Lawyer news

• Women’s key role in educating Martin Luther King | Letters: Selma James

  04-12-2014 20:38
  
  Hugh Muir’s account of Martin Luther King in London (G2, 3 December) recalls the lunch I and my husband CLR James had at our home with Coretta and Martin Luther King in 1957. It occurred after CLR met them at the celebration of Ghana’s independence. Also present besides George Lamming, the distinguished Caribbean novelist, was Dr David (later Lord) Pitt, the renowned campaigner against racism in Britain. He was also our family doctor. Eight years later, as Hugh relates, King and Bayard Rusti
  
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• Body cameras for police officers? Not so fast, say researchers

  04-12-2014 20:25
  
  Obama supports the use of body cameras on police officers, but researchers say they’re unconvinced of the merits of the technologyEric Garner grand jury decision over police chokehold death could come this week
  Obama’s Ferguson response will leave assault rifles and vehicles of war on American streets
  In police departments across the country, body camera initiatives have been fast-tracked, aided by recent presidential backing. But among activists stung by a New York City grand jury’s refus
  
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• Cleveland police use excessive force far too often, stinging government report finds

  04-12-2014 19:48
  
  Justice Department finds pattern of recklessness and says department too often endangers the public and their officersVideo shows moment Cleveland police killed ‘peace-loving’ Tamir RiceCleveland police officers use excessive and unnecessary force far too often, are poorly trained in tactics and firearm use and endanger the public and their fellow officers with their recklessness, the US Justice Department said in a report presented on Thursday by attorney general Eric Holder.The Justice Dep
  
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• Body cameras on police officers? Not so fast, say some researchers

  04-12-2014 19:32
  
  Obama supports the use of body cameras on police officers, but researchers say they’re unconvinced of the merits of the technologyEric Garner grand jury decision over police chokehold death could come this week
  Obama’s Ferguson response will leave assault rifles and vehicles of war on American streets
  In police departments across the country, body camera initiatives have been fast-tracked, aided by recent presidential backing. But among activists stung by a New York City grand jury’s refus
  
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• Transparency urged on 'right to light'

  04-12-2014 18:42 via lawgazette.co.uk
  
  Law Commission recommends clarifications in the law and simplified procedures. 
  
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• 'Sexist' UK Porn Law Change Bans List Of Sex Acts Including Female ... - Huffington Post UK

  04-12-2014 18:09
  
  New Statesman
  'Sexist' UK Porn Law Change Bans List Of Sex Acts Including Female ...
  Huffington Post UK
  Legislation introduced on Monday means that porn produced in the UK is now banned from showing a long list of sex acts. The move, which was discreetly introduced, has been labelled "arbitrary" and "sexist" by critics. The move brings guidelines for ...
  the government's new porn laws are arbitrary and sexistNew Statesman
  Here Are Exactly What Types Of Porn
  
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• If Eric Garner's killer can't be indicted, what cop possibly could? It's time to fix grand juries | Trevor Timm

  04-12-2014 17:41
  
  When even video evidence of another police killing doesn’t lead to indictments anymore, you know we need to upend this miscarriage of justiceJeb Lund: Eric Garner + Mike Brown + six straight hours of Fox NewsSteven W Thrasher: The Eric Garner decision confirms a holiday of horrorsVincent Warren: The real problem is institutional racism#FergusonNext: No justice, no peace, what now? Share your solutionsGrand juries were designed to be a check on prosecutors and law enforcement. Instead, they’v
  
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• We can’t be complacent about pregnant women’s rights in Britain | Rebecca Schiller

  04-12-2014 17:01
  
  A local authority has failed to make drinking in pregnancy a crime, but we should be wary about further attempted incursionsThis morning, women stood precariously on the last solid ground in the landscape of UK reproductive rights, looking ahead at an uncertain and treacherous footing. The court of appeal rejected the claim for criminal compensation in the case of CP vs Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. Thankfully, following this judgment, we still have solid ground under our feet.Had th
  
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• ‘Public access’ barrister disbarred for dishonest conduct

  04-12-2014 16:46
  
  Michael Wainwright had worked for client directly despite not completing public access training. 
  
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• Undercover police spy accused of encouraging activist to crime

  04-12-2014 16:37
  
  Animal rights campaigner aims to overturn conviction on grounds of undisclosed role of Met officer who ‘encouraged illegal acts’An undercover police officer has been accused of encouraging and helping an animal rights campaigner to commit illegal acts which led to his being jailed for four years, according to legal documents.The campaigner, Geoff Sheppard, has lodged an appeal to overturn his convictions for possessing a shotgun and components for an incendiary device, alleging, in effect, t
  
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• Mother who drank heavily when pregnant not guilty of crime, court rules

  04-12-2014 15:28
  
  Child born with lifelong damage after excessive drinking by mother is not entitled to compensation, judges sayA mother who inflicted lifelong damage on her child after drinking heavily during her pregnancy did not commit a criminal offence, the court of appeal has ruled.The unanimous decision sets clear limits on the legal rights of the unborn child and dispels fears that women could become liable to prosecution for their lifestyles during pregnancy. Continue reading...
  
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• MoJ chief admits cuts rushed through without research

  04-12-2014 14:17 via lawgazette.co.uk
  
  Permanent secretary says cutting spending was ‘imperative’ and the only evidence required.
  
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• Negligence actions against law firms soar

  04-12-2014 14:01
  
  High Court cases multiply as time runs out to pursue ‘credit-crunch’ claims.
  
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• The real problem in Ferguson, New York and all of America is institutional racism | Vincent Warren

  04-12-2014 13:15
  
  Black men are not dying at the hands of (mostly) white cops – nor are those cops being excused from legal responsibility – because of mutual ‘distrust’About last night: Eric Garner decision – dozens arrested as protesters take to New York streetsSteven W Thrasher: The Eric Garner decision confirms a holiday of horrors#FergusonNext: No justice, no peace, what now? Share your solutionsIn the wake of the protests following a grand jury’s failure to indict Darren Wilson for killing Micha
  
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• More corporates set to cut in-house legal spend

  04-12-2014 11:45
  
  New report suggests legal departments evolving in efficiency and delivering value.
  
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• A lawyer tried to translate a rude-boy text message in Snarebrook crown court ... - Metro

  04-12-2014 11:39
  
  Metro
  A lawyer tried to translate a rude-boy text message in Snarebrook crown court ...
  Metro
  Lawyers are known to be highly educated people, but very few of them studied at the 'school of hard knocks' (which, by the way, is not a real thing). One such barrister sent an entire courtroom into fits of giggles recently when he attempted to ...
  
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• Judge rules mother not guilty of crime for drinking while pregnant

  04-12-2014 11:33
  
  Child born with lifelong damage after excessive drinking by mother is not entitled to criminal injuries compensation, court rules
  A mother who inflicted lifelong damage on her child after drinking heavily during her pregnancy did not commit a criminal offence, the court of appeal has ruled.Handing down the judgment, Lord Justice Treacy said the central reason for dismissing the appeal was that: “a mother who is pregnant and who drinks to excess despite knowledge of the potential harmful conseq
  
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• Government grant boosts legal aid management training

  04-12-2014 11:12
  
  Practitioners’ group says grant will help it design management courses for busy legal aid lawyers. 
  
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• Osborne moves to cut spending to 1930s levels in dramatic autumn statement

  04-12-2014 08:28
  
  Chancellor’s plan could require cuts to police, local government and justice amounting to a further £60bn by 2019-20The chancellor, George Osborne, has set out dramatic plans to move Britain from the red into the black that will see public spending as a percentage of GDP fall to its lowest level since the 1930s and could require cuts in non-protected departments such as police, local government and justice amounting to a further £60bn by 2019-20.The plans, according to the Treasury spen
  
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• The case against human rights | Eric Posner

  04-12-2014 07:00
  
  Many believe that international human rights law is one of our greatest moral achievements. But there is little evidence that it is effective. A radically different approach is long overdueIn July 2013, Amarildo de Souza, a bricklayer living in a Rio de Janeiro favela, was arrested by police in an operation to round up drug traffickers. He was never seen again. De Souza’s disappearance was taken up by protesters in street demonstrations, which were met with a ruthless police response. Normally
  
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