Newcastle rape and trafficking trials collapse over police failings – BBC News
‘The case against a gang accused of trafficking and raping young girls has collapsed because of police failings.’
BBC News, 7th March 2019
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Author: sally
High Court sets June date for judicial review hearing over SEND funding policy – Local Government Lawyer
‘A High Court judge has granted three families permission to bring a judicial review challenge over the Government’s special education needs (“SEND”) funding policy.’
Local Government Lawyer, March 2019
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Momentum fined £16,700 for ‘multiple electoral law breaches’ – BBC News
‘The Labour-supporting Momentum group has been fined £16,700 for “multiple breaches of electoral law”, the Electoral Commission has said.’
BBC News, 6th March 2019
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Autistic people angry at having to disclose diagnosis to DVLA even if driving not affected – The Guardian
‘The National Autistic Society (NAS) is challenging a decision by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to force autistic people to inform them of their diagnosis even if it does not affect their driving.’
The Guardian, 3rd March 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
High Court rejects appeal by cyclist over dismissal of claim following pothole accident – Local Government Lawyer
‘A High Court judge has rejected a claim against a highways authority brought by a cyclist who was injured after she hit a pothole near a roundabout.’
Local Government Lawyer, 5th Mach 2019
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Now, a win for the Chagossians – UK Human Rights Blog
‘The International Court of Justice has given a near-unanimous opinion that the separation in 1965 of the Chagos archipelago from the then British colony of Mauritius was contrary to the right of self determination, and that accordingly the de-colonisation of Mauritius by the United Kingdom had not been in accordance with international law. The ICJ held that Britain’s continued administration of the archipelago was an internationally wrongful act, which should cease as soon as possible.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 4th March 2019
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
Prosecuting Parents of Children Who Have Missed School – Restorative Justice
‘It is a parent’s duty to ensure that from the ages of 5-18 years old, their children are in full-time education and attend school or college regularly. Most parents, of course, want their children to attend school, to be happy to do so, and to benefit from what school offers. But that is evidently not the case for every child. In England and Wales, the offence of truancy is committed by parents or carers of school age children whose children have not attended school regularly. Surprisingly, it is a strict liability offence – Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 sets out a parental duty to secure the efficient education of children by ensuring the child’s regular attendance at school or otherwise. If the child fails to attend school regularly the parent is guilty of an offence. Under Subsection 444 (1) the offence is strict liability; the parent is guilty even if he did not know that the child has missed school. If, for example, the child was living with her grandmother and missed school, the child’s parents would be liable for prosecution for their child’s truancy, even if they did not know she was missing school. Under Subsection 444 (1A) there is a further offence if the parent knew about the child’s absence and failed to act.’
Restorative Justice, March 2019
Source: covrj.uk
The Cost Of Sickness: Mental Health Conditions Cost People Over £1000 A Year – Rights Info
‘A person suffering from mental health issues could be paying as much as £1,100 to £1,550 a year more than someone without a condition on necessities such as phone, internet and electricity bills, according to new research by Citizens Advice.’
Rights Info, 4th March 2019
Source: rightsinfo.org
Medical tribunal of former Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman adjourned – The Guardian
‘The medical tribunal of the former Team Sky and British Cycling doctor Richard Freeman, which was due to hear charges that he purchased 30 sachets of banned testosterone for an unnamed rider, has been adjourned and will not be heard until later this year at the earliest.’
The Guardian, 5th March 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
Rape prosecution rate in England and Wales falls to five-year low – The Guardian
‘Rape prosecutions in England and Wales have fallen to their lowest rate in more than five years, the Guardian can reveal.’
The Guardian, 6th March 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
Sajid Javid can deport mother of FGM risk girl, judge decides – BBC News
‘The Home Secretary cannot be barred from deporting a failed asylum seeker whose daughter would be at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) if taken abroad, a senior judge decided.’
BBC News, 5th March 2019
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
On sewer covers, gardens and responsibilities – Nearly Legal
‘A court of appeal case on when the landlord’s duty under section 4 Defective Premises Act 1972 is engaged and whether there is any duty to inspect.’
Nearly Legal, 4th March 2019
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
Addict solicitor struck off after hiding cocaine offences – Legal Futures
‘An experienced solicitor has been struck off after accepting a caution for possession of banned drugs, failing to report the conviction to the regulator, and misleading police.’
Legal Futures, 4th March 2019
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Ofcom stiffens rules for broadband providers – OUT-LAW.com
‘Broadband providers in the UK must promise customers a minimum guaranteed speed for their service at the point of sale under a new code of practice developed by telecoms regulator Ofcom that takes effect today.’
OUT-LAW.com, 1st March 2019
Source: www.out-law.com
Long court delays lead to boom in private divorces – Daily Telegraph
‘There has been a sharp rise in the number of divorcing couples opting to “go private” in order to avoid the delays and stresses of an over-stretched court system, lawyers have revealed.’
Daily Telegraph, 2nd March 2019
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Personal Data in the Upper Tribunal – Panopticon
‘We all love nuggets, be they of gold or chicken. A couple of short recent Upper Tribunal judgments reached under FOIA may not be finger-lickin’ good, but are nonetheless worthy noting as a tasty morsel or two.In Information Commissioner v Halpin [2019] UKUT 29 (AAC) Judge Markus QC overturned an FTT decision which had held that personal data was not exempt under section 40(2) FOIA. She explained that the FTT had erred in declining to have regard to the possibility of wider disclosure to the world beyond the requestor – because the public authority would no longer have any control over the information once released – such that it had failed properly to balance the competing interests and effects of disclosure. This was a point made in GR-N v Information Commissioner & NMC [2015] UKUT 449 (AAC) and applied since. The requestor’s private motives were sufficient to form a legitimate interest, but did not form a justification for disclosure to the world at large. The FTT had also erred in failing to address the core concern of the public authority, that disclosure would lead to inappropriate complaints against or other targeting of the particular data subjects causing them stress. It was no answer to that to say that the authority had procedures to address complaints: the point was not that the complaints would be upheld but that they would have to be dealt with when they would not have been without disclosure.’
Panopticon, 28th February 2019
Source: panopticonblog.com
