Month: February 2015

25.02.15

Labour proposes ‘Victims' Law’

A taskforce set up by the Labour Party has issued recommendations of initiatives and improvements to how victims of crime are treated within the criminal justice system. Headed by the former DPP, Kier Starmer and Lady Doreen Lawrence, amongst others, the taskforce has made 14 recommendations which go further than the current ‘Victims’ Code’ published in October…

24.02.15

IPCC caseworkers obtain harassment injunctions after internet abuse campaign

In Coulson & Ors v Wilby [2014] EWHC 3404 (QB) the High Court granted interim harassment injunctions to protect three caseworkers from the Independent Police Complaints Commission who were being harassed by two separate defendants.  The applications were framed in harassment but the claim forms indicated that the Claimants’ relied on actions in defamation, harassment,…

No Voluntary Bill for Serious Fraud Office

In Serious Fraud Office v Evans and others [2014] EWHC 3803, Fulford LJ (sitting in the QBD) heard an application for a voluntary bill of indictment to be preferred against six respondents following a dismissal of a single charge of conspiracy to defraud by Hickinbottom J at Newport Crown Court. For these purposes, the factual…

17.02.15

'Revenge porn' criminalised in England and Wales

‘Revenge porn’, the term coined for the unauthorised sharing of private sexual photographs or videos, often carried out by spurned lovers over the medium of the Internet, has been criminalised in England and Wales under the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (‘the Act’) which received Royal Assent on 12 February 2015. When the provisions…

16.02.15

Judgment provides some guidance on approach to costs budgeting in libel cases

In a recent case management conference in the ongoing Yeo v Times Newspapers libel litigation (also see our blog ‘The End of Juries in Libel Trials?’), Mr Justice Warby QC gave a written Judgment ([2015] EWHC 209 (QB)), which provides some guidance on the issue of costs budgeting in libel cases.  Warby J noted that ‘although costs budgeting…

Alan Sugar Twitter hunt for prank caller – Iain Wilson interviewed by the Mirror

Brett Wilson LLP Partner Iain Wilson has been interviewed by the Mirror which has run a story on Lord Sugar using Twitter to track down a prank caller. A copy of the article can be found here.

Civil Justice Council calls for Online Dispute Resolution for low value claims

A report by the Civil Justice Council (‘CJC’), which oversees the modernisation of the civil justice system, has recommended that an Online Dispute Resolution service (‘ODR’) replace the present Court system for low value claims.  The CJC’s Online Dispute Advisory Group, established in April 2014, has proposed that the new service be known as ‘Her Majesty’s Online…

'Government letting people down' on nuisance calls, says Information Commissioner

Information Commissioner Christopher Graham has urged the Government to change the law surrounding nuisance calls and text messages. Under the 2003 Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, companies must ensure that they do not conduct individuals who have ‘opted out’ using the Telephone Preference Service.  Since 2011 the ICO has had the power to fine business in default up to…

Britain has more rapists in prison that any other European country

Statistics published by the Council of Europe have identified that Britain sends more convicted rapists to prison than any other EU country.  There were 5,408 prisoners serving rape sentences in England and Wales in 2013.  By contrast there were 3,600 in Germany, 2,287 in Spain and 2,034 in Italy. The government estimates that 20-25% of rapes committed…