Month: February 2021

More deaths, worse care: inquiry opens into NHS maternity ‘systemic racism’ – The Guardian

Posted February 8th, 2021 in birth, equality, hospitals, human rights, inquiries, news, race discrimination, statistics by tracey

‘An urgent inquiry to investigate how alleged systemic racism in the NHS manifests itself in maternity care will be launched on Tuesday with support from the UK charity Birthrights. The inquiry will apply a human- rights lens to examine how claimed racial injustice – from explicit racism to bias – is leading to poorer health outcomes in maternity care for ethnic minority groups.’

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The Guardian, 7th February 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Almost a third of prosecutions under coronavirus laws dropped, review shows – The Independent

Posted February 8th, 2021 in coronavirus, Crown Prosecution Service, enforcement, news, police, prosecutions, statistics by tracey

‘Almost a third of prosecutions under coronavirus laws have been brought incorrectly, leading to hundreds of cases being dropped, analysis has revealed. A review by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) found that 359 of 1,252 charges last year under laws brought in to aid public health measures were later withdrawn or quashed in court.’

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The Independent, 7th February 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Queen did not block legislation, says Palace – BBC News

Posted February 8th, 2021 in bills, news, parliament, royal family by tracey

‘Claims the Queen blocked government legislation in the 1970s are “simply incorrect”, Buckingham Palace says.’

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BBC News, 8th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Peer is asked to investigate the activities of extreme right and left – The Guardian

Posted February 8th, 2021 in government departments, news, political parties, statistics, terrorism by tracey

‘The government has reportedly ordered an investigation into the extreme fringes on both ends of the political spectrum, with a peer tasked with offering recommendations to the prime minister and home secretary. The review will be led by John Woodcock, the former Labour MP who now sits in the upper chamber as Lord Walney and was appointed as the government’s independent adviser on political violence and disruption last November.’

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The Guardian, 8th February 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Domestic abuse victims stalked as family courts share refuge addresses with ex-partners, commissioner warns – The Independent

Posted February 8th, 2021 in bills, children, data protection, domestic violence, families, family courts, harassment, news, stalking, victims by tracey

‘The family courts are putting domestic abuse victims and children at grave risk by sharing the secret addresses of shelters with the abusive ex-partner they are fleeing, and some survivors are suffering stalking as a result, London’s independent victims’ commissioner has warned.’

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The Independent, 7th February 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

“Contested heritage” and offensive inscriptions: Re St Margaret Rottingdean – Law & Religion UK

Posted February 5th, 2021 in burials and cremation, demonstrations, ecclesiastical law, news, racism by sally

‘On 17 June 2020, we posted Of graves, headstones and “offensive” inscriptions: Re St Margaret’s Rottingdean in which we examined the judgment and directions in Re St Margaret Rottingdean [2020] ECC Chi 4, handed down on 15 June 2020, in the context of the developments following the public protests associated with the Black Lives Matter campaign which came to a head in the UK over the weekend of 6/7 June 2020 with the toppling of the statue of slave-trader Edward Colston and its deposit in the harbour in Bristol.’

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Law & Religion UK, 4th February 2021

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Parliamentarians hear call for quotas to boost profession’s diversity – Legal Futures

Posted February 5th, 2021 in barristers, diversity, equality, judiciary, legal profession, news by sally

‘There is a “lead ceiling” hampering the advancement of ethnic minority lawyers to the senior ranks of the profession and quotas are needed to bring about change, a leading asylum barrister has told parliamentarians.’

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Legal Futures, 5th February 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Court of Appeal hands down ruling on policy for development in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and presumption in favour of sustainable development – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 5th, 2021 in appeals, areas of outstanding natural beauty, environmental protection, housing, interpretation, local government, news, planning by sally

‘The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) allows a council to reject a planning application because of an adverse impact on an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th February 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Angela Wrightson: Teenage torture killers keep anonymity – BBC News

Posted February 5th, 2021 in anonymity, causing death of children or vulnerable adults, children, injunctions, mental health, murder, news, young offenders by sally

‘Two teenagers who tortured and murdered a vulnerable woman in her own home have been granted lifelong anonymity.’

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BBC News, 4th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The new UK subsidy control regime – Brexit Law

Posted February 5th, 2021 in brexit, consultations, EC law, government departments, news, state aids by sally

‘The UK government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (“DBEIS”) announced yesterday [3 February] a consultation on new legislation to establish a domestic subsidy control regime.[i] The proposals are outlined in a consultation document “Subsidy control Designing a new approach for the UK”.[ii] The closing date for responses to the consultation document is 31st March 2021.’

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Brexit Law, 4th February 2021

Source: brexit.law

Gosport hospital deaths: Families ‘need Hillsborough-style inquests’ – BBC News

Posted February 5th, 2021 in benefits, bereavement, families, hospitals, inquests, inquiries, medical treatment, medicines, news, unlawful killing by sally

‘Relatives of patients who died after receiving “dangerous” levels of painkillers at Gosport War Memorial Hospital have called for new inquests.’

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BBC News, 5th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Domestic Abuse Bill: calls for data ‘firewall’ to protect migrant women – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 5th, 2021 in bills, data protection, disclosure, domestic violence, government departments, immigration, news, pilot schemes, victims, women by sally

‘The government has been urged to remove ‘blind spots’ in the Domestic Abuse Bill that could deter migrant women from reporting domestic abuse to the police for fear of being deported or enable perpetrators to control their victims.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 3rd February 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

EU Settlement Scheme – Read the small print – EIN Blog

Posted February 5th, 2021 in brexit, citizenship, EC law, immigration, news by sally

‘The EU Settlement Scheme is being hailed as a great success, with well over 5 million people who have now applied under the scheme and one might be persuaded to consider it as being a good thing. It would have been much better however, if it had not been a constituent scheme, where people who had been living in the country for decades, were forced to “apply to prove their right to live here” or else face the might of the hostile environment.’

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EIN Blog, 4th February 2021

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Tenant of social landlord given six days in prison over breach of civil injunction by breaking Covid rules on illegal gatherings – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 5th, 2021 in coronavirus, enforcement, freedom of movement, housing, imprisonment, injunctions, landlord & tenant, local government, news, sentencing by sally

‘Bromley County Court has released a tenant of social landlord Peabody Trust who served six days in prison for breaching a civil injunction imposed after breaches of Covid regulations on gatherings.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd February 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Anthony Grainger family to continue legal fight over fatal shooting by police – The Guardian

Posted February 5th, 2021 in bereavement, families, firearms, inquiries, news, ombudsmen, police, professional conduct, unlawful killing by sally

‘The family of an unarmed man who was fatally shot by police have vowed to continue their fight for answers after the official watchdog dropped its investigation into the operation.’

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The Guardian, 4th February 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

EncroChat: UK drugs boss captured as police crack coded messages – BBC News

Posted February 5th, 2021 in conspiracy, drug offences, drug trafficking, imprisonment, interception, news, sentencing, telecommunications by sally

‘A drugs boss who ran a multi-million pound enterprise in the UK has been jailed after detectives hacked into his encrypted messaging accounts.’

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BBC News, 4th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government undertaking “intensive” review of clinical negligence compensation – Litigation Futures

Posted February 4th, 2021 in compensation, consultations, hospitals, negligence, news, personal injuries by sally

‘The government is undertaking “intensive” work on reshaping the system of compensation for victims of clinical negligence, health minister Nadine Dorries revealed yesterday.’

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Litigation Futures, 3rd February 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

BBC fined £28,000 for recording part of hearing of legal challenge to grant by county council of planning permission for fracking – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 4th, 2021 in audio recordings, BBC, contempt of court, fines, judicial review, news, planning, video recordings by sally

‘The BBC has been fined £28,000 after it made a video and audio recording of a half day’s hearing in the Planning Court.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd February 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted February 4th, 2021 in legislation by tracey

The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2021

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted February 4th, 2021 in law reports by tracey

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Byrne & Ors v R. [2021] EWCA Crim 107 (03 February 2021)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Alan Edwards & Co Solicitors v TWM Solicitors LLP [2021] EWHC 176 (Ch) (03 February 2021)

Business Mortgage Finance 4 Plc & Ors v Hussain & Ors [2021] EWHC 171 (Ch) (03 February 2021)

High Court (Commercial Court)

Devonshires Solicitors LLP v Elbishlawi & Anor [2021] EWHC 173 (Comm) (03 February 2021)

National Bank Trust v Yurov & Ors [2021] EWHC 164 (Comm) (03 February 2021)

Gosden & Anor v Halliwell Landau (a firm) & Anor [2021] EWHC 159 (Comm) (02 February 2021)

Ferand Business Corporation & Ors v Maritime Investments Holdings Ltd & Anor [2021] EWHC 197 (Comm) (29 January 2021)

High Court (Family Division)

FC v MC [2021] EWHC 154 (Fam) (29 January 2021)

High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)

Finch, R (On the Application Of) v Surrey County Council [2021] EWHC 170 (QB) (03 February 2021)

Source: www.bailii.org