Government avoids defeat over lone child refugees call – BBC News
‘MPs have voted against an attempt to force the government to allow 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees into the UK from Europe.’
BBC News, 26th April 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: bills
New time limit planned for pregnant women in detention – Home Office
‘The Home Secretary has revealed plans to place a 72-hour time limit on the detention of pregnant women.’
Home Office, 18th April 2016
Source: www.gov.uk/home-office
Peers change draft legislation on starter homes and sale of high value council houses – OUT-LAW.com
‘Changes made to the UK government’s Housing and Planning Bill will confine the sale of starter homes to those aged 23 or over and require a proportion of the discount on their purchase price be repaid if the homes are sold on within 20 years.’
OUT-LAW.com, 19th April 2016
Source: www.out-law.com
Byron Karemba: The Investigatory Powers Bill: Putting the Investigatory Powers Commissioner in Focus (Part II) – UK Constitutional Law Association
‘Following on from the first post focusing on the double-lock in the Investigatory Powers Bill (“the Bill”). This second entry looks at the “institutional and procedural” issues around the introduction of judicial scrutiny of surveillance warrants in the UK. Therefore, attention is on the office of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPCr) itself. I will assess the degree to which the IPCr is independent from the executive. Thereafter, consideration is given to the procedure by which the Judicial Commissioners (JCs) will conduct their ex ante oversight function. Concerns in both these areas were raised when a Draft version of the Bill was before a Joint Committee of Parliament (“the Committee”). After nearly four months of gathering both written and oral evidence, the Committee reported in February and the Bill got its second reading on March 15th this year.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 15th April 2016
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
Ministers drop plans for war powers law – The Guardian
‘Ministers have abandoned plans to introduce a war powers act that would enshrine into law a commitment to seek parliamentary approval before deploying British troops in combat.’
The Guardian, 18th April 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Theresa May to put 72-hour limit on detention of pregnant asylum seekers – The Guardian
‘Theresa May will announce plans to place a 72-hour time limit on the detention of pregnant women at immigration centres after the House of Lords voted in favour of an all-out ban.’
The Guardian, 17th April 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
The lawyer who takes the cases no one wants – The Guardian
‘It has never been easy to win as an immigration lawyer – but now the government is trying to make it impossible.’
The Guardian, 14th April 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
EU court hears case on UK data retention laws – OUT-LAW.com
‘The EU’s highest court will hear arguments on Tuesday concerning the validity of UK data retention laws.’
OUT-LAW.com, 12th April 2016
Source: www.out-law.com
Section 3C leave does not always protect during appeals – Free Movement
‘The Home Office has issued a new updated version of its policy on section 3C and 3D leave: Leave extended by section 3C (and leave extended by section 3D in transitional cases). Section 3C and 3D leave is an automatic type of leave created by an amendment to the Immigration Act 1971 so that where a person makes a valid application to extend his or her leave to enter or remain and the application is refused, that person’s immigration status would be extended during any waiting time for the application to be decided or for an appeal to be decided.’
Free Movement, 11th April 2016
Source: www.freemovement.org.uk
European court to consider legality of UK surveillance laws – The Guardian
‘The legality of Britain’s surveillance laws will come under the intense scrutiny of 15 European judges on Tuesday in a politically sensitive test case that could limit powers to gather online data.’
The Guardian, 11th April 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Guidance on coasting schools – Education Law Blog
‘In all of the excitement about the proposals in the White Paper for all schools to become academies, there has been little discussion about the Guidance for local authorities and RSCs on Schools causing concern – Intervening in failing, underperforming and coasting schools. Alongside this guidance, the Government has published its response to the consultation exercise, which includes a useful summary of the amendments that the Government made to the Bill during its Parliamentary passage.’
Education Law Blog, 7th April 2016
Source: www.education11kbw.com
An absence of fairness: the Trade Union Bill – OUP Blog
‘According to Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Trade Union Bill currently before Parliament is “not a ban on strike action. This is about ensuring that our rules are modern and right and fit for today’s workplace”. As the Bill progresses through the House of Lords, Mr Javid’s rosy view has been challenged by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the UN supervisory body responsible for scrutiny of compliance with international labour standards.’
OUP Blog, 5th April 2016
Source: http://blog.oup.com
Byron Karemba: The Investigatory Powers Bill: Introducing Judicial Authorisation of Surveillance Warrants in the United Kingdom – Putting the ‘Double-Lock’ in Focus (Part I) – UK Constitutional Law Association
‘When the Home Secretary commended the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny in November 2015, she lauded the oversight mechanisms in the Bill as ‘world-leading.’ A seminal feature of this new regime is the creation of a single Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPCr) who is aided by a set of Judicial Commissioners (JCs) in exercising both ex ante and ex post facto oversight over the use of a range of surveillance measures. The IPCr will replace the existing fragmented (RIPA Part VI) framework of the Intelligence Services Commissioner, the Office of Surveillance Commissioner and the Interception of Communications Commissioner whom hitherto have (largely) conducted ex post facto oversight functions.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 22nd March 2016
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
House of Lords votes to let lone child refugees come to Britain – The Guardian
‘The government has been defeated in the Lords as peers voted to allow 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees into the country.’
The Guardian, 21st March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Michael Gove announces plans for ‘reform prisons’ – The Guardian
‘A new bill is to pave the way for “reform prisons” modelled on academy schools, with league tables and provision for failing jails to be taken over by more successful prisons, the justice secretary, Michael Gove, has told MPs.’
The Guardian, 16th March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Peers defeat trade union funding reforms – BBC News
‘The government has been heavily defeated in the House of Lords over trade union reforms Labour fears will cost it millions of pounds in funding. Ministers want to require Labour-affiliated union members to “opt in” to paying a levy to the party. But peers voted by 320 to 172 to apply the changes to new members only and with a 12-month transition period.’
BBC News, 16th March 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Plans to ban e-cigarettes in public places defeated – Daily Telegraph
‘Plans to ban e-cigarettes for the first time in the UK in public places where children are present have been defeated.
The landmark vote by the Welsh Assembly aimed to restrict the use of nicotine inhaling devices in public places such as schools, restaurants and on public transport.’
Daily Telegraph, 16th March 2016
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Investigatory Powers Bill: May defends surveillance powers – BBC News
‘Home Secretary Theresa May has defended controversial new surveillance powers as MPs debated them for the first time.’
BBC News, 15th March 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
We need to get this investigatory powers bill right – it’s not fit for purpose now – The Guardian
‘The second reading of the bill today is an opportunity for Labour to challenge the government on substance and process – and fight for a law fit for the 21st century.’
The Guardian, 15th March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
The snooper’s charter is flying through parliament. Don’t think it’s irrelevant to you – The Guardian
‘While the Apple v FBI row makes world headlines, people in the UK are disregarding a bill that permits hacking and gagging.’
The Guardian, 14th March 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
