Tribunal rejects request for correspondence between solicitor and planning officers – Local Government Lawyer

‘The First-Tier Tribunal has ruled that a district council was entitled to refuse to disclose correspondence passing between one of its solicitors and various members of its planning department.’
Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 30th June 2015

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Tom Crone: News of the World lawyer faces investigation by Bar – The Independent

‘Tom Crone, the lawyer responsible for the legal affairs of the News of the World during the height of the phone-hacking scandal, is being investigated by the barristers’ regulator.’

Full story

The Independent, 28th June 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Independent reviewer recommends redraft of UK surveillance laws – OUT-LAW.com

‘Existing UK surveillance laws should be scrapped and replaced by a “comprehensive and comprehensible new law…drafted from scratch”, the barrister appointed to review UK terrorism legislation has said.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 16th June 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

What to look out for in Britain’s new surveillance bill – The Guardian

‘The government intends wholesale reform, but will it perpetuate a dark history of invasion of privacy or follow the US example, and end invasive surveillance?’

Full story

The Guardian, 5th June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal challenge against Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act reaches High Court – OUT-LAW.com

‘A legal challenge fronted by two UK MPs against communications surveillance laws passed last year has reached the High Court.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 4th June 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Emergency surveillance law faces legal challenge by MPs – BBC News

‘The High Court is to hear a legal challenge to the government’s emergency surveillance law brought by two MPs.’

Full story

BBC News, 4th June 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Gulati v MGN Ltd – WLR Daily

Gulati v MGN Ltd [2015] EWHC 1482 (Ch); [2015] WLR (D) 232

‘Damages for infringement of privacy rights should compensate not merely for distress but also, if appropriate, for a loss of privacy or autonomy arising out of the infringement as such, which might include, if appropriate, a sum to compensate for damage to dignity or standing so far as that was meaningful and not already compensated under the distress element.’

WLR Daily, 21st May 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

The police ask to look at our private messages once every 120 seconds – The Independent

‘Police officers in the UK ask for permission to monitor use of emails, text messages and internet searches once every two minutes, a new report has disclosed.’

Full story

The Independent, 1st June 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK police requests to access phone calls or emails are granted 93% of the time – The Guardian

‘Ministers are facing calls to curb the scale of police access to private phone and email records, after a report by privacy campaigners found officers were making a request every two minutes and getting access in 93% of cases.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st June 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Queen’s Speech: New online data terror powers proposed – BBC News

‘Planned new laws to give police and spies stronger powers to “target the online communications” of terrorist suspects are in the Queen’s Speech.’

Full story

BBC News, 27th May 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Phone hacking at Trinity Mirror ‘widespread’ for a decade, says judge – The Guardian

Posted May 22nd, 2015 in compensation, interception, media, news, privacy, telecommunications, victims by sally

‘Phone hacking at the tabloid publisher Trinity Mirror was “widespread and frequent” for a decade, a high court judge has ruled as he ordered the company to pay a record £1.2m in privacy damages to eight victims, including the actor Sadie Frost and ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne.’

Full story

The Guardian, 21st May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Phone hacking: Paul Gascoigne wins damages from Mirror Group – BBC News

Posted May 21st, 2015 in appeals, damages, interception, media, news, privacy, telecommunications by sally

‘Former footballer Paul Gascoigne has won £188,250 in phone-hacking damages from Mirror Group Newspapers.’

Full story

BBC News, 21st May 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Codes of practice for the acquisition, disclosure and retention of communications data – Home Office

‘Guidance on the procedures that should be followed when the communications data is accessed or disclosed under RIPA, or retained under DRIPA or the ATCSA.’

Full press release

Home Office, 15th May 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Judge grants Operation Elveden police access to press phone records – BBC News

Posted May 6th, 2015 in corruption, news, police, public interest, telecommunications by sally

‘A judge has granted police permission to access journalists’ phone records for the first time in a public hearing.
Full story

BBC News, 5th May 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

News focus: law and justice pledges – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The general election manifestos are in – here’s our quick-fire summary of their headline pledges on law and justice.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 20th April 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Tribunal increases ICO fine over unsolicited marketing by 50% – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 17th, 2015 in electronic mail, fines, news, privacy, telecommunications, tribunals by sally

‘A UK court has increased the level of fine imposed on a business which made unsolicited marketing calls to people signed up to the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) by 50%.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 17th April 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Ofcom to consider impact of mobiles and VOIP on landline providers’ market dominance as part of next review – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 9th, 2015 in competition, consultations, news, telecommunications by sally

‘The growing use of mobile phones, Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and text-based and social media services to initiate calls may mean that the UK’s dominant landline telephone providers no longer require the strictest form of regulation, Ofcom has suggested.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 8th April 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

More fines for unsolicited calls or texts likely, says ICO, as new rules come into force – OUT-LAW.com

‘Changes to the rules governing when the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) can fine companies for making unsolicited telephone calls or sending unsolicited text messages will help the UK’s privacy watchdog to “make more fines stick”, it has said.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 7th April 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Crackdown begins on nuisance texts and phone calls – The Guardian

Posted April 7th, 2015 in consultations, fines, news, nuisance, telecommunications by sally

‘The spam text message will be familiar to most people. “Our records indicate you had a non-fault accident in the last three years and are in line for receiving compensation. Reply YES for more info. Reply NO to opt out.”’

Full story

The Guardian, 6th April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Carlyle (Appellant) v Royal Bank of Scotland (Respondent) (Scotland) – Supreme Court

Carlyle (Appellant) v Royal Bank of Scotland (Respondent) (Scotland) [2015] UKSC 13 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 11th March 2015

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt