High court ruling leaves refused asylum seekers at risk of homelessness – The Guardian

‘A high court judge has quashed a ruling that said refused asylum seekers who are destitute must be given accommodation during the pandemic until all Covid restrictions are lifted.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 22nd June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Councils issue £1m in penalties against businesses for breach of Covid restrictions – Local Government Lawyer

‘Local authorities have issued 1,201 penalties to businesses for violating Covid business restrictions, to a value of £1,076,820, research has revealed.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 21st June 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Binding arbitration to settle Covid commercial rent disputes – Litigation Futures

‘The government is to introduce mandatory, binding arbitration to settle disputes between landlords and businesses struggling to pay their rent because of the pandemic.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 17th June 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Speech by the Master of the Rolls at the London School of Economics – Recovery or Radical Transformation: the effect of COVID-19 on Justice Systems – Courts & Tribunals Judiciary

‘Speech by the Master of the Rolls at the London School of Economics – Recovery or Radical Transformation: the effect of COVID-19 on Justice Systems.’

Full speech

Courts & Tribunals Judiciary, 17th June 2021

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Giving staff legal right to work from home will ‘cause corporate chaos’, businesses warn – The Independent

‘Businesses have warned Boris Johnson’s government that any attempt to give employees the legal right to work from home would cause “chaos” in offices across the country.’

Full Story

The Independent, 17th June 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Covid: Deaf campaigner takes legal action over No 10 briefings – BBC News

‘A deaf campaigner is taking legal action against the government, after complaining that it failed to provide in-person British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters at No 10 Covid briefings.’

Full Story

BBC News, 16th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Frustrated Contracts and Wedding Venues – article by Harry Dyson – Park Square Barristers

Posted June 17th, 2021 in contracts, coronavirus, hotels, marriage, news, regulations, repayment by sally

‘Harry Dyson discusses what appears to be the first judgment at Circuit Judge level in relation to what monies can be retained or claimed by wedding venues when the contract has been frustrated by Covid-19 regulations. Harry has been exposed to this issue whilst working as a paralegal prior to commencing pupillage. He gained experience in dealing with both these claims and issues surrounding venues’ business interruption insurance.’

Full Story

Park Square Barristers, 15th June 2021

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

Covid jabs to become mandatory for care home staff in England – The Guardian

‘Covid vaccinations are to become mandatory for care home staff under plans to be announced by ministers, as they consider extending the move to all NHS staff.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 15th June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Research Briefing: Coronavirus: the lockdown laws – House of Commons Library

Posted June 11th, 2021 in coronavirus, news, parliament by tracey

‘This Library briefing paper explains the types of coronavirus restrictions and requirements imposed by the UK’s lockdown laws.’

Full Story

House of Commons Library, 10th June 2021

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Wide-ranging concerns’: Law Society opposes remote juries – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 11th, 2021 in barristers, bills, coronavirus, juries, Law Society, news, remote hearings by tracey

‘Remote juries could jeopardise the security of court proceedings, alienate participants, and prove more expensive than in-person hearings, the Law Society has warned.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 10th June 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Romance fraud reports soar by 40% during coronavirus pandemic, says Which? – The Independent

Posted June 11th, 2021 in coronavirus, fraud, internet, news, statistics by tracey

‘Romance scam reports have soared during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Which? The consumer group’s analysis of Action Fraud data found romance fraud reports were up by 40% in the year to April 2021, compared with the previous year, with more than 7,500 reported scams.’

Full Story

The Independent, 11th June 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

More than one in 10 terror suspects arrested in Britain is a child, figures show – The Independent

‘More than one in 10 terror suspects arrested in Britain is a child, figures reveal amid mounting concerns over online radicalisation. Thirteen per cent of those arrested in the 12 months to March under terrorism laws were aged under 18, up five per cent.’

Full Story

The Independent, 10th June 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Tribunal judges found it “difficult to communicate” at video hearings – Litigation Futures

Posted June 9th, 2021 in coronavirus, judges, news, remote hearings, statistics, tribunals by sally

‘A major report on the impact of the pandemic on the tribunal service has found that almost a third of judges found it “difficult to communicate” at video hearings in the first few months.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 8th June 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Small claims court delays continue to increase – Litigation Futures

‘Delays in cases going through the civil court continued to rise in the first quarter of 2021, throwing a potentially huge spanner in the works of the whiplash reforms which came into force last week.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 7th June 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Lord Chancellor outlines his plans to recover the justice system from COVID-19 – Ministry of Justice

‘The Lord Chancellor spoke at the Law Society to thank the hidden heroes who kept justice moving during the COVID-19 pandemic and outlined his plans for recovering the system, as well as propelling it towards a better future.’

Full speech

Ministry of Justice, 4th June 2021

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

Kate Shemirani: Nurse who claimed 5G caused Covid symptoms and spread vaccine misinformation struck off – The Independent

‘A leading figure in Britain’s anti-vaccination movement who repeatedly spread coronavirus conspiracy theories, and once called the NHS “the new Auschwitz”, has been permanently struck off the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register.’

Full Story

The Independent, 5th June 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Rape cases in England and Wales will be hit hard by backlog, says police chief – The Guardian

‘Rape and domestic violence cases in England and Wales will be among the worst hit from the growing backlog in the judicial system, and trials could soon start collapsing because of severe delays, the new crime commissioner for England’s second biggest force has warned.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 6th June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Day to day data on remote hearings in the family courts – Transparency Project

‘HM Courts and Tribunals Service have recently published statistics about the number of hearings conducted remotely, ie by audio, video or on paper, compared with physical in-person hearings, over the course of the coronavirus lockdown. The statistics cover civil and criminal cases as well as family law cases, but it is possible to extract from them a picture of how the family justice system, in particular, has responded.’

Full Story

Transparency Project, 4th June 2021

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Napier Barracks: Housing migrants at barracks unlawful, court rules – BBC News

‘The Home Office’s decision to house cross-channel migrants in a “squalid” barracks in Folkestone was unlawful, the High Court has ruled.’

Full Story

BBC News, 3rd June 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Number of Covid PI claims remains low “but potential for many more” – Litigation Futures

‘The number of personal injury claims relating to Covid-19 continues to be very low, despite the significant rise in infections over the winter, new figures have shown.’

Full Story

Litigation Futures, 3rd June 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com