Police spies infiltrated UK leftwing groups for decades – The Guardian

‘Police deployed 24 undercover officers to infiltrate a small leftwing political party over a 37-year period, the Guardian can reveal. The police spies infiltrated the Socialist Workers party (SWP) almost continuously between 1970 and 2007, often with more than one undercover officer embedded within the party.’

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The Guardian, 15th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

HMRC seizes assets from almost 3,000 businesses as government ramps up pressure on late tax payment – The Independent

Posted October 15th, 2018 in assets recovery, debts, HM Revenue & Customs, news, repayment, statistics, taxation by tracey

‘HM Revenue and Customs seized assets from 2,833 businesses last year as the government ramps up pressure on firms not paying tax on time. The number of firms facing asset seizures jumped 45 per cent from 2016/17 and has increased more than fourfold since 2014/15.’

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The Independent, 15th October 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Parents ‘weaponising’ domestic violence orders, claims charity – The Guardian

‘The number of non-molestation orders – issued by courts to prevent domestic abuse – has rocketed by 37% over the past five years because they are being exploited to secure legal aid, according to the charity Families Needs Fathers.’

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The Guardian, 15th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Plans to stop house buyers being ‘exploited’ by ripoff leases delayed, almost a year after government promise – The Independent

Posted October 15th, 2018 in consultations, housing, leases, news, rent by tracey

‘Flagship plans to stop house buyers being “exploited” by ripoff leases have been delayed, nearly a year after the government vowed to act.’

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The Independent, 14th October 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Supreme Court finds NHS trust liable for misleading info provided by receptionists – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 12th, 2018 in duty of care, hospitals, medical treatment, news by sally

‘An NHS trust was liable for incomplete and misleading information provided by two receptionists in its accident and emergency department, the Supreme Court has ruled, overturning a Court of Appeal majority decision.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th October 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘Out of control’: prison watchdog warns of synthetic drug crisis – The Guardian

Posted October 12th, 2018 in death in custody, drug abuse, news, prisons by sally

‘An epidemic of synthetic drugs in prisons is “completely out of control” and the “new normal”, a prison deaths watchdog has warned, as signs emerge that the impact is spreading to immigration removal centres and bail hostels.’

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The Guardian, 11th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Council loses Supreme Court battle over HMO licence conditions – Local Government Lawyer

‘Nottingham City Council has lost a Supreme Court case over whether it was right to prohibit the use of two attics as bedrooms.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th October 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

New law could force employers to reveal race pay gap figures – The Guardian

Posted October 12th, 2018 in employment, minorities, news, remuneration by sally

‘Employers could be obliged to release their race pay gap statistics under new plans to be unveiled by Theresa May to increase ethnic minority representation in the workplace.’

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The Guardian, 11th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mau Mau action with 40,000 claimants in doubt after CA refuses permission to appeal test case – Litigation Futures

Posted October 12th, 2018 in appeals, class actions, colonies, Kenya, limitations, news, personal injuries, torture by sally

‘The future of litigation being brought on behalf of more than 40,000 claimants in the so-called Mau Mau case is in doubt after the Court of Appeal refused permission to hear an appeal against a decision to dismiss the first test case.’

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Litigation Futures, 10th October 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

What does the Proposal to Introduce Trial-by-Video Link Mean for Justice? – Rights Info

‘The government’s plans for court modernisation, under Her Majesty’s Courts, Tribunals Service Reform Programme (HMCTS), include the development of fully-video hearings, where all parties join via electronic links and no one is in a courtroom.’

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Rights Info, 9th October 2018

Source: rightsinfo.org

Woman homeless after terrorism offences loses High Court challenge over housing – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 12th, 2018 in homelessness, housing, human rights, local government, news, terrorism by sally

‘A woman who had become homeless while imprisoned for terrorism offences did not have her human rights breached by the London Borough of Brent in its decisions on housing her and her children, the High Court has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th October 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Government and SRA work to build BAME trust in solicitors – Legal Futures

‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is working with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to build greater trust in solicitors among black and minority ethnic (BAME) people in custody.’

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Legal Futures, 11th October 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Council leader calls for judicial review challenge over Lower Thames Crossing – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 12th, 2018 in consultations, local government, news, planning, roads by sally

‘The Leader of Thurrock Council is to call on his fellow councillors to back a judicial review challenge over the planned Lower Thames Crossing.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th October 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Stalker who bought fake pregnancy belly facing jail after malicious campaign – Daily Telegraph

‘A “deeply manipulative” stalker boasted online about concocting a “super duper defence” before claiming in court that she had been kidnapped and raped by an MI5 agent.’

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Daily Telegraph, 11th October 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Karen White: how ‘manipulative’ transgender inmate attacked again – The Guardian

Posted October 12th, 2018 in news, prisons, sexual offences, transgender persons by sally

‘Transgender politics – like any politics – can be divisive. Yet in the case of Karen White, who is legally still a man but was put in a female-only prison, both sides of the transgender rights debate are united in the belief mistakes were made.’

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The Guardian, 11th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Baker’s refusal to bake gay marriage cake not direct discrimination – OUT-LAW.com

‘A Christian bakery’s refusal to bake a cake iced with a message supportive of same sex marriage was not direct discrimination, the UK’s highest court has ruled.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 11th October 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Home Office agrees to inquiry into immigrant abuse allegations – The Guardian

Posted October 12th, 2018 in assault, detention, immigration, inquiries, news by sally

‘The Home Office has agreed to carry out an independent and far-reaching inquiry into alleged abusive treatment of immigrants held in UK detention centres after being threatened with legal proceedings.’

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The Guardian, 11th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Senior judges could get pay rise of up to £60,000 – BBC News

Posted October 12th, 2018 in judiciary, news, remuneration by sally

‘Senior judges in England and Wales could be set for pay rises of up to 32% if recommendations made by the Senior Salaries Review Body are accepted.’

Failure to disclose vital evidence in criminal cases growing, says watchdog – The Guardian

‘Failure to disclose vital evidence is the biggest single cause of miscarriages of justice and the problem is getting worse, the outgoing chairman of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has said.’

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The Guardian, 11th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Jack Simson Caird: Taking Back Control: Brexit, Parliament and the Rule of Law – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted October 11th, 2018 in brexit, constitutional law, news, parliament, rule of law by sally

‘Over the next six months of the Brexit process, the UK Parliament will make a number of decisions that will have a profound impact on the UK’s constitution and its legal systems. In a Bingham Centre for the Rule Law Report published this week, The Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration: A Preliminary Rule of Law Analysis, we argue that the next six months represents a major test for the Rule of Law in the UK.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 10th October 2018

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org