Part Four: The Future of Human Rights in the UK – Each Other

‘As has become apparent amid the tumult of COVID-19, our understanding of human rights is constantly developing. We have published a mini-series of explainers reviewing the history of our rights and where these leave us standing today. Part 1 looked at the modern history of human rights themselves. Part 2 asked what is the link between social justice and human rights? Part 3 looked at how COVID-19 has affected our human rights. This fourth and final part of our human rights explainer series touches upon the future of human rights in the UK.’

Part one
Part two
Part three

Full Story

Each Other, 5th May 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Rent Repayment Order and legal costs – Nearly Legal

Posted May 10th, 2021 in costs, documents, housing, landlord & tenant, licensing, news, rent by tracey

‘Leibel v Baird CHI/29UC/HMF/2020/0035 (4 May 2021). This was an application for a rent repayment order in respect of an unlicensed property. Unusually, it also featured a rule 13 costs application by the tenant.’

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Nearly Legal, 9th May 2021

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

How will the new UK residential property developer tax work? – Practical Law: Construction Blog

‘On 29 April 2021, the government published a consultation on what is to be called the Residential Property Developer Tax (or RPDT). This sets out proposals for the design of a new tax to be charged on the largest residential property developers.’

Full Story

Practical Law: Construction Blog , 5th May 2021

Source: constructionblog.practicallaw.com

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted May 10th, 2021 in legislation by tracey

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) (Amendment) (No. 14) Regulations 2021

The Trade Act 2021 (Commencement No. 1 and Expiry Provision) Regulations 2021

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted May 10th, 2021 in law reports by tracey

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Royal Mail PLC v Office of Communications & Anor [2021] EWCA Civ 669 (07 May 2021)

Glossop Cartons and Print Ltd & Ors v Contact (Print & Packaging) Ltd & Ors [2021] EWCA Civ 639 (07 May 2021)

Aster Communities v Kerry Chapman & Ors [2021] EWCA Civ 660 (07 May 2021)

Lifestyle Equities C.V. & Anor v Ahmed & Anor [2021] EWCA Civ 675 (07 May 2021)

Dodika Ltd & Ors v United Luck Group Holdings Ltd [2021] EWCA Civ 638 (07 May 2021)

DPP Law Ltd v Greenberg [2021] EWCA Civ 672 (07 May 2021)

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Dixon-Kenton, R. v [2021] EWCA Crim 673 (07 May 2021)

Hardy, R. v [2021] EWCA Crim 635 (07 May 2021)

High Court (Administrative Court)

Poole & Anor, R (On the Application Of) v Birmingham City Council [2021] EWHC 1198 (Admin) (07 May 2021)

Kessie-Adjei, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for Justice [2021] EWHC 1167 (Admin) (07 May 2021)

Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government [2021] EWHC 1082 (Admin) (07 May 2021)

Source: www.bailii.org

Applications to discharge special guardianship orders – Local Government Lawyer

‘Fran Massarella examines a Court of Appeal case which concerned the test for granting leave to apply to discharge a special guardianship order and the construction of s.14D(5) of the Children Act 1989.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th May 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Public houses and the ACV regime: the latest rulings – Local Government Lawyer

‘Christopher Cant analyses the latest appeal decisions in relation to the listing of pubs as assets of community value, covering issues including the recent past, financial viability and compensation.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th May 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

NHS to put stronger focus on learning from litigation claims – Litigation Futures

Posted May 10th, 2021 in budgets, compensation, hospitals, negligence, news, statistics by tracey

‘A new best practice guide urging board-level attention at NHS trusts so they can learn more from clinical negligence cases has been issued in a bid to improve patient safety and reduce claims.’

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Litigation Futures, 10th May 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Tribunal throws out employment lawyer’s disability discrimination claim – Legal Futures

‘An employment lawyer who appeared at tribunals during a time he said he was “pretty constantly bed bound” due to a back injury has had his disability discrimination claim rejected.’

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Legal Futures, 10th May 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Taskforce launched to investigate reported rise in pet thefts – Home Office

Posted May 10th, 2021 in animals, crime prevention, government departments, press releases, theft by tracey

‘Taskforce will investigate and draw up action to tackle these crimes.’

Full press release

Home Office, 8th May 2021

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Profession: Expert Witness – Family Law

‘The value of a family business or business interest is treated as an asset and therefore part of the matrimonial pot to be distributed when it comes to negotiating a financial settlement on divorce or in dissolution settlements. Since the business valuation may be the most significant component of the total matrimonial assets, it needs to be ascertained with care, normally with expert assistance, in order to achieve a fair division of family wealth on divorce.’

Full Story

Family Law, 6th May 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Deaths of people on benefits prompt inquiry call – BBC News

‘The family of a woman who took a fatal overdose after her benefit payments were cut say they have begun a legal claim against the government.’

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BBC News, 10th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Coercive control and children’s welfare in Re H-N and Others – Family Law

‘When families come to strife, arrangements must be made for the future care of any children. In some circumstances, this means an application to the courts. These “private law orders” can form part of a consent order, as in Re B-B. Others, are made under Sections 8(1)(a)-(b) and 9 of the Children Act 1989 specifying powers, amongst other things, to decide with whom a child is to live and when a child is to have contact. In 2019-2020, around 22,000 such applications were made involving some allegation of domestic abuse by one adult against another (para 3) with instances of domestic abuse rising because of Covid-19 (ONS, 2020). Consequently, the question of how allegations of abuse within family proceedings remains an urgent matter of concern. However, despite increasing recognition of coercive control as being central to understanding domestic abuse, it remains less well understood in the context of proceedings related to the future care of children. As explained by the Harm Panel in its Report: the approach to such allegations is “implemented inconsistently” and is “not effective” in its principal purpose of protecting victims (Harm Panel (2020) 7.1).’

Full Story

Family Law, 7th May 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Government considers plans to create national hub for court judgments – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 10th, 2021 in artificial intelligence, courts, judgments, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘Plans to create the first single comprehensive repository of England and Wales court judgments are being considered by the government, the Gazette understands. Such a service, run by the National Archives, would publish almost every decision made by courts and tribunals, unlike the current selective system run by the British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII).’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 10th May 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

UK Covid-related cybercrime fuels 15-fold rise in scam takedowns – The Guardian

‘The UK’s cybersecurity agency has taken down more scams in the last year than in the previous three years combined, with coronavirus and NHS-themed cybercrime fuelling the increase.’

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The Guardian, 5th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Dangerous eBay listings can be removed by regulators – BBC News

‘Online seller eBay says it is handing regulators the power to take down dangerous listings without consulting the company.’

Full Story

BBC News, 10th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Review of Bar exam chaos points finger at BSB and Pearson VUE – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) and electronic testing company Pearson VUE have both come under fire from the independent review of last year’s Bar professional training course (BPTC) exams.’

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Legal Futures, 7th May 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Fairness to birth parents in adoption hearings – Transparency Project

‘This case was an application by a birth mother for permission to appeal against a decision in the High Court that had refused her leave to apply to oppose an adoption order – Re S (A Child) [2021] EWCA Civ 605.’

Full Story

Transparency Project, 6th May 2021

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

High Court orders urgent trial in claim by Liverpool mayor for indemnity against legal costs – Local Government Lawyer

Posted May 7th, 2021 in corruption, costs, indemnities, local government, news by sally

‘The High Court in Manchester has ordered that an urgent trial take place of the claim by Joe Anderson, the Mayor of Liverpool, that Liverpool City Council are acting unlawfully in refusing to provide him with the same indemnity against legal costs offered to other council members.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 6th May 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Home Office unlawfully stopped family joining Windrush woman, court rules – The Guardian

‘The Home Office unlawfully prevented the children and husband of a Windrush generation woman from joining her in the UK, separating the family for almost three years in a manner the high court ruled represented “a colossal interference” in her right to family life.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 6th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com