – Litigation Futures
‘The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) looks set to introduce an exemption from costs management for all civil cases that are worth in excess of £10m – even though Sir Rupert Jackson himself is opposed to any exceptions. Newly released papers from the 6 December meeting of the CPRC reveal that it fell into line with the joint recommendation of the Master of the Rolls, Lord Dyson, and the deputy head of civil justice, Lord Justice Richards.’
Litigation Futures, 26th February 2014
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
The Sanctity Of Life Law Has Gone Too Far – Gresham College
‘Professor Gillon would argue that the judgment in the case of a patient in prolonged and incurable “minimally conscious state”, that she must continue to be kept alive with artificial nutrition and hydration, despite the evidence from her loved ones that she would have rejected such treatment, manifests an excessive concern for the “sanctity of life” and inadequate concern both for patients’ prior views values and autonomy and about the use of scarce health service resources on patients whose loved ones reliably report that they would have rejected those resources had they been able to do so.’
Gresham College, 12th February 2014
Source: www.gresham.ac.uk
Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk
The Community Infrastructure Levy (Amendment) Regulations 2014
The Child Benefit and Tax Credits Up-rating Order 2014
The Zimbabwe (Financial Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2014
The Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013 (Transitional Provision) Order 2014
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Consumer Credit) (Transitional Provisions) Order 2014
The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (Consequential Amendments) (Employment) Order 2014
The Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2014
Source: www.bailii.org
BAILII: Recent Decisions
Court of Appeal (Civil Division)
JE (Jamaica) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2014] EWCA Civ 192 (25 February 2014)
Pillar Denton Ltd & Ors v Jervis & Ors [2014] EWCA Civ 180 (24 February 2014)
Santander UK Plc v R.A. Legal Solicitors [2014] EWCA Civ 183 (24 February 2014)
High Court (Administrative Court)
Jackson v Norfolk County Council [2014] EWHC 332 (Admin) (24 February 2014)
MWH UK Ltd v Wise (HM Inspector of Health & Safety) [2014] EWHC 427 (Admin) (24 February 2014)
High Court (Chancery Division)
Hearst Holdings Inc & Anor v A.V.E.L.A. Inc & Ors [2014] EWHC 439 (Ch) (25 February 2014)
High Court (Commercial Court)
High Court (Family Division)
SA v PA [2014] EWHC 392 (Fam) (21 February 2014)
High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)
Tsavdaris v Home Office [2014] EWHC 440 (QB) (25 February 2014)
Source: www.bailii.org
Grayling defends JR intervention reforms – Law Society’s Gazette
‘Justice secretary Chris Grayling has told MPs his plans for judicial reviews will stop pressure groups using individuals as “financial human shields” to bring cases.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 25th February 2014
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Manuela Sykes in dementia care court victory – BBC News
‘An 89-year-old woman who suffers from dementia and says she is “miserable” in a care home has won the first stage in a court fight to live in her own home. A Court of Protection judge has ruled Manuela Sykes can return to her flat where she has lived for 60 years on a one-month trial basis.’
BBC News, 25th February 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Aaron De Silva guilty of Joseph Griffiths murder – BBC News
‘A prolific burglar has been convicted of murdering a grandfather whom he stabbed to death in his London home.’
BBC News, 25th February 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Freemasons’ millions aren’t true charity, rules judge – Daily Telegraph
‘Freemasons will be denied a multi-million pound tax break after a judge ruled that their governing body was not sufficiently “philanthropic” to be exempt from VAT, despite being the second largest charitable donor in the country.’
Daily Telegraph, 25th February 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Papers about Profumo scandal man ‘should be public’ – BBC News
‘A decision to keep documents relating to a man who was at the centre of the Profumo sex scandal hidden should be overturned, a leading lawyer has said. The Information Commissioner is to be asked to overrule a decision by the National Archives to keep the documents about the trial of Stephen Ward hidden.’
BBC News, 25th February 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Prisoners paid compensation for socks and stereos – Daily Telegraph
‘ Taxpayers’ money is being wasted on paying prisoners compensation for damaged stereos and missing socks, a watchdog has revealed. Jail staff need to take greater care of prisoners’ property to avoid complaints being made and redress having to be paid to inmates, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) said.’
Daily Telegraph, 25th February 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Stafford Hospital: Hunt to decide whether to dissolve NHS Trust – BBC News
‘Managers at scandal-hit Stafford Hospital are waiting to hear whether Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will dissolve the trust that runs it. Administrators want Mr Hunt to scrap the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust and move services to other hospitals. Local people are planning a legal challenge if that decision is taken.’
BBC News, 26th February 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Hyde Park bomb: NI Police Federation ‘appalled at grubby deal’ – BBC News
‘The chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland has said he is appalled at the government’s “grubby secret deal” on IRA “on-the-run” cases. He was speaking after the case of a man accused of the IRA Hyde Park bomb collapsed following what victims’ families called “a monumental blunder”. Donegal man John Downey denied killing four soldiers in the 1982 bomb. The case collapsed because government officials mistakenly told him he was no longer a wanted man.’
BBC News, 26th February 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
