European Court of Human Rights reform ‘will take time’ – BBC News

Posted October 28th, 2011 in constitutional reform, human rights, news by sally

“Ministers have said attempts to reform the European Court of Human Rights will ‘take time’ as the UK must persuade 46 other nations of the need for change.”

Full story

BBC news, 27th October 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Is the Attorney General right on prisoner votes and subsidiarity? – Dr Ed Bates – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 28th, 2011 in elections, human rights, news, prisons by sally

“In his speech earlier this week the Attorney General announced that he would appear in person before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in two weeks’ time, when it hears Scoppola v Italy No2, a case concerning prisoner voting. The United Kingdom is due to intervene in this case, for reasons that readers of this blog will be fully aware of.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 27th October 2011

Source: http://ukhumanrightsblog.com

UK supreme court judges air concerns over having to follow Europe’s lead – The Guardian

Posted October 27th, 2011 in human rights, judges, judgments, news, Supreme Court by sally

“The UK’s supreme court is not always ‘supreme’ because it has to follow the lead of the European court of human rights in Strasbourg, whose rulings are sometimes too narrow in scope, according to the country’s most senior judge, Lord Phillips.”

Full story

The Guardian, 26th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The UK supreme court is changing the way we think about law – The Guardian

Posted October 27th, 2011 in constitutional reform, devolution, human rights, judiciary, news, Supreme Court by sally

“The separation of judiciary and legislature will bring about a more confrontational relationship between judges and ministers.”

Full story

The Guardian, 26th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Britain unable to deport more than 5,000 foreign offenders – The Guardian

Posted October 27th, 2011 in deportation, human rights, news, reports by sally

“The number of foreign prisoners who have come to the end of their sentences but cannot be deported has passed the 5,000 mark, despite repeated pledges by Home Office ministers to speed up removals.”

Full story

The Guardian, 27th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Attorney General speaks on the European Convention on Human Rights – Attorney General’s Office

Posted October 25th, 2011 in attorney general, courts, human rights, news, speeches by sally

“In a speech to a legal audience at London’s Lincoln Inn this evening, the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC MP, said that the benefits of remaining within the Convention and retaining our position as a leader of the international community are seen by the government to be fundamental to our national interest.”

Full story

Attorney General’s Office, 24th October 2011

Source: www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk

Attorney general aims to limit European power over English law – The Guardian

Posted October 25th, 2011 in attorney general, human rights, news by sally

“The attorney general is appear before the European court of human rights in Strasbourg to argue that English and Welsh courts should have ‘primary responsibility’ in interpreting its laws.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Can Britain “ignore Europe on human rights”? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 24th, 2011 in constitutional law, human rights, judiciary, news by sally

“Headlines are important. They catch the eye and can be the only reason a person decides to read an article or, in the case of a front page headline, buy a newspaper. On Thursday The Times’ front page headline was ‘Britain can ignore Europe on human rights: top judge’.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd October 2011

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Legal aid: the right to a fair trial – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted October 21st, 2011 in bills, human rights, legal aid, news, trials by sally

“Under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Art 6 ‘Right to a fair trial’, ‘equality of arms’ is implicitly granted in respect of both criminal charges and civil rights and obligations. By ensuring the entitlement of a ‘fair and public hearing’, it is presumed that legal aid funding will be afforded to those individuals who would suffer injustice otherwise.”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 19th October 2011

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Sound judgments – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 21st, 2011 in freedom of expression, human rights, judges, media, news, sentencing, violent disorder by sally

“Recent pronouncements by Lord Judge, the Lord Chief Justice, have been momentous, particularly his statements about the Human Rights Act.”

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 20th October 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Courts need not be bound by Europe, says top judge – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 20th, 2011 in human rights, judges, judgments, news, precedent by sally

“Lord Judge, the Lord Chief Justice, said the UK need only ‘take account’ of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights but not necessarily follow it.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 20th october 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Home secretary should lose power to meddle in extradition cases, panel says – The Guardian

Posted October 19th, 2011 in extradition, human rights, inquiries, ministers' powers and duties, news by sally

“The home secretary should lose the power to intervene on human rights grounds in extradition cases, an official judge-led inquiry has recommended.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Home Office policy on forced marriage violates Article 8 family life – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 14th, 2011 in forced marriages, human rights, news, visas by sally

“The Supreme Court has ruled that the Home Secretary’s refusal to grant visas to non-resident spouses under a certain age breached their right to family life under Article 8 of the Convention. A strong dissent from Lord Brown touches on the raw nerve of judicial competence and the role of Article 8 in policy making.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 13th October 2011

Source: http://ukhumanrightsblog.com

National security concerns do trump human rights, sometimes – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 14th, 2011 in control orders, human rights, news, sexual offences prevention orders by sally

“The Home Secretary Theresa May was lambasted last week for an inaccurate reference to cats, but the more general view expressed by her and most of the media that the Human Rights Act is routinely getting in the way of national security interests is also arguably misleading.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 12th October 2011

Source: http://ukhumanrightsblog.com

The forced marriage law was simply symbolic – The Guardian

Posted October 13th, 2011 in forced marriages, human rights, immigration, news by sally

“With good reason, the supreme court has declared unlawful a ban on under-21-year-old spouses coming to the UK.”

Full story

The Guardian, 13th October 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (Aguilar Quila and another) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (AIRE Centre and others intervening) Regina (Bibi and another) v Same (Same intervening) – WLR Daily

Posted October 13th, 2011 in human rights, immigration, law reports, marriage, Supreme Court by sally

Regina (Aguilar Quila and another) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (AIRE Centre and others intervening) Regina (Bibi and another) v Same (Same intervening) [2011] UKSC 45; [2011] WLR (D) 291

“An immigration rule designed to deter forced marriages, which prevented the granting of leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom as a spouse if either of the parties to the marriage was aged under 21, was an unjustified interference with the right to family life.”

WLR Daily, 12th October 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

MoD ‘ignored legal advice’ over interrogation of Iraqi prisoners, claims top Army lawyer – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 13th, 2011 in armed forces, human rights, news, torture by sally

“The British Army wilfully used illegal methods of interrogation against Iraqi prisoners after military leaders ignored advice from their top lawyer, it was claimed last night.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 13th October 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

HM Advocate v P – WLR Daily

HM Advocate v P [2011] UKSC 44; [2011] WLR (D) 290

“There was no absolute rule that evidence which had been obtained from an accused who had been questioned by police when he had not been given access to legal advice, but which existed independently of his answers, was inadmissible.”

WLR Daily, 6th October 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Supreme Court says forced marriage rules are unlawful – BBC News

Posted October 12th, 2011 in families, forced marriages, human rights, immigration, news by sally

“A government ban on non-EU foreign spouses under the age of 21 entering the UK is unlawful, judges have ruled.”

Full story

BBC News, 12th October 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Freedoms Bill may infringe on individuals’ privacy rights, Parliamentary committee says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 12th, 2011 in bills, data protection, DNA, human rights, news, police, privacy by sally

“Parts of a proposed civil rights law threaten the UK’s compliance with human rights obligations and infringe on individuals’ rights, Parliament’s Human Rights Joint Committee has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 11th October 2011

Source: www.out-law.com