Legal aid protests held by UK Uncut – BBC News
“Demonstrators have staged events across England in opposition to planned changes to legal aid.”
BBC News, 5th October 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: equality
Betriu Montull v Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social (INSS) – WLR Daily
Betriu Montull v Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social (INSS) (Case C-5/12); [2013] WLR (D) 354
“Council Directives 92/85/EEC of 19 October 1992 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding and 76/207/EEC of 9 February 1976 on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions did not preclude a national measure which provided that the father of a child, who was an employed person, was entitled, with the consent of the mother, who was also an employed person, to take maternity leave for the period following the compulsory leave of six weeks which the mother had to take after childbirth except where her health would be at risk, whereas a father of a child who was an employed person was not entitled to take such leave where the mother of his child was not an employed person and was not covered by a State social security scheme.”
WLR Daily, 19th September 2013
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Inheriting aristocratic titles: what’s in a name? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
“Reforming the law on the inheritance of an aristocratic title was never really going to be a popular rallying cry, but it’s in the news again. The Earldom of Northesk is one of the great titles (albeit with no huge estate or wealth) that by a curious twist of fate has passed to a male descendent of the cadet branching of the family from 1654 rather than the 14th Earl’s daughter, Lady Carnegie. What is now more interesting about this is we now have a contrasting legal position to compare it with, s 1 of the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 which removes gender from the question of who inherits the Throne. Primogeniture, the benefit of the eldest male child for centuries, has been changed and so – ask a number of Lords and Ladies – should this not be changed for them as well?”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 20th September 2013
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Women are legally free to abort a baby because of its sex, says abortion charity head – Daily Telegraph
“The chief executive of Britain’s biggest abortion charity has said women are legally free to arrange an abortion because they are unhappy with the sex of their unborn baby.”
Daily Telegraph, 18th September 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Damian Green Speech to the annual Superintendents’ Conference – Home Office
“Damian Green Speech to the annual Superintendents’ Conference on Wednesday (11 September).”
Home Office, 11th September 2013
Source: www.gov.uk/home-office
Employment law means all workers are equal – wherever they come from – The Guardian
“The only way the law could be changed to allow British workers to receive favourable treatment in the recruitment market would be if the UK unwound its membership of the European Union. Otherwise it would be illegal under the Equality Act to discriminate against Polish workers or any other group from the EU.”
The Guardian, 12th August 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
High Court rejects challenge to maximum expenditure policy on adult care – Local Government Lawyer
“A High Court judge has rejected claims that a council unlawfully decided to introduce a ‘maximum expenditure policy’ on funding for adult care packages where people choose to live in the community.”
Local Government Lawyer, 12th August 2013
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Home Office may have broken the law in ‘racist’ spot checks on suspected illegal immigrants – and may have questioned domestic violence victims – The Independent
“The Home Office is facing an investigation into whether its officials broke the law by carrying out ‘racist’ spot checks to find illegal immigrants, as it emerged that domestic violence victims may also have been questioned about their right to be in Britain.”
The Independent, 3rd August 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Cuts to legal aid are an attack on working class, says ’80s miners’ lawyer – The Independent
“A leading civil-rights lawyer who helped striking miners successfully fight false accusations from police during the infamous ‘Battle of Orgreave’ has said it would now be much harder for them to achieve justice under the Government’s legal aid reforms.”
The Independent, 4th August 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Not equal everywhere: legal problems for gay couples who emigrate – Daily Telegraph
“Same-sex couples face continued uncertainty over their legal rights abroad that could leave them vulnerable. Family lawyer Fiona Wood explains more.”
Daily Telegraph, 30th July 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Anti-caste discrimination reforms blocked, say critics – The Guardian
“The government has been accused of deliberately delaying moves to outlaw caste discrimination despite agreeing to extend legal protection to the tens of thousands of people in the UK who are from traditionally lower status Asian backgrounds.”
The Guardian, 29th July 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Council fails in Court of Appeal bid to overturn kinship carer fees ruling – Local Government Lawyer
“A London borough has failed in a Court of Appeal bid to overturn a ruling that its policy of differential treatment of family foster carers and unrelated foster carers was unlawful.”
Local Government Lawyer, 25th July 2013
Spurce: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Gay marriage: freedom of speech and conscience – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
“At the beginning of 2013 11 countries allowed gay marriage to be performed. By the middle of the year that number had increased to 15 with more to come. Some states in the US and Mexico also allow gay marriages to take place and some jurisdictions recognise same-sex marriages conducted elsewhere but do not perform them. While civil partnerships were introduced throughout the UK in 2004, England and Wales and Scotland look likely to be the next jurisdictions to allow same-sex marriage. The Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill 2012-13 to 2013-14 regarding England and Wales is already in the House of Lords and the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill has just been introduced. Northern Ireland, by contrast, looks set to stick solely with civil partnerships (and will recognise the other jurisdictions same-sex marriages as such).”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 16th July 2013
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Gay marriage set to enter law with first wedding ceremonies to take place by next summer – The Independent
“Legislation to introduce same-sex marriage has completed its passage through the House of Commons, paving the way for the first gay weddings in England and Wales next summer.”
The Independent, 16th July 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Robert Hazell: The Royal baby, the Rules of Succession, and the Realms – UK Constitutional Law Group
“In anticipation of the birth of the Royal baby, Parliament passed the Succession to the Crown Act in April 2013. It provides that in future the eldest child will be next in line of succession, whether it is a girl or a boy. The law will not come into force in time for the Royal birth, but the new baby when born will be next in line. This Blog post explains the background, and the difficulties involved in changing the rules of succession.”
UK Constitutional Law Group, 15th July 2013
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
Legal Education Foundation launches with grants to promote pro bono, education and social mobility – Legal Futures
“The charity created following the sale of the College of Law last year has today announced its first grants, with access to justice, the profession and education the focus.”
Legal Futures, 10th July 2013
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Anti-Semitic teacher loses tribunal claim that his views are a legitimate ‘philosophical belief’ – The Independent
“A primary school teacher sacked after allegations of anti-Semitic abuse has lost his attempt to argue that his views were a ‘philosophical belief’ covered under the Equality Act.”
The Independent, 5th July 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
How do we tackle institutional abuse of minors? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
“In this piece I examine a difficult question. Is there now a need for a duty to have due regard to the need to eliminate abuse of minors over and above the welfare duty in s 11 of the Children Act 2004? (The question can be put in a number of different ways covering exploitation, abuse, and I have not tried to define precisely the social evil to be minimised).”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 3rd July 2013
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Calls for police ethics crackdown and positive discrimination in recruitment – The Guardian
“An investigation by the home affairs select committee into the standards of police leadership in England and Wales, after a series of scandals involving the most senior officers, found a patchwork of training, standards and accountability countrywide.”
The Guardian, 1st July 2013
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
