Criminal records scandal: police chiefs blame Theresa May – The Guardian

Posted January 16th, 2020 in budgets, criminal records, deportation, government departments, news, police by sally

‘Theresa May has been blamed by chief constables for botched police reforms that led to tens of thousands of alerts on foreign criminals being kept from their home countries.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 15th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Congolese torture survivor gets Home Office reprieve – The Guardian

Posted January 15th, 2020 in asylum, deportation, government departments, immigration, news, torture, whistleblowers by sally

‘A torture survivor from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is celebrating after a Home Office U-turn allowed him to stay in the UK.’

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The Guardian, 15th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office proposes offence of possessing terrorist propaganda – The Guardian

Posted January 15th, 2020 in coroners, freedom of expression, government departments, inquests, news, terrorism by sally

‘A new offence relating to possession of terrorist propaganda that glorifies or encourages extremism could be introduced to toughen up UK anti-terror laws.’

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The Guardian, 14th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office overhauls police complaints and discipline process – Home Office

‘Today (Friday 10 January) the Home Office is introducing legislation that will shake up how complaints made against the police are handled and improve the discipline system for officers.’

Full press release

Home Office, 10th January 2020

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Priti Patel defends inclusion of Extinction Rebellion on terror list – Home Office

‘The home secretary, Priti Patel, has defended anti-terror police for putting the Extinction Rebellion environmental protest group on a list of extremist ideologies, saying it was important to look at “a range of security risks”.’

Full Story

Home Office, 13th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

County lines: Call to review ‘criminal abuse’ of pay-as-you-go phones – BBC News

‘The government has been urged to consider imposing restrictions on pay-as-you-go mobile phones to prevent county lines drug gangs using them.’

Full Story

BBC News, 10th January 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Home Office faces legal cases over Zimbabwean asylum seekers – The Guardian

‘The Home Office faces a series of legal challenges over its decision to allow Zimbabwean government officials to interview people from the country who are seeking asylum in the UK.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 5th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Government accused of ignoring ‘calamitous failings’ caused by its own budget cuts with justice review – The Independent

‘Legal campaigners have attacked the government’s announcement of a royal commission on the criminal justice system for “ignoring” the impact of its own budget cuts.’

Full Story

The Independent, 19th December 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

High court says UK’s £1,012 child citizenship fee is unlawful – The Guardian

Posted December 19th, 2019 in children, citizenship, fees, government departments, immigration, news by sally

‘In a landmark judgment the high court has found that the Home Office’s £1,012 child citizenship fee is unlawful. The fee has been described as “shameless profiteering” by Amnesty International.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 19th December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Three generations of Windrush family struggling to prove they are British – The Guardian

‘Three generations of one Windrush-descended family are struggling to prove that they are British in a protracted fight for documentation which has left a London-born woman facing homelessness with her two-year-old son.’

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The Guardian, 18th December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Disabled woman called ‘lying bitch’ by welfare official awarded £5,000 – The Guardian

‘A disabled woman has been awarded £5,000 in an out-of-court settlement after being called a “lying bitch” by a welfare official in formal legal papers after challenging a decision to cut her disability benefits.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 12th December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office unlawfully delaying support for modern slavery victims, High Court rules – The Independent

‘The Home Office has been unlawfully forcing trafficked people to wait for months and sometimes years before granting them leave to remain in the UK, the High Court has ruled.’

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The Independent, 11th December 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Cabinet Office ignores court order to release secret fracking report – The Guardian

‘The Cabinet Office has defied a court order to release a secret government report on the UK’s fracking industry. Officials were expected to hand over the report on Monday, days before Britain’s first general election leaders’ debate on the climate crisis, after the information tribunal ruled it was in the public interest to disclose its findings in full.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 28th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Harry Dunn’s family starts legal action against Foreign Office – The Guardian

Posted November 28th, 2019 in diplomats, government departments, immunity, judicial review, news, road traffic by sally

‘The family of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn have launched a legal action against the Foreign Office which they said could cost them “upwards of £50,000”.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 28th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office unlawfully imprisoned asylum seekers, supreme court rules – The Guardian

‘The Home Office “falsely imprisoned” many asylum seekers who are now entitled to damages for their loss of liberty at the hands of the government, five supreme court judges have ruled.’

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The Guardian, 27th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Tribunals and human rights – Nearly Legal

‘The question of the powers of the First Tier and Upper Tribunals (and indeed initial decision makers) to disapply secondary legislation where there is a breach of the appellant’s human rights has reached the Supreme Court. The decision has some far reaching implications for bedroom tax appeals and beyond.’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 15th November 2019

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Department for Education flouted rules when it secretly shared pupil data with Home Office, says watchdog – The Independent

Posted November 14th, 2019 in data protection, government departments, immigration, news, school children by tracey

‘The Department for Education (DfE) flouted data protection obligations when it shared information about children with the Home Office for immigration enforcement purposes, a watchdog had said.’

Full Story

The Independent, 14th November 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Windrush victim dies without compensation or apology – The Guardian

‘Another prominent Windrush victim has died without receiving compensation or a personal apology from the government. Hubert Howard died on Tuesday, just three weeks after finally being granted British citizenship, 59 years after he arrived in London aged three.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 12th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Behind the curtain – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 8th, 2019 in consultations, elections, government departments, local government, news by tracey

‘As the general election kicks off, James Goudie QC highlights a 2017 High Court ruling on the status of “purdah” and the business that can and cannot be conducted while it applies.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 8th November 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Government consults on new police powers to criminalise unauthorised encampments – Home Office

‘The government will launch a consultation on proposals to give police new powers to arrest and seize the property and vehicles of trespassers who set up unauthorised caravan sites.’

Full press release

Home Office, 3rd November 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office