UK prisons now “over-capacity” – BBC News

“The prison population in England and Wales has exceeded its highest normal level for the first time.”

Full story

BBC News, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Muslim convert not a threat, says judge – The Guardian

“The High Court today quashed a control order restricting the movements of a British convert to Islam on the grounds there was ‘no reasonable suspicion’ that he was planning to travel abroad to engage in terrorist activity.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Burnham targets illegal downloading – The Guardian

“The government is to consult on legislation to punish internet service providers if they fail to take action against the illegal downloading of music, films and TV programmes.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

British troops executed 20 captives in southern Iraq, say lawyers – The Guardian

“British troops may have executed up to 20 captives in southern Iraq in 2004, human rights lawyers claimed today.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Suffolk serial killer Steve Wright jailed for life – The Guardian

“Steve Wright will spend the rest of his life in jail for killing five women in Suffolk in what prosecutors described as a six-week ‘campaign of murder’. Judge Mr Justice Gross, at Ipswich crown court, ruled that Wright, a 49-year-old former forklift truck driver, should serve a whole life term and never be released.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Chef Mark Dixie will serve at least 34 years for Sally Anne Bowman murder – The Times

“A pub chef obsessed with violent sex has been jailed for life for the brutal murder of an aspiring model who was found in a pool of blood outside her South London home in September 2005.”

Full story

The Times, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

MB (Somalia) v Entry Clearance Officer [2008] EWCA Civ 102 (20February 2008)

AM (Cameroon), R (on the application of) v Asylum and Immigration Tribunal & Anor [2008] EWCA Civ 100 (20 February 2008)

Roberts v Crown Estate Commissioners [2008] EWCA Civ 98 (20 February 2008)

Boehringer Ingelheim KG & Anor v Swingward Ltd [2008] EWCA Civ 83 (21 February 2008)

G (A Child), Re [2008] EWCA Civ 105 (21 February 2008)

KK (A Child), Re [2008] EWCA Civ 103 (21 February 2008)

Court of Appeal Criminal Division

CPS Nottinghamshire v Rose [2008] EWCA Crim 239 (21 February 2008)

High Court (Administrative Court)

Costco Wholesale UK Ltd v Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust & Anor [2008] EWHC 216 (Admin) (19 February 2008)

Howsmoor Developments Ltd & Ors, R (on the application of) v South Gloucestershire Council [2008] EWHC 262 (Admin) (19 February 2008)

High Court (Chancery Division)

National Westminster Bank Plc v King [2008] EWHC 280 (Ch) (20 February 2008)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Curtis & Anor v Lockheed Martin UK Holdings Ltd [2008] EWHC 260 (Comm) (20 February 2008)

Family Procedure Rules – a new procedural code for family proceedings – Ministry of Justice

“This consultation invited comments on the policy behind the new Family Procedure Rules.”

Consultation paper and responses

Ministry of Justice, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Lawyers penalised for data protection breach – OUT-LAW.com

“Two London law firms must pay £815 each after the Information Commissioner sued them for not fulfilling thier duties under the Data Protection Act.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 21st February 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

BSkyB to argue against John Hutton’s ‘error of law’ – The Times

“BSkyB will begin an appeal today against John Hutton and the Competition Commission’s ruling that it must sell more than half of its 17.9 per cent stake in its rival ITV.”

Full story

The Times, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Insects’ right to life will be decided in court – The Times

“Many people do not think twice about trampling over a spider or beetle while walking on grass. But insects have rights, too, and today in the High Court a charity is to defend the right for the creepy-crawlies to live undisturbed on the West Thurrock marshes along the Thames in Essex.”

Full story

The Times, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Strangler conviction triggers DNA debate – The Times

“Steve Wright, the Suffolk Strangler, faces spending the rest of his life in prison when he is sentenced today for murdering five Ipswich prostitutes during a six-week killing spree. His conviction, on forensic evidence, last night reignited the debate on the rapid expansion of the national DNA database, which holds the profiles of at least four million people in Britain.”

Full story

The Times, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Police ‘failed to protect murdered couple’ – The Guardian

“A couple murdered on the orders of a gangland boss were offered inadequate protection by the police, a report to be published today will conclude.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Case brings contrasting calls for change in ‘inadequate’ law – The Guardian

“Campaigners with widely diverging beliefs last night called on the government to re-examine the law on prostitution following the murder convictions of Steve Wright.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MP’s bill aims to ease plight of 1.4m agency workers – The Guardian

“For three and a half years, Rebecca Ames helped British Telecom customers to connect up to broadband services. She sat alongside BT staff doing the same job but received, she claims, barely half their pay.

Ames, 34, was one of an estimated 1.4 million workers in the United Kingdom on agency contracts. Their terms and conditions could be transformed if a backbench protest by Labour MPs succeeds today in forcing a private member’s bill through to committee stage.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bugging of MP on prison visit did not break the rules, inquiry finds – The Guardian

“Police officers knew they were covertly bugging conversations between a terror suspect and his MP, but were not breaking any rules when they did so, an official report said yesterday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Send fewer to jail, Straw urges courts – The Guardian

“Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, last night made an urgent appeal to magistrates to send fewer people to jail as the prison population in England and Wales soared past 82,000 to an all-time high.”

Full story

The Guardian, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Home owner sued for junk mail injury – Daily Telegraph

“A home owner is being threatened with legal action after a woman claimed she trapped her hand in his letterbox while delivering unwanted junk mail.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Steve Wright suspected of more murders – Daily Telegraph

“Steve Wright will today be sentenced for the murder of five prostitutes as police investigate whether he was responsible for a string of other unsolved cases.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 22nd February 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk