The Care Act, Article 8 And Local Authority Duties: What Can A Recent Case Tell Us About A Local Authority’s Duty? – Coronavirus: Guidance for Lawyers and Businesses

‘The recent judgment in R(Idolo) v London Borough of Bromley [2020] EWHC 860 (Admin) provides an important discussion of the positive duties of the state under Article 8 ECHR – and specifically, the issue of when an Article 8 breach may arise in the absence of any failure of a local authority to carry out statutory duties. Arianne Kelly discusses the case and its practical implications following the amendments that the Coronavirus Act made to the Care Act.’

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Coronavirus: Guidance for Lawyers and Businesses, 27th April 2020

Source: lawinthetimeofcorona.wordpress.com

Re Z – transparency and participation in the Court of Protection – Transparency Project

‘A judgment published this week on BAILII, Re Z, also, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust v Z (by her litigation friend, the Official Solicitor) [2020] EWCOP 20, is notable on two counts. First, that the case is described by the judge, Knowles J, as being held in public, although it was in fact a remote online hearing. Second, that “Z”, the 22 year old woman at the centre of the case had asked to be able to join the hearing but this had not been arranged.’

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Transparency Project, 25th April 2020

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Not signed, not sealed, not delivered – Nearly Legal

‘A first instance county court judgment on a possession claim, but with a range of interesting issues. The Ratcliffes were the landlords, Ms Patterson was the tenant and Mr Porter a guarantor, who played no part in proceedings. The tenancy was an assured shorthold tenancy with the most recent fixed term beginning in June 2018. Rent arrears accrued (on which more later) and the Ratcliffes brought a claim for possession under grounds 8, 10 and 11 Schedule 2 Housing Act 1988.’

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Nearly Legal, 26th April 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Remote hearings and inclusive justice – Transparency Project

‘How effectively are people with a cognitive impairment, mental health condition and/or neuro-diverse condition able to participate in proceedings in the justice system, particularly when they engage with that system via video or telephone link?’

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Transparency Project, 24th April 2020

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

EHRC warning on use of video hearings in criminal cases – Legal Futures

‘The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHCR) has called on the government to take action to reduce the risk of disabled people being wrongly convicted because of video hearings in criminal cases.’

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Legal Futures, 24th April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Resuscitation and the value of a disabled person’s life: Triaging and Covid19 – Cloisters

‘What is your life worth? If you get Covid19, what criteria do you want clinicians to apply when triaging your case? Choices on withholding treatment have become starkly real in the Covid19 emergency. Such choices should be made on a basis respecting the dignity of the individual patient and not based on stereotypes relating to age or disability. The emergent guidance is not clear on these issues.’

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Cloisters, 22nd April 2020

Source: www.cloisters.com

Court hearings via video ‘risk unfairness for disabled people’ – The Guardian

‘Remote video trials could disadvantage people with learning disabilities, the equalities watchdog has warned, as courts switch to online hearings during the coronavirus crisis.’

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The Guardian, 22nd April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Vulnerability and the PSED: No arid debates. No straitjackets. No disciplinary stick – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 20th, 2020 in appeals, disabled persons, equality, homelessness, housing, local government, news by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal has upheld the decisions of two councils where reviewing officers had considered the Public Sector Equality Duty without making clear findings as to whether the applicant in each case was disabled, and concluded that those applicants were not vulnerable. Michael Paget, Zoë Whittington, Catherine Rowlands and Rowan Clapp report.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th April 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Full-time carer crowd funds investigation into legal challenge over failure to increase Carer’s Allowance during coronavirus pandemic – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 17th, 2020 in benefits, carers, coronavirus, disabled persons, families, news by sally

‘A mother who cares full-time for her severely disabled daughter is crowdfunding an investigation into the potential for a legal challenge over the government’s decision not to increase the Carer’s Allowance in line with other benefits in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th April 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Government faces legal action over failure to produce guidance on prioritisation of NHS treatment if demand outstrips supply – Local Government Lawyer

‘Disability campaigners have threatened the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care and NHS England with a potential judicial review challenge over the failure to publish guidance on how NHS treatment for COVID-19 will be prioritised if demand outstrips supply.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th April 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Government changes how outdoor exercise guidance applies to people with specific health needs – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Government has changed its leaving home guidance to permit people with specific health needs to exercise outside more than once a day and to travel to do so where necessary, following the threat of a judicial review challenge.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th April 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Not a disciplinary stick – PSED and homeless reviews – Nearly Legal

Posted April 14th, 2020 in appeals, disabled persons, equality, homelessness, housing, local government, news by sally

‘We saw the approach of the Court of Appeal to the operation of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in possession proceedings in Luton Community Housing v Durdana. Now, in these joined appeals, the Court of Appeal turns its attention to PSED in homeless decisions and reviews.’

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Nearly Legal, 12th April 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Disabled man stuck in bedroom on eighth-floor flat for 20 months loses judicial review challenge – Local Government Lawyer

‘A man in his early sixties with a complex medical history and disabilities who spent almost 20 months without being able to leave his bedroom in an eighth-floor council flat has failed in a judicial review claim against a council for compensation and declaratory relief.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th April 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court judge quashes refusal by council of disabled facilities grant – Local Government Lawyer

‘Councils cannot treat disabled facilities grant (DFG) applications from council tenants differently to those from others, the High Court has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd April 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

NICE amends Covid-19 critical care guideline after judicial review threat – Local Government Lawyer

‘The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (‘NICE’) has changed the COVID-19 guideline for clinical care after being threatened with a judicial review challenge.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 1st April 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Families of disabled children threaten legal challenge over government limit on outdoor exercise – Local Government Lawyer

‘A pre-action protocol letter has been sent to the Government calling on it to reconsider the policy that all citizens are only permitted to leave the house for exercise once per day.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 1st April 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Crown prosecutor with PTSD was not discrimination victim – Legal Futures

‘An experienced Crown prosecutor who resigned after developing post-traumatic stress order (PTSD) from being threatened at a magistrates’ court was not discriminated against, an employment tribunal has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 26th March 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Upper Tribunal rules that a British child living with her mother in the UK will not be entitled to Disability Living Allowance if her father is living and working in another EU State – Garden Court Chambers

‘In AH v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2020] UKUT 53 (AAC), the claimant and her parents are British citizens. The parents separated in 2011 but are not divorced. The father moved to live and work in Belgium. In October 2013, the Claimant (the daughter) claimed Disability Living Allowance (DLA) when she was four years old. The care component was awarded at the middle rate, but the award was later removed when the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) became aware that the claimant’s father was living and working in Belgium.’

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Garden Court Chambers, March 2020

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Issuing an EHC Plan—the meaning of ‘necessary’ (Nottinghamshire County Council v SF and another) – 3PB

‘The Court of Appeal held that the First-Tier Tribunal (FTT) had correctly construed the meaning of ‘necessary’ in section 37(1) of the Children and Families Act 2014 (CFA 2014) in finding that it was necessary for special educational provision to be made for HD in accordance with an EHC Plan. This was despite his school having identified his needs, made provision to meet those needs and HD making progress at school. The court considered and affirmed the approach to making a determination under CFA 2014, s 37, determining what is ‘necessary’ requires an evaluative judgment based on the facts of each case.’

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3PB, 9th March 2020

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Mother sends letter before action to government over coronavirus and strategy for needs of younger disabled people, lack of testing of health and social care workers – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 19th, 2020 in children, coronavirus, disabled persons, news, social services by sally

‘Claimant law firm Simpson Millar has sent a letter before action on behalf of the mother of a child with a number of complex health and learning disabilities calling on the UK government to confirm its strategy for “meeting the needs of younger disabled people (children and working age adults) in the context of the current pandemic”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk