Tuesday 22 November 2005

By Maria Ahmed, Simeon Brody, Derren Hayes and Amy Taylor

Justice watchdog

A single watchdog will cover the entire criminal justice system from police and prison, ministers announced. Under the plan the five current inspectorates that cover police, the Crown Prosecution Service, courts, probation and prisons will be merged. The Home Office claimed it would reduce administration.

Source:- The Times, Tuesday 22 November 2005, page 2

Pilot scheme to cut family court battles flops

A scheme the government hoped would cut the number of bitter court battles between separated parents over contact with their children has flopped because so few couples agreed to take part.
The 12-month family resolutions pilot project was tried out at three courts but only 62 couples went into the scheme and 31 completed it.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 22 November 2005 page 6

Legal hitch

A law banning marriage of parents-in-law to children-in-law is being dropped after a European court ruling that it breaches human rights.

Source:- The Times, Tuesday 22 November 2005, page 2

Accused teachers can stay at school

Teachers should be allowed to continue working while alleged abuses of pupils are investigated, according to government guidelines published yesterday.

Source:- The Times, Tuesday 22 November 2005, page 28

TV yobs “are role models to bullies”

EastEnders hardmen Phil and Grant Mitchell were blamed yesterday for turning children into bullies in the playground. University academic Dr Sally Henry claimed young thugs copied the violence of the TV soap characters, played by Ross Kemp and Steve McFadden.

Source:- The Sun, Tuesday 22 November 2005, page 7

Mobile bully alert

A mobile phone service, dubbed Pingalert, is launched today. Children can press a secret button and send a text to their parents if they are being bullied.

Source:- The Sun, Tuesday 22 November 2005, page 7

Poor, unfit and badly nourished

Britain’s pensioners are too poor to eat properly and most fall to exercise enough, a charity warned. Age Concern said OAPs could not afford all the costs of staying fit and healthy and called on the government to tackle pensioner poverty.

Source:- The Daily Mirror, Tuesday 22 November 2005, page 27

Lack of cuddles in infancy may affect development of brain

Depriving young children of cuddles and attention subtly changes how their brains develop and in later life can leave them anxious and poor at forming relationships, according to a University of Wisconsin study.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 22 November 2005 page 8

Schools urged to use array of approaches to tackle bullying

Schools should be prepared to use punishment to tackle bullying, as well as prevention, support and educational work, schools minister Jacqui Smith said yesterday.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 22 November 2005 page 8

Family forcibly deported without son

Campaigners claimed yesterday that a failed asylum seeker, deported to Pakistan after a dawn raid in Glasgow last week, was forced to leave the country without her 16-year-old son.

Source:- The Guardian Tuesday 22 November 2005 page 15

Pension talks break down

Talks between public sector unions, local authorities and the government have failed to resolve a dispute over plans to reduce the retirement age of council workers. The talks will continue next week.

Source:- Financial Times Tuesday 22 November 2005 page 4

Award for Pc who backed travellers

A village constable who courted controversy when he accused residents in west Surrey of “bigoted and racist” attitudes to travellers was yesterday named community officer of the year.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Tuesday 22 November 2005 page 6

Shire shake-up “expensive with few benefits”

Whitehall attempts to reorganise councils in rural England would be disruptive, expensive and deliver few of the expected benefits, according to John Banham, who led a commission in the early 1990s to overhaul the two-tier county and district system.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Tuesday 22 November 2005 page 11

One third of cheap homes for key workers lie empty

More than a third of homes built especially for key workers are standing empty, housing minister Yvette Cooper admitted in a statement to parliament.

Source:- Daily Mail Tuesday 22 November 2005 page 6

Four out of five schizophrenics used cannabis

Four out of five incurable schizophrenics were regular cannabis smokers when they were teenagers, according to a study from Australia.

Source:- Daily Mail Tuesday 22 November 2005 page 26

Teacher is cleared of sex with 13-year-old

Burnley support teacher Zoe Morgan, 32, was cleared of having sex with a 13-year-old pupil yesterday. The court heard the youngster had a history of behavioural problems and had plotted with his friends to blackmail Morgan.

Source:- Daily Mail Tuesday 22 November 2005 page 26

Scottish news

NHS failing depressed mothers

Mothers with severe post-natal depression may be sent to England for treatment because health boards are failing to meet new standards for their care in Scotland. Under the new mental health act, most mothers who are so ill with post-natal depression they need to go into hospital should be able to keep their baby with them.
Yet, more than a month after it came into force, large parts of Scotland do not have suitable accommodation and two health boards said mothers may need to go to England to stay with their child.

Source:-The Herald, Tuesday 22 November

Neds still beating the Asbos

Only two antisocial behaviour orders have been dished out to under 16s since the Scottish Executive gave councils greater powers a year ago.
The lack of action – only one teenager has had their liberty restricted and not one parent has been the subject of parenting orders – is despite the total number of Asbos rising more than 40 per cent since the new Antisocial Behaviour Act was introduced.
Courts across Scotland issued 210 Asbos as part of the blitz on antisocial behaviour.

Source:-The Record, Tuesday 22 Novermber

Prison governor admits stabbing his wife nine times with carving knife

A prison governor has admitted to stabbing his wife nine times in front of the couple’s two children.
Andrew Bartlett, 46, of Bridgend, pleaded guilty to attempting to murder his 39-year-old wife Debbie at Stafford crown court but he has not yet been sentenced.
He may escape prison and be given a hospital order after being diagnosed with a psychiatric condition.

Source:- Western Mail, Tuesday 22 November

Sex offender “victim of unfair system”

Lawyers for a former approved school housemaster serving 15 years in jail for sex offences against boys dating from 40 years ago said that he was a victim of an unfair system yesterday.
Sir Ivan Lawrence, QC for 71-year-old Brian Ely, said that the compensation available to victims of abuse could motivate witnesses to come forward and make false allegations.

Source:- icWales, Tuesday 22 November

 

 

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