Police take legal action against former officer who had child with activist – The Guardian

‘Police chiefs are taking legal action against one of their former undercover officers who fathered a child during his covert infiltration of leftwing groups and then abandoned him.’

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The Guardian, 14th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Later rule changes cannot validate earlier pension increases, rules court – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 15th, 2019 in appeals, news, pensions, retrospectivity by sally

‘Pension trustees have not been allowed to justify an increase pension contributions with rule changes that happened two years later. The Court of Appeal in the UK has ruled that trustees cannot use rule changes from 1993 to rectify mistakes made in 1991.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 15th May 2019

Source: www.out-law.com

New Judgment: R (Privacy International) v Investigatory Powers Tribunal & Ors [2019] UKSC 22 – UKSC Blog

‘Inter alia, The Supreme Court held, by a majority, that the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, s 67(8) did not “oust” the supervisory jurisdiction of the High Court to quash a decision of the IPT for error of law. Following authority, it was clear that the drafter of s 67(8) would have had no doubt that a determination vitiated by any error of law, jurisdictional or not, was to be treated as no determination at all, and so could not be ousted. The plain words of the subsection must yield to the principle that such a clause will not protect a decision that is legally invalid, as there is a common law presumption against ousting the High Court’s jurisdiction.’

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UKSC Blog, 15th May 2019

Source: ukscblog.com

‘We want to make it more accessible’: a guide to the new-look bar course – The Guardian

Posted May 15th, 2019 in barristers, fees, inns of court, internet, legal education, news, statistics by sally

‘The exam for barrister trainees could be about to change. Here’s all students need to know about the planned new course.’

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The Guardian, 14th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge rejects claims by parish that nuns conspired to provide district council with false information to secure planning permission – Local Government Lawyer

‘A High Court judge has rejected claims made by a parish council that an international congregation of nuns conspired to provide false information to a district council in order to obtain planning permission for a former school site.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th May 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

New Judgment: R (DA & Ors) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; R (DS & Ors) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2019] UKSC 21 – UKSC Blog

Posted May 15th, 2019 in appeals, benefits, children, equality, families, news, proportionality, Supreme Court by sally

‘This appeal considered whether the application of the revised benefit cap, introduced by the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016, s 8, to lone parents with children under two years old (i) unlawfully discriminates against parents and/or the children, contrary to ECHR, art 14 with art 8, and/or art 2 of the First Protocol and in breach of the UK’s international obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, art 3, and/or (ii) is irrelevant.’

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UKSC Blog, 15th May 2019

Source: ukscblog.com

The socio-economic duty: A powerful idea hidden in plain sight in the Equality Act – Oxford Human Rights Hub

‘Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010 asks public authorities to actively consider the way in which their policies and their most strategic decisions can increase or decrease inequalities. I am talking about the socio-economic duty. However, successive governments since 2010 have failed to commence it, to bring it to life in technical terms, which means that public authorities are not technically bound by Section 1.’

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Oxford Human Rights Hub, 15th May 2019

Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk

Tommy Robinson: high court gives go-ahead for new contempt case – The Guardian

‘Two high court judges have said fresh proceedings can be brought against Tommy Robinson for alleged contempt of court over the filming of people involved in a criminal trial.’

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The Guardian, 14th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Payday loan complaints reach five year high – BBC News

‘Complaints against payday lenders have soared to a five year high, the industry watchdog has said.’

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BBC News, 15th May 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Number of British paedophiles may be far higher than thought – The Guardian

‘The number of Britons with a sexual interest in children may be seven times higher than previously thought, the head of the National Crime Agency has said.’

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The Guardian, 14th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Article 9 ECHR & promotion of religious views by employees: Kuteh – Law & Religion UK

‘ In Kuteh v Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust [2019] EWCA Civ 818, the Claimant was a nursing sister employed by the Trust. She was a “committed Christian”; and in March and April 2016, staff in her department told her superiors that patients had been complaining that when they were being assessed by Mrs Kuteh she had been raising matters of religion and faith with them. One patient complained that she had been asked “what she thought Easter was about”, another that he had been asked what he thought being a Christian meant and a third, about to undergo major surgery for bowel cancer, that she had told him that if he prayed to God he would have a better chance of survival. In the end, she was dismissed: she lost her claim in the Employment Tribunal and, in an unreported judgment, the Employment Appeal Tribunal held that the grounds for an appeal to it were unarguable and dismissed her appeal from the ET’s decision[1]. [For the detailed background, see Mrs S Kuteh v Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (England and Wales: Unfair Dismissal) [2017] UKET 2302764/2016.]’

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Law & Religion UK, 14th May 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Appeal throws out Post Office bid to replace judge – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 15th, 2019 in appeals, bias, class actions, damages, judges, news, postal service, recusal by sally

‘In a scathing 17-page judgment, the Court of Appeal has thrown out an attempt by the Post Office to appeal a judge’s refusal to recuse himself from group litigation on the grounds of bias. Ruling in Post Office Limited v Alan Bates & Ors, the Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Coulson said that the recusal application ‘never had any substance and was rightly rejected by the judge’.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 14th May 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Family President to issue guidance to courts on secure accommodation placements and statutory regime – Local Government Lawyer

‘The President of the Family Division has said he will issue practice guidance to the courts before the end of July so that more can be done to bring secure accommodation placements within the statutory regulatory scheme.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th May 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Omar Ashfaq jailed for leaving ‘violent footage’ in shoes at mosques – BBC News

Posted May 15th, 2019 in Islam, news, sentencing, terrorism, video recordings by sally

‘A man who left USB sticks containing terrorist propaganda inside shoes at six mosques in England has been jailed.’

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BBC News, 14th May 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

First county lines drug dealing gang jailed using modern slavery laws – Daily Telegraph

‘Three drug dealers have become the first gang to be jailed under modern slavery laws for using children to traffic crack cocaine and heroin in so-called county lines operations.’

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Daily Telegraph, 14th May 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

High Court hears judicial review challenge over proposed closure of day care centre – Local Government Lawyer

‘The High Court in Leeds is this week (13-14) hearing a judicial review challenge to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council’s decision to close a day care centre for adults with learning disabilities.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th May 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Phone and broadband firms to be forced to tell customers if they could be on cheaper deals under new Ofcom rules – Daily Telegraph

‘Broadband, TV, mobile and home phone companies will have to tell customers when their contract is coming to an end and show them the best deals available under new rules unveiled by Ofcom.

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Daily Telegraph, 15th May 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Military prosecutions: ‘Unfair’ investigations to be barred – BBC News

‘British troops and veterans will be given stronger legal protections against prosecution, Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt will announce.’

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BBC News, 15th May 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bullying and sexual harassment rife among lawyers, global survey finds – The Guardian

‘Bullying and sexual harassment are rife in the legal profession, according to a global survey that identifies Britain as somewhere such behaviour is prevalent.’

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The Guardian, 15th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com