Supreme Court rejects application for permission to appeal ruling on allotments appropriation and ministerial consent – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Supreme Court has refused permission to appeal a Court of Appeal ruling that land used for allotments for more than 80 years had not been subject of an appropriation for that use and so a council could dispose of the land without the consent of the Secretary of State, it has emerged.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 19th October 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Statutory Instruments: the Unseen Constitutional Crisis – Blackstone Chambers

Posted October 20th, 2020 in brexit, constitutional law, coronavirus, legislative drafting, news, regulations by sally

‘Why is legislating by Statutory Instrument so tempting for Government?’

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Blackstone Chambers, 14th October 2020

Source: www.blackstonechambers.com

John Leslie trial: Ex-Blue Peter presenter cleared of sex assault – BBC News

Posted October 20th, 2020 in assault, media, news, sexual offences, trials by sally

‘Former TV presenter John Leslie has been found not guilty of sexual assault.’

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BBC News, 19th October 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prisoners locked up for 23 hours due to Covid rules is ‘dangerous’ – BBC News

Posted October 20th, 2020 in coronavirus, mental health, news, prisons by sally

‘Prisoners being locked in their cells for 23 hours a day under Covid restrictions is dangerous, the chief inspector of prisons has warned.’

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BBC News, 20th October 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Leaked review of Met police body-worn video footage reveals officer errors – The Guardian

Posted October 20th, 2020 in internet, news, police, video recordings by sally

‘Scotland Yard has decided not to routinely release its own video footage of controversial incidents after internal reviews showed errors by officers, a leaked document reveals.’

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The Guardian, 19th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Assessing the Home Office’s pandemic response – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 20th, 2020 in coronavirus, freedom of movement, government departments, immigration, news by sally

‘Earlier this year, Covid-19 threw the UK’s immigration landscape into disarray. Travel restrictions, reduced working capacity at the Home Office and temporary shutdown of third-party providers caused much uncertainty for those trapped overseas and those in the UK. Added to this were the loss of jobs, salary reductions and individuals no longer being able to meet the requirements of their stay. Below we consider some of the key measures the Home Office introduced over this period for overseas nationals with time-limited restrictions in the UK.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 19th October 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Parole Board chief calls for high-profile hearings to be held in public – The Guardian

Posted October 20th, 2020 in news, parole, private hearings by sally

‘The head of the Parole Board has backed proposals to hold hearings to decide whether dangerous prisoners should be released in public, a significant shift from the current closed system.’

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The Guardian, 20th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Jeff King and Stephen Tierney: The House of Lords Constitution Committee reports on the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The United Kingdom Internal Market Bill is something of an imperfect storm, provoking the ire both of the devolved authorities who consider it an unacceptable circumscription of devolved competence and those aghast that the Bill empowers ministers to act contrary to the UK’s international obligations. Today the Constitution Committee reports on the measure and doesn’t pull its punches. Its highly critical analysis is informed by several evidence sessions involving academics, legal experts and prominent parliamentarians including the Lord Chancellor.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 16th October 2020

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Equality gains in the UK risk being reversed by coronavirus, says EHRC – The Guardian

Posted October 20th, 2020 in coronavirus, equality, human rights, news, reports by sally

‘Hard-won gains in equality and human rights in the UK are at risk of being reversed by the coronavirus pandemic, and society, the economy and living standards are facing long-lasting damage, the UK human rights watchdog has said.’

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The Guardian, 20th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

New Judgment: R (on the application of Highbury Poultry Farm Produce Ltd) v Crown Prosecution Service [2020] UKSC 39 – UKSC Blog

Posted October 20th, 2020 in animal cruelty, animals, appeals, birds, EC law, news, regulations, slaughter, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Supreme Court unanimously dismissed this appeal addressing whether proof of an offence contrary to Regulation 30(1)(g) of the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015, brought against a business operator as defined in Regulation (EC) No. 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing, requires proof of mens rea and/or some culpable act or omission on the part of the business operator.’

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UKSC Blog, 16th October 2020

Source: ukscblog.com

“Informed consent” ruling threatens avalanche of PI costs refund claims – Litigation Futures

Posted October 20th, 2020 in consent orders, costs, law firms, news, personal injuries, solicitors by sally

‘Personal injury (PI) law firms that fail to spell out in their retainers the costs clients could be liable for beyond what is recovered from defendants face a wave of litigation following a major High Court ruling.’

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Litigation Futures, 19th October 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Supreme Court rejects appeal over allocation of housing to members of religious group – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed an appeal over the lawfulness and proportionality of a housing charity’s policy of allocating social housing primarily to members of the Orthodox Jewish community in Hackney and in particular the Haredi community.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 16th October 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court reforms data collection progress “disappointing” – Legal Futures

Posted October 20th, 2020 in civil justice, courts, criminal justice, equality, HM Courts Service, news by sally

‘The government’s £1bn court reforms have had a “disappointingly slow” start in collecting the information required to ensure the justice system is fair, according to researchers.’

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Legal Futures, 20th October 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Just one in seven rape survivors expect justice in England and Wales – The Guardian

Posted October 20th, 2020 in news, police, prosecutions, rape, statistics, victims by sally

‘Just one in seven rape survivors believe they will receive justice by reporting a rape, according to a survey by the victims’ commissioner.’

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The Guardian, 20th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com