February 2008

Medvedev campaigns Musharraf-style

February 29, 2008

According to the Guardian he’s hoping for a late surge, by copying the campaign technique of the Pakistani President. Let’s hope he meets with similar success!

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Atkins v Coyle Personnel

February 29, 2008

Something else I missed last week was this interesting Employment Appeal Tribunal case, dealing with the fairness of a dismissal during paternity leave. I spotted it because of a note posted at Lexology by Louise Fernandes of Field Fisher Waterhouse. I’m a bit concerned about this ruling. Surely but for the paternity leave, the employee [...]

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Case 2/06 Willy Kempter: reopening decisions in the light of ECJ judgments

February 29, 2008

EU Law Blog has an interesting post about this case, which more or less says anyone can get an administrative decision reopened and changed following a subsequent ECJ judgment that shows it’s wrong: the only limit is that member states can lay down reasonable time limits for applying for a reopening, in the interests of [...]

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Iain Dale on the flounce-out

February 27, 2008

He wasn’t impressed by yesterday’s Lib Dem performance.

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Dominic Grieve’s dodgy French

February 27, 2008

It’s Groundhog Day again, as I watch yet more debate on the EU (Amendment) Bill. Early this afternoon the debate was about climate change and the environment, and was blissfully light on Europaranoia. But this evening Dominic Grieve, shadow Attorney General, whose French is very good, nonetheless is making a fool of himself. He’s quoting [...]

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FOI bites: ouch!

February 27, 2008

This is the week the Freedom of Information Act 2000 finally bit: politicians and the public now know it’s not simply a joke but can force previously confidential information to be released. There have been two important rulings: the Information Tribunal’s decision that details of MPs’s expenses should be disclosed; and the Information Commissioner’s decision [...]

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S and Marper v United Kingdom: hearing

February 27, 2008

This morning the European Court of Human Rights heard this case, about the UK’s DNA database: Messrs. S and Marper argue that keeping their DNA on the database is in breach of their rights under article 8 of the ECHR to respect for their private lives (because it’s an unnecessary, disproportionate intrusion of their privacy) [...]

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Lisbon Treaty debate: Lib Dems flounce out

February 26, 2008

The interminable and frustrating debate on the Lisbon was livened up this afternoon by a major spat between the Liberal Democrats and the Deputy Speaker, Sir Michael Lord. Ed Davey was unhappy I think that a Lib Dem amendment hadn’t been selected by the speaker; he tried making a point of order, was ruled against [...]

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Security versus freedom: cheering Aaronovitch, quibbling with Pannick

February 26, 2008

Regular readers will know I quite often disagree with with what David Pannick writes in the Times; I also find myself often agreeing with David Aaronovitch who writes in the same paper. Well, this week my reactions are more or less as per usual. First, David Aaronovitch on a national DNA database. It’s not so [...]

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Chaudhry: victory not far off

February 25, 2008

As I said to Charon in his weekly review yesterday, it’s time I blogged again about Pakistan. The outcome of the elections means the next government is almost certain to be a coalition between the Pakistan People’s Party, formerly led by Benazir Bhutto, and Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (N), together with one of more [...]

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