Covid: Watchdog probes racial inequalities in healthcare – BBC News

Posted November 5th, 2020 in coronavirus, equality, health, minorities, news by tracey

‘An inquiry is under way into why lower-paid health and social care workers from ethnic minorities are at greater risk from coronavirus.’

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BBC News, 5th November 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

High court rejects legal challenge over Dominic Cummings breach – The Guardian

‘The high court has rejected a legal bid to challenge a decision not to investigate Dominic Cummings’s journey from London to Durham at the height of the first coronavirus lockdown. Max Hill, the director of public prosecutions, said any decision to investigate Cummings must be made by the police. He did not have the power to interfere.’

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The Guardian, 3rd November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Coronavirus: Priti Patel bans demonstrations during England’s lockdown – The Independent

‘Demonstrations of more than two people are to be banned during the month-long lockdown in England, after ministers removed an exemption that has allowed protests to take place in recent months.’

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The Independent,3rd November 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Covid-19 and False Imprisonment – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The Cambridge Private Law Centre last week hosted its annual Freshfields lecture. Lord Sumption addressed us on “Government by decree—Covid-19 and the Constitution”. This lecture has received considerable media attention and already been mentioned on this blog.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 3rd November 2020

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

‘Like zero-hours workers’: barristers lash out over ‘unsafe’ courts – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 3rd, 2020 in barristers, coronavirus, courts, health & safety, news by tracey

‘The government is treating criminal barristers like “zero-hours workers” and is endangering court users, the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has said, demanding a national risk assessment for court buildings.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 3rd November 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Courts backlog ‘tipping point’ for justice system – BBC News

Posted October 30th, 2020 in coronavirus, county courts, criminal justice, delay, news, trials by sally

‘The number of criminal cases waiting to be dealt with by Crown Courts threatens to overwhelm the justice system in England and Wales, a study suggests.’

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BBC News, 30th October 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal aid services are on brink of collapse, lawyers tell MPs – The Guardian

‘Legal aid services are on the brink of collapse due to successive cuts and the disruption wreaked by Covid-19, say lawyers.’

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The Guardian, 29th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Structural racism led to worse Covid impact on BAME groups – report – The Guardian

Posted October 29th, 2020 in coronavirus, equality, minorities, news, racism, reports by sally

‘Structural racism led to the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus pandemic on black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, a review by Doreen Lawrence has concluded.’

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The Guardian, 27th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Robert Craig: Coronavirus Regulations Case reaches the Court of Appeal – Hearing Dates 29-30 October 2020 – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted October 29th, 2020 in coronavirus, judicial review, ministers' powers and duties, news, regulations by sally

‘Litigation challenging the vires of the Coronavirus Regulations has been rumbling along over recent months. On 6 July 2020, Mr Justice Lewis refused permission in the Simon Dolan judicial review case.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 28th October 2020

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Campaigners launch judicial review challenge over decision by council that petition on changing governance arrangements was invalid – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 29th, 2020 in coronavirus, judicial review, local government, news, referendums, regulations by sally

‘A London borough is facing a judicial review challenge over its decision that a petition calling for a referendum on changes to its governance arrangements was invalid.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 28th October 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Four in ten parents “do not understand remote hearings” – Legal Futures

Posted October 28th, 2020 in coronavirus, families, family courts, news, remote hearings, statistics by sally

‘Four in ten parents who have been involved in a remote family hearing say they did not understand it, a major study has discovered.’

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Legal Futures, 28th October 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Covid measures will be seen as ‘monument of collective hysteria and folly’ says ex-judge – The Guardian

‘The government has deliberately stoked fear over coronavirus while behaving like an authoritarian regime relying on police state tactics, according to the former supreme court justice Jonathan Sumption.’

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The Guardian, 27th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Stuart Wallace: A Triple Threat to the Rule of Law – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted October 27th, 2020 in armed forces, bills, brexit, coronavirus, immunity, news, regulations, rule of law by sally

‘A trio of threats to the rule of law present themselves in parliament at this time: The Internal Market Bill, the Overseas Operations Bill and the inexorable flow of Health Protection Regulations. Before discussing the nature of the threats, it may be useful to highlight the distinct principles of the rule of law that are concerned. While the concept of the rule of law may have been debated by legal scholars for centuries, I am confident that adherents to both the substantive and formal conceptions of the rule of law would be equally affronted by recent developments in Parliament.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 27th October 2020

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

UK Covid policy for children in detention ‘cruel and inhumane’, says UN expert – The Guardian

Posted October 27th, 2020 in children, coronavirus, detention, mental health, news, United Nations, young offenders by sally

‘The UK government’s policy of allowing children in detention to be locked alone in their cells for up to 23 hours a day under emergency Covid-19 measures is “extreme and inhumane” and could lead to lifelong mental health damage, according to the UN special rapporteur on torture and leading child health experts.’

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The Guardian, 27th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Babies being removed from mothers during remote hearings – report – The Guardian

‘New mothers are having their babies taken into care during remote video and phone hearings from hospital, according to a report on justice during the coronavirus pandemic.’

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The Guardian, 27th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police ‘failings’ to be considered at new inquest into death of Susan Nicholson – Daily Telegraph

‘The family of a woman murdered by a double killer have won a legal battle for a new inquest into her death to consider potential police failings.’

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Daily Telegraph, 23rd October 2020

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Possession Proceedings: Where are they now? – Tanfield Chambers

‘When the stay on possession proceedings first came into force on 27 March 2020, it appeared to be a straight-forward (albeit blunt) tool to help the Courts manage the effects of the Coronavirus.’

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Tanfield Chambers, 5th October 2020

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Female lawyers anxious over disproportionate impact of Covid – Legal Futures

‘Almost a quarter of women in the profession have not seen their incomes return to pre-Covid levels with one in five still on less than their previous working hours, a survey has found.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd October 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Rape prosecutions and convictions dropped by half early in UK pandemic – The Guardian

‘Prosecutions for crimes against women and girls in England and Wales plummeted in the first three months of the coronavirus pandemic, reflecting a backlog in the court system exacerbated by the UK-wide shutdown and subsequent social distancing measures.’

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The Guardian, 22nd October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Covid: ‘Perfect storm’ causing employment tribunal backlog – BBC News

Posted October 22nd, 2020 in benefits, coronavirus, delay, employment tribunals, mental health, news, redundancy by sally

‘Concerns are being raised over a Covid-related backlog of tribunal cases involving people who believe they have lost their jobs unfairly.’

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BBC News, 22nd October 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk