New building safety regulator for England to be set up immediately – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 23rd, 2020 in building law, construction industry, fire, health & safety, news by tracey

‘Planned measures to improve high-rise residential building and fire safety in England will be speeded up, the UK government has announced.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 22nd February 2020

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Uber driver banned after passengers hold ladder out of window – BBC News

‘An Uber driver caught on camera carrying passengers holding a ladder out of the window of his car has had his licence suspended.’

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BBC News, 16th January 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Scores of tower blocks with Grenfell-style cladding have no plan in place to remove it, figures show – The Independent

‘Two and a half years on from fatal Kensington blaze, more than 21,000 households still living in flats wrapped in flammable cladding that allowed fire to rapidly spread’

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The Independent, 16th January 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Human rights court dismisses MI6 informant Wang Yam’s appeal – The Guardian

Posted January 17th, 2020 in appeals, closed material, health & safety, intelligence services, murder, news by tracey

‘The European court of human rights has dismissed the appeal by the former Chinese dissident and MI6 informant Wang Yam that he had not had a fair trial because his defence evidence was held in secret on grounds of national security.’

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The Guardian, 16th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Sikhs, beards and “hygiene”: Sethi – Law & Religion UK

‘In Mr R Sethi v Elements Personnel Services Ltd [2019] ET 2300234/2018, the Claimant, a practising but unbaptised Sikh, applied for a job with the Respondent: a specialist agency providing temporary staff for the hospitality industry, mainly at five-star hotels. He attended an induction course at which he was asked to sign various documents including the Respondent’s standard Contract for Agency Workers, which included the Respondent’s Code of Conduct. The Code provided, înter alia, that “No beards or goatees are allowed”. He explained that he would not be able to shave off his beard for religious reasons.’

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Law & Religion UK, 15th January 2020

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Electrical safety checks – soon with added regulation – Nearly Legal

Posted January 14th, 2020 in electricity, health & safety, landlord & tenant, news, regulations by sally

‘The draft of The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 has been laid in Parliament. The regs require a resolution of each house, so this will not be an immediate approval, but should be soon – it looks like the intention is for the Regs to be in force from 1 April 2020.’

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Nearly Legal, 13th January 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Timetable set for new inquest into ‘air quality’ death of child – Local Government Lawyer

‘A new inquest into the death of 9 year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah will be held November or December this year, following the ordering of a new inquest by the high court last year.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd January 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council fined £500k after first prosecution by CQC over failure to provide safe care – Local Government Lawyer

‘Derbyshire County Council has been fined £500,000 following the first prosecution that the Care Quality Commission has brought against a local authority since the watchdog was given powers to prosecute health and social care providers for failing to provide safe care and treatment in 2015.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th December 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Coroner warns theme parks to act on ride danger after girl’s death – The Guardian

‘A coroner has warned theme park operators about the risk of future deaths unless they address safety concerns over water rides, after an inquest into the drowning of an 11-year-old girl.’

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The Guardian, 10th December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Birmingham lorry driver Robert Bradbury jailed for killing doctor – BBC News

‘A lorry driver who killed a doctor because his cluttered dashboard obstructed his view has been jailed.’

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BBC News, 6th December 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Council fined £1.4m after child suffers life-changing head injury in “easily preventable” incident – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 6th, 2019 in fines, health & safety, local government, news, personal injuries, roads by sally

‘Hampshire County Council has been fined £1.4m after a six-year-old girl playing on an unsecured street bollard suffered a life-changing head injury.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 5th December 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Hillsborough victims’ families criticise CPS over handling of case – The Guardian

‘Bereaved Hillsborough families have criticised the Crown Prosecution Service and called for a review of how it conducted the case against David Duckenfield, the former South Yorkshire police chief superintendent acquitted on Thursday of manslaughter.’

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The Guardian, 29th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Hillsborough: The thirty-year search for justice – BBC News

Posted December 2nd, 2019 in health & safety, homicide, negligence, news, police, prosecutions, sport by sally

‘On a spring afternoon in 1989, a crush developed at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield resulting in the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans attending the club’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.’

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BBC News, 29th November 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Camden Council obtains first rogue landlord banning order in London – Local Government Lawyer

‘Camden Council is reported to have obtained London’s first rogue landlord banning order against a man who repeatedly placed tenants’ lives at risk through letting unsafe housing.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th November 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Costs and Co-operation: What Tenants Must do to Assist with Fire Safety -Radcliffe Chambers

Posted November 19th, 2019 in fire, health & safety, landlord & tenant, news by sally

‘Despite being such an important and topical issue, the key piece of fire safety legislation has received very little judicial or academic analysis. This article argues that, properly understood, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires tenants to assist landlords in two ways. First, art.17 requires tenants to allow their landlord access to the demised premises to undertake fire safety repairs and improvements. Secondly, the key duties in the Order provide landlords with a strong defence to any challenge to the reasonableness of fire safety-related service charges.’

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Radcliffe Chambers, 14th November 2019

Source: radcliffechambers.com

Appeal court allows contempt proceedings based on pre-action witness statements – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Court of Appeal has allowed a holiday company to bring contempt proceedings against two holiday-makers based on statements made before proceedings were even issued.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 14th November 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Grenfell criminal charges more likely, say lawyers after inquiry – The Guardian

Posted November 4th, 2019 in fire, health & safety, inquiries, news, prosecutions by sally

‘Lawyers believe the prospect of criminal charges against those responsible for the Grenfell Tower tragedy has “increased significantly” following findings by the official inquiry into the disaster.’

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The Guardian, 3rd November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

5G – a new problem for consistory courts? – Law & Religion UK

‘On 12 October, The Times carried the headline Councils block 5G as scare stories spread, and commented “[c]onspiracy theorists spreading health scares about the 5G mobile network are pressuring local authorities to ban the technology from their towns. A number of Councils including Totnes in Devon, Glastonbury, Frome and Shepton Mallet, have imposed a ban on 5G installations, until they were satisfied that it was safe”. The issue is yet to be raised in the consistory courts, but in view of the Church of England’s recent encouragement for the introduction of this technology in churches, this is a timely point at which to consider the issues this raises.’

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Law & Religion UK, 1st November 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

EPA prosecutions and costs – Nearly Legal

‘This was a judicial review of a costs order made by Camberwell Green Magistrates on a settled Environmental Protection Act 1990 s.82 prosecution. The Magistrates had refused to state a case for the consideration of the High Court.’

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Nearly Legal, 31st October 2019

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Prisons in England and Wales are facing a safety crisis, warn MPs – The Guardian

Posted October 31st, 2019 in budgets, health & safety, news, prisons by sally

‘The prison system in England and Wales is in an “appalling” state of crisis, lacking decency or security and no clear plan for desperately needed change, MPs have warned in a report that raises questions over the government’s pledges on prisons ahead of an election.’

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The Guardian, 31st October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com