Saturday musings: the Charity Commission and “political” campaigning – Law & Religion UK

Posted September 6th, 2021 in bills, charities, Charity Commission, elections, news, political parties by tracey

‘The Runnymede Trust is a charitable think-tank focused on race equality and race relations in the UK. The Charity Commission opened a compliance case in April 2021 after complaints about the Trust’s response to the report by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (“the CRED report”) and the trustees’ decision to work with the Good Law Project to challenge certain public appointments. The Commission also noted the appearance of a senior executive of Runnymede at an event organised by a political party, alongside several elected representatives and affiliated speakers. The issue, in short, was whether the Trust was engaging in party-political activity, contrary to charity law – and the Commission has concluded that the Trust has not broken the law. So far, not much obviously to do with “religion” – but read on.’

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Law & Religion UK, 4th September 2021

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Runnymede Trust did not breach guidance over race report, watchdog finds – The Guardian

Posted September 2nd, 2021 in charities, equality, judicial review, news, race discrimination, racism, reports by sally

‘A leading race equality thinktank did not breach charity guidance despite claims from Conservative MPs that it is pursuing a political agenda, a watchdog has found.’

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The Guardian, 1st September 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

High Court gives go-ahead for discrimination claim over legislation on regulated settings and children in care – Local Government Lawyer

‘A children’s rights charity has secured permission from the High Court for a judicial review of secondary legislation made by the Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, which provides that children in care in England up to the age of 15 – but not 16 and 17-year-olds – must always live in regulated settings where they receive day-to-day care from adults.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th August 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

More than 100 councils and charities vow to boycott Home Office policy to deport rough sleepers – The Independent

‘More than 110 local councils and charities have vowed to boycott a controversial new Home Office policy to deport foreign rough sleepers. Rules that came into effect on 1 January made rough sleeping grounds to cancel or refuse a non-British national’s right to be in the UK.’

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The Independent, 8th August 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

A Coalition Of Over 200 Organisations Condemns Proposed Changes To Judicial Review – Each Other

Posted July 29th, 2021 in bills, charities, government departments, human rights, judicial review, news by sally

‘In an unprecedented move, a coalition of more than 220 organisations has condemned proposed changes to judicial review and the Human Rights Act, including EachOther UK.’

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Each Other, 28th July 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

More than 220 groups criticise UK review of Human Rights Act – The Guardian

Posted July 23rd, 2021 in bills, charities, human rights, judicial review, news, trade unions by sally

‘An “unprecedented” coalition of more than 220 organisations has attacked proposed changes to the Human Rights Act and judicial review as a threat to freedom and justice.’

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The Guardian, 22nd July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Charity launches legal challenge against UK’s foreign aid cuts – The Guardian

Posted July 19th, 2021 in budgets, charities, government departments, judicial review, news by michael

‘A charity has launched a legal challenge against Boris Johnson’s £4bn of cuts to the foreign aid budget which critics warn will cause significant suffering to some of the world’s poorest people.’

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The Guardian, 16th July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office forced to pay out £9.3m in compensation for over 300 cases of unlawful detention last year – The Independent

‘The Home Office was forced to pay out a record in compensation for wrongful detention under immigration powers last year.’

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The Independent, 10th July 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Police bill risks criminalising homeless people, warn UK charities – The Guardian

‘Leading homelessness charities have made an unprecedented joint plea to UK ministers to reconsider the police and crime bill, warning it could in effect criminalise large numbers of people simply for being homeless.’

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The Guardian, 8th July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Rape prosecution review failed to engage with victims, say survivor groups – The Guardian

‘A government-led review into the collapse of rape prosecutions in England and Wales has failed to “meaningfully engage” with rape survivors, despite assurances from a minister that they had been consulted, according to groups representing victims.’

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The Guardian, 27th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

£200 million investment in rehab services to cut crime – Ministry of Justice

‘Charities and companies which help rehabilitate offenders have been awarded around £200 million of Government funding to help cut crime in the new probation system.’

Ministry of Justice, 21st May 2021

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Girlguiding charity apologises as audit uncovers racism and Islamophobia – The Independent

Posted May 20th, 2021 in charities, diversity, Islam, news, racism, reports, young persons by tracey

‘Girlguiding, the UK’s leading charity for girls and young women, has apologised after an external audit uncovered alarming instances of racism and Islamophobia among girl guides and staff. The probe, which took evidence from over 200 members, staff, parents and carers, revealed instances of discrimination that saw young people of colour being called racial slurs and a Muslim girl being asked to remove her hijab during a trip.’

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The Independent, 19th May 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Mental health tests in the presence of counter-terror units ‘unethical’, says charity – The Guardian

‘Mental health assessments are being conducted in the presence of police in little-known hubs that embed nurses and psychologists with counter-terrorism units, raising “serious ethical concerns”, a medical charity has said.’

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The Guardian, 19th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Torture victims kept in solitary by Home Office for up to a year – The Guardian

‘The Home Office has pursued a policy of psychological brutality by locking up scores of torture survivors in solitary confinement for indefinite periods, according to fresh testimony from immigration detainees.’

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The Guardian, 15th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK Immigration Rough Sleeper Rule – Family Law

‘The UK government has recently introduced a controversial new set of rules that aim to make rough sleeping grounds for refusal or cancellation of a migrant’s permission to remain within the UK.’

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Family Law, 11th May 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Rough Sleeping Immigration Rule Must Be Repealed – EIN Blog

Posted April 13th, 2021 in charities, deportation, homelessness, immigration, news by sally

‘The UK government has recently, and quietly, reintroduced a scheme that works with councils and homelessness charities to obtain personal data on migrant rough sleepers that may result in their deportation.’

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EIN Blog, 12th April 2021

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Third Sector Protector – Kids Company Article – 3 Hare Court

Posted April 9th, 2021 in chambers articles, charities, company directors, news by sally

‘Kids Company was founded in 1996 by Camila Batmanghelidjh to support the most vulnerable children who fell through the cracks in mainstream services. Despite securing hundreds of millions of pounds in donations from celebrity donors and winning more than £42m in government grants, the ever-increasing demand for Kids Company’s services led to financial difficulties for the charity. It collapsed in 2015 in the wake of unfounded allegations of sexual abuse.’

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3 Hare Court, 8th April 2021

Source: www.3harecourt.com

UK’s ‘headlong rush into abandoning human rights’ rebuked by Amnesty – The Guardian

‘Amnesty International has published a stark rebuke of the UK government’s stance on human rights, saying that it is “speeding towards the cliff edge” in its policies on housing and immigration, and criticising its seeming determination to end the legal right for the public to challenge government decisions in court.’

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The Guardian, 7th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Advertising, religion and Articles 9 & 10 ECHR: Lancashire Festival of Hope – Law & Religion UK

‘In Lancashire Festival of Hope with Franklin Graham Limited v Blackpool Borough Council & Anor [2021] Manchester Cty Ct F00MA124, the Court was asked, in effect, to rule on whether or not a charitable limited company could be regarded as having “human rights” for the purposes of anti-discrimination legislation and the ECHR.’

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Law & Religion UK, 6th April 2021

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Charity Commission investigates Carrie Symonds’ employer – The Independent

‘The organisation that employs Boris Johnson’s fiancee Carrie Symonds is set to be investigated by the Charity Commission following “serious concerns” over its governance and financial management.’

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The Independent, 1st April 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk