Note: I am taking a short break to visit a friend in Wales tomorrow Friday 3rd July. Back for Monday. There is unlikely to be an edition tomorrow, but may be over the weekend.
Speeding motorcyclist jailed after policeman uses Google to expose lies Telegraph: A speeding motorcyclist has been jailed after a traffic policeman used Google to expose his false claims that an American woman had been riding his bike at the time.
Wife to appeal divorce ruling that she pays £5m of ex-husband's debt Telegraph: The wealthy ex-wife of a property tycoon is seeking to overturn a divorce judge's ruling that she pay her ex-husband £5 million to cover half the losses he has suffered due to the recession in a test case.
Law News 2nd July
Sarcastic, rude: is this the way to question child witnesses? Times
Eurojust, the EU fraud body, fails to fulfil its brief Times
Amending the law on the DNA database needs proper scrutiny David Pannick QC
Last December the European Court of Human Rights decided in S and Marper v The United Kingdom that the retention by the State of DNA profiles is a breach of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. That is because information about people arrested for, or charged with, an offence but not subsequently convicted, is kept on the national DNA database for an unlimited period of time. The Government has accepted the judgment of the European court and announced that it will change the law to ensure compliance. But its proposed method of doing so is unsatisfactory and needs reconsideration.
Inner Temple has issued an online survey as part of their feasibility study into the possible merger of the two Inn libraries. You may express your thoughts on the possible plan to merge the two Inn Libraries: Click here for the Inner Temple Survey
Cogito ergo bibo… I think therefore I drink, seems to me to be a perfectly sensible rationale for one of my main vices…although I am much taken with Bibo ergo cogito.
It was doing this drinking hobby of mine last night when I started to think about Wimblebore … a tennis festival put on by the British… well English to be really fair… for the benefit of overseas tennis players who can actually play the game....
The College of Law has asked me to present a series of 10 Podcasts on current legal issues which while aimed at prospective members of the profession will be of interest to qualified lawyers and non-lawyers who are interested in law alike. I'm delighted to work with The College on this project and quite apart from enjoying working with the College of Law multi-media team , I get to do it in a very snazzy radio studio over in Bloomsbury and get to interview some interesting guests. Listen to the first podcast with Des Hudson, Chief Executive of The Law Society talking with me about the opportunities and threats to the profession in relation to outsourcing in India, legal aid, Best Value Tendering and the shape of the profession under the Legal services Act coming in now with alternative business structures. Des Hudson knows his stuff and this will be of interest to practitioners as well – of that I am confident.
Earlier in the year Diane tabled an early day motion (EDM) declaring "that this House believes the use of secret evidence in UK courts is fundamentally wrong", and calling on the government "to begin an immediate independent review into the use ofevidence that is not ever heard by the defendant or their lawyer but which is used to justify indefinite detention, severe bail conditions or control orders".
Today I am talking to Tim Kevan, a barrister, author of the babybarista blog and forthcoming BabyBarista book and co-founder of the legal training company CPD Webinars".
Four men accused of being part of a gang that stole £1.75 million in a raid at Heathrow face the first criminal trial without a jury in England and Wales for 400 years after an historic Court of Appeal decision on Thursday
The Times reported “ The ruling means that the new trial, which would normally be tried by a jury, will be the first of its kind in England and Wales under legislation that took effect in 2003 to prevent jury nobbling. The only other judge-only trials for serious cases, known as Diplock trials, have been in Northern Ireland.”
Today I am talking to Tim Kevan, a barrister, author of the babybarista blog and forthcoming BabyBarista book and co-founder of the legal training company CPD Webinars".
Lawcast 142: Peter Crisp, CEO of BPP Law School on the acquisition of BPP PLC by Apollo
Legal Week reported last week on the acquisition of BPP (and this includes BPP Law School) by Apollo, an American company. I interviewed the Chief Executive of the College of Law, Nigel Savage, for his reaction and today I am talking to the Chief Executive of BPP law School, Peter Crisp, for his reaction.
Lawcast 141: The House of Lords judgment on control orders
Today I am talking to Carl Gardner, ex government lawyer and author of the Head of Legal blog about the House of Lords judgment in Secretary of State for the Home Department (Respondent) v AF (Appellant) (FC) and another (Appellant) and one other action
Lord Pannick, QC represented the lead appellant, AF “Since the Home Secretary can no longer impose control orders without telling the controlees the substance of the case they have to meet, the right decision — legally and politically — would be to abandon the discredited control order regime and concentrate on prosecuting in the criminal courts those against whom there is evidence of wrongdoing."
We also cover Diane Abbot MP's campaign about secret evidence
In recent weeks I have read of employers testing employees for drug and alcohol use and abuse as a means of selecting them for redundancy. Drug testing in sport has been with us for years and now, also, is drug testing becoming fairly routine in the City and commercial sector. Drug and alcohol abuse testing in Family Law and Child Law cases is also increasing.
Today I am talking to Rod Carillo from Trimega Laboratories about the services which Trimega Laboratories provide....
Lawcast 138: Des Hudson, Chief Executive of The Law Society of England & Wales
TodayI am talking to Des Hudson Chief Executive of The Law Socoiety. Lawyers are facing unprecedented pressures; partly through the most severe recession since the the Second World War and partly through the changes coming as a result of the LSA. We talk about Tier 5 Employment migrant lawyer issues, Best Value tendering, the role of The Law Society in these changing times, Virtual Courts, and the good work the Law Society is doing in promoting human rights causes and the plight of lawyers in some overseas jurisdictions; notably Fiji, Pakistan and Colombia.
Lawcast 137: Gawain Towler, prospective UKIP candidate in the Euro elections
Today, as part of a new series of political podcasts for the Wardman Wire, I am talking to Gawain Towler, the prospective UKIP candidate for the South West in the forthcoming election. We discuss UKIP policies on Euirope, the alternative to membership of the EU, and a range of current issues. I also ask Gawain if UKIP will reap the benefit of support from voters fed up with the main parties after the expenses revelations of the last three weeks.
Today I am talking to Tom Harris MP, the Labour member for Glasgow South, an enthusiastic user of twitter and author of his own very active blog AND ANOTHER THING. Tom has also taken to podcasting himself in recent weeks with Jamie Read MP under the title Two men and a Pod – and most enjoyable they are too.
It is impossible for me to interview a well known MP and not mention the elephant in the room – the subject of MP expenses, the title of a podcast done by Tom and Jamie Read towards the tail end of last week. As far as I know, Tom Harris doesn't have a moat and if he did, it is unlikely he would have claimed for it.
Content: MP Expenses - the way forward | The position of The Speaker in the present crisis |Do we need an election now and who is going to win? | Blogging, Twitter and Dr Who.
UK government welcomes Isle of Man tax reforms 24 June 2009
The UK government has welcomed today's announcement by the Isle of Man to improve the transparency of their tax regulations by announcing plans for the automatic exchange of information on savings interest with the UK and other EU member states.
The costs of corruption 23 June 2009
Jack Straw has given a speech at the 5th European Forum on Anti-corruption about improving the legal framework relating to bribery and corruption.
The newswire is designed to focus on legal news and law blogs.
