Hallett urges ‘zero tolerance’ on sexual harassment – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A senior judge has called on all organisations to provide a mentor for employees affected by sexual harassment or discrimination. Lady Justice Hallett told an event celebrating women in the judiciary last night that many women who qualified in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s suffered sexual assault, discrimination and being patronised, but kept their heads down and hoped eventually their abilities would be recognised. They feared, “as some women today still fear”, they would be considered a trouble maker and their careers would suffer if they reported anyone.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 25th October 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Family of teenager who died from lethal ecstasy dose support drug legalisation – The Guardian

Posted October 28th, 2019 in bereavement, drug abuse, drug offences, families, news by tracey

‘A mother in Devon who prevented two young dealers that had sold her son lethal ecstasy tablets from going to jail has warned that home secretary Priti Patel’s vow to renew the “war on drugs” is doomed to fail.’

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The Guardian, 27th October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

NHS chiefs attempt to blacklist homeopathy amid anti-vax fears – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 28th, 2019 in medical treatment, medicines, news, statistics by tracey

‘NHS leaders have gone to war on homeopathy by attempting to have the practice blacklisted amid fears it is fuelling anti-vax propaganda. The chief executive and medical director of NHS England have written to the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), the statutory body that oversees healthcare regulation, urging it to strip accreditation from the Society of Homeopaths (SoH).’

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Daily Telegraph, 28th October 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Frozen eggs storage 10-year limit ‘should be changed’ – BBC News

Posted October 28th, 2019 in medical treatment, news, pregnancy, time limits by tracey

‘There is no scientific reason for the 10-year limit on storage of frozen eggs, which is forcing some women to destroy them before they are ready to become parents, say fertility experts. Under UK law, only eggs stored for medical reasons and premature infertility can be kept for longer. The regulator says any change would be a matter for parliament.’

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BBC News, 28th October 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Army’s ‘failure to learn’ from training heat deaths of ‘grave concern’, coroner rules – The Independent

Posted October 28th, 2019 in armed forces, coroners, health & safety, inquests, news by tracey

‘A coroner has pledged to write to the defence secretary after an inquest into the death of a soldier on a training exercise raised “grave concerns” over the army’s “ability to learn from previous mistakes”.’

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The Independent, 26th October 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Grenfell families must sign gagging orders to view report – Daily Telegraph

‘Grenfell families are to be required to sign non disclosure agreements before viewing a long-awaited report in to the fire which killed 72 people, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. The bereaved and survivors of the tragedy will tomorrow meet Sir Martin Moore-Bick, chairman of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, for a private briefing where they will receive an embargoed copy of the report covering the probe’s first phase, ahead of its publication on Wednesday.’

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Daily Telegraph, 27th October 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Rape victims face ‘culture of disbelief’ despite #MeToo movement, says commissioner – The Independent

‘People who are raped face a “culture of disbelief” when trying to obtain justice, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales has said. Dame Vera Baird QC said a combination of myths surrounding rape and a drop in the number of prosecutions, despite record volumes of cases being reported to police, meant many victims feel like they were unsupported by the criminal justice system.’

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The Independent, 27th October 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Boss of bogus law firm disqualified as director – Legal Futures

‘The head of a bogus solicitors’ firm has received a 10-year director’s disqualification for running the business with a total lack of integrity.’

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Legal Futures, 24th October 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Tanzil Chowdhury: Miller (No 2), the Principle-isation of Ministerial Accountability and Military Deployments – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘Has the court in Miller (No 2) done the very thing it said it wouldn’t do in Miller (No 1)? Has it given legal enforceability to the constitutional convention of ministerial accountability? Several authors appear to suggest that is has (here, here and here). Indeed, conventions were given rather peculiar judicial treatment in Miller (No 1) not least when placed against Miller (No 2), but also due to the general unenforceability of ‘statutory conventions’ (more here). But back to the apparent elevation of the convention of ministerial accountability (CoMA) to a constitutional principle – or what I refer to as the principle-isation of the convention.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 24th October 2019

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Is There A Point In Banning Drill Rappers Using Certain Words? – Rights Info

‘“Bandoe”, “Booj”, “trapping” and “Kitty”. These are a few of the words drill rapper Ervine Kimpalu has been banned from using in his music for five years after being imprisoned on drug dealing charges. It has sparked renewed debate over the role the music genre plays in serious youth violence. So, how is it that a person can be prevented from using certain words? And is there any point? RightsInfo explores.’

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Rights Info, 24th October 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

Barrister suspended for offensive Facebook postings – Legal Futures

Posted October 25th, 2019 in barristers, disciplinary procedures, internet, news, professional conduct by sally

‘A barrister who posted a number of offensive and disparaging comments about a member of the public on Facebook has been suspended from practice.’

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Legal Futures, 25th October 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Liverpool win High Court case against New Balance paving way for new Nike kit deal – The Independent

Posted October 25th, 2019 in contracts, interpretation, news, sport by sally

‘Liverpool FC have won a High Court battle over a multimillion-pound sponsorship deal with American sportswear giant New Balance.’

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The Independent, 25th October 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Police disciplinary hearings dropped over Thomas Orchard death – The Guardian

‘The family of a church caretaker with mental health problems who died after being restrained at a police station have expressed anger after disciplinary proceedings against two detention officers were dropped.’

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The Guardian, 24th October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

The House of Lords on marriages and sharia law – Law & Religion UK

Posted October 25th, 2019 in cohabitation, interpretation, islamic law, marriage, news, parliament, women by sally

‘The issue of unregistered religious marriages has come up once again in the House of Lords. On 23 October, Baroness Cox asked the Government:

“what progress they have made in implementing the first recommendation of The independent review into the application of sharia law in England and Wales, published in February 2018, in order to protect Muslim women in Islamic marriages which are not civilly registered.”’

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Law & Religion UK, 24th October 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Stop and search up by almost a third in England and Wales – The Guardian

‘The number of stop and searches carried out by police officers in England and Wales has increased by 32% in a year, official figures have shown.’

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The Guardian, 24th October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Harry Dunn’s family to begin legal action against Foreign Office and Northamptonshire Police – Daily Telegraph

‘The family of Harry Dunn will shortly issue a letter of claim to begin legal action against the Foreign Office and Northamptonshire Police, spokesman Radd Seiger said.’

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Daily Telegraph, 24th October 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Dozens of law firms enabling corruption, report finds – Legal Futures

Posted October 25th, 2019 in corruption, law firms, money laundering, news, professional conduct, statistics by sally

‘Dozens of UK law firms are – wittingly or unwittingly – providing corrupt individuals with services that enable them to “move, hide and defend their ill-gotten gains with impunity”, Transparency International (TI) has claimed.’

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Legal Futures, 25th October 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Shamima Begum faces ‘extreme scenario’ in citizenship appeal – The Guardian

‘Shamima Begum, the former east London schoolgirl who fled to Syria and joined Islamic State, is facing an “extreme scenario” in which she will be unable to fight the case against her, a hearing has been told.’

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The Guardian, 24th October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Adam Tucker: A First Critical Look at the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted October 24th, 2019 in bills, brexit, news, regulations by sally

‘In this post, I make a preliminary attempt at assessing the provision made in the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill – or WAB – for the scrutiny of the legislative powers which it delegates to the executive. My conclusions are not positive. The scrutiny procedures it seeks to enact are inadequate – so inadequate that it would be a constitutional mistake for Parliament to approve this aspect of the WAB without significant amendment. At the very least (or so I suggest) the Bill ought to be amended to incorporate the so-called “sifting process” developed for equivalent delegated powers under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (EUWA). Better still, this should be seen as an opportunity to embrace further incremental improvements on that process.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 24th October 2019

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Modern Slavery: 5 Ways To Know If A Company Is Serious About Tackling It – Rights Info

Posted October 24th, 2019 in consumer protection, forced labour, news by sally

‘Modern slavery exists, in large part, because of our buying habits. Because we want a bargain, businesses respond by offering low prices. To lower prices, businesses look for cheap labour, which has helped fuel the growth of international supply chains where goods and services are sourced from places where, among other things, labour is cheap and labour laws are lax.’

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Rights Info, 24th October 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org