Category: bereavement

Government-commissioned review recommends legal aid for bereaved families – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 7th, 2018 in bereavement, bills, detention, families, legal aid, legal representation, mental health, news, suicide, violence by tracey

‘The government has announced that it will introduce a new mental health bill following today’s publication of the findings of an independent review into the Mental Health Act 1983. However it is silent on the review’s recommendation that bereaved families should receive non-means tested legal aid – despite already pledging to accept two other recommendations.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 6th December 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Watchdog to launch investigation into UK funerals over ‘unjustified’ price hikes – The Independent

Posted November 29th, 2018 in bereavement, budgets, burials and cremation, competition, news, statistics by tracey

‘The UK funeral market could be the subject of the competition watchdog’s next investigation, after the regulator said it had “serious concerns” with the sector due to “unjustified” price hikes of more than 66 per cent over the last 10 years.’

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The Independent, 29th November 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Bin lorry driver jailed for schoolgirl’s death – The Guardian

Posted November 27th, 2018 in accidents, bereavement, causing death of children or vulnerable adults, dangerous driving, news, road traffic offences, sentencing by tracey

‘A bin lorry driver who killed a 14-year-old girl after pulling on to a treacherous main road without looking and hitting a school minibus has been jailed.’

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The Guardian, 26th November 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Proposed legislation to create heterosexual civil partnerships will still not create a “common law” marriage – Family Law

Posted November 23rd, 2018 in appeals, bereavement, civil partnerships, cohabitation, equality, homosexuality, human rights, marriage, news, Supreme Court, taxation by sally

‘In June 2018 the Supreme Court ruled in favour of a heterosexual couple who had argued that their inability to formalise their relationship through a civil partnership was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The Prime Minister indicated in October that she would legislate to give all couples the same choices as to how to achieve legal recognition of their relationship for the first time, writes Ashford’s family solicitor Emma Mackay.’

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Family Law, 22nd November 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Families whose loved ones died in NHS mental health care call for inquiry and reforms as police drop investigation – The Independent

Posted November 15th, 2018 in bereavement, corporate manslaughter, families, health & safety, inquiries, mental health, news, police, suicide, victims by tracey

‘A decision to drop the investigation into the deaths of up to 25 people in the care of NHS mental health services has been described by as a “bombshell” that leaves them without “accountability or recourse”, by their families. Essex Police had spent nearly two years investigating deaths across nine sites at North Essex Partnership University Trust since 2000.’

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The Independent, 15th November 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Man jailed for targeting grieving families with online abuse – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted November 15th, 2018 in bereavement, communicating false information, families, internet, press releases, sentencing by tracey

‘A man who admitted targeting Facebook memorial pages with sickening messages has been jailed for 14 months today (15 Oct) at Newcastle Crown Court.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 15th November 2018

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Supreme Court rejects time bar in passenger death at sea case – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 6th, 2018 in appeals, bereavement, international law, interpretation, negligence, news, shipping law, Supreme Court, time limits by sally

‘The Supreme Court has issued an important judgment on the interaction between the 1974 Athens Convention on carriage of passengers by sea and time bar provisions in Scottish domestic law.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 5th November 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Son sues over mum’s airing cupboard death in Pennal resort – BBC News

Posted October 17th, 2018 in bereavement, compensation, families, inquests, negligence, news by sally

‘The son of a woman who died while trapped in a holiday home airing cupboard is suing the resort company.’

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BBC News, 17th October 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bereaved family say they need £50,000 to pay for legal representation at inquest – The Guardian

Posted October 11th, 2018 in bereavement, costs, fees, inquests, legal representation, news by sally

‘The parents of a vulnerable student who took her own life at a university where there has been a series of deaths have spoken of the difficulty of ensuring there is a fair and transparent investigation because they are struggling to match the legal firepower of other parties involved.’

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The Guardian, 11th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Reflections on the state of family law – Family Law

Posted October 8th, 2018 in bereavement, civil partnerships, cohabitation, divorce, family courts, news, sexual orientation discrimination by sally

‘This year has seen momentum grow towards family law reform following a series of landmark Supreme Court decisions. Until now, this has not prompted the government to change the law, with ministers instead opting to take soundings.’

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Family Law, 5th October 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Widow sues DPD over courier husband’s death – The Guardian

Posted September 14th, 2018 in bereavement, employment, news, self-employment, sick leave by tracey

‘The delivery company DPD is being sued over the death of a driver who collapsed after he missed hospital appointments because he feared the company’s practice of charging drivers £150 for missing work.’

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The Guardian, 13th September 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Grenfell Tower: Kensington and Chelsea Council worker admits fraud – BBC News

Posted August 31st, 2018 in bereavement, fire, fraud, guilty pleas, health & safety, local government, news, theft, victims by tracey

‘A council worker has admitted defrauding around £60,000 from the Grenfell Tower victim fund.’

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BBC News, 30th August 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Funeral ads banned by TfL over ‘widespread offence’ – BBC News

Posted August 1st, 2018 in advertising, bereavement, London, news, transport by sally

‘The company behind a set of funeral comparison adverts banned by Transport for London has said it was trying to break the “taboo” around death.’

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BBC News, 31st July 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Widowed father ordered to leave UK against advice of Home Office’s own lawyers – The Guardian

Posted July 16th, 2018 in bereavement, carers, children, immigration, news, terrorism by tracey

‘A widower who is the sole carer of his four-year-old son has been forbidden to work and ordered to leave the country – even though the Home Office’s own lawyers advised them to drop the case.’

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The Guardian, 16th July 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Facebook ordered to explain deleted profile – BBC News

Posted June 20th, 2018 in bereavement, disclosure, identification, internet, news, third parties by sally

‘Facebook has been ordered by a UK high court judge to reveal who told it to delete the profile of a jazz musician and his band, six months after he died.’

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BBC News, 19th June 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Someone has to make a stand’: widow’s battle for cohabiting couples – The Guardian

Posted January 29th, 2018 in appeals, benefits, bereavement, cohabitation, news, Northern Ireland, social security, Supreme Court, widows by sally

‘Siobhan McLaughlin’s case goes before supreme court as pressure grows to end legal inequality.’

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The Guardian, 27th January 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Is the Smith case a step forward for the rights of cohabitees? – Family Law

Posted December 12th, 2017 in bereavement, cohabitation, human rights, negligence, news, personal injuries by sally

‘The inability of long term cohabitees to claim the bereavement award in personal injury cases is incompatible with their human rights: this was the recent finding of the Court of Appeal in Smith (suing in her own right and as the surviving partner of John Bulloch, deceased) v Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and others [2017] EWCA Civ 1916.’

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Family Law, 11th December 2017

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Cohabiting partners should have same rights as spouses to claim bereavement damages – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted December 1st, 2017 in bereavement, cohabitation, damages, news by tracey

‘Smith v Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust & Ors (Rev 2) [2017] EWCA Civ 1916. In a landmark decision handed down on 28th November 2017 the Court of Appeal ruled that cohabiting couples should have a right to claim bereavement damages, putting them in a position analogous to spouses and civil partners.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 30th November 2017

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Bereavement damages: Unmarried Chorley woman wins legal fight – BBC News

Posted November 28th, 2017 in bereavement, cohabitation, damages, human rights, news by sally

‘A woman has won her legal battle for better rights for unmarried people who lose their long-term partners.’

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BBC Mews, 28th November 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New right to paid leave for bereaved parents: A welcome move – Legal Futures

Posted November 21st, 2017 in bereavement, employment, news, parental rights by sally

‘This year, like many in recent years, has seen some key changes within the employment law field, with the government, trade unions and lobbyists remaining endlessly engaged in seeking to impose their interpretation of fair balance between employers and their respective workforces.’

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Legal Futures, 20th November 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk