Childline reports 16% increase in victims of sexual exploitation – The Guardian

‘The number of child sexual exploitation victims counselled by Childline has risen by 16% in a year, with perpetrators believed to be increasingly preying on targets online.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 15th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Trustees of Sikh Temple charity fail in High Court challenge to traffic management order – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 11th, 2019 in charities, consultations, equality, local government, news, road traffic, Sikhism by sally

‘A High Court judge has rejected a legal challenge brought over the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea’s decision to make a traffic management order imposing additional parking restrictions in an area with a Sikh Temple.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 11th November 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

John Bowers QC’s Employment Law Blog: October 2019 – Littleton Chambers

Posted October 31st, 2019 in adoption, charities, equality, freedom of expression, homosexuality, housing, Judaism, news by sally

‘In R (ota Z) v LB of Hackney & Agudas Israel Housing Assoc Ltd [2019] EWCA Civ 1099, the court considered a challenge to the housing policies of a charitable provider of social housing in Hackney. Accommodation was allocated by the Housing Association only to members of the Orthodox Jewish community in the Stamford Hill area of London. The Divisional Court found that ‘there are very high levels of poverty and deprivation [amongst the Orthodox community], with associated low levels of home ownership … there is a strong correlation between the evidenced poverty and deprivation and the religion’. It also found that the arrangements for allocating housing which placed Orthodox Jews in a primary position to enable them both to avoid the disadvantages and to meet the needs. This would be unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 unless there was an appropriate exception.’

Full Story

Littleton Chambers, 21st October 2019

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

MoJ data suggests 95% of SEN tribunal cases lost, withdrawn or conceded by local authorities, claims charity – Local Government Lawyer

‘Some 95% of decisions at special educational needs tribunals in 2017/18 were either won by parents, or saw local authorities withdraw or concede, it has been claimed.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 29th October 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Aid agencies accused of failure to make good on Oxfam abuse scandal pledges – The Guardian

Posted October 18th, 2019 in charities, news, sexual offences, whistleblowers by tracey

‘MPs have accused aid organisations of “dragging their feet” over combating sexual exploitation and abuse in the sector, despite safeguarding pledges made in 2018 after the Oxfam abuse scandal. Work to improve protection and support for whistleblowers has “stalled”, and more needs to be done to protect survivors, a report by the UK international development committee (IDC) has said.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 18th October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Charity launches legal action against NHS fees for pregnant migrants – The Guardian

Posted October 17th, 2019 in charities, fees, immigration, news, pregnancy by sally

‘A charity has launched a legal challenge against the policy of charging vulnerable migrant women £7,000 or more to access NHS maternity care.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 16th October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Disqualifying a church pastor from charity trusteeship: Phelps – Law & Religion UK

Posted October 14th, 2019 in appeals, charities, disqualification, news, trusts by tracey

‘The First-tier Tribunal (Charity) has dismissed the disqualification appeal from a former church pastor who was banned from being a charity trustee for ten years after the Charity Commission concluded, inter alia, that he had used charitable funds for foreign trips that did not appear to be for charitable purposes.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 14th October 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

David Cameron’s National Citizen Service sued for £22m for breach of contract threatening youngsters’ placements – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 14th, 2019 in charities, contracts, health & safety, news, young persons by tracey

‘One of the central planks of David Cameron’s Prime Ministerial legacy is facing serious trouble, accused of putting hundreds of jobs and the hopes of thousands of young people at risk. The body that runs the National Citizen Service (NCS) – founded by Prime Minister Cameron in 2011 as a modern-day national service for school leavers – is being sued for £22 million by its largest provider of services, after it was forced to make staff redundant and cut the number of placements it runs.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 12th October 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Sexual grooming crimes soar by a third as paedophiles turn to Instagram – The Independent

Posted September 11th, 2019 in bills, charities, child abuse, children, internet, news, sexual grooming, sexual offences, statistics by tracey

‘Sexual grooming crimes have soared by a third in a year as paedophiles turn to Instagram to target children as young as 11, the NSPCC has said.’

Full Story

The Independent, 11th September 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Environmental lawyers put local authorities “on notice” over alleged climate inaction – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 4th, 2019 in charities, climate change, environmental protection, local government, news by sally

‘Environmental law charity ClientEarth has written to 100 local authorities across England to warn that they will violate their legal obligations and risk legal challenge if they do not introduce proper climate change plans.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 2nd September 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Tainted Gifts – Radcliffe Chambers

Posted September 3rd, 2019 in charities, gifts, news by sally

‘Josh Lewison analyses the approaches available to charity trustees when they encounter tainted gifts, in an article recently published by Trusts and Estates Law & Tax Journal.’

Full Story

Radcliffe Chambers, 27th August 2019

Source: www.radcliffechambers.com

Woman sentenced for faking terminal illness to con charity into paying for her wedding – Crown Prosecution Service

‘A woman who claimed she had terminal cancer so she could con a small charity into paying for a wedding ceremony has today been sentenced.’

Full Story

Crown Prosecution Service, 16th August 2019

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Legal charities urge government to delay whiplash reforms – Legal Futures

‘Four leading legal charities have urged the government to delay next year’s whiplash reforms over fears that litigants in person and the organisations supporting them will be overwhelmed by the new regime.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 13th August 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Lolita’ phenomenon is allowing men to groom teenage girls without fear of arrest, Telegraph investigation reveals – Daily Telegraph

‘A boom in “Lolita” sites on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms is allowing paedophiles to target teenage girls without fear of arrest, an investigation by The Sunday Telegraph has found.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 3rd August 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

UK’s top judge calls for donations to legal support charity – The Guardian

Posted July 29th, 2019 in budgets, charities, family courts, judges, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

‘The UK’s most senior judge has appealed for people to give money to a charity whose volunteers support those who become embroiled in civil court cases but cannot afford a lawyer.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 28th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Man jailed for laundering more than £10m through Jewish charity – The Guardian

Posted July 9th, 2019 in benefits, charities, fraud, money laundering, news, sentencing by sally

‘A man has been jailed for almost 10 years for selling counterfeit erectile dysfunction and slimming pills and laundering more than £10m through bank accounts linked to a Jewish charity.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 5th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Social housing and religion: R (Z & Anor) – Law & Religion UK

‘A non-Jewish woman, Z, had four children, including a son with autism. She was at the top of Hackney Council’s list for a four-bedroom home in the area. The co-defendant, the Agudas Israel Housing Association (AIHA), was founded in 1986 to provide social housing for Orthodox Jews in north London: it does not accept applications from anyone outside the Orthodox community. Six four-bedroom properties owned by AIHA became available but Ms Z was not allowed to apply for one of them. She sought judicial review of that refusal, arguing that it was unlawful and discriminatory for the AIHA to refuse her a home. As we noted, in R (Z & Ors) v Hackney London Borough Council & Anor [2019] EWHC 139 (Admin), a Divisional Court dismissed her claim, holding that a Jewish housing association might legitimately refuse to rent houses to those who were not Orthodox Jews. Z appealed.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 5th July 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Environmental Law News Update – Six Pump Court

Posted July 3rd, 2019 in canals, charities, environmental protection, news, sanctions, waste, water by sally

‘In this latest Environmental Law News Update, Christopher Badger considers the decision by Ofwat to impose a financial penalty on Southern Water for failings in the performance of its wastewater operations, the imposition of over £3.7 million of civil sanctions on charitable organisations for environmental offences and further developments in the Manchester Ship Canal case.’

Full Story

Six Pump Court, 26th June 2019

Source: www.6pumpcourt.co.uk

Court of Appeal rejects challenge to lawfulness of discriminatory allocation of housing on ground of religion – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal against a Divisional Court ruling that a charitable housing association’s arrangements for allocating housing, which amount to direct discrimination on the ground of religion, were lawful.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 27th June 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Charity watchdog investigating claims of sex cover up by charity run by new Oxfam boss – Daily Telegraph

‘The charity watchdog is investigating claims that an organisation formerly led by the man enlisted to put the “house in order” following the Oxfam abuse scandal had allegedly covered up another sex scandal.’

Full Story

Daily Telegraph, 23rd June 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk