Pair found guilty of stealing nearly £700,000 from the RHS – The Guardian

Posted July 19th, 2016 in charities, conspiracy, fraud, news, theft by sally

‘Two people have been convicted of stealing almost £700,000 from the Royal Horticultural Society over the course of a decade.’

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The Guardian, 18th July 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New tough charity regulator to name and shame bullying ‘chuggers’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 7th, 2016 in charities, codes of practice, news, regulations, reports by sally

‘Charity fundraisers who harass the elderly and shoppers in street will be “named and shamed” by a tougher new regulator to be launched today.’

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Daily Telegraph, 7th July 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Restraint use on child prisoners doubles, says Howard League – BBC News

Posted June 20th, 2016 in charities, children, inquiries, news, prisons, restraint, statistics, young offenders by tracey

‘Children held in custody in England and Wales are twice as likely to have force used against them by staff than they were five years ago, research suggests.’

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BBC News, 20th June 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Families separated for immigration purposes – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Last year 32,446 people subject to immigration control in the UK were detained by the government. Some had entered the country irregularly and were quickly removed. Others were detained pending removal or deportation. More than half of them were released back into the community, meaning that their detention had served no purpose.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 13th June 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Sexting offences increasing in schools, say senior police officers – The Guardian

‘Senior police officers are seeing an escalation in sexting offences in schools, according to a report submitted to MPs.’

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The Guardian, 9th June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

FCA warns banks on use of anti-money laundering rules to close accounts – The Guardian

Posted May 25th, 2016 in banking, charities, competition, EC law, fines, money laundering, news by sally

‘UK banks have been told by the City regulator they should not use anti-money laundering rules as an excuse to close accounts for charities, politicians and other clients just because they perceive them as risky.’

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The Guardian, 24th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

What happens when you’re deported to Britain? – BBC News

‘A widowed mother-of-five who has lived in Australia for most of her life is facing deportation to the UK. What awaits her when she gets off the plane, asks Claire Bates.’

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BBC News, 24th May 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

RSPCA to step back from launching prosecutions for hunting – The Guardian

‘The new head of the RSPCA has pledged to continue passing information about illegal fox-hunting and farm cruelty to the police but said that in the past the charity had struck the wrong tone when championing animal rights.’

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The Guardian, 16th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Didier Drogba: Charity Commission investigating player’s foundation – BBC News

Posted April 15th, 2016 in charities, Charity Commission, inquiries, news by tracey

‘A charity run by Didier Drogba is being investigated over “serious regulatory concerns” by the Charity Commission.’

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BBC News, 14th April 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Regina (Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Britain and others) v Charity Commission – WLR Daily

Regina (Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society of Britain and others) v Charity Commission [2016] EWCA Civ 154

‘Following three trials of former members of Jehovah’s Witnesses’s congregations on charges of historic sex abuse the Charity Commission decided to initiate a statutory inquiry relating to a leading Jehovah’s Witness charity’s safeguarding policy regarding vulnerable beneficiaries in particular children, under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011, and to order the charity to produce a wide range of documents, under section 52 of the Act, even though none of those accused was connected with the charity. .The applicants, the charity and its trustees, sought judicial review of those decisions, on the grounds that (i) the commission had acted disproportionately by commencing an inquiry the scope of which was vague and undefined and by interfering with the applicants’ Convention rights, and had thereby breached its duty to act fairly so that the decision was irrational; and (ii) the scope of the production order was disproportionate in that information was sought of a personal and sensitive nature, within the meaning of the Data Protection Act 1998, and was furthermore in breach of the Convention rights of individuals affected. The judge in refusing permission to proceed with the judicial review clain held that the applicants had an effective statutory remedy by appealing to the First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) (Charity) against a decision to initiate an inquiry, and that any complaint relating to the breadth of a production order could be dealt with before that tribunal.’

WLR Daily, 15th March 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

New Acts – legislation.gov.uk

Psychoactive Substances Act 2016

Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016

Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016

Education and Adoption Act 2016

Childcare Act 2016

Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016

Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2016

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Shami Chakrabarti on 14 years of fighting the power: ‘The leviathan is far from defeated’ – The Guardian

Posted March 17th, 2016 in barristers, charities, human rights, news by tracey

‘After years of speaking out on human rights, the Liberty director is stepping down. She describes why repeated attacks on freedom from governments of left and right – and the bullying tactics of their wannabe Malcolm Tuckers – haven’t dented her optimism.’

Full story

The Guardian, 16th April 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has radio advert banned after it breached rules – The Independent

Posted March 9th, 2016 in advertising, charities, children, complaints, news by tracey

‘The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has been censured over a Christmas advert in which Father Christmas tells a little girl who wants a puppy to tell her mother to sponsor a charity dog for £1 a week instead.’

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The Independent, 9th March 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Finance and Divorce Update (March 2016) – Family Law Week

‘Edward Heaton, Principal Associate and Jane Booth, Associate, both of Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during February 2016.’

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Family Law Week, 5th March 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Violent domestic abusers to be tackled by new programme – BBC News

‘Men who pose a high risk of domestic violence are to be given one-to-one support to change their behaviour. ‘

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BBC News, 17 February 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK counter-terrorism laws ‘harming aid efforts of Islamic charities’ – The Guardian

Posted February 15th, 2016 in banking, budgets, charities, complaints, inquiries, Islam, news, terrorism by sally

‘The former international development secretaries have called for an inquiry into the way in which UK counter-terrorism laws are hampering the humanitarian work of Islamic charities, including some of the few British charities capable of operating inside Syria.’

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The Guardian, 12th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Kids Company: MPs say ‘catalogue of failures’ led to collapse – BBC News

‘The collapse of the Kids Company charity was a result of an “extraordinary catalogue of failures”, a committee of MPs has said.’

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BBC News, 1st February 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Investigation into sexual abuse at Kids Company dropped due to lack of evidence – Daily Telegaph

Posted January 29th, 2016 in charities, child abuse, evidence, news, police, prosecutions by tracey

‘An investigation into reports of physical and sexual abuse linked to Kids Company has been dropped after police found no evidence to “justify a referral to the Crown Prosecution Service”.’

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Daily Telegraph, 28th January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Dementia charity warned to take action over data protection failings – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 8th, 2016 in charities, data protection, mental health, news by tracey

‘The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has ordered The Alzheimer’s Society to take action or risk prosecution after finding serious failings in the way volunteers handled data about people who used the charity.’

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Daily Telegraph, 7th January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

RSPCA ‘reserves right’ to prosecute hunt cases despite controversy – Daily Telegraph

‘Changes to the animal protection charity’s prosecution policy will not mean a final end to cases brought against members of fox hunts.’

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Daily Telegraph, 13th December 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk