The detainee appealed an order for extradition to the USA, saying that the offence (price-fixing) was not one known to English common law. The USA sought his extradition under the provisions of the Sherman Act. Held: It was not, and it would be wrong in principle to decide that it was: ‘The common law recognised … Continue reading Norris v United States of America and others: HL 12 Mar 2008
The victim died on a farm when his dumper truck overturned burying him in its load. Held: The prosecutor needed to establish a prima facie case that the results required by the Act had not been achieved. He need only establish that a risk of injury arose out of the state of affairs at the … Continue reading Chargot Limited (T/A Contract Services) and Others, Regina v: HL 10 Dec 2008
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Appeals against extended sentences of 17 years and 8 months imposed for an offence of preparation of terrorist acts contrary to section 5(1) of the Terrorism Act 2006. The extended sentence comprised a custodial term of 12 years 8 months and an extension period of 5 years. In addition, the appellants were made subject to … Continue reading Sarwar and Another v Regina: CACD 9 Dec 2015
Bank entitled to information needed for defence Application to set aside the directions contained in two statutory instruments. The measures were ‘highly restrictive . . with very serious effects’. The court considered the procedures for the use of closed material and whether the claimant bank had been entitled to the gist of the allegations against … Continue reading Bank Mellat v Her Majesty’s Treasury: CA 23 Oct 2015
(Supreme Court of Canada) The court considered the procedure for immigration appeals involving the use of evidence not to be given to the applicant. Held: The statutory procedures for reviewing certificates of inadmissibility to Canada and consequent detentions were inadequate: ‘the government can do more to protect the individual while keeping critical information confidential’.McLachlin CJ … Continue reading Charkaoui v Minister of Citizenship and Immigration: 23 Feb 2007
Appeals were brought complaining as to the apparent reversal of the burden of proof in road traffic cases and in cases under the Terrorism Acts. Was a legal or an evidential burden placed on a defendant? Held: Lord Bingham of Cornhill said: ‘The overriding concern is that a trial should be fair, and the presumption … Continue reading Sheldrake v Director of Public Prosecutions; Attorney General’s Reference No 4 of 2002: HL 14 Oct 2004
The court considered the effect of an order under the 2008 Act on a contract of insurance between the parties. Judges: Beatson J Citations: [2010] EWHC 2661 (Comm) Links: Bailii Statutes: Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Crime, Insurance Updated: 15 September 2022; Ref: scu.425563
(Scotland) The appellant had variously been convicted in reliance on evidence gathered at different stages before arrest, but in each case without being informed of any right to see a solicitor. The court was asked, as a devolution issue, at what point the duty to allow access to a solicitor arose, and what use might … Continue reading Ambrose v Harris, Procurator Fiscal, Oban, etc: SC 6 Oct 2011
Loss of Confidentiality Protection – public domain A retired secret service employee sought to publish his memoirs from Australia. The British government sought to restrain publication there, and the defendants sought to report those proceedings, which would involve publication of the allegations made. The AG sought to restrain those publications. Held: A duty of confidence … Continue reading Attorney-General v Guardian Newspapers Ltd (No 2) (‘Spycatcher’): HL 13 Oct 1988
(First Section) The applicant was interrogated while he was under arrest in police custody. He asked for the assistance of a lawyer during his interrogation, but this was disregarded by the investigator who proceeded to question him. It was argued that his decision then to confess his guilt to the investigator constituted an implied waiver … Continue reading Pishchalnikov v Russia: ECHR 24 Sep 2009
Judges: Collins Citations: [2014] EWHC 3631 (Admin) Links: Bailii Statutes: Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Financial Services, Crime Updated: 28 July 2022; Ref: scu.538333
The court objected to the insistence on leaving the burden throughout a prosecution on the defendant on the ground that ‘the discharge of an evidential burden proves nothing – it merely raises an issue’. The House emphasised the special nature of the provisions, saying there was little doubt that the occasions upon which a statute … Continue reading Regina v Hunt (Richard): HL 1987
The employer was prosecuted under the 1961 Act. Held: the burden of proving that it was not reasonably practicable to make and keep a place of work safe rested upon the defendant employer. If an exception was to be established, it was for the party claiming the exception to establish it. (Majority) Where a linguistic … Continue reading Nimmo v Alexander Cowan and Sons Ltd: HL 1967
Grand Chamber – The defendants had been convicted after the prosecution had withheld evidence from them and from the judge under public interest immunity certificates. They complained that they had not had fair trials. Held: The right was breached insofar as the prosecution had themselves sought to make that assessment without judicial involvement. Disclosure at … Continue reading Jasper v The United Kingdom: ECHR 16 Feb 2000
A Dutch court had convicted the applicants of attempted manslaughter and robbery on the basis of statements made, before their trial, by anonymous police officers, none of whom gave evidence before the Regional Court or the investigating judge. The Court of Appeal referred the case to the investigating judge who arranged hearings in which he, … Continue reading Van Mechelen And Others v The Netherlands: ECHR 23 Apr 1997
There was no human rights breach where the victims of sex abuse had been refused a right to sue for damages out of time. The question is whether and to what extent differences in otherwise similar situations justify a different treatment in law: ‘Limitation periods in personal injury cases are a common feature of the … Continue reading Stubbings and Others v The United Kingdom: ECHR 22 Oct 1996
The respondent appealed against a finding that the provision which made a loan agreement completely invalid for lack of compliance with the 1974 Act was itself invalid under the Human Rights Act since it deprived the respondent lender of its property rights. It was also argued that it was not possible to make a declaration … Continue reading Wilson v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry; Wilson v First County Trust Ltd (No 2): HL 10 Jul 2003
statutory Notification Order Judges: The Honourable Mrs Justice Collins Rice Citations: [2022] EWHC 405 (QB) Links: Bailii Statutes: Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 40 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Crime Updated: 15 April 2022; Ref: scu.674517
Application by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis for an order to impose notification requirements for a period of 15 years on Syed Talha Ahsan under the 2008 Act. In 2013, he was convicted in the United States of conspiracy to provide material assistance for terrorism through his involvement in a website. He has … Continue reading Commissioner of Police of The Metropolis v Ahsan: Admn 7 Aug 2015
Closed Material before Supreme Court Under the 2009 order, the appellant Bank had been effectively shut down as to its operations within the UK. It sought to use the appeal procedure, and now objected to the use of closed material procedure. The Supreme Court asked itself whether it was possible for the Supreme Court to … Continue reading Bank Mellat v Her Majesty’s Treasury (No 1): SC 19 Jun 2013
The claimants objected to orders made freezing their assets under the 2006 Order, after being included in the Consolidated List of suspected members of terrorist organisations. Held: The orders could not stand. Such orders were made by the executive without parliamentary scrutiny by the use of Orders in Council. Statutory provision for counter-terrorism was in … Continue reading HM Treasury v Ahmed and Others: SC 27 Jan 2010
Judgment following the trial of three preliminary issues in the claim by Bank Mellat for damages under section 8 of the 1998 Act 1998 for loss and damage caused by the 2009 Order made under section 62 and Schedule 7 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008. Flaux J [2015] EWHC 1258 (Comm) Bailii Human Rights Act … Continue reading Bank Mellat v HM Treasury: ComC 6 May 2015
The bank challenged measures taken by HM Treasury to restrict access to the United Kingdom’s financial markets by a major Iranian commercial bank, Bank Mellat, on the account of its alleged connection with Iran’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. The bank sought to have the direction given under section 7 of the 2008 Act. … Continue reading Bank Mellat v Her Majesty’s Treasury (No 2): SC 19 Jun 2013
The three asylum seeker appellants arrived in the United Kingdom at different times in possession of false passports. They were prosecuted for possession or use of false documents contrary to section 5, and for obtaining air services by deception under the Criminal Attempts Act. At the time, their applications to be accorded refugee status had … Continue reading Regina v Uxbridge Magistrates and Another ex parte Adimi; R v CPS ex parte Sorani; R v SSHD and Another ex parte Kaziu: Admn 29 Jul 1999
The respondent had made an order under the Regulations restricting all persons from dealing with the the claimant bank. The bank applied to have the order set aside. Though the defendant originally believed that the Iranian government owned 80% of the shares, the figure was 20% and soon to be reduced to 15%. It said … Continue reading Bank Mellat v HM Treasury: QBD 11 Jun 2010
(Grand Chamber) The applicants had been subjected to severe restrictions. They were foreign nationals suspected of terrorist involvement, but could not be deported for fear of being tortured. The UK had derogated from the Convention to put the restrictions in place. Assurances had been given by the home nations that on return they would not … Continue reading A and Others v The United Kingdom: ECHR 19 Feb 2009
The defendant was convicted under the 1994 Act of producing counterfeit CDs. He argued that the affixing of the name of the artist to the CD was not a trade mark use, and that the prosecution had first to establish a civil offence before his act could become criminal. The prosecutor appealed the decision of … Continue reading Regina v Johnstone: HL 22 May 2003
Extraditions to follow normal open justice rules Application was made by Rwanda for the extradition of four individuals to face crimes said to have been committed during their civil war. Witnesses were prepared to give evidence but only in private and not being seen by the representatives of Rwanda. Held: The magistrate hearing such proceedings … Continue reading VB and Others v Westminster Magistrates: SC 5 Nov 2014
Restraint on Interference with Burden of Proof The defendant had been convicted for possessing drugs found on him in a bag when he was arrested. He denied knowing of them. He was convicted having failed to prove, on a balance of probabilities, that he had not known of the drugs. The case was heard before … Continue reading Regina v Lambert: HL 5 Jul 2001
(Orse Kebeline) The DPP’s appeal succeeded. A decision by the DPP to authorise a prosecution could not be judicially reviewed unless dishonesty, bad faith, or some other exceptional circumstance could be shown. A suggestion that the offence for which a prosecution was authorised was framed so as to breach the accused’s human rights was to … Continue reading Regina v Director of Public Prosecutions, ex parte Kebilene and others: HL 28 Oct 1999
The applicants alleged a violation of Article 6-1 and 3 (c) in that they had been interviewed by the police without access to a lawyer and that the evidence obtained from those interviews was used at their respective trials. Held: As to the first three claimants: ‘the applicants, not the prosecution, brought the safety interview … Continue reading Ibrahim And Others v The United Kingdom: ECHR 16 Dec 2014
Arrested Person must be told basis of the Arrest Police officers appealed against a finding of false imprisonment. The plaintiff had been arrested under the 1921 Act, but this provided no power of arrest (which the appellant knew). The officers might lawfully have arrested the plaintiff for the felony of stealing a bale of cloth, … Continue reading Christie v Leachinsky: HL 25 Mar 1947
A Zairese national living in Paris, went to the airport to collect, as he said, a parcel of foodstuffs sent from Africa. He could not find this, but was shown a locked trunk, which he was advised to leave alone. He however took possession of it, . .
Under the 2009 Order, the appellant Bank’s UK operations had been shut down. It appealed against the Order, but the respondent had brought evidence, closed save to the respondent, and the order had been confirmed.
Held: The bank’s appeal . .
