Court of Appeal refuses bid by jailed barrister to call new evidence – Legal Futures

Posted March 2nd, 2026 in news by Simon

‘A barrister has failed in a bid to overturn his conviction for defrauding the Legal Aid Agency by falsely claiming defence legal costs.’

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Legal Futures, 2nd March 2026

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal Aid Agency compelled to reconsider application by anorexia patient for legal aid for psilocybin treatment – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 2nd, 2026 in news by Simon

‘How should the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) respond when a person with anorexia, which has had a “severe and debilitating impact on her physical and mental health” for a long time, applies for legal aid to assist her with making an application to the Home Office for permission for her medical team to treat her with psilocybin (the main psychoactive component in various mushrooms commonly referred to as magic mushrooms)?’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 28th February 2026

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

In Defence of the Divisional Court’s Palestine Action Ruling – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted March 2nd, 2026 in news by Simon

‘This post responds to important issues raised by Dane Luo and Gabriel Tan with regard to one of the grounds upheld by the Divisional Court in the judicial review of Palestine Action’s proscription (R (Ammori) v Home Secretary [2026] EWHC 292 (Admin)). The ground was upheld on the basis that the Home Secretary’s proscription decision considered the operational advantages of Palestine Action’s proscription inconsistently with the government’s own proscription policy. The policy refers to factors for the Home Secretary to consider in deciding whether to proscribe an organisation concerned in terrorism and is referred to in this policy paper. A central premise on which the Court’s reasoning hangs is that the policy’s purpose is to impose a limitation on the government’s discretion to proscribe organisations meeting the statutory threshold for being concerned in terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2000.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 2nd March 2026

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

A can of (joint and several) worms – Rent Repayment Orders – Nearly Legal

Posted March 2nd, 2026 in news by Simon

‘This was a final decision in a rent repayment order application brought by (some of) the tenants of 122 Widdenham Road against the landlord, Mr Semelo-Shaw, for a failure to licence an HMO that required a licence. In an earlier decision, the Tribunal had held that the offence of failure to licence was amde out, and that if an RRO was to be made, it would be a 40% of rent paid by the applicant tenants.’

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Nearly Legal, 1st March 2026

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Not an open-minded balancing exercise – Nearly Legal

Posted March 2nd, 2026 in news by Simon

‘Our grateful thanks to Nicholas Nicol of One Pump Court for the following note of a complex ASB possession claim, with counterclaims for breach of the Equality Act 2010 and for disrepair.’

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Nearly Legal, 1st March 2026

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Proportionality by the back door? The Supreme Court on the support offence in section 12(1A) Terrorism Act 2000 – Administrative Court Blog

Posted March 2nd, 2026 in news by Simon

‘The Supreme Court has held that the offence of expressing an opinion or belief in support of a proscribed organisation in s.12(1A) of the Terrorism Act 2000 does not disproportionately interfere with the Article 10 ECHR right to freedom of expression. However, in light of the importance to be attached to Article 10, the Court has created two “back door” pathways where some degree of proportionality might be exercised by judges in cases relating to s.12(1A). First, the Court has invited judges trying the s.12(1A) offence to be “robust” in exercising their powers to discontinue proceedings if a reasonable jury cannot be sure that all elements of the offence are met. Second, the Court has confirmed that sentences attaching to the s.12(1A) offence must themselves be proportionate, so as to not interfere with Article 10. We argue that although the Court rejected the need for a Ziegler-style separate proportionality assessment in this case, there remains ample room for the role of proportionality when it comes to section 12(1A) of the Terrorism Act 2000. The case is R v ABJ; R v BDN [2026] UKSC 8.’

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Administrative Court Blog, 28th February 2026

Source: administrativecourtblog.wordpress.com

‘Game changing’ AI listing to help clear court backlog – Law Society Gazette

Posted March 2nd, 2026 in news by Simon

‘AI to help better list cases and reduce the backlog has been described as “game changing” by courts minister Sarah Sackman as the lady chief justice reminded colleagues that listings decisions “will remain a judicial function”.’

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Law Society Gazette, 27th February 2026

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

In depth: Lord chancellor stands firm on jury trial curbs – Law Society Gazette

Posted March 2nd, 2026 in news by Simon

‘When justice secretary David Lammy announced his intention to curb jury trials, he faced an immediate backlash. Solicitors and barristers were alarmed that cases which would normally go before a jury of 12 ordinary citizens would be decided by a judge; and by the removal of an automatic right to appeal from the magistrates’ court to the Crown court, given that 40% of such appeals succeed. MPs demanded to see the modelling to justify the proposed curbs.’

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Law Society Gazette, 2nd March 2026

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Should Family Justice Embrace the Civil Mediation Model? A Case for Reform – Financial Remedies Journal

Posted March 2nd, 2026 in news by Simon

‘A barrister and mediator working in financial remedies asks whether the civil mediation model could be used more widely in financial remedies cases, and brought into the mainstream of ADR in this area of law, helping cases to settle sooner, or resolving them even before court proceedings are issued.’

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Fianancial Remedies Journal, 26th February 2026

Source: financialremediesjournal.com

Legal challenge over plan to use East Sussex army camp as asylum housing dismissed – The Guardian

Posted March 2nd, 2026 in news by Simon

‘A residents’ group has lost its high court challenge against a Home Office decision to use an army training camp to house asylum seekers.’

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The Guardian, 27th February 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

Appeal court rejects latest challenge to adding VAT to UK private school fees – The Guardian

Posted March 2nd, 2026 in news by Simon

‘The court of appeal has rejected the latest challenge to the addition of VAT to private school fees, telling parents they have the option to home school their children if they object to sending them to state schools.’

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The Guardian, 27th February 2026

Source: www.theguardian.com

CPS loses bid to overturn Quran-burner’s acquittal – BBC News

Posted March 2nd, 2026 in news by Simon

‘The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has lost a High Court bid to challenge the acquittal of a man who burned a Quran outside the Turkish consulate in London.’

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BBC News, 27th February 2026

Source: www.bbc.co.uk