Home Office fails to investigate vast majority of tip-offs about illegal immigrants – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 8th, 2013 in illegality, immigration, news, reports, select committees by tracey

“The Home Office investigates just six per cent of tip-offs from the public about suspected illegal immigrants, a new report has disclosed.
Nearly 49,000 reports were received over nine months about foreigners alleged to be living or working illegally in Britain, but officials looked into only 2,695 of them.”

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Daily Telegraph, 8th November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

UK firms cleared of gas price manipulation – BBC News

Posted November 7th, 2013 in competition, energy, financial regulation, news, price fixing, select committees by tracey

“Regulators have found no evidence of price manipulation in the UK wholesale gas market after an investigation.”

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BBC News, 7th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ministers’ plans will hand more power to Europe, says report – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 7th, 2013 in EC law, news, parliament, reports, select committees by tracey

“Europe’s power over British affairs could actually be increased by the Government’s decision to opt back in to a number of criminal justice measures, MPs have warned. The House of Commons’ all-party European Scrutiny committee warned the influence of Parliament and the British courts could suffer if ministers proceed with current plans.”

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Daily Telegraph, 7th November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

UK spy chiefs to face MPs over mass surveillance – The Guardian

Posted November 7th, 2013 in intelligence services, investigatory powers, news, select committees by tracey

“The three heads of the British intelligence agencies are to make an unprecedented public televised appearance in front of the intelligence and security committee of MPs where they will seek to justify the scale of their surveillance activities.”

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The Guardian, 7th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Another hall of mirrors human rights story from the Telegraph – Daily Telegraph

“Yesterday saw another poor piece of human rights reporting from the Telegraph, again from Home Affairs Correspondent David Barrett. Strasbourg human rights court threatens key counter-terrorism powers. It is a typical piece of hall-of-mirrors reporting; all of the basic elements are there but presented in a distorted and inaccurate way.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 27th October 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

New code of police ethics follows Plebgate – The Guardian

Posted October 24th, 2013 in codes of practice, news, police, professional conduct, select committees by tracey

“A tough new code of ethics for the police service will be heralded by the home secretary after three officers at the centre of allegations that they lied to discredit Andrew Mitchell refused repeatedly to apologise to him during an interrogation by MPs.”

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The Guardian, 23rd October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ministry stands by Grayling evidence after bar chief challenge – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 23rd, 2013 in barristers, budgets, costs, fees, Ministry of Justice, news, select committees by tracey

“Evidence given to MPs by Chris Grayling has sparked a spat between the Bar Council and Ministry of Justice.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 22nd October 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

MoJ decides against increase in small claims track limit – Law Society’s Gazette

“The Ministry of Justice will today confirm there is to be no increase in the small claims court limit.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 23rd October 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

UK’s top prosecutor defends journalists who break law in public interest – The Guardian

“Britain’s most senior prosecutor has launched a robust defence of journalists who break the law pursuing investigations that have a genuine public interest. Legal guidelines had been drafted, he said, to protect reporters.”

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The Guardian, 18th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Extent of spies’ mass surveillance to be investigated by parliamentary body – The Guardian

Posted October 17th, 2013 in inquiries, intelligence services, news, select committees, spying by sally

“The extent and scale of mass surveillance undertaken by Britain’s spy agencies is to be scrutinised in a major inquiry to be formally launched on Thursday.”

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The Guardian, 17th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Alison L. Young: Prisoner Voting: Human or Constitutional Right? – UK Constitutional Law Group

Posted September 30th, 2013 in bills, elections, human rights, interpretation, jurisdiction, news, prisons, select committees by sally

“As is well known, in Hirst v UK (No 2) the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights concluded that Section 3(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983, which removed the franchise from prisoners, was a disproportionate restriction of the right to vote found in article 3 of the First Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights. After two consultation papers, further judgments from the European Court of Human Rights, a declaration of incompatibility from the Scottish courts, a series of criticisms from the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the Joint Committee of Human Rights, a change of Government and a House of Commons debate, the Voting Eligibility (Prisoners) Draft Bill was proposed and is currently being scrutinised by a Joint Select Committee. To add to the mix, we are awaiting judgment on the latest discussion of the issue by the UK Supreme Court, in R (Chester) v Secretary of State for Justice and McGeogh v Lord President of the Council, heard on 10 June, not to mention the adjourned case of Firth v United Kingdom.”

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UK Constitutional Law Group, 27th September 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

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

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

“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

Information Commissioners against publication of names on convicted data blaggers’ list – OUT-LAW.com

Posted September 10th, 2013 in crime, data protection, disclosure, news, private investigators, select committees by tracey

“The UK’s data protection watchdog has urged the Home Affairs Select Committee
not to follow through on its promise to publish the names of companies and
individuals that allegedly hired private investigators convicted of data
‘blagging’ offences.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 9th September 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Dangerous dogs plan will mean no ‘innocent’ trespassers – BBC News

Posted September 10th, 2013 in bills, dogs, news, select committees, trespass by tracey

“Dog owners will be safe from prosecution under revised dangerous dogs laws if their pet attacks someone trespassing in their home – even if the ‘intruder’ is doing a good turn.”

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BBC News, 9th September 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Grayling refuses to delay legal aid cuts – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 29th, 2013 in delay, human rights, legal aid, news, select committees by sally

“The justice secretary has indicated that he will press on with ‘far-reaching’ legal aid cuts, ignoring pleas from MPs, peers and the Law Society to delay them to enable parliamentary scrutiny.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 28th August 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Patients sectioned unnecessarily just to gain access to a hospital bed – The Independent

Posted August 14th, 2013 in evidence, hospitals, mental health, news, select committees by sally

“Pressure on psychiatric wards has become so great that doctors are sectioning mentally ill patients unnecessarily, because it is often seen as the only way to gain access to a bed, MPs have found.”

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The Independent, 14th August 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Thousands of UK citizens ‘detained unlawfully’ – Law Society’s Gazette

“Tens of thousands of vulnerable people are being detained unlawfully due to the complexity of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA), lawyers have told a House of Lords committee.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 12th August 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Private investigators will require licence, says Theresa May – The Guardian

Posted August 1st, 2013 in licensing, news, private investigators, reports, select committees by sally

“The government on Wednesday announced that private investigators will need a licence to operate and training about the law, as it imposed new rules on the unregulated industry of gaining information.”

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The Guardian, 31st July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Expert highlights “worrying approach” in Justice Committee’s report on sentencing of environmental offenders – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 26th, 2013 in environmental protection, news, reports, select committees, sentencing by sally

“It is ‘worrying’ that a Justice Committee report suggests treating companies whose actions risk harm to the environment in the same way as those who cause actual harm, an expert has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 25th July 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

20 law firms implicated in ‘secret’ phone hacking scandal – Daily Telegraph

“Lawyers were the biggest users of the private investigators behind the ‘secret’ phone-hacking scandal, it has been revealed.”

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Daily Telegraph, 26th July 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk