Magistrates'
courts error warning - 23 October
Criminals, including drug dealers and paedophiles, could be
evading justice because of errors in magistrates' courts
records, a report has warned. Such mistakes could also mean
criminal records for innocent people, it added. Her Majesty's
Chief Inspector of Court Administration Eddie Bloomfield said
errors in some parts of England and Wales occurred at
"worrying" levels. - BBC
News website
Corruption
case against BAE Systems may be delayed until new year - 27
October
The Serious Fraud Office will miss its own deadline for bringing
corruption charges against BAE Systems, Europe's largest defence
company, this week as it struggles with the complexity of the
case. Legal sources said that charges could be delayed until
next year as the SFO's leading counsel and the Attorney-General
are yet to assess the case. The SFO is understood to be
streamlining its investigations to make a possible prosecution
easier and will drop many lines of inquiries into four foreign
arms deals won by BAE. The SFO has assigned more than 30 staff
to the case. The SFO is investigating allegations of bribery and
corruption in four deals that BAE did with South Africa,
Tanzania, the Czech Republic and Romania - Times
Online website
'Bullied'
woman fell to her death - 27 October
A vicar's daughter was so frightened of bullying by two teenage
girls that she fell to her death from a window to escape their
abuse, a jury has heard. Rosimeiri Boxall, 19, died when she
fell from the third floor of a house in south-east London, in
May 2008. Part of the incident was recorded on a mobile phone
before her death. The teenagers, who had been swigging from a
bottle of vodka, ran outside and the younger girl was heard to
continue verbally abusing Miss Boxall as she lay dying, the jury
heard. - BBC News website
Honour
case mother demands answer - 21 October
The mother of an alleged "honour killing" victim has
faced her husband in court and asked him to explain what he has
done to her daughter. Mehmet Goren denies murdering Tulay Goren,
15, from Woodford Green, north London, who went missing in 1999.
- BBC News website
Honour
case mother denies killing - 26 October
The mother of an alleged "honour killing" victim has
denied that it was she who killed her daughter. - BBC
News website
Honour
case girl 'kissed goodbye' - 29 October
The sister of an alleged "honour killing" victim told
police her father told her brother to kiss her sister goodbye as
he would not see her again. Hatice Goren died in a car crash
seven years after 15-year-old Tulay Goren went missing in
January 1999. But two video interviews with Hatice recorded
shortly after Tulay's disappearance were shown in court. Mr
Goren and Tulay's uncles Cuma Goren and Ali Gorendeny murdering
Tulay on 7 January 1999. Mehmet Goren and his brothers also deny
conspiring to murder Mr Unal between May 1998 and February 1999.
- BBC News website
Police
review Lockerbie bomb case - 25 October
Detectives in Scotland are pursuing "several potential
lines of inquiry" as they renew the investigation into the
Lockerbie bombing case. Prosecutors said Libyan Abdelbasset
al-Megrahi, who was convicted in 2001 of the murder of 270
people but freed in August, was not working alone. The fresh
investigation is possible because Megrahi dropped his second
appeal before being returned to Libya. - BBC
News website
Ministry
of Justice launches dedicated helpline to support families of
murder victims - 26 October
Families bereaved by murder and manslaughter are to benefit from
free legal advice and extra practical support via a new
dedicated victims’ helpline, launched by the Ministry of
Justice today. The free telephone helpline is to be staffed by
legal advisers who will provide legal advice to victims on
everything from guardianship issues and settling an estate to
accessing benefits. - eGov
Monitor website
Victim
meetings 'cut' youth crime - 29 October
Bringing young criminals face-to-face with their victims can cut
crime and re-offending, campaigners suggest. A Northern Ireland
restorative justice scheme run since 2003 has proved more
effective at changing behaviour than custody, the Prison Reform
Trust says. It wants similar initiatives for 10-17 year-olds in
England and Wales to be centralised and open to more than just
first time and minor offenders. - BBC
News website
Jailed
Baby P lodger wins appeal - 27 October
A lodger at Baby Peter's home who was jailed over the toddler's
death has won an appeal against his indeterminate sentence at
the Court of Appeal. Jason Owen now has a six-year sentence for
causing or allowing the child's death. Peter's mother Tracey
Connelly and her partner Steven Barker are serving minimum terms
of five and 12 years, but could be held indeterminately. Peter
Connelly died aged 17 months in Haringey, north London, in
August 2007. He had more than 50 injuries, including fractured
ribs and a broken back. - BBC
News website
Many
teachers 'face false claims' - 26 October
Nearly 30% of school staff have been the subject of a false
allegation of misconduct by a pupil, a survey by a teaching
union suggests. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers said
false claims blighted careers and damaged private lives. The
ATL, which surveyed 1 155 support staff and teachers, said the
safety of children was paramount but argued staff should not be
presumed guilty. It said in half of the cases, the claim had
been immediately dismissed. - BBC
News website
'Anti-slavery
laws' before Lords - 26 October
The House of Lords is expected to vote later on proposed new
laws for England and Wales to deal with what campaigners are
calling modern-day slavery. Liberty and Anti-Slavery
International say servitude and forced labour remain widespread,
with some migrants being held against their will on low wages.
Ministers have insisted current laws give victims enough
protection. The campaign groups argue existing employment laws
and legislation covering offences such as false imprisonment are
inadequate. They hope to see two new offences created - one of
holding someone in servitude, punishable by up to 14 years in
prison, and a second offence of forced labour, punishable by a
maximum of seven years in prison. - BBC
News website