EIR: when is information ‘held’? – Panopticon

“One of the issues which commonly arises for information law practitioners is the question, which arises under both FOIA and the EIR, of whether a public authority actually holds the information which has been requested. The leading case on section 1(1) FOIA is University of Newcastle v IC & British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection [2011] UKUT 185 (AAC), [2011] 2 Info LR 54 and substantially the same approach has been adopted in, for example, Keiller v IC and University of East Anglia [2012] 1 Info LR 128 and Clyne v IC & London Borough of Lambeth [2012] 2 Info LR 24 in relation to regulation 3(2) EIR. What is required is a common-sense and non-technical approach. That, of course, is easier stated than applied.”

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Panopticon, 7th May 2013

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Essay writing service’s ad banned for implying ‘guaranteed’ grade – The Guardian

Posted May 8th, 2013 in advertising, complaints, examinations, guarantees, news, universities by sally

“An advert for an essay writing service has been banned for implying that students had a moneyback guarantee that they would get the grade they wanted.”

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The Guardian, 8th May 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Who “holds” the working papers of the Climategate inquiry? – UK Human Rights Blog

“In 2009 someone hacked into e-mails belonging to the Climate Research Unit at UEA and leaked them widely. Climate change sceptics whooped with delight because they thought that the e-mails showed attempts to suppress or gerrymander climate data (see e.g. this example from James Delingpole with some of the ticklish e-mails, and for more background, less tendentiously put, my post on an earlier UEA case). And the CRU data was important; it had made its way into the highly influential IPCC reports.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 7th May 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Student jailed for £5,000 attempt to bribe professor over failed dissertation – The Independent

Posted April 23rd, 2013 in bribery, firearms, news, sentencing, universities by sally

“A failing student who offered his professor £5,000 in cash in a bid to pass his degree was jailed for 12 months today.”

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The Independent, 23rd April 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Doctor entitled to rely on GMC’s assurance that his Caribbean qualification would be acceptable in UK – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted April 18th, 2013 in appeals, doctors, education, judicial review, news, universities by sally

“The registration criteria for doctors trained abroad have been changed to respond to abuse by medical schools claiming false affiliations with the institutions listed in the WHO Directory. Although the 2006 rules effecting this change were lawful, the appellant had a legitimate expectation that he could rely on individual and specific assurances that he would be allowed to register on completion of his training.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 18th April 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Racial harassment claim by Jewish teacher over union’s Israel-Palestine policies fails – UK Human Rights Blog

“In this case, a member of the Union brought various claims of harassment related to his ‘race, religion or belief’ under section 57 of the Equality Act 2010. The wide ranging allegations made by the Claimant arose, in essence, from the way in which Union had handled the Israel/Palestine debate. For example, claims arose from motions debated at the Union’s congress on proposals for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and related questions. The Claimant alleged that the Union was guilty of ‘institutional anti-Semitism’ which he alleged constituted harassment of him as a Jewish member of the Union.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 16th April 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Restrictions on terror suspect student relaxed by court – BBC News

“Restrictions on a terror suspect who is studying at a London university should be relaxed, the High Court has ruled.”

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BBC News, 13th April 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

London Metropolitan University continues legal fight over foreign students – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 10th, 2013 in immigration, judicial review, news, universities, visas by sally

“A university which was stripped of its licence to bring overseas students into Britain is refusing to drop a legal challenge against Theresa May, the Home Secretary, even though its ability to sponsor foreigners was restored yesterday.”

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Daily Telegraph, 9th April 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

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Student solicitors step into the breach – The Guardian

Posted April 9th, 2013 in budgets, legal aid, news, pro bono work, universities, volunteers by sally

“Following dramatic cuts to legal aid, universities are seeing increased demand for their free law clinics.”

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The Guardian, 8th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid cuts: why law students are coming to the rescue – The Guardian

Posted April 9th, 2013 in budgets, legal aid, news, pro bono work, universities, volunteers by sally

“We get the chance to work with real clients, and they get our help for free, says a volunteer.”

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The Guardian, 8th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Union conference motions on Israel and Palestine: employment tribunal dismisses harassment claim by member – Employment Law Blog

“The case of Fraser v University and College Union concerned a number of claims of harassment by the Claimant against the Respondent union of which he was a member, under section 57 of the Equality Act 2010. The complaints were based on or stemmed from motions debated at the Respondent’s Congress (annual conference) in the years 2007 to 2011 on proposals for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.”

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Employment Law Blog, 3rd April 2013

Source: www.employment11kbw.com

Regina (Patel) v General Medical Council – WLR Daily

Posted April 3rd, 2013 in appeals, doctors, education, judicial review, law reports, universities by sally

Regina (Patel) v General Medical Council [2013] EWCA Civ 1938; [2013] WLR (D) 128

“A professional medical body with responsibility for registering doctors was not entitled to defeat the legitimate expectation of registration of a British resident who had undertaken a long course of study by distance learning at an overseas university, relying on e-mail assurances from the defendant body that he would be entitled to register his medical qualification once awarded on completion of all the clinical requirements. The decision to refuse him registration because the criteria for accepting overseas qualifications had since changed could not stand.”

WLR Daily, 27th March 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

University of Sussex protesters to be evicted – BBC News

Posted April 2nd, 2013 in demonstrations, news, repossession, universities by sally

“The High Court has ruled that protesters should be evicted from part of the University of Sussex.”

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BBC News, 29th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal education: bespoke courses – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 26th, 2013 in legal education, news, solicitors, universities by sally

“News that Oxford Brookes University is discontinuing its legal practice course (LPC) because a drop in applications means it is no longer viable has sent a shock wave through the legal education market, as we await publication of the much-anticipated Legal Education and Training Review (LETR).”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 25th March 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Government backs Level 4 apprenticeships to offer new route into law – Legal Futures

Posted March 11th, 2013 in legal education, legal profession, news, universities by sally

“A new route into the legal profession is launched today in a bid to improve access and diversity in the law.”

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Legal Futures, 11th March 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Clinical Legal Education conference report – LegalVoice

Posted March 7th, 2013 in law centres, legal education, news, universities by sally

“It is well-accepted that clinical projects are an excellent forum for helping law students learn practical skills and formulate real-world solutions to legal problems rather than merely an abstract determination of liability. In the 1970s and 1980s, London South Bank University (LSBU) was at the forefront of clinic but upon the massification of higher education we lost our clinical projects because they were not financially sustainable. Revitalised by the employability agenda, clinic has returned to LSBU as an innovative South London drop-in service where students give face-to face legal advice in an open-door clinic.”

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LegalVoice, 7th March 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Protecting the reputation of schools and universities – Education Law Blog

Posted February 25th, 2013 in appeals, defamation, employment tribunals, local government, news, universities by sally

“You can say what you like about local authorities – and people do, knowing that the authority itself (as opposed to any individual member or employee) cannot sue in defamation. This was first established back in 1891 in Manchester Corporation v Williams [1891] 1 Q.B. 94, where it was held that the council could not complain about a letter to a newspaper alleging that ‘bribery and corruption have existed and done their nefarious work’ in a number of its departments.”

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Education Law Blog, 22nd February 2013

Source: www.education11kbw.com

Judge condemns Salford University for failed libel case against ex-lecturer – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 12th, 2013 in defamation, judges, news, universities by tracey

“Salford University, which charges students up to £9,000 a year in tuition fees
and axed 60 posts last year, was accused by a judge of abusing the High Court’s
processes in its actions against Dr Gary Duke.”

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Daily Telegraph, 12th February 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Oxford college sued over using ‘selection by wealth’ for admissions – The Guardian

Posted January 21st, 2013 in fees, guarantees, news, universities by sally

“An Oxford college is being sued for discriminating against poorer students applying to study for postgraduate courses. St Hugh’s, which was founded in 1886, is being taken to court for choosing applicants not just on academic merit, but also on their ability to prove they can pay tens of thousands of pounds for tuition fees and living expenses.”

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The Guardian, 19th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Proposed new teaching exception to copyright will be welcomed by universities, says sector body – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 11th, 2013 in copyright, education, news, universities by tracey

“Universities will welcome Government plans to reform laws governing the copying of works for educational purposes, a representative body for the sector has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 10th January 2013

Source: www.out-law.com