Critics attack £1,000 bond scheme for foreign relatives who visit UK – The Independent

Posted December 19th, 2007 in immigration, news by sally

“Moves to make families pay bonds of up to £1,000 to sponsor visits by foreign relatives have been condemned as discriminatory.”

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The Independent, 19th December 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Jurors break silence to insist childminder did not kill baby – The Times

Posted December 19th, 2007 in child abuse, homicide, juries, news by sally

“Two jurors have spoken out to question the guilty verdict in a case last month in which a childminder was jailed for shaking a baby to death.”

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The Times, 19th December 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

HMRC loses data on 6,000 pension holders – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2007 in data protection, HM Revenue & Customs, news by sally

“HM Revenue and Customs became embroiled in another data scandal today after it emerged that it lost personal details of 6,000 private pension holders.”

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The Guardian, 18th December 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ofcom flags concerns over pay-TV market – The Times

Posted December 18th, 2007 in competition, media, news by sally

“The communications regulator has identified ‘warning signs’ for future competition in the British pay-television market”.

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The Times, 18th December 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Civil servants face prison for leaving the public vulnerable to dangers of identity theft – The Times

Posted December 18th, 2007 in civil servants, data protection, news by sally

“Civil servants face being jailed for gross failures to safeguard citizens’ personal information under a clampdown following the disappearance of two discs that held the child benefit records of 25 million people.”

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The Times, 18th December 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Binmen ‘refuse to cross 4-inch step’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 18th, 2007 in health & safety, news by sally

“An elderly woman had her rubbish collection stopped because council officials ruled that a four-inch step outside her home was a health and safety hazard.”

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Daily Telegraph, 18th December 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

MEPs slam Commission freedom restraints in anti-terror name – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 18th, 2007 in EC law, human rights, news, privacy, terrorism by sally

“Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have criticised EU anti-terror laws for violating basic human rights. The Parliament passed a resolution condemning EU bodies and member states for passing laws which undermine rights to privacy or fair trials.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 17th December 2007

Source: www.out-law.com

Curry killer must serve 16 years – BBC News

Posted December 18th, 2007 in murder, news, sentencing by sally

“A woman jailed for life for murdering her husband with a drugs overdose disguised in a curry has been told she must serve at least 16 years in jail.”

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BBC News, 17th December 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Redwood’s date rape comments infuriate campaigners – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2007 in news, rape by sally

“Former Tory cabinet minister John Redwood was condemned by victim support groups last night after he said the government was wrong to regard ‘date rape’ as seriously as assaults by strangers.”

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The Guardian, 18th December 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police accused of firing Taser into head of innocent man – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2007 in news, Poland, weapons by sally

“Police fired a 50,000-volt Taser into the head of a 45-year-old company director who later proved to be unarmed and innocent. Daniel Sylvester, the owner of an east London security firm employing 65 staff to guard council offices, pubs and nightclubs, was driving home on October 20 when he was stopped by armed police because of ‘firearms related intelligence’.”

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The Guardian, 18th December 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Personal details of millions of learner drivers lost by contractor in Iowa – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2007 in data protection, news by sally

“The government yesterday revealed another disturbing loss of citizens’ data when the transport secretary disclosed that a computer disc had gone missing that contained the records of more than 3 million driving test applicants, including their names, home addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers.”

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The Guardian, 18th December 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Honours system damned by Westminster inquiry – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2007 in news, peerages & dignities by sally

“Gordon Brown will be asked by a powerful committee of MPs tomorrow to immediately introduce fundamental reforms for the appointment of peers following the ‘cash for honours’ scandal that has dogged the Labour party for almost two years.”

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The Guardian, 18th December 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Illegal immigrant was working at front desk of Home Office – The Independent

Posted December 18th, 2007 in immigration, news by sally

“The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith faced huge embarrassment last night after it emerged that an illegal immigrant had been caught working on the front desk at the Home Office.”

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The Independent, 18th December 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

A chance to have another go – The Times

Posted December 18th, 2007 in legal profession, negligence, news by sally

“Lawyers are increasingly at risk from disgruntled clients. Once a court judgment was the end of a matter; now more and more unhappy litigants think they can come back for a second bite of the cherry — this time against their solicitors.”

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The Times, 18th December 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

£1,000 bond planned for visits by overseas relatives – The Guardian

Posted December 17th, 2007 in immigration, news by sally

“Families who sponsor visits by overseas relatives to Britain will first have to pay a bond, expected to be £1,000, under new immigration proposals out this week.”

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The Guardian, 17th December 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Sex slaves’ win cash in landmark legal deal – The Observer

Posted December 17th, 2007 in compensation, news, prostitution, trafficking in human beings by sally

“Sex slaves smuggled into Britain are set to receive millions of pounds for their ‘pain and trauma’ after a groundbreaking government decision to compensate victims of people trafficking.”

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The Observer, 16th December 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

HSBC to offer first-ever Bar student loan package – Legal Week

Posted December 17th, 2007 in banking, barristers, legal education, news by sally

“HSBC has become the first bank to strike a deal with the Bar Council and offer special loans to Bar Vocational Course (BVC) students, it was announced earlier this week (11 December)”

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Legal Week, 13th December 2007

Source: www.legalweek.com

Norwich Union fined £1.26m over security lapse – The Guardian

Posted December 17th, 2007 in data protection, news by sally

“Norwich Union has been fined £1.26m for failing to protect customers’ personal details after fraudsters were able to steal £3.3m from policyholders, the City watchdog said today.”

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The Guardian, 17th December 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Tourist visa times ‘to be halved’ – BBC News

Posted December 17th, 2007 in immigration, news by sally

“Proposals to cut the time tourists from outside the EU can stay in the UK from six months to three are expected to be announced by ministers this week.”

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BBC News, 16th December 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New forced marriage power planned – BBC News

Posted December 14th, 2007 in forced marriages, news by sally

“Campaigners may be able to go to court to stop a forced marriage without the permission of a victim.”

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BBC News, 13th December 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk