Woman jailed for 15 years for shaking her four-month-old baby to death – The Guardian
‘A woman has been jailed for 15 years for killing her four-month-old daughter by violently shaking her.’
The Guardian, 21st July 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
Month: July 2025
Evidence in sexual offences prosecutions: a final report – Law Commission
‘The purpose of this project is to review the law, practice, guidance and procedure in sexual offences cases and to make recommendations for reform to improve the understanding of consent and sexual harm, improve treatment of complainants, and ensure that defendants receive a fair trial.’
Law Commission, 22nd July 2025
Source: lawcom.gov.uk
Chancel Repair Liability – Law Commission Consultation – Law & Religion UK
‘On 15 July 2025, the Law Commission published its Consultation on Chancel repair liability and registration. The Law Commission is consulting on reforms to the law governing land registration and chancel repair liability. This project aims to close a historic loophole and save homeowners millions in insurance costs. Those with an interest in this area of law, or are affected by or have the benefit of a chancel repair liability, are requested to complete the questionnaire.’
Law & Religion UK, 21st July 2025
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
The Afghan super-injunction case: Some constitutional implications – Public Law for Everyone
‘Following a catastrophic administrative error placing the lives of thousands of Afghans at risk, the UK government obtained a super-injunction, enabling it to attempt to clear up the mess it had created behind a veil of impenetrable secrecy. The courts’ willingness to keep the super-injunction in place for nearly two years raises some important constitutional questions.’
Public Law for Everyone, 17th July 2025
Source: publiclawforeveryone.com
Upper Tribunal upholds civil penalty against landlord for failure to comply with improvement notice – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has dismissed an appeal by a landlord against a £3,000 civil penalty imposed by Swale Borough Council for failing to comply with an improvement notice, finding that the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) was entitled to conclude that no reasonable excuse had been established.’
Local Government Lawyer, 21st July 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
An inquest after a murder: Coroner’s decision not to resume is upheld despite Article 2 challenge – UK Human Rights Blog
‘At the heart of the case of R (Bailey) v HM Senior Coroner for East London [2025] EWHC 1637 (Admin), a tragedy: the murder of a 14-year-old boy, Jaden Bailey, and the profound grief of his mother. Jaden had been drawn into criminal activity, first in Nottinghamshire, then London. In October 2018 he had been found at a “cuckoo house” in Bournemouth, in possession of cocaine, a mobile phone and £325 in cash. He was brought back to London by the Metropolitan Police, following which an action plan was prepared by the Children’s Social Care Department of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. In November 2018 Jaden was permanently excluded from school after a Snapchat video showed him in possession of an imitation firearm, for which he was arrested and charged, pleading guilty. On 8 January 2019 Jaden was riding a moped in Leyton when he was hit by a car; the occupants of the car got out and stabbed Jaden. He died at the scene.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 21st July 2025
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
Addressing unsuitability and mandatory orders- Nearly Legal
‘R (ex parte AIN) v London Borough of Tower Hamlets. High Court (Admin) 29 April 2025 (Unreported elsewhere. We have a full note of judgment (unapproved) from the claimant’s solicitors, Osbornes Law, for which we are grateful). It is interesting in its treatment of the ‘five factors’ for consideration in making a mandatory order set out in Imam, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Croydon (2023) UKSC 45.
Nearly Legal, 20th July 2025
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
New independent watchdog signed into law in watershed moment for English football – The Independent
‘An independent football regulator has been signed into UK law after the Football Governance Act received royal assent, giving fans a greater say in how their clubs are run.’
The Independent, 21st July 2025
Source: www.independent.co.uk
A failed reunification plan – Transparency Project
‘A 13 year old boy was refusing to obey High Court orders that he spend time with his mother following his parents’ separation. After three years of failed attempts to persuade him to see her, the court asked the Tipstaff’s office to enforce an order that he be collected from his home with his father and taken to spend four weeks with his mother in a ‘protective placement’. (The Tipstaff is an officer of the High Court, based at the Royal Courts of Justice, who can be called on by the court to enforce orders and warrants in England and Wales.) The boy refused to go with them and claimed he was physically assaulted by the court-appointed officers.’
Transparency Project, 20th July 2025
Source: transparencyproject.org.uk
Government launches Orgreave inquiry, 40 years after clashes at miners’ strike – The Guardian
‘More than four decades after the violent policing at Orgreave during the miners’ strike and a failed prosecution criticised as a police “frame up”, the government has established a statutory inquiry into the scandal.’
The Guardian, 20th July 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
LSB: Regulatory action needed to tackle law’s diversity problems – Legal Futures
‘The profession has failed to make “significant progress in tackling the structural and cultural barriers to encouraging equality and diversity”, the Legal Services Board (LSB) has declared.’
Legal Futures, 21st July 2025
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Water ombudsman to be created amid sweeping changes in England and Wales – The Guardian
‘A new water ombudsman will be announced on Monday by the environment secretary, Steve Reed, as part of government plans to overhaul the embattled sector.’
The Guardian, 20th July 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
Inquiry launched after identities of SAS soldiers leaked in fresh data breach – The Independent
‘Army leaders have launched an inquiry after the identities of soldiers in the SAS were revealed in a fresh data breach.’
The Independnet, 20th July 2025
Source: www.independent.co.uk
New criminal offence to target violence-obsessed suspects earlier – BBC News
‘A powerful new criminal offence to target suspects who are found to be preparing mass killings will ensure their plotting is taken as seriously as terrorism, the home secretary says.’
BBC News, 20th July 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Racist comments from one employee to another – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Employment Appeal Tribunal has upheld a tribunal’s decision that a racist comment made by one employee to another did not give rise to employer liability under the Equality Act 2010.’
Local Government Lawyer, 18th July 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
People smugglers jailed for UK to France operation – Crown Prosecution Service
‘A group of people smugglers who hid migrants in lorries have today been jailed.’
Crown Prosecution Service, 17th July 2025
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
In Crisis: the ‘Constitutional’ Right to Jury Trial – UK Constitutional Law Association Blog
‘Leveson’s report makes a variety of recommendations, which relate to a range of matters, from case management and audio-recording of magistrates’ court proceedings to how much credit defendants should get for pleading guilty. As with most reviews of this kind, many of the recommendations are overdue and compelling. However, those that directly affect trial by jury are contentious.’
UK Constitutional Law Association Blog, 18th July 2025
Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org
JAC must use negative material fairly, Court of Appeal rules – Law Society Gazette
‘The Court of Appeal has refused to quash the Judicial Appointments Commission’s decision not to promote a district judge to the circuit bench – but said the JAC should have been more open about who might be asked for references and criticised it for giving “confused and misleading feedback”.’
Law Society Gazette, 17th July 2025
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Cockroach-infested jail detained inmates illegally – BBC News
‘Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor served an urgent notification on HMP Pentonville in Islington, north London, after an inspection discovered many inmates had been kept there after they should have been freed because staff “failed to calculate sentences accurately”.’
BBC News, 18th July 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Two more men framed by corrupt police officer Derek Ridgewell have convictions quashed – The Guardian
‘The court of appeal has quashed the convictions of two men who were framed by a corrupt and racist detective in the 1970s.’
The Guardian, 17th July 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
