Secret ‘Practice Directions’ and Royal Wills – Panopticon

‘Mr Brown became a well-known figure in litigation circles when he sought to unseal the Will of Princess Margaret in the belief that it might reveal information showing him to be her illegitimate son. In the course of his unsuccessful litigation, it was revealed that there existed what had been described orally during the court proceedings as a “Practice Direction in respect of the handling of Royal Wills” (although there is dispute over precisely what form this document takes and whether it is really a Practice Direction at all), produced by the-then President of the Family Division following liaison with the Royal Household.’

Full story

Panopticon, 16th July 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Application for strike out inappropriate where single failure to comply and order contained no sanction for non-compliance – Zenith PI

Posted July 17th, 2015 in disclosure, news, striking out, time limits by tracey

‘ARDILA INVESTMENTS NV V ENRC NV (2015) QBD (Comm)(Leggatt J)

On 8th July 2015 Leggatt J ordered that it had not been appropriate to strike out a claim due to a claimant’s single failure to comply with a directions order for disclosure, where the order contained no sanction for non-compliance. The claimant’s failure had been serious, therefore an unless order was made giving further time for compliance, in default of which the claim would be struck out.’

Full story

Zenith PI, 17th July 2015

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

Government launches review of MedCo – after just three months – Litigation Futures

Posted July 17th, 2015 in consultations, expert witnesses, news, personal injuries by tracey

‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) today brought forward its planned six-month review of MedCo in response to the problems that have been encountered so far.’

Full story

Full consultation

Litigation Futures, 16th July 2015

Source: www.lititgationfutures.co.uk

Home Secretary announces terms of reference for undercover policing inquiry – Home Office

‘Theresa May also establishes miscarriages of justice panel to sit alongside inquiry following Mark Ellison’s review.’

Full Press release

Home Office, 16th July 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

The treasure in the heart of man – making prisons work – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 17th, 2015 in education, prisons, recidivists, rehabilitation, speeches by tracey

‘Speech given at Prisoners Learning Alliance by Michael Gove.’

Full speech

Ministry of Justice, 17th July 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Firm ‘lacked high standards of conduct’ in client transfer bid – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 17th, 2015 in law firms, legal aid, legal representation, news, professional conduct by tracey

‘The lord chief justice has lambasted the largest legal aid firm in the country for a failed application to transfer a representation order for a convicted drug supplier.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 17th July 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Proposal on the provision of court and tribunal estate in England and Wales – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 17th, 2015 in consultations, courts, tribunals by tracey

‘Proposal on the provision of court and tribunal estate in England and Wales.’

Full consultation

Ministry of Justice, 16th July 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Knife crime in England and Wales up for first time in four years – The Guardian

Posted July 17th, 2015 in crime, news, offensive weapons, statistics by tracey

‘Knife crime has increased in England and Wales for the first time in four years, with the number of assaults with blades rising 13%, according to the latest set of police recorded crime figures.’

Full story

The Guardian, 16th July 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Two men Tasered and pepper-sprayed by Dorset police to get £100,000 payout – The Guardian

Posted July 17th, 2015 in compensation, news, police, weapons by tracey

‘Police also agree to pay legal costs in region of £90,000 to John Naylor and Darren Corbridge following August 2010 incident.’

Full story

The Guardian, 16th July 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Undercover police practices ‘could have led to unsafe convictions’ – BBC News

Posted July 17th, 2015 in demonstrations, miscarriage of justice, news, police, spying by tracey

‘More than 80 activists who were investigated by undercover officers could have been victims of miscarriages of justice, a report has concluded.’

Full story

BBC News, 16th July 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MP privacy rules broken ‘deliberately’ in jail phone monitoring – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 17th, 2015 in interception, news, parliament, prison officers, prisons, privacy by tracey

‘Independent report reveals new details of how prison officers listened in to telephone calls between MPs and prisoners from their constituencies.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 17th July 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

John ‘Goldfinger’ Palmer: IPCC ‘will not investigate’ how police failed to notice dead fraudster had been shot six times by hitman – The Independent

Posted July 17th, 2015 in complaints, murder, news, police by tracey

‘The police watchdog will not directly investigate how officers failed to notice that a notorious gangland figure found dead in his garden had been shot six times by a professional hitman.’

Full story

The Independent, 16th July 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Sex gang victim escapes six years of exploitation to see captors jailed – The Independent

‘Members of an international sexual exploitation ring were jailed on Thursday after one victim escaped and told police of her horrific six-year ordeal at their hands.’

Full story

The Independent, 17th July 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Prison education must be ‘overhauled’, Michael Gove says – BBC News

Posted July 17th, 2015 in education, news, prisons, recidivists, rehabilitation by tracey

‘Education in prisons must be overhauled in order to tackle a “persistent failure to reduce re-offending”, the justice secretary is to say.’

Full story

BBC News, 17th July 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

High court to rule on MPs’ claim that data retention act damages privacy – The Guardian

‘High court judges will give their decision on Friday on an accusation that the government has imposed laws which allow the police and security services to “spy on citizens” without proper safeguards.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th July 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk