Judge to rule on assisted suicide case – The Guardian

Posted March 12th, 2012 in assisted suicide, disabled persons, euthanasia, murder, news by sally

“A high court judge is to rule on whether a case brought by a man with ‘locked-in syndrome’ who wants his ‘suffering to end’ should be allowed to proceed.”

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The Guardian, 12th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Court bans autistic woman from having sex – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 15th, 2012 in autism, consent, disabled persons, mental health, news, sexual offences by sally

“The Court of Protection has ruled that an autistic woman with an IQ of 64 does not have the mental capacity to engage in sexual relations, on the basis that she does not understand the implications and cannot effectively deploy the information she has understood into her decisions.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 14th February 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Please stow your rights in the overhead compartment – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 9th, 2012 in airlines, airports, damages, disabled persons, human rights, news, treaties by sally

“If you need reminding of what it feels like when the candy-floss of human rights is abruptly snatched away, take a flight. Full body scanners and other security checks are nothing to the array of potential outrages awaiting passengers boarding an aircraft. Air passengers in general surrender their rights at the point of ticket purchase.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 9th February 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Blind man’s care funding case raises profound issues, supreme court told – The Guardian

Posted February 8th, 2012 in budgets, community care, disabled persons, judiciary, local government, news by sally

“A blind man’s care funding battle with a local authority raises ‘important and profound’ issues for disabled people, the supreme court has been told.”

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The Guardian, 7th February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Supreme Court to hear social care cost arguments – BBC News

Posted February 7th, 2012 in disabled persons, local government, news, social services, Supreme Court by sally

“The Supreme Court is to hear a case challenging the way councils in England can consider their finances when assessing people for social care.”

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BBC News, 7th February 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Why this case matters: R (KM) v Cambridgeshire County Council – The Guardian

Posted February 3rd, 2012 in budgets, community care, disabled persons, local government, news by sally

“The supreme court is about to hear another case that cuts to the heart of human dignity in care services.”

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The Guardian, 2nd February 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Man charged with ‘drink-driving’ mobility scooter is let off – The Guardian

Posted January 19th, 2012 in alcohol abuse, disabled persons, news, road traffic offences by sally

“A man accused of drink-driving after being caught more than four times the alcohol limit while riding his mobility scooter has been let off because his vehicle was too small to be classed as a road vehicle.”

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The Guardian, 19th January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Disabled patients dying due to ‘institutional discrimination’ in NHS – Daily Telegraph

“More than 70 disabled patients have died because of mistakes by hospital staff in the past decade, it was claimed. Mencap, a disability charity, described the findings in its report as damning, adding that as a result of ‘institutional discrimination in the NHS’ people were needlessly dying.’ ”

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Daily Telegraph, 3rd January 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Harsher sentences for murderers of transgender and disabled people: a step in the right direction but greater reform is needed – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted December 13th, 2011 in disabled persons, murder, news, sentencing by sally

“On hearing of the Ministry of Justice’s plan to raise the starting point for the minimum term in murder cases where victims are transgender or disabled, you would be forgiven for expressing surprise that there was an existing disparity. We pride ourselves on being alive to equality and here is a glaring and shameful example of imbalance to the detriment of a vulnerable minority.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 13th December 2011

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Heather Mills’ chauffeur in disabled badge fraud – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 9th, 2011 in disabled persons, fines, fraud, news, parking by tracey

“A former chauffeur to Heather Mills made an illegal copy of her disabled parking badge with her ‘full knowledge and consent’, a court has heard.”

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Daily Telegraph, 9th December 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Cardiff waterslide woman jailed for £20,000 benefit con – BBC News

Posted December 6th, 2011 in benefits, disabled persons, fraud, news, sentencing by sally

“A woman who claimed nearly £20,000 in benefits intended for severely disabled people has been jailed after she was filmed going down a water slide.”

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BBC News, 5th December 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Wiltshire ‘right to die’ man seeks High Court ruling – BBC News

Posted November 29th, 2011 in disabled persons, euthanasia, immunity, news by sally

“A severely disabled man from Wiltshire is to ask the High Court to allow a doctor to end his life.”

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BBC News, 29th November 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Severely disabled man’s care plan not a deprivation of liberty – Court of Appeal – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 17th, 2011 in disabled persons, freedom of movement, human rights, learning difficulties, news by tracey

“When assessing whether a patient’s care deprives him or her of their liberty, and thereby entitles them to the procedural protections under Article 5 (4) ECHR, the right to liberty, the Court of Appeal has ruled that the appropriate comparator is an individual with the same disabilities and difficulties who is not in care. The court also provided useful general guidance for deprivation of liberty cases.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 17th November 2011

Source: http://ukhumanrightsblog.com

New report on impact of legal aid cuts on disabled people – LAG News Blog

Posted November 14th, 2011 in benefits, budgets, disabled persons, legal aid, legal services, news by sally

“LAG commissioned the disability charity Scope to research the impact of the proposed cuts in legal aid on benefits advice for disabled people. The report, Legal aid in welfare: the tool we can’t afford to lose, which is published today, demonstrates the serious consequences of the government’s proposals on disabled people and argues that taking benefits advice out of scope will undermine the government’s welfare reform programme.”

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LAG News Blog, 14th November 2011

Source: www.legalactiongroupnews.blogspot.com

Cheshire West and Chester Council v P (by his litigation friend the Official Solicitor) – WLR Daily

Posted November 14th, 2011 in disabled persons, human rights, law reports, mental health, restraint by sally

Cheshire West and Chester Council v P (by his litigation friend the Official Solicitor) [2011] EWCA Civ 1257; [2011] WLR (D) 325

“In determining whether or not there was a deprivation of liberty, it was legitimate to have regard both the objective ‘reason’ why someone was placed and treated as they were and also the objective ‘purpose’ or ‘aim’ of the placement. For adults with disabilities, whose lives were dictated by their own cognitive and other limitations, the question whether they had been deprived of liberty fell to be determined by comparing their situation with that of an adult of similar age with the same capabilities, affected by the same condition or suffering the same inherent mental and physical disabilities and limitations.”

WLR Daily, 9th November 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Courts step in to save vulnerable from cuts – The Independent

Posted November 14th, 2011 in budgets, community care, disabled persons, judicial review, local government, news by sally

“Two disabled men who faced losing their right to care won a landmark High Court case yesterday over cost cutting by their council. It was the latest in a series of rulings that threatens to disrupt the Government’s attempts to slash local authority spending.”

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The Independent, 12th November 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Warning over legal aid cuts for disabled people – BBC News

Posted October 31st, 2011 in benefits, budgets, disabled persons, legal aid, news by sally

“Ministers are being urged not to restrict legal aid for disabled people wanting to challenge benefit decisions.”

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BBC News, 31st October 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judge scrutinises ill man’s removal from foster home – The Independent

Posted October 21st, 2011 in care homes, disabled persons, fostering, local government, news by sally

“A High Court judge has ordered a local authority to provide details about its decision to remove a man with severe medical difficulties from his former foster parents.”

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The Independent, 21st October 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Employer must not rely blindly on medical advisers when deciding if an employee is eligible for ill-health benefits, ombudsman says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 10th, 2011 in disabled persons, employment, news, pensions by sally

“An employer cannot rely ‘blindly’ on its medical advisers when deciding if an employee is eligible for an ill-health early retirement pension, the pensions watchdog has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 10th October 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Woman’s plea for more access to disabled sister rejected by judge – The Independent

Posted October 3rd, 2011 in care homes, disabled persons, families, news by sally

“A sister’s long and bitter battle to see more of her severely disabled sibling suffered a devastating blow yesterday when a judge ruled that a local authority-selected nursing home provided the best possible care.”

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The Independent, 1st October 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk