Constitutional amendment that moved council meetings to working hours criticised – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 14th, 2021 in budgets, local government, news by sally

‘A decision intended to move full council meetings at North Northamptonshire Council from 7pm to 2pm has been criticised as “anti-democratic” by detractors.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th October 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Luton paedophile Carson Grimes jailed for life – BBC News

Posted October 14th, 2021 in child abuse, news, rape, sentencing, sexual grooming, sexual offences by sally

‘A man who groomed and sexually abused vulnerable children over two decades has been jailed for at least 22 years.’

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BBC News, 13th October 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New Judgment: Anwar v The Advocate General for Scotland (representing the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Scotland) [2021] UKSC 44 – UKSC Blog

‘The Supreme Court unanimously dismissed this appeal concerning the petition for judicial review against the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for failure to provide effective interim protection for successful workplace discrimination and harassment claims, in breach of EU law.’

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UKSC Blog, 13th October 2021

Source: ukscblog.com

A Decent Death – London Review of Books

Posted October 14th, 2021 in assisted suicide, human rights, news, prosecutions, suicide by sally

‘The​ law of England and Wales – Scotland’s law is not in all respects the same – has come a long way in my 82 years. Absurdly and cruelly, until the 1961 Suicide Act was passed it was a crime to kill yourself. While those who succeeded were beyond the law’s reach, those who tried and failed could be sent to jail. In the 1920s the home secretary had to release a Middlesbrough woman with fourteen children who had been given three months in prison for trying to kill herself. There is a Pythonesque sketch waiting to be written about a judge passing a sentence of imprisonment for attempted suicide: “Let this be a lesson to you and to any others who may be thinking of killing themselves.” In fact, by the mid 19th century the law had got itself into such a tangle that a person injured in a failed attempt at suicide could be indicted for wounding with intent to kill, an offence for which Parliament had thoughtfully provided the death penalty.’

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London Review of Books, 21st October 2021

Source: www.lrb.co.uk

High Court refuses fresh inquest in welfare benefits case – UK Human Rights Blog

‘In Dove v HM Assistant Coroner to Teeside and Hartlepool & Anor [2021] EWHC 2511, the High Court considered the State’s obligations under article 2 ECHR with respect to those in receipt of welfare benefits as well as the scope of coronial inquiries both where article 2 is and isn’t engaged. Although it was argued that failings by the Department of Work and Pensions were relevant to a death by suicide, a fresh inquest was refused in the circumstances.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 13th October 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Anthony Bird: Two jailed for brutal Tipton park murder- BBC News

Posted October 14th, 2021 in murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘Two men who brutally beat a father-of-five in a park in front of children and families have been jailed for life for his murder.’

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BBC News, 13th October 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MP Claudia Webbe could face jail after harassment conviction – The Guardian

Posted October 14th, 2021 in criminal records, harassment, news, parliament, threatening behaviour by sally

‘The MP Claudia Webbe is facing a potential jail sentence and demands to stand down from her seat after being found guilty of a campaign of harassment including threatening an acid attack.’

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The Guardian, 13th October 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

High Court rules out 28 identical divorce petitions – Law & Religion UK

Posted October 14th, 2021 in divorce, drafting, evidence, news by sally

‘On 10 September 2021, Mr Justice Moor handed down the judgment Yorston & Ors, Re (Matrimonial Causes Act 1973: Improper Petitions) [2021] EWFC 80 concerning 28 petitions to the High Court. In each case, the allegations of unreasonable behaviour were absolutely identical.’

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Law & Religion UK, 13th October 2021

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

R (Rowley) v Minister for the Cabinet Office – Equality Law Blog

‘In this case the High Court (Fordham J) ruled that the respondent had discriminated against the claimant, who was profoundly deaf, by failing to provide of British sign language (“BSL”) interpreters for Government live briefings to the public about the Covid-19 pandemic on 21 September 2020 and 12 October 2020. The claimant challenged the failures on those occasions and also sought to challenge the respondent’s continuing refusal to use “on-platform” as distinct from “in-screen” BSL interpreters for briefings. The claimant sought to establish failures of the PSED imposed by s149 of the Equality Act 2010 in respect of the defendant’s ongoing approach to briefings, as well as failures of the duty to make reasonable adjustments imposed by ss20 and 29(7)(a) of the Act. The PSED claim failed as did the reasonable adjustment challenge to ongoing (“in-screen” BSL) briefings. The decision includes a comprehensive discussion of the leading authorities on disability discrimination in the context of services/public authorities.’

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Equality Law Blog, 13th October 2021

Source: equalitylawblog.com

Parliamentary Inquiry Condemns UK Government’s Handling Of Coronavirus – Each Other

Posted October 14th, 2021 in coronavirus, human rights, inquiries, news, reports, select committees by sally

‘The UK’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been deemed one of the worst ever public health failures, according to an inquiry report.’

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Each Other, 13th October 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Facebook whistleblower claims checked for breach of UK law – BBC News

Posted October 14th, 2021 in children, internet, mental health, news, privacy, whistleblowers by sally

‘The data-privacy watchdog has written to a Facebook whistleblower, requesting her full evidence to see whether the technology company has broken UK law.’

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BBC News, 13th October 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Tommy Robinson gets five-year stalking order after harassing journalist – The Guardian

Posted October 14th, 2021 in harassment, media, news, proscribed organisations, stalking by sally

‘Tommy Robinson has been given a five-year stalking protection order after he shouted abuse outside the home of a journalist and threatened to repeatedly return to her address.’

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The Guardian, 13th October 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Jonathan Morgan: IRAL’s Missing Remedy: Compensation for Unlawfulness – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted October 12th, 2021 in Administrative Court, bills, compensation, damages, judicial review, news by sally

‘The current blog post considers the failure of the current judicial review reform process, from IRAL onwards, to give proper consideration to compensation for unlawful government acts. This has been less discussed than the discretion over the temporal effect of quashing orders.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 12th October 2021

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Homelessness – renewed applications and overlooked facts – Nearly Legal

‘This was a judicial review of Westminster’s refusal to accept a third homelessness application from Ms Ibrahim, following a review decision upholding a decision that she was intentionally homeless, and a rejection of a second application.’

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Nearly Legal, 10th October 2021

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Courts and tribunals to upgrade video technology, Burnett says – Legal Futures

Posted October 12th, 2021 in civil justice, courts, lists, news, remote hearings, tribunals by sally

‘A new Video Hearings Service (VHS), upgrading the Cloud Video Platform (CVP) used during Covid, is to be rolled out across courts and tribunals, the Lord Chief Justice has revealed.’

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Legal Futures, 11th October 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Uber Faces Legal Action Over ‘Racist’ Facial Recognition Software – Each Other

‘Uber is facing legal action following revelations that its facial recognition algorithm is five times more likely to cause the termination of darker-skinned workers.’

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Each Other, 11th October 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Rent Repayment Orders – not ALL the rent – Nearly Legal

Posted October 12th, 2021 in houses in multiple occupation, landlord & tenant, licensing, news, rent, repayment by sally

‘The RRO application was by the six former tenants of an unlicensed HMO. Conditions at the property had also meant they asked the local authority EHO to inspect, which resulted in (a) the tenants being informed the property was not licensed, (b) a “Preliminary Improvement Notice” listing a number of defects to be remedied, including two category 1 HHSRS hazards (fire safety and excessive cold), and Cc) a finding that one of the bedrooms was too small for the licensing scheme. (The landlord, self described as a “professional landlord” with a “modest portfolio” of properties, did apply for a licence in February 2020, shortly before the tenants left in March 2020, but the application was rejected on the room size and the lack of remedial works).’

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Nearly Legal, 11th October 2021

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Are asylum suicides an unfolding national tragedy? – BBC News

Posted October 12th, 2021 in asylum, mental health, news, suicide, young persons by sally

‘After fleeing his native Eritrea as a child and living for years as a refugee, Henok Zaid Gebrsslasie hoped to make a life for himself in the UK. Aged 23, he was found dead at a mental health facility in Coventry, West Midlands, and is thought to have taken his own life. His death is one of a growing number among young asylum seekers which a charity said could just be the “tip of the iceberg”.’

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BBC News, 11th October 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Treating children for gender dysphoria: Bell v Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust – Law & Religion UK

‘Bell & Anor v The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust [2021] EWCA Civ 1363 has little, ostensibly, to do with “religion”, but relates to an issue which some would feel had moral and social dimensions – the treatment of children for gender dysphoria, defined by the Court of Appeal as “a complex condition that occurs in both children and adults. It involves, in the simplest terms, a strong desire to be and to be treated as being of the gender other than their natal sex at birth. Those diagnosed with it suffer associated significant distress or impairment in function. A range of clinical interventions may be prescribed”.’

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Law & Religion UK, 11th October 2021

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Two people sentenced for running unregistered school in London – The Guardian

Posted October 12th, 2021 in education, news, recidivists, sentencing, suspended sentences by sally

‘A headteacher and her father have been sentenced for the second time for running an illegal unregistered school in south London after a crackdown by the schools watchdog Ofsted.’

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The Guardian, 11th October 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com