‘The High Court has approved the settlement of a civil claim brought by a man with learning disabilities and autism, who was detained for a period of 340 days as there was no safe alternative accommodation available.’
Local Government Lawyer, 27th March 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘A parish clerk has been awarded £20,000 in damages after defamatory social media posts by a parish councillor, who was “consumed with a very strong personal dislike” of the clerk, were found to have caused serious harm to their reputation.’
Local Government Lawyer, 26th March 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The life sentence given to a teenager who murdered his mother and siblings has been referred to the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme by the shadow justice minister.’
BBC News, 20th March 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A “truly evil” 19-year-old who murdered his mother and two younger siblings as part of a failed plot to kill 30 children and become the worst mass murderer in British history has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 49 years.’
The Guardian, 19th March 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A killer who stabbed a 15-year-old schoolgirl in the neck in a fit of “white hot” rage after she stood up for her friend in a row over a teddy bear has been jailed for 23 years.’
The Independent, 13th March 2025
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘An autistic woman with a learning disability was wrongly locked up in a mental health hospital for 45 years, starting when she was just seven years old, the BBC has learned.’
BBC News, 4th March 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Public Law Newsletter January 2025; with case updates within the Court of Protection and other Public Law matters.’
Spire Barristers, 7th January 2025
Source: www.spirebarristers.co.uk
‘A council has been told to pay a family more than £6,000 after failing to provide alternative education to a pupil who struggled to attend classes.’
BBC News, 25th February 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The recent case of Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust v Mercer [2024] EWHC 2515 spotlights the pressing issue of “bed-blocking” in NHS hospitals. In May 2024, over 12,000 patients in England were in hospital who no longer needed to be there, yet remained in hospital, often due to care planning delays. The Judge in this case, HHJ Tindal, gave legal and practical guidance in the form of a checklist for hospitals seeking possession in relation to patients whose refusal to leave hospital is not thought to be affected by mental health or mental capacity issues.’
Local Government Lawyer, 14th February 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal over whether a local authority can authorise the deprivation of liberty of a 14-year-old boy in exercise of its parental responsibility under a care order.’
Local Government Lawyer, 6th February 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The Family Justice Council (FJC) has published Guidance on Neurodiversity in the Family Justice System for practitioners (PDF). The guidance is aimed at legal practitioners working with neurodivergent users of the Family Justice System.’
Family Justice Council, 30th January 2025
Source: www.judiciary.uk
‘A mother has been paid £2,600 after her local council caused “significant anxiety” by failing to provide her autistic son with the right tutoring.’
BBC News, 3rd February 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The High Court has provided important guidance on the “absolute duty” to secure special educational provision, writes Ollie Persey.’
Local Government Lawyer, 17th January 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The Joint Committee on Human Rights is undertaking scrutiny of the Mental Health Bill to assess its compatibility with international and domestic human rights standards. The Committee has a call for evidence closing on 24 January 2025.’
Mental Capacity Law and Policy, 12th January 2025
‘A young man with Down’s syndrome and autism was left without suitable education for more than a year, an investigation found.’
BBC News, 6th January 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Alex Ruck Keene KC (Hon) examines a recent High Court case concerning the Mental Health Act, “detainability,” and judicial scrutiny (and the real underlying problems of children with complex needs).’
Local Government Lawyer, 13th December 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The children’s commissioner for England has called for an urgent review of the use of restraint and “calming rooms” after leaked CCTV footage showed autistic children being pushed into a padded space where they were left distressed, self-harming and sitting in vomit.’
The Guardian, 27th November 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A High Court judge has rejected a local authority’s application for a declaration from the court that because a vulnerable young person was detainable under the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983, the court did not have jurisdiction to grant a Deprivation of Liberty (DoL) order pursuant to the inherent jurisdiction.’
Local Government Lawyer, 25th November 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Despite Alex Henry running from the scene and being diagnosed with autism, he remains behind bars.’
The Independent, 23rd November 2024
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘A Bradford man has been cleared of a charge of encouraging the suicide of a 14-year-old girl who took her own life in the Netherlands.’
BBC News, 19th November 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
© Inner Temple Library 2025