Lawyer news

• ACLU lawsuit challenges Ferguson-area school board over board voting

  18-12-2014 22:16
  
  Action is aimed at increasing representation of black students, the majority
  Accuses Ferguson-Florissant district of blocking blacks from participating
  The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday filed a lawsuit challenging a Missouri school district’s board voting policies as part of an effort to increase the representation of black students in a region including Ferguson – the city that this summer became a flashpoint for American race issues. Simmering racial tensions in the region pea
  
  Read more

• Girls in 'Slender Man' case competent to stand trial, Wisconsin judge says

  18-12-2014 20:57
  
  Two girls charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide after third girl was stabbed 19 times in May Slender Man: the shadowy online figure blamed in grisly Wisconsin stabbingThe Wisconsin girls, Miranda rights and minors: a blind spot in US lawTwo Wisconsin girls accused of stabbing a classmate to please the fantasy character Slender Man are fit to stand trial, a judge ruled Thursday.State experts concluded that both girls were competent, but their attorneys contested those conclusio
  
  Read more

• Girl in 'Slender Man' case competent to stand trial, Wisconsin judge says

  18-12-2014 20:57
  
  Teen is one of two girls charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide after third girl was stabbed 19 times in May Slender Man: the shadowy online figure blamed in grisly Wisconsin stabbingThe Wisconsin girls, Miranda rights and minors: a blind spot in US lawOne of two girls accused of stabbing a classmate in a southeastern Wisconsin park to please a fantasy character known as Slender Man is competent to stand trial for attempted homicide, a judge ruled Thursday.A state psychiatrist
  
  Read more

• Obesity 'could be a disability' - EU courts rule - BBC News

  18-12-2014 20:39
  
  The Times (subscription)
  Obesity 'could be a disability' - EU courts rule
  BBC News
  Paul Callaghan, head of employment law at international law firm Taylor Wessing, said the ruling does not change UK law. "The European Court of Justice has ruled that obesity itself is not a disability, but that the effects of it can be. "As such ...
  Obesity IS a DISABILITY, rules highest EU courtDaily Mail
  EU court rules that fatness 'can constitute a disability'Telegraph.co.uk
  Obesity
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• New Jersey hopes Cuba-US relations thaw will help extradite former Black Panther

  18-12-2014 20:26
  
  Joanne Chesimard, now Assata Shakur, found guilty in death of officer in 1973
  She escaped prison with help, fled to Cuba and Fidel Castro granted her asylumBarack Obama announces thaw in relations between US and Cuba - videoUS-Cuba deal: a marriage 18 months in the making and blessed by Pope FrancisNew Jersey officials hope the thaw in diplomatic relations between US and Cuba will make it easier to extradite a former Black Panther Party member convicted of killing a state trooper in a controvers
  
  Read more

• Florida’s 'prison Houdini' has a chance to be free after serving 35 years in jail

  18-12-2014 19:18
  
  Mark DeFriest was originally sentenced to four years and could have been freed 30 years ago if he hadn’t kept trying to escape Had Mark DeFriest just waited a couple of months to collect his inheritance, he never would have gone to prison. Had he just behaved while he was there, he would have been released more than 30 years ago.But the man dubbed Florida’s “prison Houdini” kept escaping instead of simply serving out a sentence for stealing the very mechanic tools his father left him in
  
  Read more

• Meet the man behind this year’s hottest hip-hop beat

  18-12-2014 18:56
  
  It started as an infectious instrumental voiced by rapper Bobby Shmurda. Then, in a pattern familiar to rap fans, many more unauthorised versions surfaced, by everyone from Juicy J to Remy MaPunch the words “Hot Nigga” into YouTube, and you might be a little confused about which video to watch first. The original version was created by the recently arrested New York rapper Bobby Shmurda. It was inescapable across the US this summer, buoyed by a menacing, addictive beat and Shmurda’s gimmic
  
  Read more

• Philadelphia woman pleads guilty after two-year-old fatally shoots his sister

  18-12-2014 18:54
  
  Faces up to 17 years in prison for involuntary manslaughterChild grabbed .357 revolver he found under a bed and killed 11-year-old siblingA Philadelphia woman has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after her 2-year-old son picked up a loaded .357 revolver and fatally shot his 11-year-old sister.Prosecutors say the toddler found the gun under a bed and shot Jamara Stevens while their mother, 31-year-old Tiffany Goldwire, was in the bathroom on 5 April. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• EU VAT law could kill THOUSANDS of online businesses - The Register

  18-12-2014 18:29
  
  EU VAT law could kill THOUSANDS of online businesses
  The Register
  And it could disproportionately hit British online companies because the VAT-free threshold is much higher than in the rest of the EU, at £81,000. Some services are exempt: hotel booking services, supply of physical goods through electronic ordering ...
  
  en meer »
  
  Read more

• New domestic abuse law on controlling behaviour unveiled - BBC News

  18-12-2014 18:13
  
  BBC News
  New domestic abuse law on controlling behaviour unveiled
  BBC News
  She said she hoped the new law would protect victims from extreme psychological and emotional abuse. The maximum penalty for the new offence in England and Wales will be five years in prison and a fine. Coercive and controlling behaviour can include ...
  Domestic Partners in UK to Face Up to 5 Years in Jail for Coercive BehaviorSputnik International
  Domestic abuse offence of 'coercive and controlling behaviour
  
  Read more

• European leaders urged to complete transatlantic trade deal

  18-12-2014 17:37
  
  PMs invited to roundtable with CBI to hear of deal’s importance.
  
  Read more

• European leaders urged to complete EU-US deal

  18-12-2014 17:37
  
  PMs invited to roundtable with CBI to hear of deal’s importance.
  
  Read more

• New Hampshire man faces 205-count indictment over teen girl's abduction

  18-12-2014 17:33
  
  Nathaniel Kibby allegedly held 14-year-old at gunpoint, imprisoned her for nine months, threatened to kill her and sexually assaulted her Fearing arrest, the New Hampshire man charged with kidnapping, imprisoning and sexually assaulting a teenage girl over nine months ordered his captive to lie to police and help him destroy evidence by wiping off fingerprints and pouring cleaning fluid into drains, according to court documents.In a 205-count indictment released Wednesday, Nathaniel Kibby is cha
  
  Read more

• New Hampshire man faces 205-count indictment for abducting teenage girl

  18-12-2014 17:33
  
  Nathaniel Kibby allegedly held 14-year-old at gunpoint, imprisoned her for nine months, threatened to kill her and sexually assaulted her Fearing arrest, the New Hampshire man charged with kidnapping, imprisoning and sexually assaulting a teenage girl over nine months ordered his captive to lie to police and help him destroy evidence by wiping off fingerprints and pouring cleaning fluid into drains, according to court documents.In a 205-count indictment released Wednesday, Nathaniel Kibby is cha
  
  Read more

• Dutch lawyers tapped, ministry says - Belfast Telegraph

  18-12-2014 15:52
  
  Belfast Telegraph
  Dutch lawyers tapped, ministry says
  Belfast Telegraph
  A law firm specialising in human rights complained to the interior ministry in April that it suspected its lawyers were being tapped, violating lawyer-client secrecy. The interior ministry responded by ordering the commission overseeing the agency to ...
  
  en meer »
  
  Read more

• Non-EU family members do not need visa to enter UK, says European court

  18-12-2014 14:32
  
  Judges’ decision in McCarthy case is another setback in campaign by British government to control immigration from EUBritain cannot impose a blanket visa requirement on family members originally from outside Europe but who have valid EU residence rights, European court of justice has ruled.The decision is another setback in the government’s campaign to control immigration from the European Union. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Indian comic creates female superhero to tackle rape

  18-12-2014 14:31
  
  Priya’s Shakti will tell story of ‘a new hero for modern India’ who fights with goddess Parvati’s help for education and respect for womenA new superhero has arisen in India in the wake of the brutal gang rape on a Delhi bus two years ago: Priya, a mortal woman who is raped herself, but who fights back against sexual violence with the help of the goddess Parvati - and a tiger.The rape by six men of the 23-year-old Delhi medical student who later died of her injuries sparked national prot
  
  Read more

• University of Law sells London campus for £68m

  18-12-2014 14:16 via lawgazette.co.uk
  
  Private equity owner finalises sale and leaseback deal with Schroder property funds.
  
  Read more

• University of Law eyes property sales

  18-12-2014 14:16 via lawgazette.co.uk
  
  Today’s £68m deal for prestigious London campus could be first of many, as Montagu Private Equity looks to raise cash. 
  
  Read more

• Representation slumps in family law

  18-12-2014 14:02
  
  From July to September both parties were represented in just 24% of cases.
  
  Read more

• Bail limit plan delayed by dispute

  18-12-2014 13:59
  
  Home secretary says it is not right people can be under suspicion for a long term but change of law will now be delayed by two monthsPlans by the home secretary, Theresa May, to introduce a 28-day time limit on the use of police bail before a suspect is charged have been delayed by two months while a coalition dispute over its implementation is resolved.The change in the law cannot go ahead until a dispute is resolved between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats over how extensions beyond
  
  Read more

• EU court snubs human rights accession

  18-12-2014 12:36
  
  An agreement on the EU’s accession to the European Convention on Human Rights is not compatible with EU law, Court of Justice rules.
  
  Read more

• Obesity can be a disability, EU court rules

  18-12-2014 12:30
  
  Decision at EU’s court of justice in Luxembourg establishes precedent that could affect employment rights across EuropeObesity can in severe cases constitute a disability, a European Union court has ruled, establishing a precedent that could affect employment rights across the continent.But the decision by the EU’s court of justice in Luxembourg – ruling on the case of a Danish childminder who lost his job – stopped short of declaring obesity to be a protected characteristic against whic
  
  Read more

• Theresa May plans to put 28-day time limit on police bail

  18-12-2014 12:25
  
  Home secretary says it is not right that people can spend months or even years on pre-charge bail with no oversightTheresa May has announced plans to put a 28-day time limit on the use of police bail, following concerns that people are being left in legal limbo as proceedings drag on for months or years.The home secretary said it “cannot be right that people can spend months or even years on pre-charge bail with no oversight” as she launched a consultation on the time limit. Continue reading
  
  Read more

• City lawyers urge SRA to retain consumer credit brief

  18-12-2014 11:59
  
  CLLS warns of extra costs and risk of criminal liability if regulation passes to the Financial Conduct Authority.
  
  Read more

• Emotional abuse to become illegal - BBC News

  18-12-2014 11:53
  
  BBC News
  Emotional abuse to become illegal
  BBC News
  The Home Office is giving police in England and Wales new powers in a drive to crack down on domestic abuse. At the moment the government's definition of domestic violence recognises the impact of threatening behaviour but it has never been a law.
  
  Read more

• Non-EU family members don’t need visa to enter UK, says European court

  18-12-2014 11:31
  
  Judges’ decision could potentially open Britain’s borders to large numbers of non-EU citizensEU judges have ruled that the UK cannot block non-EU family members from entering the country without a travel permit in a decision that potentially opens Britain’s borders to large numbers of non-EU nationals.The complicated case centres on Sean McCarthy, a dual British and Irish national living and working in Spain, and his wife, Patricia McCarthy Rodriguez, a Colombian citizen. They have two you
  
  Read more

• I salute Theresa May for limiting the use of police bail

  18-12-2014 11:06
  
  Swift victory for the Justice Delayed Justice Denied campaignThe home secretary, Theresa May, is to limit the use of police bail to 28 days. Her decision marks a swift victory for the Justice Delayed Justice Denied campaign, which was backed by several newspapers, including the Guardian.May will announce today an end to the system under which police are able to keep people on pre-charge bail for an unlimited length of time.“Innocent people have been left on pre-charge bail for years before the
  
  Read more

• MoJ in conflict with BIS over insolvency litigation

  18-12-2014 11:05
  
  Minister accepts figures from practitioner's body on sums raised through fee arrangements threatened by LASPO. 
  
  Read more

• Fallon spat out Shiner the lawyer's name with loathing: Yesterday in ... - Daily Mail

  18-12-2014 09:02
  
  Daily Mail
  Fallon spat out Shiner the lawyer's name with loathing: Yesterday in ...
  Daily Mail
  Defence Secretary Michael Fallon spat out the words. He was opening his lunchtime Statement to the Commons about the Al Sweady Inquiry. The inquiry looked at allegations of torture and worse by British troops in Iraq. They have been found to be false.
  Birmingham law firm made £900k from false Iraq murder and torture claimsBirmingham Mail
  Human rights lawyers in firing line over Iraq inquiryThe Gl
  
  Read more

• Lawyer has life-threatening cervical cancer after ignoring smear tests because ... - Mirror.co.uk

  18-12-2014 08:52
  
  Mirror.co.uk
  Lawyer has life-threatening cervical cancer after ignoring smear tests because ...
  Mirror.co.uk
  Jenny Croston, 38, of Leeds, is currently receiving treatment for stage 2B cervical cancer after being diagnosed with a tumour the size of a satsuma. Her warnings come as a British Heart Foundation (BHF) study showed two fifths (41%) of workers felt ...
  
  en meer »
  
  Read more

• UK law prohibits police from storing foreign criminals' DNA and fingerprint ... - Biometric Update

  18-12-2014 01:45
  Biometric Update
  UK law prohibits police from storing foreign criminals' DNA and fingerprint ...
  Biometric Update
  The UK Commissioner for the Retention and Use of Biometric Material has published a new report that reveals that the DNA and fingerprint samples belonging to thousands of foreign crime suspects have been deleted from British databases because police ...
  
  en meer »
  
  Read more

• 54 Nigerian soldiers sentenced to death for mutiny: lawyer - Daily Mail

  18-12-2014 01:24
  
  Daily Mail
  54 Nigerian soldiers sentenced to death for mutiny: lawyer
  Daily Mail
  A Nigerian military court on Wednesday sentenced 54 soldiers to death for mutiny after they refused to deploy for an operation against Boko Haram Islamists in the northeast, their lawyer said. "They sentenced 54 to death and acquitted five," said ...
  Nigeria sentences 54 troops to death for mutinyYahoo News UK
  Nigerian soldiers sentenced to death for refusing to fight Boko Haram as ...The Independent
  Nige
  
  Read more

• Police rebuked over handling of interviews with child sex abuse victims

  18-12-2014 01:08
  
  Inspectorate report calls for improved training and additional guidance for police over sensitive interviews with childrenRecorded interviews of child sex abuse victims have revealed inappropriate questioning by police and poor compliance with guidelines on gathering evidence, according to a highly critical inspectorate report.Rooms for interviewing vulnerable toddlers are rarely child-friendly, DVD recordings are at risk of being lost because they are inadequately labelled, and the needs of the
  
  Read more

Follow @Lawyer_UKnws on Twitter!