BSB publishes diversity review of complaints processes – Bar Standards Board

Posted September 27th, 2013 in barristers, complaints, diversity, news, reports by sally

“An independent review into the barristers’ regulator’s complaints-handling process has been published today by the Bar Standards Board.”

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Bar Standards Board, 27th September 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

High suicide-risk prisoner Kieron Gray was ‘failed’ – BBC News

Posted September 26th, 2013 in inquests, news, prisons, reports, suicide by sally

“A ‘very serious failing’ led to the death of a suicide-risk prisoner who killed himself on his first day in prison, an inquest heard.”

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BBC News, 25th September 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Daniel Pelka: New report to look into why child protection workers failed to intervene in tragic case of boy beaten to death – The Independent

Posted September 26th, 2013 in child abuse, news, reports, social services by sally

“A new report will be published into exactly why child protection workers failed to intervene in the case of a four-year-old beaten to death by his mother and stepfather.”

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The Independent, 25th September 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Reforming the law on level crossings – Law Commission

Posted September 25th, 2013 in health & safety, Law Commission, news, railways, regulations, reports by sally

“The Law Commission for England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission have published a joint report on the law governing level crossings.”

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Law Commission, 25th September 2013

Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk

Legal aid residence test ‘will just shift cost to council taxpayers’ – The Guardian

Posted September 24th, 2013 in children, homelessness, legal aid, local government, news, reports by sally

“Introducing a proposed residence test for legal aid will lead to local authorities paying tens of millions of pounds to support children in care and prevent increased homelessness, campaigners have warned the Ministry of Justice.”

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The Guardian, 23rd September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Experts welcome OFT’s workplace pension reforms, but low contributions remain the real challenge – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 20th, 2013 in competition, employment, news, pensions, reports by sally

“Low contributions remain the ‘real obstacle’ to the success of the Government’s workplace pension scheme reforms following the Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT’s) review of the defined contribution (DC) pensions market, an expert has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 19th September 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Bar Council publishes second representational Annual Report ‘Representing the Bar’ – The Bar Council

Posted September 20th, 2013 in barristers, news, reports by sally

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has today published the second edition of its annual report, ‘Representing the Bar’, focusing on its representational activities, which details performance against the three-year Strategic and Business Plan, which the Bar Council approved in 2011.”

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The Bar Council, 20th September 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Stop and search: it does matter if you’re black or white – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted September 20th, 2013 in drug abuse, drug offences, news, race discrimination, reports, stop and search by sally

“A troubling report co-authored by the London School of Economics and Release was published this week and shows that drug policing is the predominant purpose in the use of stop and search with black people stopped and searched for drugs at 6.3 times the rate of white people. In addition, black people are more likely to receive a harsher police response for possession of drugs.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 19th September 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Regina (Chief Constable of the West Yorkshire Police) v Independent Police Complaints Commission – WLR Daily

Posted September 20th, 2013 in complaints, law reports, police, reports by sally

Regina (Chief Constable of the West Yorkshire Police) v Independent Police Complaints Commission [2013] EWHC 2698 (Admin); [2013] WLR (D) 349

“The Independent Police Complaints Commission (“IPCC”) could only handle a complaint against the police in strict accordance with its statutory powers under the Police Reform Act 2002. It was required to “record” matters which might amount to criminal and/or disciplinary misconduct but it was no part of the IPCC’s function to make definitive finding or rulings on such matters.”

WLR Daily, 11th September 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Legalising cannabis: £1.25bn tax benefit – without necessarily damaging public health – The Independent

Posted September 17th, 2013 in crime, drug offences, licensing, news, reports by sally

“Research says decriminalising cannabis could cut the cost of policing, prosecuting and treating drug users, while regulation could help control potency and chemical composition.”

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The Independent, 16th September 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Council staff face action after report into care of woman left to starve – The Guardian

“Two council workers have been suspended and face further disciplinary action following a report that found officials had failed to care for an 81-year-old woman who died after being left without food or medication for nine days.”

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The Guardian, 16th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Daniel Pelka: Professionals failed ‘invisible’ murdered boy, report says – The Guardian

Posted September 17th, 2013 in children, murder, news, reports, social services, teachers by sally

“Teachers, health professionals, social workers and police officers treated four-year-old Daniel Pelka as if he was invisible, failing to prevent his mother and stepfather from murdering him after a campaign of torture and starvation, an independent report has found.”

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The Guardian, 17th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Related link: Daniel Pelka – Serious Case Review

Improving Judicial Diversity – Judicial Diversity Taskforce Annual Report 2013 – Ministry of Justice

Posted September 13th, 2013 in diversity, judiciary, reports by sally

“The Judicial Diversity Taskforce has published its third report, which outlines the progress achieved since the previous report.”

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Ministry of Justice, 13th September 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

MPs condemn ‘tortuous’ inchoate offence law – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 13th, 2013 in crime, legislation, legislative drafting, news, reports, select committees by sally

“Criminal offences of encouraging and assisting crimes are too ‘complex and difficult’ for lawyers to understand, according to a high profile committee of MPs.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 13th September 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Child care home rules ‘may have helped paedophiles’ – BBC News

Posted September 13th, 2013 in care homes, children, news, regulations, reports, sexual offences by sally

“”Absurd” secrecy rules applying to children in care homes may have helped paedophiles target them, Education Secretary Michael Gove has said.”

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BBC News, 13th September 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Work to rehabilitate life sentence prisoners could improve, say inspectors – CrimeLine

Posted September 12th, 2013 in news, prisons, recidivists, rehabilitation, release on licence, reports by sally

“Most life sentence prisoners did not reoffend and were able to lead productive lives on release, said Liz Calderbank, Chief Inspector of Probation, and Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons, publishing the report of a joint inspection into life sentence prisoners. However, they added that the work done with life sentence prisoners at key points in their sentence could be improved.”

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CrimeLine, 12th September 2013

Source: www.crimeline.info

Murderers and other lifers on day release without adequate risk assessment, watchdogs warn – Daily Telegraph

“Murderers, rapists and other life prisoners are being allowed out on day release without being properly risk assessed, two watchdogs have warned.”

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Daily Telegraph, 12th September 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Abuse of Asian girls missed because of focus on white victims, says report – The Guardian

Posted September 10th, 2013 in news, race discrimination, reports, sexual grooming, sexual offences, victims by sally

“Asian girls are the hidden victims of child grooming gangs, dipping under the radar of police or social services, according to a report released on Tuesday. Vulnerable girls and some boys are being sexually exploited by gangs of men but are being missed by the authorities because agencies are too focused on a model of grooming involving white victims, according to research from the Muslim Women’s Network UK.”

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The Guardian, 10th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Court failings scupper 500 cases a week – The Independent

Posted September 5th, 2013 in courts, Crown Prosecution Service, delay, news, reports, victims, witnesses by sally

“More than 500 court cases are being thrown out or delayed each week due to failings by prosecutors or in the court system, it has been claimed.”

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The Independent, 5th September 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Commercial Court waiting times increase – Litigation Futures

Posted September 3rd, 2013 in Commercial Court, courts, delay, news, reports by sally

“There are lengthening delays in the Commercial Court, with the Lord Chief Justice speaking of the ‘powerful’ pressures on the civil justice system.”

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Litigation Futures, 3rd September 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com