The UK's Never Ending Trouble With Personal Injury Fraud

The UK government intends to stop the addition of a £90 motor insurance premium by increasing the small claims court's compensation limit from £1000 to £5000.

The proposal, according to Chancellor George Osborne, will end the "British whiplash epidemic." The "epidemic" had made the UK well-known across Europe as the continent's "whiplash capital".

According to GP Dr. Sarah Jarvis, people who make a whiplash injury claim know they immediately get compensation. However, she said the new proposal of putting forward whiplash injuries and other vehicular personal injuries below £5000in the small claims court will leave those truly debilitated by severe whiplash injuries will not receive proper recompense.

Whiplash injuries are common soft-tissue injuries suffered in the neck during a car collision. As it may tear ligaments and nerves, it may cause nausea and disorientation a few days or even weeks after the injury.

The UK Treasury said compensation paid out for whiplash personal injuries are "out of all proportion to any genuine injury suffered."

The Law Society quickly criticised the proposal. The organisation said victims who will represent themselves in the small claims court have insufficient legal advice. It added that victims who suffer severe soft tissue injuries including facial scarring can only receive less than £5000 when they can still claim more than £10,000 for emotional and psychological damages.

Snooper's Charter In UK Could Have Dire Consequences

Apple CEO Tim Cook, clearly on the opposing side of the Snooper's Charter to be introduced to the United Kingdom, raised his concerns. He said the public telecommunications service had expanded its definition from Internet service providers to technology companies and telecommunications providers, namely those with email and messaging services including Apple, Google and even Facebook.

Impossible to Reveal Encryptions

Cook's concern comes from the legitimisation of bulk interception from Internet providers, wherein they force ISPs to provide customer information and other sensitive data for up to 12 months until they are destroyed.

However, Apple's Message's app does not rely on manual encryption, but rather end-to-end encryption where only the sender and the receiver can read the messages. This makes it impossible for Apple to reveal the encrypted messages as demanded by the Snooper's Charter.

A Backdoor For Everyone

In turn, Cook said that anybody who discovers a backdoor to the encryptions, let alone allowing Apple itself to have a backdoor, will allow anyone to have a backdoor to every UK person's privacy.

Despite the safety it helps to bring down terrorists and find information about them, a backdoor would destroy the privacy and reveal sensitive information at a whim.

Meanwhile, Apple has not indicated what steps it would take should the bill become law.

Why Are Those Hoverboards So Controversial In the United Kingdom?

Those hoverboards look cool even though they're not really hoverboards. If you've seen Back to the Future, you'd say I'm saying hoverboards look like what Lexus attempted to do. But I digress.

The trouble is, authorities don't like you using your £400 hoverboard on public roads and mall authorities are likely to tell you the same thing.

Then you ask them, what's the big deal? They're just skateboards with engines.

It's those engines, apparently.

In the UK

Currently, UK law does not permit the use of electric skateboards and other wheeled devices in public roads and properties. Considered as personal transportation, anything that goes beyond the speed of 4mph is to have its own insurance safeguards.

Well, nobody designed electric-skateboard type of insurance policies. But you do get a warranty from the shop. But that's not the point.

"You can only ride an unregistered self-balancing scooter on land which is private property and with the landowner's permission," according to CPS guidelines, citing a 180-year-old law. In Scotland, they are illegal under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.

Bloody ridiculous.

In California

So why is it that Californians are allowed to ride their hoverboards anywhere they want? Well, they have nothing against personal transportation travelling at speeds further than 4mph.

Signed the same time on Sunday when the London Met banned us all from fun travels to the mall and back, the Californian law allows hoverboards to ride as it  disables a ban on motorised skateboards and personal transporation from the 1970s deeming it outdated.

The 70s law stated it was petrol-powered motors, which made it illegal.

Wow. That 180-year-old law sure is young.

Lawyers Plead To Reconsider Closing Chichester Combined Court

The UK's busiest court is scheduled for closure. Lawyers from West Sussex plead with Lord Chancellor Michael Gove to repeal the shutdown of the Chichester Combined Court.

Chichester Combined Court is the only Crown court in West Sussex. Local lawyers along with England and Wales had protested with responses to the Ministry of Justice consultation and expressed their views regarding the 91 courts scheduled for closure.

The Ministry of Justice listed 91 courts whose infrastructures included disabled access, security troubles, cramped waiting areas and poor sanitation facilities. The Chichester Combined Court was built in 1930 and had increased overhead costs despite lax improvement of facilities. The cost to operate the Chichester Combined Court amounted to £274,000 by 2014-2015.

The 800,000 population of West Sussex would need to travel from Chichester to Hastings to have their case heard. The court was near the city's railway station. Despite encouragement by MoJ staff that travel times would be shorter, Chichester Pallant Chambers Representative Bill Emerson considers them inaccurate because it disregards the fact that Sussex residents would have to travel during peak hours.

Chichester District Law Society President Jayne Fildes blames increased property prices in Chichester and the value of the city centre court site were bigger issues rather than the bustling court-work the court achieves. 

Legal Aid Head's Pay Rise An 'Insult' To All Solicitors

The MOJ's decision to drop legal aid had solicitors see their fees fall by 17.5% in the previous year. Meanwhile, the head of Legal Aid, Matthew Coats, had increased. Legal aid lawyers have become infuriated at his salary, bonus and pension package of up to £225,000 this year.

Matthew Coats is the chief executive of the Legal Aid Agency. His combined salary, bonuses and pension benefits have increased from £195,000 to £200,000 in 2014. This year, his salary had increased from £220,000 to £225,000. His salary appears in the LAA's annual report where his basic salary is just £140,000 and he had received up to £15,000 in bonuses and £65,000 in pension-related benefits.

Coats is also responsible as the Director General of Corporate Services at the Ministry of Justice.

Despite the protests against the large reductions to criminal legal aid fees, the Ministry of Justice pushed through with its latest round of cuts to legal aid.

London Criminal Courts Solicitors' Association Jonathan Black said:

“This is an insult to those members of the profession who work late nights in police stations at reduced rates and who are facing job insecurity.

“As solicitors consider ... taking the most drastic of all steps to ensure that access to justice is not completely destroyed, the MoJ once again excel themselves by insensitively announcing the pay increase of £20k to the chief executive of the LAA, Matthew Coats, whose [income] will now reach an eye-watering £225,000 per annum.

“We are told that the austerity measures mean that everyone must experience cuts ... No legal aid lawyer should earn more than the prime minister [but] Mr Coats’ salary equates to the salary of 10 solicitors made redundant as a result of the recent cuts.

“He has marshalled through a policy that means many ordinary middle earners would have to struggle to pay for their own representation, even if exonerated, and advice centres close down. Perhaps if he and his colleagues had listened to the legal professions and implemented other ways of making savings there might not be so much anger, but at £225,000, we clearly have the most expensive civil servants in Europe.”

Animal Welfare Activists To Stage Rallies Against Foxhunting Law

The new amends on foxhunting in England and Wales faces fire against animal welfare activists with several British celebrities including Ricky Gervais, Morrissey, Sadie Frost and Stella McCartney. The celebrities had called on MPs to keep th foxhunting ban intact.

The Scottish National Party also condemns the proposed amends in the foxhunting law as they vote against an issue not directly involving Scotland. The SNP is to join the Labour Party to rally against Tory MPs considering the amends.

SNP Westminster Leader Angus Robertson said the party is trying to send a clear message to the "arrogant" Government as disputes continue over proposals to hand MPs south of the border a veto over English-only law.

Robertson explained the SNP's decision to vote against the issue:

"We totally oppose fox hunting, and when there are moves in the Scottish Parliament to review whether the existing Scottish ban is strong enough, it is in the Scottish interest to maintain the existing ban in England and Wales for Holyrood to consider," he said.

"We are in a situation where the Tory government are refusing to agree to any amendments to improve the Scotland Bill - which are supported by 58 of Scotland's 59 MPs - and imposing English Votes for English Laws to make Scotland's representation at Westminster second class.

"In these circumstances, it is right and proper on fox hunting by voting with Labour against the Tories' proposals to relax the ban - in the process, reminding an arrogant UK government of just how slender their majority is - just as we will vote against the Tory welfare cuts next week, and appeal to Labour to join us."

Campaigners worry about the proposed changes to the Hunting Act to bring England and Wales into line with Scotland as it intends to make use of dogs to flush out sport.

Fox hunting with dogs is illegal across Britain and only legal in England if only two dogs are used to flush out the target. In Scotland, an unlimited number of dogs could be used.

Celebrities such as Queen Guitarist Brian will rally with others outside Parliament as their "Team Fox" Coalition of animal welfare groups will continue to urge the MPs to keep the ban intact.

Signs Of Misogyny? Christian Couple Decides To Divorce If Gays Can Marry

A Christian couple in Australia announced that they will divorce once gay marriage is approved in Australia.

According to a write up by Nick Jensen for the Canberra City News:

"My wife and I just celebrated our 10-year anniversary. But later this year, we may be getting a divorce. Why? Marriage is the union of a man and a woman before a community in the sight of God and it is not subject to human invention.”

He further said that if the Australian parliament approves gay marriage in Australia, they no longer “wish to be associated” with the new definition.

Jensen’s post stirred the criticism of many Australians and international readers, who took issue with the CCN for having it as a cover story.

Meanwhile, many praised the post not because of its perspective but due to the fact that gay marriage can push forward reading a “stupid” article.

CCN responded to stirred readers by saying that the article does not reflect the opinion of the paper and the editor believes “it had an interesting angle that made it newsworthy”.

Utah Legal Move Could Create Great Impact On Contact Lens Industry

Price-fixing for contact lenses is now outlawed. According to the Utah local government, the new law would ensure that the new company, 1-800 Contacts, would thrive as it aims to sell contact lenses at lower prices.

Proper intentions are seen behind the law, Steve DelBianco, the executive director of Netchoice, said that it was good for customers.

That's good for consumers, who pay less for their lenses when they buy from Utah suppliers," he said.

However, other contact lens manufacturers disagree because it could drive down the value of their products.

Utah’s contact lens market is at $4 billion and has a total of 38 million American customers. 

1-800 Contacts makes about 10% of the national market. Without minimum prices, it could make customer service better for discount shops. However, it would mean purchasing contact lenses without the help of an eye specialist to ensure the results of the product.

The law may also be unfair to contact lens manufacturers because legal action could be taken against them if they refuse to sell the product to a retailer who sells it at a lower price.

UK Revenge Porn Now Punishable By Two Years

The revenge porn law, which has now come in effect in the United Kingdom, will protect men, women and possibly children whose explicit sexual content had spread over the internet without their authorisation. The revenge porn law will carry a penalty of up to two years imprisonment.

Officially, the law describes the crime as “posting private, sexual images of someone without consent and with the intent to cause distress.”

However, this is truly not enough to protect those whose lives could possibly be destroyed by revenge pornography.

About 146 cases gathered from nine police stations in England and Wales indicate that most of the cases involved women and children as young as 14-years-old. 

Suspects often send the sexually-explicit content online through email and social networks.

The crime is not limited to posting images

The Criminal Justice and Court Act, which enacted the law today, increases the allowable sentence for “trolling” online. An abusive message with the clear “intent to cause distress or anxiety” could earn up to two years of imprisonment as well.

New Spanish Security Law Imperils Spanish Freedom of Expression

A controversial new law the Spanish senate had voted has caused a global uproar about the status of freedom of expression in the country. Today, Spanish public security laws crack down on protests by implementing stricter guidelines about when and where gatherings and protests could commence and fining officers with illegal protests.

The legislation includes fines of €600 if they fail to notify authorities about their demonstrations in public areas. The fines could reach up to €30,000 that could cause “serious disturbances of public safety” near parliament or Spanish government buildings. It could also reach €600,000 if it disrupts nuclear power plants, refineries and telecommunications operations.

Greenpeace, charged with an illegal protest in a nuclear power plant in Valencia, spoke out against the legislation.

“It’s our right to express our opinion, to march to parliament, to go to nuclear power plants to say that they are dangerous or unfurl a banner on a building or street,” said Miguel Ángel Soto of the group.

According to The Platform in Defence of Freedom of Expression Virginia Perez, the legislation is unnecessary.

“This is one of the worst attacks on liberties that we’ve seen in Spain since the times of Franco,” she said.

Revenge Porn Is Now Illegal in England and Wales

Following atrocious cases of women “virtually raped” and harassed by explicit photographs of themselves with their ex-lovers, the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill will receive Royal Assent and become law. Offenders will face up to two years in jail.

Images and videos sent through social networks including Facebook and Twitter, and even those sent through MMS or SMS are also considered.

Scotland and Northern Ireland are considering to implement similar laws. The Scottish Government also announced its plans to consult on making revenge porn a offense with a category of its own.

In the UK alone, there are 30 revenge porn websites publishing thousands of individuals’ explicit photographs without their consent. Meanwhile, successfully removing one’s media from one revenge porn website isn’t enough as the media makes its way to other websites.

According to England and Wales Police Forces, 149 allegations of revenge porn had been made from January 2012 to July 2014. Six of these cases were met with police action.

According to Former Culture Secretary Maria Miller:

"By putting this in place the government has given young women the opportunity to protect themselves from their lives being blighted.

"When you speak to the victims of these crimes, many say that it feels as if you've been virtually raped.

"You can't underestimate the impact of having an image distributed to many people around the world."