Police to restart News of the World phone hack inquiry
January 29, 2011
The head of Scotland Yard, Tim Godwin, has this week pledged to restart the police enquiry into the allegations of phone hacking linked to the News of the World newspaper, saying that detectives will “leave no stone unturned”.
The police have been forced to reopen their investigation into the allegations in the light of new claims and new evidence. Mr Godwin has described the new enquiry as robust and under scrutiny, promising that some of the country’s most skilled investigators will be put on the case.
The Acting Commissioner also pledged to “restore confidence” to the alleged victims in this case.
UK cops will not be charged for subway killing
February 17, 2009
Following the 2005 London terror attacks, a Brazilian was mistakenly shot dead by the Uk police officers. As a result of the new review, prosecutors announced on Friday that UK cops will not be charged for the subway killing
Jean Charles de Menezes, 27-year-old was killed in a London subway car, just two weeks following the dreaded attack in which 52 commuters lost their lives in suicide bombings. According to prosecutor Stephen O’Doherty, sufficient evidence was not there pointing to the fact that the police had committed any offence. De Menezes was mistaken for a suicide bomber.
De Menezes resided in an apartment in the same building as Hussain Osman, a alleged suspect of the subway bombing who was later convicted in the failed July 21 attack. However, in their verdicts in December, the 10 jurors rejected many claims put forth by the police Mr. Stephenson London’s acting police chief said:
“De Menezes killing had been a “terrible mistake.” He was an innocent man and we must do and accept full responsibility for his death. The anti-terror squad set out with the intention to defend and protect the public and no one had set out to kill an innocent man on that day.”
Sharia court to decide Muslim cases in the UK
September 16, 2008
According to a report, five Sharia courts in Britain are equipped with ‘official powers’ to rule on Muslim civil cases. The Sunday Times reported that rulings made by the five courts in London, Birmingham, Bradford, Manchester and Nuneaton in Warwickshire are enforceable with the power of the judicial system, through the country high courts or high court.
Edinburgh and Glasgow will soon have Sharia courts. Until this point, the rulings of Sharia courts in Britain could not be enforced and everything depended on voluntary compliance among the Muslims. The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, which was set up in 2007 to provide a viable alternative for the Muslim community seeking to resolve disputes in accordance with Islamic law, runs the Sharia court.
Shaykh Faiz Siddiqi, chairman of the governing council of the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, had taken advantage of a clause in the Arbitration Act 1996 to give rulings of the Sharia courts legal backing. The 1996 Arbitration Act classifies the Sharia courts as arbitration tribunals. Sharia courts can rule on various cases involving financial rows to divorce and domestic violence.
UK parents to face music if their wards are found engaged in piracy
July 30, 2008
As part of the UK government’s reforms to curb and combat internet piracy, parents are likely to face punishments for their children’s internet piracy act, as it amounts to breach of copyright. According to the law in UK, stringent measures provide that the households ignoring the warning will be blacklisted and will be under online surveillance
.
Fergal Sharkey, the chief executive of British Music Rights, the body that represents musicians, said “This is stepping into the unknown for the internet providers, music and ministers. But we can’t go on without it. No business can survive after losing as much revenue as the music industry has.”
Baroness Vadera, who was responsible for bringing internet service providers and Ofcom, will outline the new measures to combat internet piracy. According to the plans, warning letters will be sent to such households informing them that they are being monitored. The second stage requires Ofcom, the telecoms body, to go ahead in leading the negotiations between service providers and the film and music industries regarding means to deal with blatant offenders.
According to the reports, Britain’s six largest service providers- BT Vergin Media, Orange, Tiscali, BSkyB and Carphone Warehouse have already signed, giving their ascent to the scheme.
Skilled Indian migrants wishing to make Britain their home can return
July 18, 2008
In Britain, retraction of immigration policy by the High Court ruling, has given hopes to 30,000 Indians who were forced to leave the country, to return back if they so desire.
In 2002, thousands of Indians were literally lured to benefit from UK’s Highly Skilled Migrants Programme (HSMP) as it promised permanent settlement once they complete five years of employment. Their dreams vanished in thin air in November 2006 owing to changes in the visa rules.
A new point based system was introduced by the Immigration Ministry, which was retrospective in nature, affecting most of those, admitted under HSMP, who failed to meet necessary ‘points’ requirement
A long drawn court battle, fought by HSMP forum, resulted in a favourable ruling. The court set aside the changes made by the Immigration Ministry considering them as unlawful. As a result, finally justice was done to thousands of migrants as they can extend the visa and make a honourable return.
Besides, those migrants whose extension was denied after November 2006 will not be required to pay the application fee again. Also, the time spent in India after the changes would be counted towards the settlement criteria on their return to the UK.
Barristers attack the anonymity bill
July 8, 2008
Barristers have cautioned that plans to give judges the power to let anonymous evidence in court cases are perhaps ‘too broad’. The Bar Council states emergency legislation, passed unopposed by MPs, could perhaps lead to too many witnesses anonymously appearing in court.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald QC, stated a large number of cases well could be at risk without it. He stated the Crown Prosecution Service had already identified 580 cases, which could be affected.
The Bill of Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) received unopposed second as well as third readings. It cleared the Commons in a single day. Lords second reading debate on the bill is due.
If the bill is passed by Parliament, it would permit judges to pass a ruling that their court can anonymously hear evidence, for protecting the safety of witnesses and/or their property and for preventing real harm to the public interest.
Justice Secretary Jack Straw stated a balance should be struck between the prevention of witness intimidation and a defendant’s right to a fair trial.
Pre –charge detention period of 42 days gets the House of Commons nod
June 16, 2008
It was a narrow victory for British Prime Minister, when his proposal of increasing pre-charge detention for terror suspects was accepted and voted through the House of Commons by nine votes. Of the total 625 votes, 315 backed Mr. Brown’s proposal.
But the narrow victory had its share of sourness. Opposition parties alleged that the Labour Government had bartered support of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party or perhaps even backbenchers promising of action on issues like extra cash for Northern Ireland in lieu of the support for the controversial legislation.
However, Mr Brown denied there was any such deal with Democratic Unionists. At a press conference, he said, “There was no deal. And I think for people to imply that, is to take away from the strength of the argument about the need to tackle terrorism.”
Tory shadow home secretary David Davis stated he was putting in his papers as an MP to “take a stand” against the terror bill. “I will be resigning my membership of this house and force a by-election. I will fight this by-election on the issue of relentless erosion of fundamental freedoms,” he said.
The government under pressure to rethink proposed hike in taxes on polluting cars
May 30, 2008
The UK government is under intense pressure from hauliers and also its own MPs to change its mind on measures, which threaten to increase the driving cost. The Labour MPs state that ‘poorer’ motorists will suffer most from the intended plan to hike road taxes on heavily polluting cars. Apparently, road hauliers are also angered that fuel duty is set to increase by 2p this autumn. However, environment minister Joan Ruddock stated, the government could not (afford to) lose sight of the environment agenda even while she sympathised with motorists.
The MPs state they are worried about the potential impact of a proposed change in vehicle excise duty that will see drivers paying more for heavily polluting cars registered since the 2001 end. Already 35 Labour MPs have signed a motion that calls on the Treasury to rethink about the retrospective elements of the policy.
They want to caution the chancellor that the government could well lose votes over the issue when Parliament returns next week. According to MP for Wolverhampton South West, Rob Marris, medium-sized family cars, depending on the type of engine and the of emissions, could be hit very hard.
A new law to shield consumers against rogue traders and to protect their interests
May 28, 2008
A new law looking to shield consumers against rogue traders and to protect their interests has come into effect in the UK. The new legal provision is aimed at tackling everything from bogus closing down sales to aggressive sales tactics by rogue builders.
About 31 specific practices will be banned, and the wider idea of to trade fairly is to avoid the requirement for a fresh law to cover every new scam. Fortune-tellers and astrologers are among those most affected by the rules that need them to mention that their services are for ‘entertainment only’.
In fact, it will be binding on all businesses to trade fairly for the first time in the country. The new law represents a major boost to consumer protection, for vulnerable people who are often targeted by rogue traders The National Consumer Council’s Carl Belgrove stated the new rules would be a welcome move after 20 years of campaigning.
Unlike in Ireland, the law does not extend so far as letting disgruntled customers to seek compensation when businesses are perceived to treat them unfairly.
No mandatory criminal records checks for foreign workers working airside at UK airports
May 8, 2008
Foreign workers who are working airside at UK airports are not needed to undergo full ‘mandatory’ criminal records checks, the BBC News has found out. Since 2003, the staff has been checked against UK criminal records. However, offences abroad are not covered. Aviation Minister Jim Fitzpatrick on his part has defended prevailing vetting procedures for staff. He said “Anybody who is able to work in a restricted zone – is screened in exactly the same thorough manner as any member of the public.”
After the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, various governments across the world vowed to make airports more safe and secure. In the UK too, the government introduced mandatory checks for criminal records for all staff working airside. But BBC Newsnight discovered a serious lapse in the legislation. Foreign workers are getting employed without undergoing little or no criminal records checks.
The government states it would take too long and get too complex as far as checking criminal records from abroad. The Conservative Shadow Home Affairs Secretary, David Davis, was quoted as saying: “It is astonishing given the history and the risk on the airside of any airport in the UK.”
