Judge criticises Home Office errors in Palestinian refugee’s visa case – The Guardian

‘The home secretary has given an “unreserved and unqualified apology” to a Palestinian refugee for “serious errors” made in relation to her student visa application.’

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The Guardian, 13th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office plans new protest offences and anti-Zionism is a protected belief – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The Home Office has announced its intention to create new offences relating to actions taken by attendees at protests. The plans include making it an offence to possess flares or pyrotechnics at a protest, to wear a face covering at a protest, and to climb on war memorials. The changes will be added as amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill. The Home Office has emphasised that the new rules are not a blanket ban on face coverings, and only apply where the protester’s intention is to conceal their identity.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 12th February 2024

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

UK’s Rwanda bill ‘incompatible with human rights obligations’ – The Guardian

‘The UK government’s controversial Rwanda legislation that deems the African country as a safe place to deport people to is fundamentally incompatible with Britain’s human rights obligations and places it in breach of international law, according to a damning parliamentary report.’

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The Guardian, 12th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

New protest laws on face coverings and pyrotechnics – Home Office

‘Police will be given powers to arrest protesters who wear face coverings to threaten others and avoid prosecution, and pyrotechnics will be banned at protests.’

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Home Office, 8th February 2024

Source: www.gov.uk

English test scandal: students renew fight to clear names after 10 years – The Guardian

‘International students accused of cheating at English-language tests are planning a fresh push to clear their names 10 years on, with thousands thought to have been victims of a gross miscarriage of justice.’

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The Guardian, 11th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Royal Marines to fight MoD in court in asbestos claim – BBC News

‘A group of 260 Royal Marines have issued proceedings against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) amid claims they were “knowingly” exposed to asbestos.’

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BBC News, 12th February 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Water bosses in England and Wales face bonus bans for illegal sewage discharges – The Guardian

‘Ministers are to ban bonuses for water company bosses in England and Wales who fail to prevent illegal sewage spills that pollute rivers, lakes and seas.’

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The Guardian, 11th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK home secretary apologises over unlawful detention of Bahraini activist – The Guardian

Posted February 9th, 2024 in asylum, compensation, detention, government departments, human rights, immigration, news by michael

‘The home secretary, James Cleverly, has apologised and arranged for compensation to be paid to a human rights activist after officials unlawfully detained him at Gatwick airport on his return to the UK from a UN meeting in Switzerland.’

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The Guardian, 8th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Italian man removed from UK despite post-Brexit Home Office certificate – The Guardian

Posted February 9th, 2024 in brexit, coronavirus, deportation, government departments, immigration, news by michael

‘An Italian man has been removed from the UK despite holding a Home Office certificate explicitly stating he has a right to travel in and out of the country while officials process his application to live and work in the country post-Brexit.’

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The Guardian, 8th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Primodos patients ‘betrayed’ after being left out of health scandals redress report – The Guardian

‘Campaigners have accused the UK government of betraying them after a review of redress for victims of health scandals excluded families who may have been affected by the hormone pregnancy test Primodos.’

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The guardian, 7th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office drops plan to remove housing protections from asylum seekers – The Guardian

Posted February 8th, 2024 in asylum, government departments, housing, news by sally

‘A controversial policy to remove basic housing protections from asylum seekers has been withdrawn by the government.’

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The Guardian, 7th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Redacting names of junior civil servants in disclosed documents does not fulfil duty of candour, Court of Appeal finds – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has found the practice of Government departments redacting the names of junior civil servants when disclosed is “inimical to open government” and does not fulfil the duty of candour.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th February 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Government in court over chicken poo in River Wye – BBC News

Posted February 8th, 2024 in agriculture, government departments, judicial review, news, pollution, water by sally

‘Campaigners are taking the Environment Agency to court, accusing it of not stopping chicken manure polluting the River Wye.’

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BBC News, 8th February 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Even many critics of the Rwanda deportation policy are missing the point of why it’s wrong – EIN Blog

‘The UK government’s proposals to send asylum seekers arriving to the UK onto Rwanda continue to spark intense opposition.’

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EIN Blog, 6th February 2024

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Popular Conservatives: Rees-Mogg attacks Lady Hale and calls for neutering of Supreme Court – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Baroness Hale revealed her “true colours” by voting against the Rwanda Bill, according to former leader of the Commons Jacob-Rees-Mogg, who yesterday called for the “politicised” Supreme Court to be emasculated.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 7th February 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Teenager trapped in Gaza brings legal challenge against UK government – The Guardian

‘A teenager trapped in Gaza and separated from his parents has brought an urgent legal challenge against the UK Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) after the government refused entry clearance for him to join his family in the UK.’

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The Guardian, 6th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mesh and sodium valproate scandal victims need payouts soon, report says – BBC News

‘Families of children left disabled by an epilepsy drug and women injured by pelvic mesh implants should be given urgent financial help, England’s patient safety commissioner has said.’

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BBC News, 7th February 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘I feel rejected’: Windrush Scandal victim granted judicial review after Home Office refused compensation – The Independent

‘A member of the Windrush generation who was wrongly denied entry to the UK and sent to Jamaica has been granted a judicial review of his case.’

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The Independent, 4th February 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

The legality of the new minimum income requirement – EIN Blog

‘The recently announced plan to increase the minimum income requirement (MIR) to £38,700 led to widespread criticism, with the government appearing to exclude all but the affluent from establishing family life in the UK. This has led to a partial policy shift, with it now announced that the threshold to sponsor a spouse will not rise to this amount until 2025, with an interim rise to £29,000 taking place in the Spring. Nonetheless, even this lower amount will be unaffordable to many families, raising questions about the compatibility of the rise with Convention rights. In R (MM) Lebanon v SSHD [2017] UKSC 10 the Supreme Court found that the initial MIR, set at £18,600, was lawful. In this post, I will highlight two key problems with the judgment, along with the failure of the MIR to restrict the social security entitlement of many affected families: the MIR’s primary justification.’

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EIN Blog, 31st January 2024

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Onshore wind policy in England subject to legal challenge – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 29th, 2024 in climate change, energy, government departments, judicial review, news, planning by sally

‘The UK government’s decision to omit onshore wind projects from the types of energy infrastructure projects that can generally be considered as ‘nationally significant infrastructure projects’ (NSIPs) under planning policy applicable in England is subject to a new legal challenge.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 26th January 2024

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com