Legal News

5,000 children a month added to DNA database - Daily Telegraph

Posted on April 07, 2008
“One in four people being added to the DNA database is a child, it emerged yesterday.” Full story Daily Telegraph, 7th April 2008 Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Home copying - burnt into teenage psyche - The Guardian

Posted on April 07, 2008
“More than half of young people copy the songs on their hard drives to friends and even more swap CD copies, according to research that reveals the huge challenge home copying poses to a music industry already battling internet file-sharing.” Full story The Guardian, 7th April 2008 Source: www...

Prosecuting lawyers could sit in judgment if CPS ban is lifted - The Times

Posted on April 07, 2008
“Hundreds of state prosecutors could be free to become judges under top-level moves to end a ban on Crown Prosecution Service employees entering the judiciary, The Times has learnt. Baroness Scotland, QC, the Attorney-General, and Sir Ken Mac-donald, QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, are both strongly in favour of the [...

Youth crime ?up by two thirds in 10 years? - Daily Telegraph

Posted on April 07, 2008
“The number of children and teenagers regularly committing crimes has soared since Labour came to power.” Full story Daily Telegraph, 7th April 2008 Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

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Corporate Manslaughter Act: firms face huge fines for deaths - The Times

Posted on April 07, 2008
“Prosecutions of companies found responsible for deaths ? from rail crashes to accidents at work ? are expected to rise significantly under laws that take effect tomorrow.” Full story The Times, 5th April 2008 Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Families in meltdown, judge says - BBC News

Posted on April 07, 2008
“A senior family court judge has hit out at the government over what he says is an ‘epidemic’ of family failure that will have ‘catastrophic’ effects.” Full story BBC News, 5th April 2008 Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Evicted Chagos islanders get blueprint for a longed-for future - The Guardian

Posted on April 07, 2008
“It is nearly 40 years since the Chagos islanders were evicted by the British government from their Indian Ocean home, but the legal battle aimed at giving them the right to return is still continuing.” Full story The Guardian, 7th April 2008 Source: www...

Bar Council and Law Society renew warning to Peers over Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill - The Bar Council

Posted on April 02, 2008
“The Bar Council, which represents over 15,000 barristers in England and Wales, has today urged Members of the House of Lords to amend further a key provision of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, which is currently being considered in the Upper House...

New arrangements for governance, resourcing and operation of courts - Ministry of Justice

Posted on April 02, 2008
“The Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice have made a joint statement on a new partnership for the operation of Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS).” Full story Ministry of Justice, 1st April 2008 Source: www.justice.gov.uk Related link: Her Majesty’s Court Service Framework Document (PDF)

CPS announces the roll out of two key justice initiatives - Crown Prosecution Service

Posted on April 02, 2008
“The national roll-out of two new initiatives - pre-trial interviews with witnesses and conditional cautions - has now been completed across England and Wales.” Full story Crown Prosecution Service, 1st April 2008 Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Shepherds Bush Housing Association v Porter - Times Law Reports

Posted on April 02, 2008
Shepherds Bush Housing Association v Porter Court of Appeal “A tolerated trespasser could not seek the discretion of the court to revise a possession order made under the Housing Act 1985 suspended on terms, or to vary the terms, or to extend time to comply with the terms...

Lambeth London Borough Council v TK and Another - Times Law Reports

Posted on April 02, 2008
Lambeth London Borough Council v TK and Another Court of Appeal “When, in family proceedings, a court had made a direction under section 37 of the Children Act 1989 that a local authority should investigate the circumstances of a person claiming to be a child and, in response, the local authority concluded that the person was not [...

M. and J. Polymers Ltd v Imerys Minerals Ltd - Times Law Reports

Posted on April 02, 2008
M. and J. Polymers Ltd v Imerys Minerals Ltd Queen’s Bench Division “A take-or-pay clause in a supply contract could, as a matter of principle, amount to a penalty.” The Times, 2nd April 2008 Source: www.timesonline.co.uk Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication...

Cabinet split emerges over 42 day detention - The Guardian

Posted on April 02, 2008
“The first signs of a high-level Cabinet split over proposals to extend suspects’ detention to 42 days emerged yesterday as the government faced criticism from Labour backbenchers. Gordon Brown has been counselled by senior colleagues that there is no real need to push ahead with the extension, adding to the pressure from leading figures in [...

80 prosecuted since smoking ban - BBC News

Posted on April 02, 2008
“Seventy nine people and one business have been prosecuted for flouting the smoking ban in the year since it was introduced in Wales, figures show.” Full story BBC News, 2nd April 2008 Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Straw confirms expansion of dedicated drugs courts - Ministry of Justice

Posted on April 02, 2008
“Jack Straw has confirmed that drug courts, dedicated to tackling drug misuse and related crime, are to be extended to up to four more magistrates’ courts.” Full story Ministry of Justice, 1st April 2008 Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Coroner accuses Paul Burrell, Diana?s butler, of blindingly obvious deceit - The Times

Posted on April 02, 2008
“Paul Burrell, the butler and self-styled ‘rock’ of Diana, Princess of Wales, was once a loyal servant of the Crown but ‘cashed in’ on his experience, the coroner said at her inquest yesterday.” Full story The Times,  2nd April 2008 Source: www...

The Lord Chief Justice?s Review of the Administration of Justice in the Courts - Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted on April 01, 2008
The Lord Chief Justice?s Review of the Administration of Justice in the Courts (PDF) Judiciary of England and Wales, 31st March 2008 Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Lauren Holden, who invented an evil stalker named Casanova, is spared jail - The Times

Posted on April 01, 2008
“A fantasist who wasted 235 hours of police time when she invented a sinister stalker named Casanova has been given a suspended prison sentence.” Full story The Times, 1st April 2008 Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

DPP Sir Ken Macdonald: Detaining terror suspects for over four weeks is not needed - The Times

Posted on April 01, 2008
“Powers to allow terrorist suspects to be detained without charge for 42 days are not needed and are unlikely to find favour with the judges who would have to approve them, the Director of Public Prosecutions said yesterday.” Full story The Times, 1st April 2008 Source: www...

PM seeks retreat on bill to outlaw press spying - The Guardian

Posted on April 01, 2008
“Gordon Brown has demanded the scrapping of longstanding plans for a clampdown on newspapers that illegally buy personal data, such as health, bank and telephone records, the Guardian has learned. This has provoked criticism that he has bowed to pressure from the media...

Who will become head of the first United Kingdom supreme court? - The Times

Posted on April 01, 2008
“A far-reaching reshuffle of top judicial posts is about to be triggered with the announcement of the next senior law lord, or top judge in the highest court of the land. The post is key because that person will become head of the first United Kingdom supreme court when it opens its doors for business [...

Terrified, humiliated ? and innocent: the evidence against 42-day detention - The Independent

Posted on April 01, 2008
“A young Muslim woman has spoken about the appalling conditions she had to endure when she was held for 12 days without charge by police using existing powers to detain suspects in terrorist cases.” Full story The Independent, 1st April 2008 Source: www...

Judge says courts ?overstretched? - BBC News

Posted on April 01, 2008
“The most senior judge in England and Wales has said a ’stream’ of legislation had contributed to courts being ’seriously overstretched’.” Full story BBC News, 31st March 2008 Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judges admit they get round law designed to protect women in rape trials - The Guardian

Posted on April 01, 2008
“Judges have undermined a law intended to stop defence lawyers cross-examining women in rape cases about their sexual history, by continuing to insist on their discretion to allow it, a new book discloses.” Full story The Guardian, 1st April 2008 Source: www...

Letting a child witness have his day in court - The Times

Posted on April 01, 2008
“Some prosecutors feel that children and vulnerable adults cannot cope with courtroom pressures. All that is about to change.” Full story The Times, 1st April 2008 Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Business faces Corporate Manslaughter Act - BBC News

Posted on April 01, 2008
“A new era of health and safety regulation for businesses, which could face considerable penalties if they are found guilty of the offence, is being ushered in on 6 April when the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act comes into force...

Hoax 999 caller jailed for 40-year campaign - Daily Telegraph

Posted on April 01, 2008
“An unemployed man described as Britain’s worst serial hoaxer has been jailed following a 40-year campaign of prank 999 calls estimated to have cost the taxpayer more than £1 million.” Full story Daily Telegraph, 1st April 2008 Source: www...

Recent Statutory Instruments - OPSI

Posted on April 01, 2008
The Guardian?s Allowance Up-rating Regulations 2008 The Income Tax (Payments on Account) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 The Mental Health Act 2007 (Commencement No. 5 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2008 The Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2008 The Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008 The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 (Commencement No...

Email halts Diana inquest summing-up - The Independent

Posted on April 01, 2008
“The inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales hit a last-minute glitch today, hours before it was due to conclude, after the discovery of potentially new evidence.” Full story The Independent, 1st April 2008 Source: www.independent...

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