Legal News Articles
Law Commission proposes legally binding pre-nups (28 February 2014)
Family solicitors have welcomed the news that pre-nuptials are set to become legally binding following recommendations by the Law Commissions that aim to reduce the amount of costly divorce battles and give splitting couples piece of mind. Read more...
Net migration rises in 2013 – but number of JSA claimants falls in January (28 February 2014)
New immigration figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released on Thursday (27/02/14) show that immigration from the EU to Britain has increased, despite the government’s pledge to reduce net migration to “ten of thousands”. Read more...
More than 10,000 people at high risk of domestic violence (28 February 2014)
Figures obtained by The Guardian show that more than 10,000 women and children may be at high risk of domestic violence. Read more...
British troops banned from NATO training on grounds of health and safety (28 February 2014)
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has banned British troops from participating in a training exercise in Norway because of the freezing temperatures they would be operating in. Read more...
Report criticises overcrowding at HMP Pentonville (27 February 2014)
HMP Pentonville in North London is at risk of closure following a damming report on conditions at the prison, which found unhygienic cells, overcrowding, widespread drug use and access to heroin. Read more...
£300m overhaul of London’s roads to help prevent RTAs (27 February 2014)
The London Mayor’s Office and Transport for London (TfL) have announced that 33 major roundabouts which are part of London’s gyratory system are to be demolished to help prevent injuries in road traffic accidents (RTAs) among cyclists and pedestrians. Read more...
25% of rough sleepers in London from Eastern Europe, as housing crisis deepens (27 February 2014)
New figures on homelessness in the UK have revealed that more than 25% of those sleeping rough in London come from Eastern European countries. Read more...
Lee Rigby killers get life, following Court of Appeal ruling on whole-life sentences (27 February 2014)
The killers of Fusilier Lee Rigby have been sentenced to life imprisonment at the Old Bailey – but only one received a whole-life sentence. Read more...
NHS trust acts to improve communication, after mental health patient drowns (26 February 2014)
Essex Coroner’s Court has heard how a mental health patient being treated by the North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust was found drowned in the sea after disengaging from health professionals who were treating her. Read more...
Minister admits net migration target may have caused 25% fall in students from India (26 February 2014)
The Conservative Party’s science minister David Willetts has admitted that the British government’s pledge to reduce net migration to tens of thousands may have had an adverse impact on students from India applying to study in the UK. Read more...
Newspaper fined £750 after Section 39 breach identified a minor (26 February 2014)
Weekly newspaper the North Devon Journal has been fined after it identified a minor in a story, in breach of a discretionary Section 39 order. Read more...
Strict ASBOs for teenage gang members (26 February 2014)
A teenage gang from Liverpool that engaged in intimidating and threatening behaviour and committed numerous crimes in the city has each been given an Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) in an attempt to curb its behaviour. Read more...
Bricklayer paralysed in work accident (25 February 2014)
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution has led to a suspended prison sentence for a builder, after a bricklayer was paralysed in a fall at work. Read more...
Daughter with power of attorney took £95k instead of paying elderly father’s care home (25 February 2014)
Southampton Crown Court has heard how a 65-year-old woman took £95,000 belonging to her elderly father which was intended to pay for his care. Read more...
Justice Secretary gets tough with re-offenders out on licence (25 February 2014)
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling is to close a loophole to ensure that convicted criminals who carry on offending after being released early from their sentence will have to return to jail to complete the full term. Read more...
Bedroom tax hits four times as many households as DWP predicted (24 February 2014)
The number of households hit by the bedroom tax could be four times the number predicted by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith – with many households being wrongly charged the tax. Read more...
Chair of Criminal Bar attacks promotion of Britain’s legal sector despite Legal Aid cuts (24 February 2014)
Senior barrister Nigel Lithman QC has launched a scathing attack on a London conference which promoted Britain’s legal sector overseas, in the face of recent cuts to Legal Aid by the Ministry of Justice. Read more...
Judge allows child contact for father whose “sexting” error offended ex (24 February 2014)
A judge sitting at the High Court in Leeds has ruled that a father must have contact with his young son – despite the fact he accidentally sent a sexually explicit image of himself by text to his ex-partner, which he had intended to send to another woman. Read more...
Fall in divorce rate for newlyweds (24 February 2014)
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the divorce rate for couples in the early years of marriage is at its lowest since the 1970s. Read more...
UKIP’s housing spokesman supports social housing for migrants on benefits (24 February 2014)
It has been revealed that UKIP’s spokesman for housing – buy-to-let millionaire Andrew Charalambous – profited from tenants receiving housing benefit and including migrants, to the tune of £745,351 last year. Read more...
Farmers warn that Britain needs migrant workers (24 February 2014)
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has warned that without migrant workers, British farmers would be unable to staff their harvests. Read more...
Gangland bosses to be charged under new criminal offence (24 February 2014)
The government is to introduce a new criminal offence of directing organised crime, in an attempt to bring to justice gang bosses who profit from crime. Read more...
British ski team arrested in row over French instructors’ licences (24 February 2014)
A row has broken out after seven ski instructors from the UK were arrested by French police over allegations they did not have the correct ski instructors’ licences. Read more...
Home Office deploys anti-trafficking teams at UK airports (24 February 2014)
The Home Office has announced that specialist anti-slavery units are to be deployed at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports – as well as other major airports round the UK – to tackle the problem of people trafficking. Read more...
Croydon council plans new five-year social housing policy (24 February 2014)
Housing applicants new to the area in Croydon and other London boroughs could have to wait five years before they are eligible for social housing under new proposals set out by Tory councils, which would come into effect if they were re-elected in the spring. Read more...
Court of Appeal rejects claims that government benefit cap breaches human rights (21 February 2014)
Judges at the Court of Appeal have ruled that the government’s cuts to welfare are legal. Read more...
Judge rules against wife's appeal for higher divorce settlement (21 February 2014)
A former tycoon and multi-millionaire has defeated his ex wife^s appeal for a higher sum from their divorce settlement despite admitting to lying to the court and the judge about his personal circumstances. Read more...
Brussels calls government’s benefits income threshold “illegal” (21 February 2014)
The EU has criticised the UK government’s plans to introduce a threshold minimum income before migrants can claim benefits – calling it “illegal”. Read more...
Dutch researchers identify “violence gene” (21 February 2014)
Researchers in the Netherlands say they have identified a “violence” gene which makes it more likely children will become addicted to playing violent computer games such as ‘Grand Theft Auto’. Read more...
Gang jailed for 54 years for sex attacks on girls as young as 12 (21 February 2014)
A 14-year-old girl who was raped and sexually abused by a gang operating in Peterborough was only able to reveal what had happened to her after she spoke to her social worker after being taken into care. Read more...
Senior judge warns that marriage is under threat (20 February 2014)
A leading judge has warned that the traditional “nuclear” family is in danger of being “wiped out”. Read more...
UK launches £2m scheme in Greece to help repatriate migrants (20 February 2014)
The British government has launched a £2 million scheme to help migrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East return to their home countries from Greece. Read more...
Housing benefit claimant accused of fraud ordered to repay £5,900 (20 February 2014)
A housing benefit claimant found guilty of defrauding the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has been ordered to repay £5,900 in overpayments of housing benefit. Read more...
Landmark ASBO for extremist from London (20 February 2014)
A man from east London has been given a “landmark” anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) for his part in spreading extremist religious views in the capital, the Old Bailey ruled on Wednesday. Read more...
Benefits income threshold for migrant workers announced (19 February 2014)
The government has announced a minimum income threshold before migrants become eligible for UK benefits, in a bid to allay fears among some sectors of the British public over “benefit tourism”. Read more...
Improve HMP Pentonville or close it, says Chief Inspector of Prisons (19 February 2014)
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick has said that if standards at Pentonville prison in London cannot be improved, the jail should be closed. Read more...
Court of Appeal backs whole-life sentences (19 February 2014)
The Court of Appeal has ruled whole-life sentences are legal and compatible with human rights legislation. Read more...
London couple jailed for benefit fraud and drug trafficking offences (19 February 2014)
A couple from London that made a living from huge sums of money gained from benefit fraud and drug trafficking have both been jailed after pleading guilty to multiple charges at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday. Read more...
Second life sentence for career robber who raided banks while out on licence (18 February 2014)
A prolific bank robber let out on licence from a life sentence is back behind bars after committing raids on banks between April and September 2012. Read more...
Labour calls for overhaul of stop and search (18 February 2014)
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has called the impact of stop and search policies on young adults “shameful”. Read more...
Court hears how VAT scam and benefit fraud funded couple’s designer lifestyle (18 February 2014)
A couple described as “professional fraudsters” used a VAT scam and benefit fraud to fund a designer lifestyle – including a £2 million Chelsea penthouse, private education for their children, designer goods and a casino gambling habit. Read more...
“Permissive” parent loses custody of children (18 February 2014)
A mother that “failed” her children by letting them play computer games and other electronic devices without limits has lost her custody battle after a High Court judge ruled that her “permissive” parenting style had negatively affected them. Read more...
Independent inquiry in Bristol Children’s Hospital heart unit (17 February 2014)
An independent inquiry is to take place into the children’s heart unit at Bristol Children’s Hospital. Read more...
Allegations that jobs at mental health trust are being downgraded to save money (17 February 2014)
Employees at the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust are alleging that the trust is downgrading some skilled mental health posts in a bid to save money. Read more...
London mother loses custody of son under Sharia Law in Dubai (17 February 2014)
A mother from London is launching an appeal to Dubai’s ruler, after being handed a one-month suspended jail sentence for kidnapping her own son by a court in Dubai last week. Read more...
Families risking family home to pay school fees (17 February 2014)
Parents desperate to educate their children privately are allowing independent schools take a charge on their homes to make sure they can afford to pay school fees. Read more...
Hobbycraft bans migrant employees from speaking own language in warehouse (17 February 2014)
Workers at the distribution centre of arts and crafts retailer Hobbycraft have been banned from speaking any other language apart from English – or face being sacked. Read more...
Woman dies after another historic London building collapses in storm (17 February 2014)
A 49-year-old woman in London has been killed after the upper portion of a building crashed to the pavement in High Holborn. Read more...
Andrew Marr calls for more NHS rehabilitation therapies after stroke (17 February 2014)
BBC journalist and writer Andrew Marr has called for the NHS to provide more rehabilitation services for victims of stroke. Read more...
Man fined after postal worker is injured in dog attack (14 February 2014)
A man from North London has been sentenced after his Japanese Akita dog launched a vicious attack on a female postwoman last September. Read more...
Woman jailed for benefit fraud – and banned from social housing (14 February 2014)
A woman who wrongly claimed to be single for the purpose of claiming benefits has been jailed for 22 months and banned from applying for social housing. Read more...
Warrants for domestic violence and child pornography issued for father who killed son (14 February 2014)
A distraught British mother whose 11-year-old son was killed by his father after cricket training in Melbourne, Australia has revealed that she had taken out an arrest warrant against the boy’s Australian father – and said he should have been “locked up”. Read more...
Letting agent given suspended jail term after illegally evicting tenant (14 February 2014)
A letting agent that illegally evicted a family from its home in central London after waging a war of intimidation for several months has been given a suspended prison sentence and ordered to do community service. Read more...
Shropshire uncovers nearly £1m in benefit overpayments and benefit fraud (14 February 2014)
Councillors in Shropshire have uncovered nearly £1 million-worth of overpayments and benefit fraud in the county, according to a report in local newspaper the Shropshire Star. Read more...
Care home manager given two-year jail sentence for fraud (13 February 2014)
A care home deputy manager that stole a five-figure sum from residents in “a calculated and sustained crime” has been given a two-year jail term after a hearing at Sheffield Crown Court last week. Read more...
Prius recall after software fault increases RTA risk (13 February 2014)
Toyota has announced a widescale recall of its Prius hybrid car, after a fault which may cause the car to slow down unexpectedly was reported. Read more...
Norfolk trust recruits more call centre staff for mental health referral service (13 February 2014)
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) has announced that it is to recruit extra staff to its mental health service call centre. Read more...
SFO arrests two men in London in connection with Rolls Royce fraud investigation (13 February 2014)
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has arrested two men in connection with an investigation into Rolls Royce and the company’s business interests in Asia. Read more...
Minister says that social landlords should do more to help tenants (12 February 2014)
Social landlords are being urged to offer greater assistance to tenants who want to move home as it would “boost social mobility” and ensure that social housing is managed more effectively according to Housing Minister, Kris Hopkins. Read more...
Focus on banned dog breeds, after baby dies following pit-bull attack (12 February 2014)
The mother of an 11-month-old baby girl and her boyfriend have been arrested, after a pit bull-type dog attacked her sleeping baby and inflicted fatal injuries. Read more...
Better integration in mental health care could save UK £70bn every year (12 February 2014)
A report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has found that mental health issues cost the UK £70 billion every year as a result of lost productivity, healthcare costs and welfare benefit payments. Read more...
Cheshire firm fined over fatal work accident (12 February 2014)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has successfully prosecuted a firm based in Widnes in Cheshire, after the driver of a tipper truck suffered fatal injuries in a work accident. Read more...
UK house prices rise again (12 February 2014)
The latest Halifax House Price Index has revealed that in the last three months to January, house prices were 7.3% higher than during the same period in 2012. Read more...
Lord Somerset pleads guilty to domestic violence charges (11 February 2014)
A member of an elite aristocratic family has been jailed for two years and given a restraining order after he subjected his wife to a “substantial period of domestic violence” while on frequent drink and drug binges. Read more...
Rogue trader jailed and handed ASBO (10 February 2014)
A rogue trader from Lowestoft has been jailed and given an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) after he used his building and gardening company to con numerous victims out of thousands of pounds over a two-year period. Read more...
Immigration minister resigns over hiring illegal worker (10 February 2014)
Conservative Immigration Minister Mark Harper has resigned after it was revealed he had hired a cleaner who did not have the right to work in the UK. Read more...
Madame Tussauds predator guilty of child abduction and sexual assault (10 February 2014)
Police in London are appealing for potential victims to come forward after a man was convicted of abducting and sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl at London tourist attraction Madame Tussauds on 5 August last year. Read more...
Plebgate officers will not face criminal charges over mobile porn (10 February 2014)
The investigation into the “plebgate” row involving Downing Street police officers and MP Andrew Mitchell has revealed that some police officers exchanged pornographic images on their mobile phones – but will not face criminal charges over the images. Read more...
Barristers protect at Legal Aid cuts (10 February 2014)
Barristers are warning that Ministry of Justice cuts in the Legal Aid budget could have implications for the justice system overall. Read more...
Undisclosed damages for IVF mother who received “faulty sperm” (10 February 2014)
A mother whose daughter was born infertile as a result of an IVF clinic blunder has been awarded undisclosed damages by the prestigious London Women’s Clinic. Read more...
LibDems call for review of Britain’s drug laws (10 February 2014)
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is calling fro an overhaul of Britain’s drug laws – including the possible legalisation of cocaine – after he returned from a fact finding trip to Columbia. Read more...
Jurors who research cases online could face jail (7 February 2014)
Jurors who research cases they are involved in online could face up to two years in jail, according to new guidelines revealed by the Justice Secretary Chris Grayling this week. Read more...
Retrieval practice may be best therapy for memory-impaired TBI patients (7 February 2014)
The findings of a new study suggest that the most effective learning strategy for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be retrieval practice, whereby patients are presented with information and repeat it to themselves intermittently. Read more...
Universal Credit cost mounts up, with families not yet on the system (7 February 2014)
New figures revealed as the result of a Parliamentary question show that the cost of the coalition government’s flagship Universal Credit project is spiralling, with the cost of each benefit claimant being moved over to the new system being estimated at £225,000. Read more...
Teen admits X-Box porn caused him to rape his eight-year-old sister (6 February 2014)
Blackburn Magistrates’ Court has heard how a 13-year-old boy raped his eight-year-old sister after watching porn on his X-Box console. Read more...
Concern over privatisation of the Probation Service without initial pilot schemes (6 February 2014)
Shadow Justice Minister in the House of Lords Jeremy Beecham has raised concerns over the government’s plans to privatise 70% of the Probation Service without proper piloting of the changes. Read more...
Call for more protection from landlords for private sector rental tenants (5 February 2014)
Labour MP Teresa Pearce is calling for more regulation in private sector rental accommodation to prevent unscrupulous private landlords exploiting tenants. Read more...
Call for government review after youth deaths in custody double (5 February 2014)
The Prison Reform Trust and campaigners INQUEST are calling for an inquiry into the deaths of children and young adults held in custody. Read more...
East Lancashire launches online support for mental health patients (5 February 2014)
Health bosses in East Lancashire have launched a new online help service for mental health patients. Read more...
Cruise liner swimming pool death could result in compensation claim (5 February 2014)
A child injured in a swimming pool accident on board a US cruise liner is likely to be able to claim compensation for pain and suffering if he survives, according to a Miami personal injury lawyer. Read more...
Parents committing motor insurance fraud to cut driving costs for kids (5 February 2014)
New research for comparison website GoCompare.com has found that middle class parents are unwittingly committing fraud by offering to be named as the main driver on a car owned by their student son or daughter, in order to lower the cost of motor insurance for them. Read more...
Council fraud prevention officer pleads guilty to three counts of fraud (5 February 2014)
An employee of Bromley Council who embezzled £46,000 and paid it into his family’s bank accounts was only found out after his wife shopped him in revenge for him having an extra-marital affair. Read more...
NHS set for record payout after girl suffers brain damage (5 February 2014)
A mix up at a children^s hospital in London that left a 10-year-old girl with permanent brain damage has led to a record personal injury payout for medical negligence with the NHS facing a substantial £24 million bill. Read more...
Migrants Left in Limbo on Appeals (4 February 2014)
Duncan Lewis Public Law Director & Solicitor James Packer interviewed by Associated Press over concerns about the appeals process Read more...
Norovirus on the menu at Blumenthal’s London diner (4 February 2014)
An American couple spent an uncomfortable flight home to the US after they contracted Norovirus at celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal’s London restaurant. Read more...
Leading inventor says immigration red tape is stifling Britain’s engineering future (4 February 2014)
Inventor Sir James Dyson has said that immigration rules are “killing” engineering in the UK. Read more...
Tax consultants raided over allegations of fraud by false representation (4 February 2014)
A Bury tax consultancy has denied allegations of fraud by false representation, after charging £165 to help consumers have their property rebanded for Council Tax purposes, thisisLancashire.co.uk reports. Read more...
Youth leaders in Lancashire help PCC shape crime strategy (4 February 2014)
Young adults in Blackburn, Lancashire are being given a voice in deciding how crime in their local area should be tackled. Read more...
ASBO for nuisance caller (4 February 2014)
A woman from Cambridgeshire has been given an Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) after bombarding police with a series of angry calls over a five-year period. Read more...
Drinking alcohol while pregnant may be criminal offence if baby is harmed (3 February 2014)
A landmark case in the Appeal Court could mean that pregnant women who drink and have a child with a disability may be charged with a criminal offence if alcohol is found to have contributed to the child’s disability. Read more...
Swine flu hits popular UK holiday destination Malaga (3 February 2014)
The head of the Andalucian Health Service, Jose Luis Gutierrez, resigned his post last Thursday (30/01/14), after a fifth victim died from an outbreak of swine flu which is affecting the Andalucia region of Spain. Read more...
Mother charged with murder after baby dies from head injuries (3 February 2014)
The mother of a seven-week-old baby boy who died at Royal Manchester Children^s Hospital last week has been charged with his murder. Read more...
Insurers to stop paying out for holiday injuries as a result of balconing (3 February 2014)
Insurance companies have announced that they will no longer pay travel insurance claims involving injuries from balcony falls which occurred as a result of risky behaviour. Read more...
Londoners feel lack of housing is the capital’s most urgent problem (3 February 2014)
A new survey has found that 82% of Londoners believe the capital is in the throes of a housing crisis. Read more...
Armed Forces suffering bullying and abuse at the hands of colleagues (3 February 2014)
Data from the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey has revealed an increase in bullying in the Armed Forces, including sexual assaults against female serving officers. Read more...
Benefit fraudster narrowly escapes jail sentence (3 February 2014)
A woman from Crawley, who illegitimately claimed in excess of £23,000 in housing benefits, has narrowly escaped a jail sentence after being given a community order and told to undertake unpaid work. Read more...