Category: equality

Committee says proposed legal aid cuts may breach human rights – The Guardian

Posted December 16th, 2013 in barristers, budgets, demonstrations, equality, fees, human rights, immigration, legal aid, news, prisons by sally

‘Chris Grayling is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing, the chair of an influential all-party backbench committee has suggested. Oscar Wilde’s cynical jibe was twice put to the justice secretary when he gave evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights on 26 November and was then repeated by Dr Hywel Francis, a Labour MP, when he launched its report today.’

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The Guardian, 13th December 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Official watchdog says university sex segregation plans ‘not permissible’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 13th, 2013 in education, equality, human rights, Islam, news, sex discrimination, universities by sally

‘Exclusive: The Equality and Human Rights Commission steps into the row over controversial guidelines which said gender segregation on campus should be allowed.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th December 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

When private counselling is a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act? – No. 5 Chambers

Posted December 12th, 2013 in appeals, disability discrimination, employment tribunals, equality, medical treatment, mental health, news by sally

‘The case of Crofts Vets and others v Butcher 2013 UKEAT/0430/12/LA and UKEAT/0562/12/LA is perhaps an unusual but important illustration of how far the duty to make reasonable adjustments under disability discrimination legislation goes (now Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010).’

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No. 5 Chambers, 4th December 2013

Source: www.no5.com

Same-sex weddings to begin in March – BBC News

Posted December 11th, 2013 in bills, Church of England, equality, homosexuality, marriage, news by sally

‘The first same-sex weddings in England and Wales will be able to take place from 29 March 2014, Equalities Minister Maria Miller says.’

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BBC News, 10th December 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Gay discrimination and Christian belief: Analysis of Bull v. Hall in the Supreme Court – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted December 11th, 2013 in appeals, Christianity, civil partnerships, EC law, equality, homosexuality, hotels, human rights, marriage, news, religious discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, Supreme Court by sally

‘The recent confirmation by the Supreme Court that it was unlawful discrimination for Christian hotel owners to refuse a double-bedded room to a same-sex couple was of considerable interest as the latest in a string of high-profile cases involving religious belief and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation (and the first such judgment involving the highest court in the land). We have already provided a summary of the facts and judgment here, and our post on the Court of Appeal ruling can be found here.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 11th December 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Regina (MM and another) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mind and others intervening) – WLR Daily

Posted December 9th, 2013 in appeals, benefits, equality, law reports, mental health, tribunals by sally

Regina (MM and another) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mind and others intervening) [2013] EWCA Civ 1565 ; [2013] WLR (D) 469

‘The current process for assessing eligibility for employment and support allowance by way of a questionnaire and face-to-face interview placed mental health patients at a substantial disadvantage compared with other claimants. The Secretary of State therefore was under a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make a reasonable adjustment to accommodate them.’

WLR Daily, 4th December 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Mental impairment. How does the employer know? Cox v Essex County Fire and Rescue Service – 13 KBW Employment

Posted November 18th, 2013 in disability discrimination, disabled persons, dismissal, employment, employment tribunals, equality, mental health, news by sally

“When facing a reasonable adjustments claim one of the first lines of defence for an employer is knowledge. An employer can avail itself of the defence of lack of knowledge of the disability (s.20 of Sch 8 of the Equality Act 2010) if it did not know, and could not reasonably have been expected to know, that the person had a disability. The defence is an impenetrable shield and often forms a key battleground at trial.”

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13 KBW Employment, 18th November 2013

Source: www.13kbwemployment.wordpress.com

Christian coronations of future monarchs face legal challenge – The Guardian

Posted November 11th, 2013 in Christianity, Church of England, equality, human rights, news, royal family by michael

“Campaigners are to attempting to launch a legal challenge to the Christian coronation of future monarchs in an attack on the most powerful symbol of the union between church and state.”

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The Guardian, 10th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Decision to cut youth services by 70% was unlawful, says Court of Appeal – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 8th, 2013 in appeals, education, equality, local government, news, young persons by tracey

“A council acted unlawfully in 2012 when it cut youth services by more than 70% over a three-year period, the Court of Appeal has ruled.”

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th November 2013

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Equal Treatment Bench Book – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted November 8th, 2013 in diversity, documents, equality, judiciary, news by tracey

“The Equal Treatment Bench Book, a guide for judges, magistrates and all other judicial office-holders, has been revised and updated.”

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Judiciary of England and Wales, 6th November 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Five disabled people win independent living fund appeal – The Guardian

Posted November 6th, 2013 in appeals, benefits, care workers, consultations, disabled persons, equality, news, statutory duty by sally

“Five disabled people have won their court of appeal bid to overturn the government’s decision to abolish the independent living fund (ILF).”

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The Guardian, 6th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Bar in society: A vital force for good – Speech by Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

Posted November 6th, 2013 in barristers, budgets, diversity, equality, fees, judiciary, legal aid, legal education, legal profession, legal representation, news, pro bono work, public interest, rule of law by sally

The Bar in society: A vital force for good (PDF)

Speech by Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

Annual Bar Conference, 2nd November 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

The courts are secular, says top family judge – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 30th, 2013 in children, courts, diversity, equality, family courts, judiciary, marriage, medical treatment, news, rule of law by sally

“The law has a neutral view of religious belief, the president of the Family Division said today, stressing the secular nature of the judges’ job.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 29th October 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Ombudsman could rule on Church of England disputes – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 28th, 2013 in Church of England, clergy, complaints, equality, news, ombudsmen, women by sally

“Church of England proposes setting up an ombudsman to handle complaints arising from the introduction of women bishops.”

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Daily Telegraph, 25th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Social mobility – is law leading the way? – Legal Week

Posted October 25th, 2013 in diversity, equality, legal profession, news, reports by sally

“The latest Alan Milburn report on social mobility has produced a little backslapping in legal circles, primarily because of this judgment: “Professions are undertaking more activity in order to improve but results are mixed: law leads medicine, media, politics and finance.”

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Legal Week, 24th October 2013

Source: www.legalweek.com

Ministeriet for Forskning, Innovation og Videregaende Uddannelser v Manova A/S – WLR Daily

Posted October 18th, 2013 in EC law, equality, law reports, public procurement, tenders by tracey

Ministeriet for Forskning, Innovation og Videregaende Uddannelser v Manova A/S; (Case C-336/12);   [2013] WLR (D)  383

“The principle of equal treatment did not preclude a contracting authority from asking a candidate, after the deadline for applying to take part in the contracts award procedures pursuant to Parliament and Council Directive 2004/18/EC, to provide documents describing that candidate’s situation which could be objectively shown to pre-date that deadline.”

WLR Daily, 10th October 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Most gay hate crimes go unreported, Stonewall survey finds – The Independent

Posted October 16th, 2013 in assault, criminal justice, equality, hate crime, homosexuality, news, police, statistics, threatening behaviour, victims by sally

“More than three-quarters of gay, bisexual and lesbian victims of hate crime did not report it to the police, a survey found.”

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The Independent, 15th October 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Female lawyers earn a third less than males – The Lawyer

Posted October 11th, 2013 in diversity, equal pay, equality, legal profession, news by sally

“Female lawyers receive just 68 per cent of male lawyers’ total remuneration, while the average bonus given to a woman equals just half that of men’s bonuses, research by recruiter Laurence Simons has revealed.”

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The Lawyer, 10th October 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Legal aid protests held by UK Uncut – BBC News

Posted October 7th, 2013 in budgets, demonstrations, equality, legal aid, news by sally

“Demonstrators have staged events across England in opposition to planned changes to legal aid.”

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BBC News, 5th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Michael Mansfield: ‘Nowadays there’s one rule for the rich, and another for the poor’ – The Independent

Posted September 30th, 2013 in barristers, budgets, equality, inquiries, legal aid, news by sally

“He has represented everyone from the Lawrence family to the Hillsborough victims. But, he tells Emily Dugan, cuts to legal aid mean he can now only exist as a ‘virtual lawyer’.”

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The Independent, 27th September 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk