Feb 1, 2019 06:25 PM
Cutting speedboat killer Jack Shepherd's legal aid could encourage other criminals to flee Britain, says Justice Secretary David Gauke
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...ee-UK.html
EXCERPT: Stopping speedboat killer Jack Shepherd's legal aid could encourage more criminals to flee the UK and evade justice, an MP has warned. Jack Shepherd, who killed 24-year-old Charlotte Brown, while drunkenly showing off in his speedboat on the Thames, fled the country before standing trial because he was 'too cowardly' to face her family in court.
He was convicted in his absence and sentenced to six years. Despite being on the run, he was awarded thousands of pounds in legal aid to appeal. There was public outcry that a convicted killer, who did not attend his court case, was able from his hiding place to take taxpayers’ money to stage a second hearing. The Justice Secretary last month ordered an investigation into the loophole.
But he has now said that denying the convicted killer tens of thousands of pounds in legal aid could lead to other criminals leaving the country ahead of their trial. He claims criminals who flee and are subsequently denied legal aid may not bother to return to the UK if they had no rights to appeal their case....
MORE: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...ee-UK.html
Unprepared companies face serious problems after no deal Brexit
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britai...KKCN1PQ4OL
EXCERPT: Dutch companies could face serious problems if they don’t prepare for a no-deal Brexit, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday. “Companies should not be naive and count on things to work out alright,” Rutte said at his weekly news conference. “If March 29 comes without a deal, unprepared companies will have a serious problem.”
[...] About 35,000 Dutch companies have no experience in customs procedures, while just 18 percent of businesses said in a recent government poll they are ready for Brexit. Nearly 950 customs officials are being hired in the Netherlands to handle the extra work arising from Brexit, most of them to work at the port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest.
The Dutch Food Authority on Friday said dozens of veterinarians from across the European Union are taking crash courses in Dutch to ensure the Netherlands has enough inspectors for a no-deal Brexit. [...] Roughly 100 are veterinarians being hired to handle livestock inspections after Britain leaves the EU and its huge single market on March 29. The Dutch imported 237 million euros of British meat in 2017. “Britain will be considered an outside country requiring more stringent checks than goods coming from member states which do not need additional certification,” De Jonge said....
MORE: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britai...KKCN1PQ4OL
Fury as EU brands Gibraltar a 'colony' of the UK in draft laws to give Britons visa-free travel after Brexit
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...-laws.html
SUMMARY POINTS: EU rules on post-Brexit travel published today describe Gibraltar as a 'colony'. Downing Street swiftly slapped down the 'completely inappropriate' language. Britain is powerless to delete the phrase as it is a post-Brexit EU law on visas. Calling Gibraltar a colony makes no legal difference to the rights of people there.
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EU description of Gibraltar as British 'colony' is result of May 'trying to reopen Brexit deal'
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po...58741.html
EXCERPT: The EU’s provocative description of Gibraltar as a “colony” is the result of Theresa May’s attempt to “appease” her own MPs over Brexit, it has been claimed. A Labour MP said the row – after Brussels adopted Spain’s term in legislation to cope with a no-deal exit – was the “inevitable consequence” of the prime minister’s bid to reopen her divorce deal.
Downing Street, which has condemned the move, nevertheless admitted Ms May had previously warned that Spain could exploit any attempt to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement. “The prime minister has previously cited, in the Commons that, if the withdrawal agreement is reopened, others may seek to raise these issues,” her spokesman told The Independent.
The 300-year Anglo-Spanish dispute over Gibraltar has blown up again after the EU agreed a footnote to a proposed EU law to provide visa-free access to UK nationals if the UK leaves without a deal. “Gibraltar is a colony of the British Crown,” said the text, approved by the European Council of the 27 EU members. There is a controversy between Spain and the UK concerning the sovereignty over Gibraltar, a territory for which a solution has to be reached in light of the relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly of the United Nations.”
It comes after an ally of Angela Merkel warned that several controversies – also including fishing rights and the UK’s divorce bill – would also be reignited by a reopening of the withdrawal treaty...
MORE: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po...58741.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...ee-UK.html
EXCERPT: Stopping speedboat killer Jack Shepherd's legal aid could encourage more criminals to flee the UK and evade justice, an MP has warned. Jack Shepherd, who killed 24-year-old Charlotte Brown, while drunkenly showing off in his speedboat on the Thames, fled the country before standing trial because he was 'too cowardly' to face her family in court.
He was convicted in his absence and sentenced to six years. Despite being on the run, he was awarded thousands of pounds in legal aid to appeal. There was public outcry that a convicted killer, who did not attend his court case, was able from his hiding place to take taxpayers’ money to stage a second hearing. The Justice Secretary last month ordered an investigation into the loophole.
But he has now said that denying the convicted killer tens of thousands of pounds in legal aid could lead to other criminals leaving the country ahead of their trial. He claims criminals who flee and are subsequently denied legal aid may not bother to return to the UK if they had no rights to appeal their case....
MORE: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...ee-UK.html
Unprepared companies face serious problems after no deal Brexit
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britai...KKCN1PQ4OL
EXCERPT: Dutch companies could face serious problems if they don’t prepare for a no-deal Brexit, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday. “Companies should not be naive and count on things to work out alright,” Rutte said at his weekly news conference. “If March 29 comes without a deal, unprepared companies will have a serious problem.”
[...] About 35,000 Dutch companies have no experience in customs procedures, while just 18 percent of businesses said in a recent government poll they are ready for Brexit. Nearly 950 customs officials are being hired in the Netherlands to handle the extra work arising from Brexit, most of them to work at the port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest.
The Dutch Food Authority on Friday said dozens of veterinarians from across the European Union are taking crash courses in Dutch to ensure the Netherlands has enough inspectors for a no-deal Brexit. [...] Roughly 100 are veterinarians being hired to handle livestock inspections after Britain leaves the EU and its huge single market on March 29. The Dutch imported 237 million euros of British meat in 2017. “Britain will be considered an outside country requiring more stringent checks than goods coming from member states which do not need additional certification,” De Jonge said....
MORE: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britai...KKCN1PQ4OL
Fury as EU brands Gibraltar a 'colony' of the UK in draft laws to give Britons visa-free travel after Brexit
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...-laws.html
SUMMARY POINTS: EU rules on post-Brexit travel published today describe Gibraltar as a 'colony'. Downing Street swiftly slapped down the 'completely inappropriate' language. Britain is powerless to delete the phrase as it is a post-Brexit EU law on visas. Calling Gibraltar a colony makes no legal difference to the rights of people there.
- - -
EU description of Gibraltar as British 'colony' is result of May 'trying to reopen Brexit deal'
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po...58741.html
EXCERPT: The EU’s provocative description of Gibraltar as a “colony” is the result of Theresa May’s attempt to “appease” her own MPs over Brexit, it has been claimed. A Labour MP said the row – after Brussels adopted Spain’s term in legislation to cope with a no-deal exit – was the “inevitable consequence” of the prime minister’s bid to reopen her divorce deal.
Downing Street, which has condemned the move, nevertheless admitted Ms May had previously warned that Spain could exploit any attempt to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement. “The prime minister has previously cited, in the Commons that, if the withdrawal agreement is reopened, others may seek to raise these issues,” her spokesman told The Independent.
The 300-year Anglo-Spanish dispute over Gibraltar has blown up again after the EU agreed a footnote to a proposed EU law to provide visa-free access to UK nationals if the UK leaves without a deal. “Gibraltar is a colony of the British Crown,” said the text, approved by the European Council of the 27 EU members. There is a controversy between Spain and the UK concerning the sovereignty over Gibraltar, a territory for which a solution has to be reached in light of the relevant resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly of the United Nations.”
It comes after an ally of Angela Merkel warned that several controversies – also including fishing rights and the UK’s divorce bill – would also be reignited by a reopening of the withdrawal treaty...
MORE: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po...58741.html