New pilot on paid-for audience participation broadcasting rules launched – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 25th, 2011 in internet, media, news, ombudsmen by sally

“Ofcom has launched a one-year pilot during which broadcasters can make on-air references to any website where the audience can access paid-for applications in order to participate in voting or competitions.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 24th August 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Mastermind contestant can be called ‘astoundingly thick’ rules Ofcom – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 23rd, 2011 in complaints, media, news, ombudsmen by sally

“By his own admission, the Mastermind appearance was not Simon Curtis’s finest hour.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 23rd August 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Hull council failures left children at risk from mother’s violent partner – The Guardian

Posted August 9th, 2011 in children, domestic violence, local government, news, ombudsmen by sally

“Hull city council has been sharply criticised by the local government ombudsman over its ‘failures’ to act on complaints that children were in danger from their mother’s ‘mentally ill, violent’ partner.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th August 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Southern’s Gatwick Express claim ‘misleading’ – BBC News

Posted July 27th, 2011 in advertising, news, ombudsmen, transport by tracey

“A train company has been ordered to remove a ‘misleading’ claim about its services between Gatwick and London from its website.”

Full story

BBC News, 27th July 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

L’Oréal’s Julia Roberts and Christy Turlington ad campaigns banned – The Guardian

Posted July 27th, 2011 in advertising, complaints, news, ombudsmen, photography by tracey

“L’Oréal has been forced to pull ad campaigns featuring Pretty Woman star Julia Roberts and supermodel Christy Turlington, after the advertising watchdog upheld complaints by Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson that the images were overly airbrushed.”

Full story

The Guardian, 27th July 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

ISPs still ‘mislead’ on broadband – BBC News

Posted July 27th, 2011 in advertising, codes of practice, internet, news, ombudsmen by tracey

“Broadband speeds in the UK now average 6.8Mbps (megabits per second) but there is still a huge gap between advertised and actual speeds, according to Ofcom.”

Full story

BBC News, 27th July 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

British Gas fined £2.5m over complaint handling – BBC News

Posted July 27th, 2011 in complaints, consumer protection, energy, fines, news, ombudsmen by tracey

“British Gas has been fined £2.5m by the regulator Ofgem for the way in which it deals with customer complaints.”

Full story

BBC News, 27th July 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Leeds City Council failed children with special needs – BBC News

Posted July 12th, 2011 in children, local government, news, ombudsmen, reports, special educational needs by tracey

“There were ‘serious and extensive failures’ in the way Leeds City Council treated three children with special educational needs, a report has found.”

Full story

BBC News, 11th July 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Phone hacking: Rupert Murdoch forced to back down over BSkyB takeover – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 12th, 2011 in competition, media, mergers, news, ombudsmen by tracey

“Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, wrote to Ofcom, the media regulator, and the Office of Fair Trading yesterday morning to ask whether the failure of News International, News Corp’s British newspaper arm, to properly manage the News of the World could mean the takeover should be blocked. Hours later, News Corp withdrew its proposal to spin off Sky News as a financially and editorially independent unit, which would have got the merger cleared by regulators, effectively forcing Mr Hunt to refer the bid to the Competition Commission.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 11th July 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

First details of Commission data protection action against UK are revealed – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 22nd, 2011 in data protection, EC law, freedom of information, legislation, news, ombudsmen by sally

“Details of the European Commission’s objections to the Data Protection Act (DPA) have been revealed for the first time. A document has been published outlining why the Commission thinks the DPA fails to implement the EU’s Data Protection Directive.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 22nd February 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Ombudsman to investigate complaints against LSC – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 5th, 2010 in fees, legal aid, maladministration, news, ombudsmen by sally

“The Parliamentary Ombudsman is to investigate complaints of maladministration made against the Legal Services Commission by the Law Society and several law firms over its late claims to recoup payments made on account.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 4th November 2010

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Public Services Ombudsmen – Law Commission

Posted September 2nd, 2010 in consultations, Law Commission, news, ombudsmen by sally

“The Law Commission is conducting a review of the law relating to the public services ombudsmen. On 2 September 2010, we published a consultation paper, which contains our detailed provisional proposals for reform.”

Full story

Law Commission, 2nd September 2010

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk

Three million in the queue for compensation over PPI mis-selling – The Guardian

Posted August 11th, 2010 in compensation, complaints, financial regulation, insurance, news, ombudsmen by sally

“Nearly three million people who took out payment protection insurance (PPI) sold by banks and other lenders could be in line for compensation totalling more than £2bn after the Financial Services Authority today issued new rules on how firms should handle the flood of complaints over mis-selling.”

Full story

The Guardian, 10th August 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (Gaunt) v Ofcom (Liberty intervening) – WLR Daily

Posted July 16th, 2010 in freedom of expression, law reports, media, ombudsmen, standards by sally

Regina (Gaunt) v Ofcom (Liberty intervening) [2010] EWHC 1756 (Admin); [2010] WLR (D) 180

“It was not a disproportionate interference with a broadcaster’s freedom of expression, or an infringement of his rights under art 10 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, for the regulator Ofcom to find that the Broadcasting Code had been breached by a broadcast interview containing offensive insults and abuse without contextual content or justification, notwithstanding that the finding might inhibit the broadcaster’s unrestrained freedom to conduct similar interviews in the future.”

WLR Daily, 14th July 2010

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Jon Gaunt loses high court case over ‘gratuitous’ interview – The Guardian

Posted July 13th, 2010 in freedom of expression, media, news, ombudsmen by sally

“Radio presenter defeated in latest stage of legal battle with Ofcom over interview in which he described councillor as a ‘Nazi’.”

Full story

The Guardian, 13th July 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The new Legal Ombudsman – Bar Standards Board

Posted July 2nd, 2010 in barristers, legal ombudsman, ombudsmen, press releases by sally

“On Wednesday 6 October 2010 the Legal Ombudsman (http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/) will become operational. From this date all complaints from lay clients about barristers, solicitors, and some other types of legal professional should be directed to the Ombudsman’s office. The Ombudsman will deal with service complaints itself and will be able to award compensation of up to £30,000.00 against barristers. It will not investigate complaints of professional misconduct or be involved in the consideration of disciplinary issues. Neither will it consider complaints previously considered by the Bar Standards Board.”

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 1st July 2010

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

EU threatens UK again over data protection laws – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 25th, 2010 in data protection, EC law, news, ombudsmen by sally

“The European Commission will pursue a case against the UK Government through the European Court of Justice (ECJ) if it does not strengthen privacy watchdog the Information Commissioner’s powers within two months.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 25th June 2010

Source: www.out-law.com

Ofcom will take over regulation of all participation TV – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 11th, 2010 in advertising, media, news, ombudsmen by sally

“Media and telecoms regulator Ofcom will take over the regulation of televised gambling, message board and dating services which earn revenue through premium rate phone lines from September.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 11th June 2010

Source: www.out-law.com

Lawyers prepare to hear LeO roar – The Guardian

Posted June 1st, 2010 in complaints, legal profession, Legal Services Board, news, ombudsmen by sally

“Have you ever complained about the service you received from a lawyer? It’s not always the easiest thing in the world: lawyers do not really see themselves as a service industry, and so tend to treat complaints as a personal affront rather than as a chance to ensure their clients have had a good experience.”

Full story

The Guardian, 1st June 2010

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Administrative Redress: Public Bodies and the Citizen – Law Commission

Posted May 26th, 2010 in judicial review, Law Commission, news, ombudsmen, reports by sally

“On 26 May 2010, we published our report Administrative Redress: Public Bodies and the Citizen. This sets out an overview of the responses to our consultation paper and brings to a close the state liability aspects of the Administrative Redress project. The report is accompanied by a short summary. A press release is also available.”

Full story

Law Commission, 26th My 2010

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk