Pianist John Briggs jailed for indecent assaults – BBC News
‘A renowned concert pianist has been jailed for eight years after being found guilty of indecently assaulting music pupils.’
BBC News, 26th February 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Judge approves Savile compensation scheme – Daily Telegraph
‘Victims of serial sex offender Jimmy Savile are a step closer to getting compensation after a judge sanctioned a scheme to award payouts.’
Daily Telegraph, 26th February 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Jeremy Hunt: Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust will be dissolved – The Independent
‘The troubled Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust will be dissolved, the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has confirmed, with its two hospitals taken over by neighbouring NHS Trusts.’
The Independent, 26th February 2014
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Pre-nuptial agreements ‘should be legally binding in divorce cases’ – The Guardian
‘Prenuptial agreements should be legally binding in divorce settlements, but only after the needs of the separating couple and any children have been taken into account, the Law Commission has recommended.’
The Guardian, 27th February 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Magistrate numbers in England and Wales fall by 1,837 – BBC News
‘The number of magistrates in England and Wales fell by 1,837 last year, new figures have revealed.’
BBC News, 27th February 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Soldier jailed for brutally kicking injured cat to death – The Independent
‘A former soldier has been jailed for 18 weeks after he savagely kicked an injured cat to death in the middle of the street.’
The Independent, 26th February 2014
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Prince Charles’s letters: recipients’ identities must stay secret, say lawyers – The Guardian
‘The identities of the ministers who received confidential letters from Prince Charles promoting his personal views must remain concealed, government lawyers argued on Wednesday.’
The Guardian, 26th February 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Attorney General considers whether single punch killing sentence was ‘too lenient’ – Daily Telegraph
‘Dominic Grieve, the Attorney General, will decide whether to refer the four-year jail term given to Lewis Gill for the killing of Andrew Young in Bournemouth to the Court of Appeal.’
Daily Telegraph, 26th February 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
John Jenkins: Aylesbury conman builder jailed in absence – BBC News
‘A builder who conned a “vulnerable and lonely” Hertfordshire widow out of £532,695 has been jailed for six years in his absence.’
BBC News, 26th February 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Sentencing Council launches new definitive guideline for environmental offences – Sentencing Council
‘The Sentencing Council is publishing a new guideline for judges and magistrates on the sentencing of environmental offences.’
Sentencing Council, 26th February 2014
Bereaved families at the heart of the coroner system – Ministry of Justice
‘Bereaved loved ones will be put at the heart of the coroner system, Justice Minister Simon Hughes said today as he launched a new guide for people who have to become involved with inquests.’
Ministry of Justice, 24th February 2014
Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
Rule committee set to introduce blanket £10m costs management exemption – Litigation Futures
‘The Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) looks set to introduce an exemption from costs management for all civil cases that are worth in excess of £10m – even though Sir Rupert Jackson himself is opposed to any exceptions. Newly released papers from the 6 December meeting of the CPRC reveal that it fell into line with the joint recommendation of the Master of the Rolls, Lord Dyson, and the deputy head of civil justice, Lord Justice Richards.’
Litigation Futures, 26th February 2014
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
The Sanctity Of Life Law Has Gone Too Far – Gresham College
‘Professor Gillon would argue that the judgment in the case of a patient in prolonged and incurable “minimally conscious state”, that she must continue to be kept alive with artificial nutrition and hydration, despite the evidence from her loved ones that she would have rejected such treatment, manifests an excessive concern for the “sanctity of life” and inadequate concern both for patients’ prior views values and autonomy and about the use of scarce health service resources on patients whose loved ones reliably report that they would have rejected those resources had they been able to do so.’
Gresham College, 12th February 2014
Source: www.gresham.ac.uk
Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk
The Community Infrastructure Levy (Amendment) Regulations 2014
The Child Benefit and Tax Credits Up-rating Order 2014
The Zimbabwe (Financial Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2014
The Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013 (Transitional Provision) Order 2014
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Consumer Credit) (Transitional Provisions) Order 2014
The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (Consequential Amendments) (Employment) Order 2014
The Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2014
Source: www.bailii.org
BAILII: Recent Decisions
Court of Appeal (Civil Division)
JE (Jamaica) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2014] EWCA Civ 192 (25 February 2014)
Pillar Denton Ltd & Ors v Jervis & Ors [2014] EWCA Civ 180 (24 February 2014)
Santander UK Plc v R.A. Legal Solicitors [2014] EWCA Civ 183 (24 February 2014)
High Court (Administrative Court)
Jackson v Norfolk County Council [2014] EWHC 332 (Admin) (24 February 2014)
MWH UK Ltd v Wise (HM Inspector of Health & Safety) [2014] EWHC 427 (Admin) (24 February 2014)
High Court (Chancery Division)
Hearst Holdings Inc & Anor v A.V.E.L.A. Inc & Ors [2014] EWHC 439 (Ch) (25 February 2014)
High Court (Commercial Court)
High Court (Family Division)
SA v PA [2014] EWHC 392 (Fam) (21 February 2014)
High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)
Tsavdaris v Home Office [2014] EWHC 440 (QB) (25 February 2014)
Source: www.bailii.org
Grayling defends JR intervention reforms – Law Society’s Gazette
‘Justice secretary Chris Grayling has told MPs his plans for judicial reviews will stop pressure groups using individuals as “financial human shields” to bring cases.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 25th February 2014
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Manuela Sykes in dementia care court victory – BBC News
‘An 89-year-old woman who suffers from dementia and says she is “miserable” in a care home has won the first stage in a court fight to live in her own home. A Court of Protection judge has ruled Manuela Sykes can return to her flat where she has lived for 60 years on a one-month trial basis.’
BBC News, 25th February 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Aaron De Silva guilty of Joseph Griffiths murder – BBC News
‘A prolific burglar has been convicted of murdering a grandfather whom he stabbed to death in his London home.’
BBC News, 25th February 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Freemasons’ millions aren’t true charity, rules judge – Daily Telegraph
‘Freemasons will be denied a multi-million pound tax break after a judge ruled that their governing body was not sufficiently “philanthropic” to be exempt from VAT, despite being the second largest charitable donor in the country.’
Daily Telegraph, 25th February 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
