Michael Gove appeals against ruling on misuse of email – The Guardian

“The education secretary, Michael Gove, is challenging a ruling by the information commissioner that he used a private email account for departmental business.”

Full story

The Guardian, 29th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government’s IP policy-making to be scrutinised in cross-party group inquiry – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 19th, 2012 in government departments, inquiries, intellectual property, news by sally

“The way that Government determines policies on intellectual property (IP) issues is to be reviewed by a cross-party group of MPs.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 16th March 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Whitehall’s worries about Freedom of Information case – BBC News

“Could publishing a Whitehall document outlining the possible risks of the NHS shake-up pose a risk to good governance? That’s been the argument made in an appeal against a Freedom of Information ruling in central London this week.”

Full story

BBC News, 8th March 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government department must disclose data from private email correspondence, ICO rules – OUT-LAW.com

“The Department for Education (DfE) must disclose information sent from a private email address belonging to the Education Secretary unless there is a legitimate reason to refuse doing so, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 6th March 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Freedom of Information: this scaremongering leads to nothing but misinformation – The Guardian

Posted February 20th, 2012 in data protection, freedom of information, government departments, news by sally

“The information commissioner writes that Whitehall insiders’ criticisms of the Freedom of Information laws are nonsense.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Secrecy laws ‘don’t harm the work of ministers’, says information commissioner – The Guardian

Posted February 20th, 2012 in freedom of information, government departments, news by sally

“Christopher Graham, the information commissioner, has hit out against the ‘distinguished Whitehall insiders’ who have called for the repeal of the freedom of information laws currently under review by parliament.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Public Sector Equality Duty – what does it mean and how does it work? – No. 5 Chambers

Posted February 15th, 2012 in equality, government departments, local government, news by sally

“This paper deals with the present state of the law concerning the Public Sector Quality Duty (‘the PSED’) and how public bodies are required to act in order to comply with the duty.”

Full story

No. 5 Chambers, 6th February 2012

Source: www.no5.com

The law-making process: could do better! – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted October 31st, 2011 in employment, government departments, legislative drafting, news, tribunals by sally

“‘Good regulation is a good thing’ is the trite introduction to the government’s red tape challenge, before saying we have too much of the other sort. The proposition is that reducing the quantity of regulation is the answer. This is myopic because if quantity is one possible burden on business, so is poor quality law. Poor quality is not about political or policy disagreements, but simply the production of badly-drafted law that is difficult to understand, because it is too complex or simply unclear.”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 28th October 2011

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Jonathan Djanogly faces inquiries into legal aid profits – The Guardian

Posted October 12th, 2011 in bills, conflict of interest, government departments, inquiries, legal aid, news by sally

“Jonathan Djanogly, the justice minister, has admitted for the first time to MPs that inquiries had been launched by his own department and the Cabinet Office following an investigation by the Guardian that revealed he could personally profit from changes he was piloting in the Commons.”

Full story

The Guardian, 11th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Jonathan Djanogly forced to act over conflict of interest claims – The Guardian

Posted October 10th, 2011 in bills, conflict of interest, government departments, legal aid, news by sally

“The justice minister Jonathan Djanogly has been forced to publicly declare in the parliamentary register that his controversial stakes in the insurance industry have been placed in a ‘blind trust’, after a Guardian investigation revealed that he could personally profit from legislation he is piloting in the Commons.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Councils and police rebuked for hi-tech snooping on public – The Independent

“Britain’s surveillance watchdog has reprimanded police forces, councils and government departments for overusing powers intended to clamp down on terrorism to snoop on members of the public.”

Full story

The Independent, 17th July 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Alignment of prosecutions between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Crown Prosecution Service – Attorney General’s Office

“The Attorney General and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced today the transfer of Defra’s prosecution function to the CPS and the remainder of their legal team to the Treasury Solicitor’s Department.”

Full statement

Attorney General’s Office, 12th July 2011

Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

Government IT plans need more security information, says Parliamentary committee – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 7th, 2011 in data protection, government departments, internet, news by sally

“Government plans to make more services available online and to use cloud computing to deliver public services need to be clearer on how information will be protected, a House of Commons committee has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 7th July 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Government supports more efficient dispute resolution – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 23rd, 2011 in arbitration, dispute resolution, government departments, news by sally

“The Government has signed the first Dispute Resolution Commitment (DRC), which requires all departments and agencies to use mediation, arbitration and conciliation wherever possible before taking disputes to court.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 23rd June 2011

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Unnecessary tribunals wasting taxpayers’ money, watchdog warns – The Guardian

Posted June 14th, 2011 in appeals, government departments, news, reports, tribunals by sally

“Government departments and agencies are costing the taxpayer huge sums each year by making incorrect decisions which are then overturned by tribunals, an official report has concluded.”

Full story

The Guardian, 14th June 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Solicitor General: Speech to Annual Conference of the Institute of Money Laundering Prevention Officers – Attorney General’s Office

“Solicitor General: Speech to Annual Conference of the Institute of Money Laundering Prevention Officers on 16th May 2011.”

Full speech

Attorney General’s Office, 16th May 20111

Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

Judges accuse Ministry of Defence of stifling challenges over treatment of detainees – The Guardian

“The Ministry of Defence has been condemned by the high court for stifling legal challenges over the treatment of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th May 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government loses abortion battle – BBC News

Posted April 20th, 2011 in abortion, freedom of information, government departments, news, statistics by sally

“The Department of Health has lost a court battle to keep secret some details on abortion statistics.”

Full story

BBC News, 20th April 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ruling on late abortion figures challenged in court – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 18th, 2011 in abortion, freedom of information, government departments, news, statistics by sally

“The Department of Health is making a High Court challenge today to stop figures being published on the number of late abortions on ‘less than perfect’ foetuses with physical abnormalities, including cleft palate and club foot.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 18th April 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Kenyans sue UK for alleged colonial human rights abuses – The Guardian

Posted April 6th, 2011 in disclosure, government departments, human rights, Kenya, news by sally

“Highly embarrassing colonial-era files detailing the British army’s repressive tactics against Mau Mau insurgents in Kenya during the 1950s will be revealed in a landmark compensation case.”

Full story

The Guardian, 5th April 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk