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

‘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.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 15th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

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

‘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.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 15th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK Immigration Rough Sleeper Rule – Family Law

‘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.’

Full Story

Family Law, 11th May 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

County court order against Boris Johnson struck out – BBC News

‘Boris Johnson no longer has a county court judgement against him after his lawyers sought to strike out a claim for a £535 debt for alleged defamation.’

Full Story

BBC News, 13th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New laws could lead to politicisation of the NHS, leading MPs warn – The Independent

‘The Commons health select committee said the planned new powers that would be granted to Matt Hancock under proposed changes legislation lack the necessary safeguards or detail on how the powers would be used.’

Full Story

The Independent, 14th May 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK’s deep-sea mining permits could be unlawful – Greenpeace – The Guardian

‘Deep-sea mining exploration licences granted by the British government are “riddled with inaccuracies”, and could even be unlawful, according to Greenpeace and Blue Marine Foundation, a conservation charity.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 12th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

High Court judge explains £250k cost-capping order in PPE procurement proceedings – Local Government Lawyer

‘A High Court judge has given her reasons for making a costs capping order of £250,000 in respect of both the claimants, the Good Law Project and EveryDoctor, and the defendant, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in the procurement challenge over the award of contracts for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 10th May 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Johnson’s planning laws an ‘utter disaster’, say countryside campaigners – The Guardian

‘A dramatic loosening of planning laws to create a housebuilding boom will damage local democracy and destroy swathes of countryside by granting property developers a freer hand to build over green fields, planning experts have warned.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 11th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Government’s Photo ID Plans Put Voters’ Rights At Risk – Each Other

‘Requiring voters to prove their identity by presenting photo ID at polling stations risks infringing electors’ right to vote freely and fairly.’

Full Story

Each Other, 11th May 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Concerns over impartiality of school abuse review – BBC News

‘Concerns have been raised about the impartiality of an Ofsted review into claims of sex abuse in schools.’

Full Story

BBC News, 12th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Animals to be formally recognised as sentient beings in UK law – The Guardian

Posted May 12th, 2021 in animal cruelty, animals, bills, government departments, news by sally

‘Animals are to be formally recognised as sentient beings in UK law for the first time, in a victory for animal welfare campaigners, as the government set out a suite of animal welfare measures including halting most live animal exports and banning the import of hunting trophies.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 12th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Part Four: The Future of Human Rights in the UK – Each Other

‘As has become apparent amid the tumult of COVID-19, our understanding of human rights is constantly developing. We have published a mini-series of explainers reviewing the history of our rights and where these leave us standing today. Part 1 looked at the modern history of human rights themselves. Part 2 asked what is the link between social justice and human rights? Part 3 looked at how COVID-19 has affected our human rights. This fourth and final part of our human rights explainer series touches upon the future of human rights in the UK.’

Part one
Part two
Part three

Full Story

Each Other, 5th May 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

How will the new UK residential property developer tax work? – Practical Law: Construction Blog

‘On 29 April 2021, the government published a consultation on what is to be called the Residential Property Developer Tax (or RPDT). This sets out proposals for the design of a new tax to be charged on the largest residential property developers.’

Full Story

Practical Law: Construction Blog , 5th May 2021

Source: constructionblog.practicallaw.com

Taskforce launched to investigate reported rise in pet thefts – Home Office

Posted May 10th, 2021 in animals, crime prevention, government departments, press releases, theft by tracey

‘Taskforce will investigate and draw up action to tackle these crimes.’

Full press release

Home Office, 8th May 2021

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Deaths of people on benefits prompt inquiry call – BBC News

‘The family of a woman who took a fatal overdose after her benefit payments were cut say they have begun a legal claim against the government.’

Full Story

BBC News, 10th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Home Office unlawfully stopped family joining Windrush woman, court rules – The Guardian

‘The Home Office unlawfully prevented the children and husband of a Windrush generation woman from joining her in the UK, separating the family for almost three years in a manner the high court ruled represented “a colossal interference” in her right to family life.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 6th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge criticises Priti Patel over policy for asylum seekers in pandemic – The Guardian

‘A high court judge has criticised the British home secretary in court and said he found it “extremely troubling” after one of her officials admitted the Home Office might have acted unlawfully in changing its asylum accommodation policy during the pandemic.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 6th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mikołaj Barczentewicz: Should Cart Judicial Reviews be Abolished? Empirically Based Response – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The Government adopted a recommendation of the Independent Review of Administrative Law that Cart judicial reviews should be abolished. The reasons given by the Review for that recommendation have been criticised on this blog by Joe Tomlinson & Alison Pickup and by Joanna Bell. The Review (and the Government) claimed that there is only a 0.22% rate of success in Cart judicial reviews (“Cart JRs”), which makes the expenditure of judicial resources on dealing with Cart claims disproportionate. Tomlinson & Pickup and Bell noted that this figure is almost certainly incorrect, but they were not able to say what the true rate of success is due to the unavailability of necessary data. To address that, I conducted an unprecedented empirical study concluding that the success rate of Cart reviews is at least over ten times higher than the Review’s calculation. Here, I briefly summarize the results of my study and argue that in the light of that evidence the Government should propose to put the Cart procedure on a statutory footing, but not abolish it.’

Full Story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 5th May 2021

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Windrush scandal: Concern over wait for compensation – BBC News

‘Campaigners say they are concerned about the low number of compensation payments to victims of the Windrush scandal.’

Full Story

BBC News, 4th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

More trafficking victims facing forcible removal from UK under rule change – The Guardian

‘More victims of trafficking will be locked up in detention and forcibly removed from the UK after MPs approved a change in Home Office rules relating to this vulnerable group, campaigners have warned.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 5th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com