‘The wife of a Royal Marine given a life sentence for murdering a Taliban captive has said she is cautiously optimistic new evidence will see his case sent back to the Appeal Court.’
Daily Telegraph, 16th December 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘The facts of Secretary of State for the Home Department v ZP (India) [2015] EWCA Civ 1197 involved some of the worst breaches of immigration law ever seen in a reported decision: overstaying a visit visa in 2002 then organising and taking part in sham marriages, fleeing abroad in 2003 when detected and being convicted in her absence and then re-entering the UK in a false identity in 2005, obtaining settlement in this false identity in 2007 and then on detection being convicted again for breaches of immigration law and, after serving her sentence, being deported in 2009.’
Free Movement, 14th December 2015
Source: www.freemovement.org.uk
‘The mother of a young man who was stabbed to death in west London has pleaded with judges to impose jail terms on anyone caught with a knife.’
BBC News, 11th December 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘In cases involving social housing, English courts have traditionally taken what we might call a “managerial” approach: their starting-point for analysis has not been the tenant or applicant for housing as a rights-holder, but the need of local authorities to distribute their scarce resources effectively. In Burrows v Brent LBC [1996] 1 WLR 1448, for example, where a tenant who was permitted to remain after a possession order was held not to have been impliedly granted a new tenancy, Lord Browne-Wilkinson said that “housing authorities try to conduct their housing functions as humane and reasonable landlords” (at 1455). The tenant might be forgiven for wondering why this should count against him, but clearly the implication is that as ‘humane and reasonable landlords’ local authorities should be left to manage their housing stock with as little interference from the courts as possible. More recently this attitude led to the courts’ extreme reluctance to enable a public sector tenant to rely on article 8 ECHR in possession proceedings. When the Supreme Court finally acceded to pressure from Strasbourg, it nevertheless drew the teeth from the human rights defence by agreeing with the Secretary of State’s submission that “a local authority’s aim in wanting possession should be a ‘given’ ” (Manchester CC v Pinnock [2011] UKSC 6, per Lord Neuberger at [53]), so that “there will be no need, in the overwhelming majority of cases, for the local authority to explain and justify its reasons for seeking a possession order” (Hounslow LBC v Powell [2011] UKSC 8, per Lord Hope at [37]). The local authority is simply assumed to be acting in a way which benefits the general welfare; this assumption is then taken to justify the effect of its actions on individuals in all but the most extreme of cases.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 9th December 2015
Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org
‘The Secretary of State for the Home Department refused the citizenship applications of the wife and two minor children of an Islamist extremist on good character grounds. The refusal was justified by the Home Office as punishment by proxy which would have the effect of deterring other extremists. The High Court has declared that unlawful in the case of MM & GY & TY v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] EWHC 3513 (Admin).’
Free Movement, 8th December 2015
Source: www.freemovement.org.uk
‘Prisons should nurture family relationships, but the government’s IEP scheme makes it difficult for male prisoners to maintain contact. It must be changed.’
The Guardian, 4th December 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Hani al-Sibai has been on a terror sanctions list since 2005 and resisted deportation to his native Egypt for almost 20 years – but the High Court has ruled his family should be given UK citizenship.’
Daily Telegraph, 5th December 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘Thousands of children are being denied visiting rights to see their fathers in prison because of changes to the prison discipline system, according to a report. The report, Locked Out, by the children’s charity Barnardo’s, says 17,000 children a month visit a parent in prison, and changes to the incentives and earned privileges (IEP) scheme mean that prison visits are being used as a way to enforce discipline.’
The Guardian, 3rd December 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘The wife and children of an Islamist extremist linked to al-Qaeda have won a legal battle against the Home Secretary’s refusal to grant them UK citizenship.’
BBC News, 3rd December 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Sir James Munby, president of the Family Division, has issued guidance on arbitration in the family court in a move which could encourage more lawyers to view alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a viable option.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 24th November 2015
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘A woman who tried to murder her husband on Christmas Day by lacing his cherry Lambrini with anti-freeze has been jailed for 15 years.’
BBC News, 23rd November 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Urgent action is needed to identify and prevent child abuse according to a major new study that suggests only one in eight victims in England comes to the attention of authorities.’
Full story
The Guardian, 24th November 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘A tipper truck driver has been jailed for five-and-half years after the lorry he was driving rolled, killing his son.’
The Guardian, 20th November 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘A wife who divorced a severely wounded soldier after “wasting” a large part of his £1 million compensation has lost her legal battle to get her hands on what was left of the cash.’
Daily Telegraph, 17th November 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘Prenups are growing in popularity, as parents worry that their contribution to a child’s house deposit will be half-inched by a wayward partner.’
The Guardian, 15th November 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘A child (SM) who was adopted in Algeria by a French couple living in the UK was refused an application for a right of entry as a family member. Having been overturned in the Upper Tribunal, the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) successfully appealed to the Court of Appeal. SM was not, the court held, a family member of Mr M. A keen human rights observer might think this was an apparent infringement of article 8 ECHR (the right to family life).’
UK Human Rights Blog, 12th November 2015
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘The stepbrother of Becky Watts has been found guilty of murdering her during a sexually motivated kidnap plot.’
BBC News, 11th November 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
© Inner Temple Library 2024