Whistleblower protection and proposals for reform – Kingsley Napley Criminal Law Blog

Posted April 18th, 2024 in bills, employment, news, whistleblowers by sally

‘When an individual raises concerns regarding suspected wrongdoing, important legal considerations arise for organisations: it can lead to an internal investigation, the interest of regulatory authorities or litigation. A huge range of issues can arise in such situations and the rights of the whistleblower and available protections are key considerations. In addition, the approach and expectations of the authorities in the UK are changing, particularly with support being voiced for the idea of introducing financial rewards for whistleblowers.’

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Kingsley Napley Criminal Law Blog, 17th April 2024

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

What is a deepfake and why does the government want to make them illegal? – The Independent

‘The creation of sexually explicit “deepfake” images is to be made a criminal offence under new legislation, the Ministry of Justice has announced.’

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The Independent, 16th April 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Creating ‘deepfake’ sexual images to be criminal offence under new legislation – The Independent

Posted April 16th, 2024 in amendments, bills, consent, criminal justice, internet, news, obscenity, privacy by tracey

‘Creating a sexually explicit “deepfake” image is to be made an offence under new legislation, the Ministry of Justice has announced..’

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The Independent, 16th April 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

SLAPP campaigners call for ‘objective’ test in new law – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 12th, 2024 in bills, defamation, freedom of expression, human rights, news by sally

‘Prominent human rights lawyers Helena Kennnedy KC and Mark Stephens are among the legal signatories to a letter calling for a simpler test for a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) in legislation aimed at curbing abusive litigation.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 11th April 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Assault of shop workers to be made specific criminal offence – BBC News

Posted April 10th, 2024 in assault, bills, criminal justice, news, sentencing by sally

‘Assaulting a shop worker will be made a separate criminal offence in England and Wales as part of a government response to a wave of retail crime.’

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BBC News, 10th April 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Shoplifting crackdown to include £55m for facial recognition tools in England and Wales – The Guardian

Posted April 10th, 2024 in assault, bills, criminal justice, facial mapping, news, theft by sally

‘The government is investing more than £55m in expanding facial recognition systems – including vans that will scan crowded high streets – as part of a renewed crackdown on shoplifting.’

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The Guardian, 10th April 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Should the law change to make it easier for organisations to apologise? – Ministry of Justice

Posted April 8th, 2024 in bills, company law, compensation, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘The law could be updated to make it easier for organisations to offer sincere apologies to those who have been wronged following the launch of a government consultation today (8 April 2024).’

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Ministry of Justice, 8th April 2024

Source: www.gov.uk

MPs propose decriminalising abortion up to 24 weeks – The Guardian

Posted April 8th, 2024 in abortion, bills, criminal justice, human rights, news, women by tracey

‘A cross-party group of MPs is proposing to make abortion access a human right in England and Wales, putting forward legislation that would decriminalise abortion up to 24 weeks and introduce protections against access being stripped back.’

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The Guardian, 8th April 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

New UK laws to curb ‘disruptive protests’ come into force – The Independent

‘New public order powers to prevent “disruptive” protests in the UK will come into force from Friday [5th April].’

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The Independent, 5th April 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Assisted dying / assisted suicide – concrete British realities -Mental Capacity Law and Policy

Posted March 27th, 2024 in assisted suicide, bills, news, Scotland by sally

‘Reading some of the recent media coverage of the issue of assisted dying / assisted suicide, people could be forgiven for thinking that resolving the debate is a simple matter. In the context of a private MSP bill being introduced into the Scottish Parliament this week (March 25 2024), it is doubly important to be clear that – whatever one’s views – implementing any decision to legalise assisted dying / assisted suicide is not going to be simple.’

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Mental Capacity Law and Policy, 25th March 2024

Source: www.mentalcapacitylawandpolicy.org.uk

Conor Crummey : The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill and the Judicial ‘Disapplication’ of Statutes – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted March 26th, 2024 in bills, constitutional law, deportation, immigration, judiciary, news, parliament, Rwanda by tracey

‘The myriad problems with the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, as well as the policy that the Bill is supposed to facilitate, have been clearly documented. One common criticism is that the Bill would precipitate a “constitutional crisis” by provoking the courts into refusing to recognise its legal effect. Adam Tucker argues that the Bill’s most problematic sections could very well “count as a novel entry in our canon of possible limits of parliamentary sovereignty”. Jeff King argues that the House of Lords would be justified in radically amending or voting the Bill down, precisely because of the danger that it might incite a constitutional crisis. The Lords suggested sweeping amendments to the Bill, all of which were rejected by the Commons. The Bill will continue to go through a ping-pong process between each House before a final wording is settled.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 26th March 2024

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Rwanda flights: Lords inflict further defeats on government – BBC News

‘The House of Lords has inflicted fresh defeats on the government over its flagship Rwanda bill, meaning further delay to it becoming law.’

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BBC News, 21st March 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK smoking ban for those born after 2009 starts journey into law – BBC News

Posted March 22nd, 2024 in bills, children, government departments, health, news, smoking, young persons by sally

‘Rishi Sunak’s plan to ban anyone born after 2009 from buying cigarettes is starting its journey into law.’

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BBC News, 21st March 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Rwanda bill could become law without independent scrutiny, says ex-watchdog – The Guardian

‘Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation bill could be forced on to the statute books without fulfilling the government’s legal commitment to independent scrutiny, the former borders watchdog has told peers.’

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The Guardian, 19th March 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Retailers who break new smoking ban face on-the-spot fines in UK – The Guardian

‘Powers to issue £100 on-the-spot fines are to be handed to council officers enforcing a landmark law banning future generations from smoking, which Rishi Sunak has hailed as a chance to “save thousands of lives and billions of pounds”.’

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The Guardian, 20th March 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Football Governance Bill: Legislation for independent football regulator being introduced – BBC News

Posted March 19th, 2024 in bills, financial regulation, news, sport by tracey

‘The UK government will continue plans for an independent football regulator when the Football Governance Bill is introduced in Parliament on Tuesday.’

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BBC News, 19th March 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

How sex abusers who target their own children keep parental rights – and the mothers fighting back – The Independent

‘A mother is desperate to change her child’s surname – so that they no longer share it with their criminal father. But Emily* is being blocked from doing so by her ex, despite the fact that he is a convicted child sex offender. Her predicament is not unique. Under English and Welsh law, child sex abusers are able to keep their parental rights in the UK, even if they target their own children. This allows them to retain influence over where the child lives, as well as their healthcare and education.’

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The Independent, 17th March 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Madeline Gleeson & Theodore Konstadinides: The UK’s Rwanda policy and Lessons from Australia- UK Constitutional Law Association

‘In November 2023, the Supreme Court of the UK dealt a critical blow to the government’s proposal to send certain asylum seekers to the Republic of Rwanda. In AAA and Others v the Home Secretary, the Court ruled that removal to Rwanda would be unlawful because that country was not, at the time, a ‘safe country’.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 14th March 2024

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Former Lord Chief cautions against regulation of litigation funding – Legal Futures

Posted March 15th, 2024 in bills, civil justice, Civil Justice Council, news, third parties by sally

‘Regulation may not be answer for the future of the third-party litigation funding market, a former Lord Chief Justice has cautioned ahead of the Civil Justice Council (CJC) review of the sector.’

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Legal Futures, 15th March 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

What is the Post Office Horizon bill and why is it controversial? – The Guardian

‘The Post Office (Horizon system) offences bill, published on Wednesday, will quash the convictions of people resulting from the scandal, which involved hundreds being wrongly prosecuted on the basis of a faulty IT system. Here the Guardian explains the thinking behind the bill and why it is controversial.’

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The Guardian, 13th March 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com