‘A major inquiry has been launched into how historical allegations of child abuse were handled. The UK’s National Archives contain some appalling examples of abuse at children’s homes and approved schools from decades past.’
BBC News, 11th July 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘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
“Proposals for making historical police records public were announced today by the Home Office following a recommendation by the Hillsborough Independent Panel.”
Home Office, 31st October 2013
Source: www.gov.uk/home-office
“The Ministry of Defence is unlawfully holding thousands of files that should have been declassified and transferred to the National Archive under the 30-year rule, including large numbers of documents about the conflict in Northern Ireland.”
The Guardian, 6th October 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The closure of the forensic science archive in England and Wales will cause miscarriages of justice and stop police solving crimes, senior politicians, scientists and lawyers have warned.”
BBC News, 18th July 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“The Ministry of Justice says reducing the ’30-year rule’ for publishing secret government papers to 20 years will cost up to £52m.”
BBC News, 13th July 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Ignorance of the law is, notoriously, no excuse. But the individual citizen has never had access to a free, up-to-date account of what the law is on any particular topic. Acts of parliament can be consulted in public libraries (if there are any left) but a printed copy is only the starting point: many acts do not specify a commencement date and the legislation, as passed, cannot tell you whether it has been subsequently amended or repealed.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 28th June 2012
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
“Writing exceptions to copyright into UK law will not deliver economic growth and would in fact ‘remove the core asset value’ in creators’ content, a number of licensing bodies have said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 2nd April 2012
Source: www.out-law.com
“A system where newspaper stories can be ‘locked away’ but not entirely deleted from archives under new data protection law proposals could be used to ensure a balance is struck between privacy and free speech rights, a media law expert has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 10th November 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
“The National Archives (TNA) will publish an international online catalogue of looted art taken by the Nazis for the first time.”
Ministry of Justice, 6th May 2011
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
“The Royal Family and the Royal Household were exempted from direct requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Royal Household was not included in the Act’s definition of a public authority, so members of the public are unable to access information held in the Royal Archives. Public bodies can be asked to release information that may include details about the Royal Family, but protection also covers communications between public bodies, such as government departments, and the Royal Family or Royal Household.”
The Times, 15th June 2010
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
“The Government has outlined its plans for a reform of libel law, but said that it will not be possible to pass the proposed new law before this year’s general election.”
OUT-LAW.com, 24th March 2010
Source: www.out-law.com
“Secret government papers are to be released after a delay of 20 years in a change from the current 30-year rule, the Ministry of Justice announced yesterday (25 February).”
The Guardian, 26th February 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“A digital black hole will open in Britain’s national memory without a change in the law to ensure the capture and recording of UK websites, the head of the British Library has warned.”
Full story
The Guardian, 25th February 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“A newspaper which continued to publish a defamatory article on its website after its subject was cleared in an investigation lost its right to claim a special journalistic defence against libel, the High Court has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 19th October 2009
Source: www.out-law.com
“The records, published in a collaboration between the website and the National Archives, include every criminal trial in England and Wales that was reported to the Home Office between 1791 and 1892.”
The Times, 3rd August 2009
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
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