Lucy Letby: How could the NHS stop a future killer within? – BBC News

‘Nearly a quarter of a century before Lucy Letby began attacking babies on a neonatal unit, another hospital experienced similarly sudden and unexpected losses.’

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BBC News, 21st August 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ministers ‘dragging feet’ on forcing killers to court as Lucy Letby to skip sentencing – The Independent

‘Ministers have been accused of “dragging their feet” over laws to force killers into the dock as Lucy Letby refuses to appear in court for her sentencing.’

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The Independent, 21st August 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Lucy Letby trial: why the babies remain anonymous – The Guardian

‘The trial of Lucy Letby was conducted amid levels of press secrecy for victims and witnesses rarely seen outside proceedings involving matters of national security.’

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The Guardian, 18th August 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Widower of jailed Post Office worker loses appeal in wake of Horizon scandal – The Guardian

‘The widower of a Post Office worker jailed after being convicted of theft has lost a court of appeal fight as a judge ruled that the conviction was not based on evidence from the scandal-hit Horizon software.’

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The Guardian, 15th August 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Coronial powers and the rights of the unborn (Part 1) – UK Human Rights Blog

‘In this two-part article, Maya Sikand KC, Tom Stoate, and Ruby Peacock, explore two difficult questions arising from the inquest into the “harrowing circumstances” of the death of a baby, Aisha Cleary, at HMP Bronzefield. This first part seeks to answer the question: should coroners have jurisdiction to investigate stillbirths?’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 11th August 2023

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Mum of Nikki Allan to sue Northumbria Police – BBC News

Posted August 9th, 2023 in bereavement, children, compensation, criminal justice, delay, DNA, families, murder, news, police by tracey

‘The mother of a girl murdered in 1992 says she is taking legal action against a police force over her 30-year wait for justice.’

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BBC News, 9th August 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The Supreme Court provides authoritative guidance on the application of Article 2 to Coronial investigations and inquests – QMLR

‘The advent of the Human Rights Act 1998, and the incorporation into domestic law of the Article 2 right to life, has transformed coronial investigations and inquests over the last two decades. Lord Bingham’s magisterial creation of the ‘enhanced’ investigation and conclusion in R (Middleton) v West Somerset Coroner [2004] UKHL 10, [2004] 2 AC 182 (later adopted by Parliament) gave coroners greater responsibility to hold the state to account for deaths. That, in turn, has significantly improved the ways in which all inquests are conducted, not just those where Article 2 is found to be engaged. Inquests are no longer haphazard affairs. They are (ordinarily) carefully planned and structured processes; and their participants, the ‘interested persons’, are far more involved in assisting coroners with the task of identifying the proper scope of their investigations and the lawful ambit of their conclusions.’

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QMLR, 18th July 2023

Source: 1corqmlr.com

‘Excluded from justice’: court prevents family of victim from addressing assailant – The Guardian

‘The brother of a man who died after being assaulted in his own home has said he has been “excluded from justice” after magistrates barred him from court on the grounds that his presence would put the teenage attacker under “undue stress”.’

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The Guardian, 30th July 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Infected blood scandal: Bereaved relatives in government compensation plea – BBC News

‘The son of a man who died after he was given infected blood is among those handing in a letter to the government calling for wider compensation.’

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BBC News, 25th July 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

NHS trust accused of cover-up is refusing to release report into deaths – The Guardian

‘An ambulance trust accused of hiding information from a coroner about patients that died is keeping a damning internal report about the deaths secret, the Guardian can reveal. A consultant paramedic implicated in the alleged cover-ups continues to be involved in decisions to keep the report from the public.’

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The Guardian, 24th July 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

R (on the application of Maguire) v HM Senior Coroner for Blackpool & Fylde and another – Inquests and Inquiries Law Blog

‘In this post, Alex Carington considers the Supreme Court’s decision in an appeal by the family of the Deceased who sought to challenge the Coroner’s decision that Art. 2 of the Human Rights Act 1998 did not require an expanded conclusion having heard all of the evidence at the inquest such that the jury were requested to return a short form conclusion only. The appeal also raised issues about the boundary of the systems duty and operational duty (and the content of both) as well as the boundary between the enhanced procedural obligation on one hand and basic procedural obligation together with the redress procedural obligation on the other.’

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Inquests and Inquiries Law Blog, 18th July 2023

Source: inquestsandinquirieslawblog.com

Met Police apologise over Daniel Morgan murder probe – BBC News

Posted July 19th, 2023 in bereavement, corruption, damages, families, inquiries, murder, news, police by tracey

‘The Met Police has apologised to the family of private detective Daniel Morgan, who was murdered in 1987.’

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BBC News, 19th July 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Metropolitan Police investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawrence – House of Commons Library

‘On 22 April 1993, Stephen Lawrence, an 18-year-old Black man, was stabbed to death at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London by a group of White youths in an unprovoked, racist attack. Stephen’s friend, Duwayne Brooks, was with him at the time and witnessed the attack.’

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House of Commons Library, 9th July 2023

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Nottingham maternity review set to become UK’s largest – BBC News

Posted July 10th, 2023 in bereavement, birth, children, families, hospitals, inquiries, news, pregnancy by sally

‘A review into failings in maternity care in hospitals in Nottingham is set to become the largest in the UK, the BBC understands.’

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BBC News, 10th July 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Met Police: Doreen Lawrence concerned about pace of reform – BBC News

‘The mother of Stephen Lawrence says she is “profoundly concerned” about the slow pace of reforms in the Met Police.’

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BBC News, 10th July 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Stephen Lawrence’s mother says decision not to charge police over murder inquiry ‘disgraceful’ – The Independent

‘Stephen Lawrence’s mother says a decision not to charge four retired officers over their handling of the original murder investigation has caused her immense distress and she will challenge it.’

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The Independent, 6th July 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK’s largest pub firm guilty of health and safety breach over student’s death – The Guardian

Posted July 7th, 2023 in accidents, bereavement, fines, health & safety, licensed premises, news by tracey

‘The UK’s largest pub company has been found guilty of breaching health and safety law after the “senseless and avoidable” death of a first-year university student who was queuing to get into a busy venue.’

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The Guardian, 6th July 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Supreme Court rules in ‘death ends everything’ divorce case – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 30th, 2023 in appeals, bereavement, divorce, families, financial provision, news, Supreme Court by tracey

‘The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed a wife’s appeal for financial relief against her husband’s estate after he died before the final determination of her application.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 30th June 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Inquiry into 2,000 mental health deaths in Essex NHS trusts given legal powers – The Guardian

Posted June 29th, 2023 in bereavement, hospitals, inquiries, mental health, news, suicide, witnesses by sally

‘An independent inquiry into the deaths of almost 2,000 mental health patients across NHS trusts in Essex is to be given legal powers to compel witnesses to give evidence, after pressure from bereaved relatives and the chair of the inquiry.’

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The Guardian, June 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

War widows who lost pensions to receive compensation – BBC News

‘War widows who were forced to forfeit their pensions will receive a lump sum payment after a long-running campaign. The compensation scheme will benefit spouses who lost their government income if they remarried or moved in with a new partner before 2015.’

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BBC News, 18th May 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk