Month: April 2025

‘The BBC recently published an article about the experiences of a young woman who had spent time in a range of placements including children’s homes and what sound like unregulated placements. The article suggests that it was the use of a Deprivation of Liberty (DoL) order which meant that these frequent moves took place, causing trauma to the young woman: it says for example that the DoL order ‘caused ‘more trauma and more damage’ and saw her moved to seven children’s homes, a secure adult hospital and an activity centre as a child’, and that as a result of the increasing use of DoL orders, child are losing their freedom.’

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Transparency Project, 6th April 2025

Source: transparencyproject.org.uk

‘Whilst historically, climate-related litigation has been focused on governments, a report published last year by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment showcased how, in recent years, climate litigation is being initiated more frequently against corporations for alleged Environment, Social and Governance (“ESG”) failings.’

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Kingsley Napley Criminal Law Blog, 4th April 2025

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

‘In Re Exhumation Of A Baby [2024] ECC Exe 1 the mother, ‘M’, of a baby girl, ‘X’, who died at or shortly after her birth in 2022, sought a faculty to exhume and reinter the remains of her baby, who was survived by a twin sister.’

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Law & Religion UK, 7th April 2025

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

‘A woman who killed her newborn baby 27 years ago while she had severe postnatal depression has been handed a suspended prison sentence, as a judge said the case “calls for compassion”.’

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The Guardian, 4th April 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

In this one-hour session for DG Legal, barrister Adam Pipe breaks down the most important UK immigration law cases of 2025 to date.

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EIN Blog, 4th April 2025

Source: www.ein.org.uk

‘The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as “Martyn’s Law”, has this week received Royal Assent and become law.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th April 2025

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘An activist whose case had prompted concern by the US state department over “freedom of expression” in the UK has been convicted of breaching a buffer zone outside an abortion clinic.’

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The Guardian, 4th April 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘A mother who suffocated her newborn baby and left his body in woodland in a secret she kept for 25 years has avoided jail.’

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The Independent, 4th April 2025

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘A man from Cornwall whose dogs killed 22 sheep while roaming free has received a 10-year ban from keeping or owning dogs, after the local authority successfully applied for a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th April 2025

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘The term ‘metaverse’ refers to a varied collection of internet-based virtual reality worlds in which, amongst other things, users across the globe can collaborate, socialise, trade, play games, access entertainment, or even work. Increasingly, technological innovations, such as high-resolution headsets and sensory (or ‘haptic’) clothing, are closing the experiential gap between such virtual environments and the ‘actual’ world, and broadening the scope of daily activities that the former can accommodate. Whilst this clearly presents opportunities, it also raises questions about the suitability and efficacy of existing legal rules for regulating user conduct within these platforms. Using English law as a case study, this paper specifically considers the various torts commonly referred to under the umbrella term of ‘trespass to the person’, evaluating the extent of their applicability within this novel context, and thereby illuminating issues that might, in time, require intervention from law and policy makers both within the case study context and beyond. It is argued that, as the qualitative difference between physical contact in the actual world and virtual contact in the metaverse becomes smaller, it will become increasingly difficult to justify applying the torts of trespass to the person differently in each context.’

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International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, 26th March 2025

Source: www.tandfonline.com

‘We all may remember the childhood rhyme, and console ourselves that names will never harm us, but the law has long provided punishment for threatening words and behaviour. Threats to kill, threats to cause criminal damage, blackmail, public order offences, harassment/stalking and controlling and coercive behaviour can all be committed without any physical contact between perpetrator and victim and yet can contain words which constitute a threat.’

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St Philips Barristers, 1st April 2025

Source: st-philips.com

‘This article investigates the role of pre-emptive policies and practices aiming to eliminate female genital cutting/mutilation (FGC/M) in England and Wales. We argue that the Serious Crime Act 2015, with its focus on pre-empting, uncovering and punishing FGC/M, represents a milestone in the development of a pre-crime society. By combining data collected from focus groups with migrant-heritage families living in Bristol in 2018 and data on state practices obtained via Freedom of Information requests in 2022, we provide unique insights into the nature and unfolding harmful impacts of hyper-vigilance and over-surveillance associated with the pre-emptive justice elements of the 2015 Act. In doing so, we expose the role played by the central government in ‘institutionalising racism’ within the police and social work. Facilitating an effective challenge to these issues requires social work professionals to engage reflexively in anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice and to drive new discussions about decolonialism within the profession.’

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Critical and Radical Social Work, 24th February 2025

Source: bristoluniversitypressdigital.com

‘The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (‘the FOI Act’) gives everyone the right to request recorded information from UK public authorities. This right applies to UK citizens, people who are not UK citizens, people living in the UK and people living abroad, journalists, political parties, lobby groups and commercial organisations. The act covers public authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while Scotland has its own legislation.’

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House of Commons Library, 2nd April 2025

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

‘All too often, arrangements between family members arise informally and without the benefit of legal advice. It is often assumed that everyone involved understands what is expected of them, and that any differences or disputes will be sorted out within the family. But certain seismic events – deaths, divorces, bankruptcies and so on – bring these sorts of arrangements inevitably into contact with the legal system.’

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Wilberforce Chambers, 31st March 2025

Source: www.wilberforce.co.uk

‘It is a common feature of most industrial disease litigation that the relevant events often took place a long time ago. A trial judge determining such cases is frequently faced with limited documentary evidence and with evidence from lay witnesses (some of whom may have died before trial) who have limited recall of historic events in question. It is necessary, in those circumstances, to analyse the evidence of lay witnesses with particular care. This blog outlines the way in which the court has done so to date, with a particular consideration of two recent decisions.’

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Ropewalk Chambers, 3rd April 2025

Source: ropewalk.co.uk

‘As of 6th April 2025, there will be a wholesale change to CPR 25 and the Model Orders associated with applications for injunctive relief (freezing orders, proprietary orders and search/imaging orders).

In this 20-minute talk recorded on 2nd April 2025, Ali Tabari reviews the changes, highlights the key aspects for all practitioners dealing with this crucial area of the Rules, and sets out some key takeaways for dealing with the new regime.’

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St Philips Barristers, 3rd April 2025

Source: st-philips.com

‘This article highlights some of the toxic dimensions of Boris Johnson’s legacy as UK prime minister through a detailed examination of the key narratives and discursive tactics he employed as he gave evidence to the UK COVID-19 inquiry. In doing so, we draw upon the concept of ‘toxic leadership’, a term that has been developed through the work of Lipman-Blumen and others to highlight the damaging impact that some types of leaders can have on their followers and the organisations they lead. We contend that the inquiry provides an illuminating focal point for an exploration of Johnson’s toxic legacy. On the one hand, it brought to light myriad details of Johnson’s toxic handling of the pandemic and the damage his decisions – and often lack of decisiveness – brought to many of his most ardent followers and the reputation of the government he led. On the other hand, as our analysis shows, Johnson’s testimony also brought to light the fact that he continued to rely on some of these same toxic behaviours to defend his already tarnished record. Overall, we hope to demonstrate the utility that a focus on discourse and rhetoric can bring to the study of toxic political leadership.’

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Global Discourse, 21st March 2025

Source: bristoluniversitypressdigital.com

‘In Rukhadze v Recovery Partners GP Ltd, the Supreme Court recently revisited the previously settled law regarding a fiduciary’s duty to account for an unauthorised profit.’

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Gatehouse Chambers, 31st March 2025

Source: gatehouselaw.co.uk

‘A disclosure pilot scheme (known as PD51U) operated in the Business and Property Courts (the “BPC”) in a number of courts including Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, and London from 1st January 2019. Practice Direction 57A (“PD57A”) substantively reproduces PD51U and came into force on 1st October 2022.’

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Parklane Plowden Chambers, 27th March 2025

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

‘Daniel Dovar considers the decision in Clapham v Narga and others [2024] EWCA Civ 1388 in which the Court of Appeal held that section 75 of the Land Registration Act 1925 did not apply where title to land had already been extinguished through adverse possession by the time it was first registered.’

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Tanfield Chambers, 2nd April 2025

Source: tanfieldchambers.co.uk