Immunity guaranteed for whistleblowers in child sex abuse inquiry – Attorney General’s Office

‘Individuals providing certain evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse can do so without fear of prosecution.’

Full press release

Attorney General’s Office, 9th July 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/ago

Home secretary: Cyril Smith cover-up claims ‘could lead to prosecutions’ – The Guardian

‘Theresa May has said the claims a police investigation into the late Liberal MP Cyril Smith was scrapped, and corruption blocked other historic police operations into child abuse, were “shocking and could lead to criminal prosecutions”.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Benkharbouche v Embassy of the Republic of Sudan (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and others intervening); Janah v Libya (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and others intervening) – WLR Daily

Benkharbouche v Embassy of the Republic of Sudan (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and others intervening); Janah v Libya (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and others intervening) [2015] EWCA Civ 33; [2015] WLR (D) 83

‘Domestic workers employed as members of the service staff of foreign diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom were entitled to bring proceedings asserting their employment rights against the employer state, in claims including unfair dismissal and breach of working time provisions, and such claims were not barred by the doctrine of state immunity pursuant to provisions in the State Immunity Act 1978.’

WLR Daily, 5th February 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

No entitlement to human rights damages after ‘caste discrimination’ case collapse – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The High Court has ruled that when long-running employment tribunal hearing collapsed as the result of the judge’s recusal due to apparent bias the claimants in the action could not obtain damages for wasted costs under section 6 of the Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998 (specifically Article 6, the right to a fair trial) or the EU Charter.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 25th February 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Al-Malki and another v Reyes and another (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and others intervening) – WLR Daily

Al-Malki and another v Reyes and another (Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and others intervening) [2015] EWCA Civ 32; [2015] WLR (D) 75

‘A contract of employment between a serving diplomatic agent and a domestic worker in his official diplomatic residence was not to be characterised as “commercial activity” which the diplomatic agent exercised in the jurisdiction outside of his “official functions”, so that in a claim under the contract the agent was not deprived of his immunity from civil suit by the employee since such a dispute did not come within the exception to diplomatic immunity under article 31.1(c) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), scheduled to the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964.’

WLR Daily, 5th February 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Joanna Michael: ‘Sorry isn’t good enough’ – mother – BBC News

‘The mother of a woman brutally murdered after a 999 delay has said she will take her case to the House of Commons to get “justice” for her daughter.’

Full story

BBC News, 17th February 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Court of Appeal strikes down state immunity rules that prevent embassy employees seeking justice – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 16th, 2015 in appeals, EC law, embassies, employment, human rights, immunity, news by sally

‘This judgment concerned the conjoined appeals of Ms. Benkharbouche and Ms. Janah which arose from employment law claims brought against, respectively, the Sudanese and Libyan embassies. Certain of their claims, such as those for unfair dismissal, were founded on domestic law. Others, such as those under the Working Time Regulations 1998, fell within the scope of EU law. All were met with pleas of state immunity under the State Immunity Act 1978.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog,

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Analysis: Why can’t we sue the police for negligence? – BBC News

Posted January 29th, 2015 in appeals, human rights, immunity, negligence, news, police, public interest, Supreme Court by sally

‘You call the police in your moment of need and they don’t turn up until it’s too late.’

Full story

BBC News, 28th January 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Family of woman killed by ex-partner loses battle to sue police for negligence – The Guardian

Posted January 29th, 2015 in appeals, domestic violence, families, immunity, murder, negligence, news, police, Supreme Court by sally

‘A family has lost its battle in the supreme court for the right to sue police for negligence over the death of a young mother killed by her ex-boyfriend in fit of jealous rage.’

Full story

The Guardian, 28th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Give slavery victims ‘freedom from prosecution for minor crimes’ – The Guardian

Posted January 28th, 2015 in bills, crime, forced labour, gangs, immunity, news, police, prosecutions, victims by tracey

‘Granting victims of slavery immunity from prosecution to give evidence about exploitation will be a key tool in tackling organised gangs, according to the officer in charge of coordinating new investigative powers.’

Full story

The Guardian, 28th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prince Andrew: the legal issues – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted January 27th, 2015 in immunity, news, royal family, treaties, witnesses by sally

‘If the UK press love a sex scandal and a good royal story, imagine what you get when you put the two together. This month the news broke that victims of Jeffrey Epstein, an American paedophile, were attempting to sue Prince Andrew alleging, amongst other things, that she was coerced into having sex with him when she was 17.’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 26th January 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Blair: without IRA letters, peace process would have collapsed – The Guardian

‘Giving evidence to MPs, former prime minister defends his role in allowing the on-the-run scheme in 1999.’

Full story

The Guardian, 13th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Article 2 and combat immunity – where next after Al-Skeini and Susan Smith? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted July 28th, 2014 in armed forces, duty of care, human rights, immunity, inquests, inquiries, Iraq, news by sally

‘When will a court order an inquiry into the deaths in combat of soldiers serving overseas? Following recent judgments of the English and Strasbourg courts extending the application of the European Convention on Human Rights to zones of armed conflict overseas in certain circumstances, the question is likely to arise frequently over the coming years. In R(Long), the Divisional Court strongly endorsed the doctrine of combat immunity and appeared to set its face against the recent rise in claims against the MoD by soldiers deployed abroad and their next of kin.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 27th July 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Government wants impunity from UK courts over torture, judges told – The Guardian

Posted July 22nd, 2014 in immunity, intelligence services, news, rendition, torture by sally

‘The government is determined to prevent ministers and officials from being accountable to the courts for colluding in wrongdoing abroad even if it involves torture, three of the country’s most senior judges were warned on Monday.’

Full story

The Guardian, 21st July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

High Court grants JR on immunity of ‘torture’ prince – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 15th, 2014 in immunity, judicial review, news, royal family, torture by tracey

‘A judicial review has been granted challenging the prosecution service’s decision to allow the son of Bahrain’s ruler immunity in the UK over torture allegations.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th May 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Armed forces could be given immunity from human rights laws – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 18th, 2014 in armed forces, human rights, immunity, news, reports by tracey

‘The armed forces could be exempted from human rights laws because they are hampering British military operations in the field, Philip Hammond has said. Mr Hammond said the government is prepared to introduce new legislation to protect the army from the “encroachment” of civil litigation on the battlefield.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 17th March 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

PC Keith Blakelock trial: witnesses given immunity from prosecution – The Guardian

Posted March 4th, 2014 in immunity, murder, news, police, violent disorder, witnesses by sally

‘Witnesses against a man charged with being part of a mob that hacked a police officer to death almost 30 years ago themselves took part in the attack and have been given immunity from prosecution, a jury has heard.’

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd March 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The dependable witness – New Law Journal

‘Martin Burns provides five important factors to consider when instructing an expert witness (or acting as one).’

Full story

New Law Journal, 28th February 2014

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Cameron orders judicial review into IRA immunity letters – The Guardian

Posted February 28th, 2014 in immunity, judicial review, news, Northern Ireland, terrorism by sally

‘David Cameron has ordered a review into secret police letters promising immunity to Northern Ireland terrorist suspects, but said he does not want to unpick parts of the 1998 peace deal that introduced the scheme.’

Full story

The Guardian, 27th February 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police whistleblower denied immunity from prosecution – The Guardian

Posted September 19th, 2013 in immunity, inquiries, news, official secrets act, police, whistleblowers by sally

“A former undercover police officer who blew the whistle on a covert Scotland Yard squad has been denied immunity from prosecution for potential breaches of the Official Secrets Act.”

Full story

The Guardian, 18th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.com