“Organisations that make unwanted marketing phone calls or send spam emails to consumers could face fines of up to £500,000, the Government has warned.”
OUT-LAW.com, 4th May 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
from the Inner Temple Library
“Organisations that make unwanted marketing phone calls or send spam emails to consumers could face fines of up to £500,000, the Government has warned.”
OUT-LAW.com, 4th May 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
“Three men have been jailed for their part in a £1m telecoms fraud, said to be one of the biggest in Britain.”
BBC News, 27th April 2011
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“The information commissioner has told a powerful group of MPs that legislation outlawing phone hacking is ‘very uneven’ and ‘very unclear’ and the law should be clarified.”
The Guardian, 26th April 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has decided not to consent to a request from an individual to begin a prosecution of BT Group Plc and Phorm Inc in relation to alleged unlawful interception of internet browsing data.”
Crown Prosecution Service, 8th April 2011
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
“The director of Public Prosecutions and the second-in-command of Britain’s largest police force last night attempted to draw a line under a damaging split between them over whether legal advice limited the original investigation into the phone hacking scandal.”
The Independent, 12th April 2011
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“News International as a corporation could face a criminal prosecution following its admission that the phones of celebrities were hacked into by its staff.”
The Guardian, 8th April 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Sir Gus O’Donnell, the cabinet secretary, blocked an attempt by Gordon Brown before the general election to hold a judicial inquiry into allegations that the News of the World had hacked into the phones of cabinet ministers and other high-profile figures.”
The Guardian, 10th April 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“National legislation that provided for a fee to be levied on operators of telecommunications services holding individual licences for the use of radio frequencies, but which did not allocate a specific use to the income derived from that fee, and which significantly increased the fee for a particular technology, was not precluded by article 11(2) of Directive 97/13/EC.”
WLR Daily, 10th March 2011
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.
“The phone-hacking scandal has spilled over into an extraordinary public clash between the Metropolitan police and the director of public prosecutions, with each side implying the other has misled parliament.”
The Guardian, 24th March 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Former cabinet minister Tessa Jowell has begun legal proceedings which could see her name added to the list of public figures suing the News of the World for alleged phone hacking.”
The Independent, 18th March 2011
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“The way premium phone rate companies are investigated for breaches of the industry code will be changed this spring, regulator PhonepayPlus (PPP) has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 10th March 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
“Telecoms firms will be banned from automatically signing customers up to renewed contracts with minimum contract periods, telecoms regulator has said. It said that 15% of home phone users are tied into such contracts.”
OUT-LAW.com, 10th March 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
“Telecoms regulator Ofcom will assess the quality of the UK’s telecoms networks for a two month period before delivering its first infrastructure report to the Government in August, it has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 9th March 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
“People accused of misusing confidential commercial or technical information have lost the right to avoid self-incrimination in court cases, following a High Court ruling.”
OUT-LAW.com, 3rd March 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
Gray v News Group Newspapers Ltd and another; Coogan v Same [2011] EWHC 349 (Ch); [2011] WLR (D) 65
“The words ‘technical or commercial information’ in the definition of ‘intellectual property’ in section 72(5) of the Senior Courts Act 1981, section 72 (1) of which provided for the withdrawal of privilege against self or spousal incrimination in proceedings for, inter alia, infringement of rights pertaining to any intellectual property, meant technical or commercial information which could be protected by action.”
WLR Daily, 28th February 2011
Source: www.lawreports.co.uk
Please note that once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.
“Scotland Yard is to contest a lawsuit that could establish the true number of victims in the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.”
The Guardian, 26th February 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The likelihood of further News of the World (NotW) journalists being dragged into the phone-hacking scandal increased yesterday when a judge ruled that names believed to belong to the paper’s employees should no longer be blanked out on key documents.”
The Independent, 25th February 2011
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“The attempt to extradite Julian Assange to Sweden has raised several legal issues. In the first of the new series Joshua Rozenberg asks whether Julian Assange’s lawyer Mark Stephens overstepped the mark by declaring the innocence of his client. He asks the United States legal representative in the UK, Amy Jeffress, if the extradition arrangements between the US and UK need changing and he looks at whether the media should be tweeting from court.”
BBC Radio 4, 22nd February 2011
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“The Metropolitan police have been accused of misleading behaviour in the phone-hacking scandal after handing over evidence they had twice claimed did not exist.”
The Guardian, 17th February 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“A high court judge has criticised the Metropolitan police for failing to adequately investigate allegations of phone hacking by the News of the World.”
The Guardian, 15th February 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Is there a legitimate demand for the use of live, text-based communications from the courtroom? That’s one of the questions that the Judicial Office for England and Wales is asking in a new consultation paper.”
The Guardian, 9th February 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The Press Complaints Commission ruled on Tuesday that information posted on Twitter should be considered public and publishable by newspapers after it cleared the Daily Mail and Independent on Sunday of breaching privacy guidelines.”
The Guardian, 8th February 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“On behalf of the Lord Chief Justice, the Judicial Office for England and Wales has issued a consultation paper on the use of live, text-based communications from court for the purposes of fair and accurate reporting.”
Judiciary of England and Wales, 7th February 2010
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
“Tweeting is to be allowed from hearings at the highest court in the land, it was announced today (3 February).”
The Independent, 3rd February 2011
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“The Supreme Court has today given the ‘green light’ to allow people to ‘tweet’ from inside the courtroom. It has issued guidance on the use of live text-based communication by legal teams, journalists and members of the public of what is going on in court.”
Law Society’s Gazette. 3rd February 2011
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
“The Press Complaints Commission is setting up a working group to ‘draw together lessons learned’ from the new police investigation and various legal cases relating to the News of the World phone-hacking affair.”
The Guardian, 31st January 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Companies that use automated telephone calls that leave householders hearing nothing can now be fined up to £2m.”
BBC News, 1st February 2011
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“The Crown Prosecution Service is to adopt a ‘robust approach’ in examining ‘recent or new substantive allegations’ of phone hacking.”
The Guardian, 25th January 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The Metropolitan Police blocked legal action aimed at identifying all the alleged victims uncovered by its criminal investigation into phone hacking by the News of the World. Documents filed at the High Court in London show that Scotland Yard is resisting a claim for a judicial review of its handling of the case, on the basis that it does not have a public duty to contact everyone brought to the attention of detectives.”
The Independent, 13th January 2011
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“Guidance follows district judge’s decision to allow tweeting of bail hearing for Julian Assange earlier this month.”
The Guardian, 20th December 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Lawyers for Sienna Miller claim to have discovered evidence which shows that a senior News of the World executive was aware a private investigator was being paid to hack into the actress’ voicemails.”
The Independent, 16th December 2010
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“A district judge’s decision to allow journalists to use Twitter in the Julian Assange hearing raises interesting legal questions.”
The Guardian, 15th December 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Phone hacking allegations – Statement from Director of Public Prosecutions.”
Crown Prosecution Service, 10th December 2010
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
“The judge hearing Julian Assange’s application broke new ground today by letting reporters use Twitter and other electronic means to update the outside world on developments in court.”
The Guardian, 14th December 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The Daily Telegraph can disclose that detectives are to be formally advised by the Crown Prosecution Service that Mr Coulson and other former and current employees of the tabloid newspaper have no criminal case to answer.”
Daily Telegraph, 10th December 2010
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
The Bridgewater Canal Co Ltd v GEO Networks Ltd [2010] EWCA Civ 1348; [2010] WLR (D) 306
“On the proper construction of the Electronic Communications Code, set out in Sch 2 to the Telecommunications Act 1984 as amended by the Communications Act 2003, the special regime which applied to linear obstacles differed not only from the general regime but also from the other special regimes for which the code provided. When determining, under para 13(2)(e of Sch 2), an award of compensation or consideration in respect of the right to carry out works and the loss sustained by reason of doing so in implementation of the right to install and keep, there was no reason to interpolate into the words ‘the right to carry out the works’ in para (13)(2)(e) the additional words ‘and to keep the same’. Accordingly, an operator of a communications network installing a cable through an existing duct under a canal was liable to pay to the person with control of the land compensation only for the right to execute the works and not also for the right to keep them on the relevant land as and when executed.”
WLR Daily, 1st December 2010
Source: www.lawreports.co.uk
Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.
“Inquiry follows claims company mis-sold phone service and switched some internet users to its service without their consent”
The Guardian, 23rd November 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The private investigator at the centre of the phone-hacking scandal has been ordered by a high court judge to reveal who instructed him to engage in the illegal interception of voicemail messages of public figures.”
The Guardian, 17th November 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The Government has outlined the changes that will need to be made to laws and regulations so that the UK complies with the new EU telecoms rules passed last year.”
OUT-LAW.com, 16th September 2010
Source: www.out-law.com
“Lord Prescott is to launch a claim for a judicial review of the Metropolitan Police’s handling of the News of the World phone-hacking case, he said today.”
Daily Telegraph, 17th September 2010
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“A former senior Metropolitan Police officer has issued judicial review proceedings against the force over newspaper phone-hacking claims.”
BBC News, 13th September 2010
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Pressure mounts on Andy Coulson, as MPs call on the powerful standards and privileges committee to summon witnesses such as Rupert Murdoch to give evidence.”
The Guardian, 9th September 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“MPs are to hold an emergency debate later to discuss the allegations of phone hacking by journalists at the News of the World.”
BBC News, 9th September 2010
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Home secretary says it is not for government to decide whether there should be new inquiry into allegations against News of the World.”
The Guardian, 6th September 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“News International and David Cameron’s PR chief, Andy Coulson, face the prospect of a fresh parliamentary inquiry into phone-hacking by the News of the World after Labour MPs said they plan to press for the issue to be referred to the powerful standards and privileges committee of the House of Commons.”
The Guardian, 5th September 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Scotland Yard was tonight under fresh pressure to reveal what it knew about attempts by the News of the World to hack the phones of senior police officers.”
The Guardian, 2nd September 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The government tonight came under pressure to set up a judicial inquiry into the phone hacking scandal at the News of the Wordl after the paper confirmed that it has suspended a journalist while it investigates new allegations of the unlawful interception of voicemail.”
The Guardian, 2nd September 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Public authorities asked for confidential communications data on more than 525,000 occasions last year including a 13 per cent increase in requests by town halls.”
Daily Telegraph, 28th July 2010
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“A new deal to stop an estimated 100,000 stolen mobile phones, worth around £4m, being sold to recycling companies was announced today by crime prevention minister James Brokenshire.”
Home Office, 23rd July 2010
Source: www.homeoffice.gov.uk
“Crime gangs rake in up to £4 million a year by flogging ‘recycled’ stolen mobile phones overseas. Officials revealed crooks have been giving blocked mobile phones a second lease of life by exporting them. Police said the phones still work abroad and up to 100,000 handsets worth an average of £40 each are resold on the black market. The Government, police and mobile phone industry joined forces today to sign an agreement designed to close the loophole.”
The Independent, 23rd July 2010
Source: www.independent.co.uk
“The Government will review the use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), the law that governs state tapping of phone, email and internet use. The law will be looked at as part of a wider review of counter-terrorism laws.”
OUT-LAW.com, 14th July 2010
Source: www.out-law.com
“The Home Secretary has announced today that a rapid review of key counter-terrorism and security powers is underway. The review will look at what counter-terrorism powers and measures could be rolled back in order to restore the balance of civil liberties and counter-terrorism powers.”
Home Office, 13th July 2010
Source: www.homeoffice.gov.uk
“The government is to review key counter-terrorism and security powers including the 28-day limit on detaining terrorist suspects without charge.”
BBC News, 13th July 2010
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“How much of BT’s huge pension liabilities are underwritten by the taxpayer? Nearly 26 years after one of Margaret Thatcher’s biggest privatisations, the telecoms firm’s pensioners are finally close to getting an answer.”
The Guardian, 13th July 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“BT and TalkTalk are seeking a judicial review of the controversial Digital Economy Act, BBC News has learned.”
BBC News, 8th July 2010
Source: www.bbc.co.uk