Category: government departments

The COVID Inquiry … About Time? – Carmelite Chambers

Posted May 26th, 2021 in chambers articles, coronavirus, government departments, inquiries, news by sally

‘Facing mounting pressure from a number of critics that his delays in implementing lockdowns [the first being imposed in March 2020] cost thousands of lives, the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, on 12th May 2021 announced plans for a public inquiry into the government’s handling of the Covid pandemic, under the powers of the Inquiries Act 2005. It is due to commence in the Spring of 2022. Its terms of reference will not be announced until closer to its start.’

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Carmelite Chambers, 18th May 2021

Source: www.carmelitechambers.co.uk

Deleted police records were on outdated 1970s IT system – BBC News

Posted May 26th, 2021 in computer programs, criminal records, government departments, news, police by sally

‘Urgent reforms are needed after thousands of crime records were wrongly deleted from an outdated IT system developed in the 1970s, a report says.’

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BBC News, 24th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

GCHQ’s mass data interception violated right to privacy, court rules – The Guardian

Posted May 26th, 2021 in data protection, freedom of expression, government departments, human rights, intelligence services, interception, media, news, privacy, telecommunications, whistleblowers by sally

‘The UK spy agency GCHQ’s methods for bulk interception of online communications violated the right to privacy and the regime for collection of data was unlawful, the grand chamber of the European court of human rights has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 25th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Watchdog Gives UK Government Mixed Scorecard on Human Rights – Each Other

Posted May 25th, 2021 in disabled persons, diversity, equality, government departments, human rights, minorities, news by sally

‘The latest report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission holds Westminster and Welsh Assembly accountable for a lack of progress concerning human rights.’

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Each Other, 24th May 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Finnian Clarke: Be careful what you wish for: The government’s judicial review consultation on public law nullity – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted May 24th, 2021 in bills, constitutional law, consultations, government departments, judicial review, news by tracey

‘In its “Judicial Review Reform: the Government Response to the Independent Review of Administrative Law” consultation document, the government puts forward a number of suggestions for reform of the concept of “nullity” within UK public law. They suggest among other things that only jurisdictional errors should be deemed void ab initio, and/or that courts ought to have a presumption against a finding of nullity. Though the recent Queen’s speech included a Judicial Review Bill, it made no mention of these specific proposals, suggesting that the government may be minded to shelve these ideas for now. In this post I’ll argue that the government would be well-advised to leave nullity alone.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 24th May 2021

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Patel unveils digital visa to help ‘count people entering and leaving UK’ – The Guardian

Posted May 24th, 2021 in asylum, deportation, government departments, immigration, news, visas by tracey

‘Priti Patel has unveiled a US-style digital visa system that she claimed would help the government to count numbers of people entering and leaving the UK accurately for the first time.’

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The Guardian, 23rd May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Legal bid launched to stop Boris Johnson deleting WhatsApp messages about Covid decisions – The Independent

Posted May 24th, 2021 in coronavirus, freedom of information, government departments, inquiries, news, telecommunications by tracey

‘A legal bid has been launched to stop Boris Johnson and his ministers from deleting WhatsApp messages and other communications that would shed light on how they took decisions during the pandemic.’

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The Independent, 23rd May 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Government responds to inquiry into child sexual abuse in secure children’s homes – Family Law

Posted May 21st, 2021 in care homes, child abuse, children, government departments, inquiries, news, sexual offences by tracey

‘The government has responded to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse custodial institutions report about placement in secure children’s homes.’

Government response

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Family Law, 20th May 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Tens of thousands of EU citizens in UK to lose legal status next month due to Brexit ‘cliff edge’ – The Independent

Posted May 21st, 2021 in brexit, citizenship, deportation, government departments, immigration, news by tracey

‘Tens of thousands of EU citizens in the UK could lose their legal status next month because of an “arbitrary” deadline that will leave vulnerable people in an “intolerable situation”, MPs and peers have warned.’

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The Independent, 20th May 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Windrush victims not compensated quickly enough, report finds – The Guardian

Posted May 21st, 2021 in citizenship, colonies, compensation, delay, government departments, immigration, news, statistics by tracey

‘The Home Office has failed to compensate victims of the Windrush scandal quickly enough, a critical National Audit Office (NAO) investigation into the compensation scheme has found.’

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The Guardian, 21st May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office’s rush to deport asylum seekers before Brexit was ‘inhumane’, watchdog finds – The Independent

Posted May 21st, 2021 in asylum, brexit, deportation, detention, government departments, immigration, mental health, news, ombudsmen, self-harm by tracey

‘The Home Office’s rush to deport asylum seekers last year ahead of Brexit amounted to “inhumane treatment,” a watchdog has found. In its annual report for 2020, the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) for the Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) raised concerns around the impact of the government ramping up efforts to remove people arriving on small boats from the UK in the later months of 2020.’

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The Independent, 20th May 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Contaminated blood inquiry: Matt Hancock to give evidence – BBC News

Posted May 21st, 2021 in blood products, compensation, government departments, inquiries, medical treatment, news, victims by tracey

‘he health secretary will face questions about compensation for victims of the contaminated blood scandal on Friday afternoon.’

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BBC News, 21st May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Home Office ordered to move torture victim out of ‘prison-like’ hotel – The Guardian

Posted May 19th, 2021 in asylum, delay, detention, government departments, health & safety, immigration, news, torture, trafficking in human beings, victims by sally

‘A judge in the high court has ordered the Home Office to move a torture and trafficking victim out of a “prison-like” hotel surrounded by an 8ft wall.’

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The Guardian, 18th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Case Preview: R (Majera) (formerly SM (Rwanda)) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – UKSC Blog

Posted May 19th, 2021 in appeals, bail, deportation, detention, government departments, immigration, news, robbery by sally

‘On 10 May 2021, the Supreme Court heard the appeal in R (Majera) (formerly SM (Rwanda)) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (“SSHD”). The question on appeal is whether a defective order granting immigration bail has legal effect.’

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UKSC Blog, 18th May 2021

Source: ukscblog.com

Mental health tests in the presence of counter-terror units ‘unethical’, says charity – The Guardian

Posted May 19th, 2021 in charities, government departments, Islam, mental health, news, pilot schemes, police, religious discrimination, statistics, terrorism by sally

‘Mental health assessments are being conducted in the presence of police in little-known hubs that embed nurses and psychologists with counter-terrorism units, raising “serious ethical concerns”, a medical charity has said.’

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The Guardian, 19th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Anger as Patel delays publication of report into private detective’s murder – The Guardian

Posted May 19th, 2021 in corruption, government departments, inquiries, media, murder, news, police, private investigators, reports by sally

‘The home secretary has ordered that an independent report on claims murderers were shielded by police corruption and claims of corruption in Rupert Murdoch’s media empire must be vetted by her department before its publication.’

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The Guardian, 18th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Rape victims in England and Wales to give video evidence to boost convictions – The Guardian

Posted May 17th, 2021 in criminal justice, criminal procedure, Crown Prosecution Service, evidence, government departments, Ministry of Justice, news, prosecutions, rape, sexual offences, statistics, victims, video recordings by sally

‘Rape victims in England and Wales will be able to provide their evidence on video prior to a trial to help improve conviction rates, it is understood.’

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The Guardian, 17th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Online safety bill ‘will fail to protect millions from cloned websites and ad scams’ – The Guardian

Posted May 17th, 2021 in advertising, bills, computer crime, crime prevention, fraud, government departments, internet, news by sally

‘The UK government’s online safety bill will “fail to protect millions” by leaving people at risk of falling victim to cloned websites and adverts paid for by fraudsters, experts warned this week.’

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The Guardian, 15th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Torture victims kept in solitary by Home Office for up to a year – The Guardian

Posted May 17th, 2021 in attempts, charities, detention, government departments, immigration, international law, mental health, news, self-harm, statistics, suicide, torture, trafficking in human beings, victims by sally

‘The Home Office has pursued a policy of psychological brutality by locking up scores of torture survivors in solitary confinement for indefinite periods, according to fresh testimony from immigration detainees.’

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The Guardian, 15th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK Immigration Rough Sleeper Rule – Family Law

Posted May 14th, 2021 in charities, data protection, deportation, government departments, homelessness, immigration, local government, news by tracey

‘The UK government has recently introduced a controversial new set of rules that aim to make rough sleeping grounds for refusal or cancellation of a migrant’s permission to remain within the UK.’

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Family Law, 11th May 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk