Legislation / Legal
EHRC: The Equality and Human Rights Commission wrote to Thames Valley Police and Leicestershire Constabulary recently warning them of possible enforcement action regarding their disproportionate use of stop & search powers. This follows the publication earlier this year of the Commission’s report, Stop and Think, which found that some police forces are using stop & search powers in a way that is disproportionate and possibly discriminatory.
The 2 forces have now been identified for further enforcement action because neither force was able to adequately justify & evidence the disproportionate use of their stop & search tactics.
ScotGov: Minister for Community Safety, Fergus Ewing, has welcomed new figures showing a rise in the number of convictions for crimes relating to domestic abuse in Scotland, up from 5,204 in 2006-07 to 7,101 in 2008-09. Mr Ewing said that the figures (revealed in a Parliamentary Question) demonstrated that those who commit such crimes were being punished by Scotland's law enforcement agencies.
ScotGov: The Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act ‘offers greater protection for victims and strengthens the justice system's efforts to deal with sex crime’, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said last week as the Act's provisions came into force. It modernises Scottish justice, by bringing together a complex batch of common law into one statutory framework to help combat offences that take place in today's society.
Press release ~ Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 ~ More information on sexual offences legislation
WAG: Wales’s plan to introduce a charge for carrier bags will now become law following approval by Assembly Members. The law, which will come into force from 1 October 2011, will see Welsh shoppers paying 5p per single use carrier bag.
LGO: There were flaws in Christchurch Borough Council’s handling of amendments to a planning application for a housing development, finds Local Government Ombudsman, Jane Martin. In her report, issued today (2 December 2010) she says: “I welcome the Council’s co-operation… I have decided to complete my investigation of these complaints and issue this report because I consider there are issues of public interest arising from my investigation.”
ScotGov: The principles of the Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill have been backed by the Scottish Parliament, bringing a new era for the management of the countryside a stage closer.
OFT: The OFT has urged businesses to review their use of common pricing practices to ensure they comply with fair trading laws, or risk enforcement action. The message follows the publication of an OFT market study into the advertising of prices, which established that certain pricing techniques used online, in-store and in adverts can mislead consumers, potentially breaching the law.
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