‘Hidey hole’ paedophile case reviewed by police watchdog – BBC News

Posted January 30th, 2017 in children, false imprisonment, news, police, sexual grooming, sexual offences by sally

‘Claims authorities missed chances to stop a violent paedophile who kept one of his victims inside a “hidey hole” are to be probed by a watchdog.’

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BBC News, 27th January 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Perception of doors – Nearly Legal

‘The issue in this Upper Tribunal case was whether LB Southwark was entitled charge the leaseholders for works to replace communal doors and front entrance doors carried out during fire safety improvement works on the estate (some 10 block of flats).’

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Nearly Legal, 29th January 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

AI watchdog needed to regulate automated decision-making, say experts – The Guardian

‘An artificial intelligence watchdog should be set up to make sure people are not discriminated against by the automated computer systems making important decisions about their lives, say experts.’

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The Guardian, 27th January 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Defamation and data protection: hand-in-glove – Panopticon

Posted January 30th, 2017 in data protection, defamation, news, privacy, proportionality by sally

‘Suppose you publish a statement about me to which I object. Can I sue you for both defamation and data protection breaches based on the same set of facts? Or should that sort of ‘doubling up’ be prohibited as a disproportionate attempt to achieve the same objective in different ways?’

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Panopticon, 27th January 2017

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Schools relax term time holiday rules as one father’s case goes to the Supreme Court – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 30th, 2017 in appeals, education, fines, holidays, local government, news, school children, Supreme Court by sally

‘Term-time holidays are now being allowed by schools in many parts of the country after councils changed their policy fining parents.’

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Daily Telegraph, 30th January 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Football fan jailed for pushing man on to Tube track – BBC News

Posted January 30th, 2017 in grievous bodily harm, news, sentencing by sally

‘An England football fan has been jailed for 10 years for pushing a man on to live Tube tracks shortly before a train arrived.’

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BBC News, 27th January 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inquiry launched into UK gender laws amid fears over Brexit effect – The Guardian

‘A major review into the UK’s gender discrimination laws is to be launched amid fears a potential post-Brexit move towards a lower regulation economy could see protections eroded.’

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The Guardian, 30th January 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

R (on the application of Miller and another) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union – Blackstone Chambers

‘Following one of the most constitutionally significant legal challenges in a generation, the Supreme Court today handed down its judgment in the Article 50 Brexit appeal. By a majority of eight to three, the Justices held that the UK could not trigger Article 50 without an Act of Parliament. The Court also ruled that the UK Government was not compelled to consult the devolved institutions or obtain their approval to withdraw.’

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Blackstone Chambers, 24th January 2017

Source: www.blackstonechambers.com

Hackney LBC v Haque – Arden Chambers

Posted January 27th, 2017 in disabled persons, equality, homelessness, housing, local government, news by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has held that the four-stage approach to considering the public sector equality duty in s.149 Equality Act 2010 in Hotak v Southwark LBC [2015] UKSC 30; [2016] AC 811, is concerned only with vulnerability under s.189(1)(c) Housing Act 1996. In cases concerning suitability of accommodation, a review officer had to show (on a “stand-back” reading of the decision) recognition as to whether a homeless applicant had a disability and whether the accommodation was unsuitable having regard to that disability and its impact on the applicant compared to those without such a disability.’

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Arden Chambers, January 2017

Source: www.ardenchambers.com

Southwark LBC v Various Lessees of the St Saviours Estate – Arden Chambers

Posted January 27th, 2017 in fire, landlord & tenant, news, repairs by sally

‘The Upper Tribunal has held, in dismissing the authority’s appeal, that a front entrance or communal door within a block of flats is not in disrepair merely because it has been modified or replaced. A door, which was designed to provide 20 or 30 minutes’ fire resistance, will only cease to be in repair if there is evidence, following an assessment by an expert in fire resistance, that the physical condition of the door is such that it is no longer able to provide the same fire resistance as when originally constructed.’

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Arden Chambers, January 2017

Source: www.ardenchambers.com

Prince wins libel and DPA appeals – 5RB

Posted January 27th, 2017 in abuse of process, appeals, data protection, defamation, news by sally

‘Court of Appeal rules adding DPA inaccuracy claim to libel claim permissible; also finds for Prince on defamatory meaning.’

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5RB, 27th January 2017

Source: www.5rb.com

Dishonouring a Spiv – 4 KBW

Posted January 27th, 2017 in news, peerages & dignities, pensions by sally

‘The calls for Sir Philip Green to have his knighthood removed have been made strongly by both the press and by MPs – with Dennis Skinner referring to him pithily as a ‘billionaire spiv’. The former BHS owner has been subjected to strong criticism following the difficulties now being faced with respect to the retailers’ pension provisions. Sir Philip Green is said to have profited at BHS and its workers’ expense.’

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4 KBW, 3rd January 2017

Source: www.4kbw.net

Removing a witness from court in fraudulent claims – 4 KBW

Posted January 27th, 2017 in accidents, fraud, news, road traffic, witnesses by sally

‘Witnesses and parties are frequently being excluded from County Court sessions across the country when another witness or party is giving evidence in cases when there are accusations of collusion or fraud. The fear is that if Witness A hears the responses of Witness B, Witness A may shape his/her evidence to be consistent with that of Witness B in order to strengthen their case.’

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4 KBW, 5th January 2017

Source: www.4kbw.net

Brexit judgment: oil and water don’t mix – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Politics and the law were kept well apart in the Supreme Court’s adroit and erudite judgment in Miller.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 26th January 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Fixed costs would “encourage overseas competitors”, City lawyers warn Jackson – Litigation Futures

Posted January 27th, 2017 in costs, fees, news, proportionality by sally

‘City lawyers have warned Lord Justice Jackson that imposing fixed costs on commercial litigation would encourage “England’s competitors” at a time of uncertainty caused by Brexit.’

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Litigation Futures, 25th January 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Former banker ordered to hand over foreign pension income to ex-wife in landmark divorce ruling – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 27th, 2017 in divorce, financial provision, news, pensions by sally

‘former banker who blew his fortune on spread-betting was yesterday ordered to hand over income from a foreign pension to his ex-wife, in what lawyers said was a landmark ruling stopping divorcing spouses concealing assets offshore.’

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Daily Telegraph, 25th January 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Is the ‘legal highs’ ban working? – BBC News

Posted January 27th, 2017 in drug abuse, drug offences, news by sally

‘It is eight months since the British government banned the drugs that were known as “legal highs”.’

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BBC News, 25th January 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Fine firms for sexist dress rules, say MPs – BBC News

Posted January 27th, 2017 in employment, equality, fines, news, sex discrimination, women by sally

‘The government must enforce the law to ban sexist dress rules at work that discriminate against women, MPs say.’

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BBC News, 25th January 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judge orders release of woman jailed for non-payment of council tax – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 27th, 2017 in council tax, debts, imprisonment, news, sentencing by sally

‘A High Court judge has released a woman jailed for failing to pay council tax, saying she should not have been imprisoned.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th January 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Aarhus Convention update: Government still ignoring private nuisance claims – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted January 27th, 2017 in civil procedure rules, costs, judicial review, news, nuisance, planning by sally

‘In November 2016, the Government responded in rather disappointing terms (here) to a consultation about amending its costs rules in civil cases to reflect the requirements of the Aarhus Convention.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 26th January 2017

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com