Family member of EU national awarded £136,000 damages against Home Office – Free Movement

‘A High Court judge has awarded the family member of an EU national a total of £136,048 in damages. The award consists of £76,578 for false imprisonment and £59,470 for breach of EU law. The Home Office is also criticised for having made “inaccurate and misleading” submissions to previous judges on multiple occasions and the damages include not just compensatory damages for lost earnings and distress but also special damages, aggravated damages and exemplary damages.’

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Free Movement, 30th March 2016

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Byron Karemba: The Investigatory Powers Bill: Introducing Judicial Authorisation of Surveillance Warrants in the United Kingdom – Putting the ‘Double-Lock’ in Focus (Part I) – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘When the Home Secretary commended the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny in November 2015, she lauded the oversight mechanisms in the Bill as ‘world-leading.’ A seminal feature of this new regime is the creation of a single Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPCr) who is aided by a set of Judicial Commissioners (JCs) in exercising both ex ante and ex post facto oversight over the use of a range of surveillance measures. The IPCr will replace the existing fragmented (RIPA Part VI) framework of the Intelligence Services Commissioner, the Office of Surveillance Commissioner and the Interception of Communications Commissioner whom hitherto have (largely) conducted ex post facto oversight functions.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 22nd March 2016

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Holmcroft: Skilled person not amenable to judicial review – Henderson Chambers

Posted March 22nd, 2016 in banking, financial regulation, fraud, judicial review, negligence, news by sally

‘On 24 February 2016, in R (Holmcroft Properties Limited) -v- KPMG LLP and others, the Divisional Court dismissed Holmcroft’s judicial review challenge to the skilled person’s role in a mis-selling redress scheme. The skilled person, KPMG, had approved Barclays’ rejection of Holmcroft’s claims for consequential losses it claimed to have suffered as a result of the mis-sale. The court found that the skilled person was not amenable to judicial review and that, in any event, it had acted fairly.’

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Henderson Chambers, 3rd March 2016

Source: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk

MoJ to urgently review legal aid for trafficking victims – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 22nd, 2016 in judicial review, legal aid, news, trafficking in human beings by sally

‘The Ministry of Justice will urgently review its provision of legal aid for people bringing claims for compensation against their traffickers, in response to a judicial review of the current scheme.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 21st March 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

EU referendum: Expats challenge 15-year voting restriction – BBC News

‘Two expats are challenging a decision to bar British citizens who have lived elsewhere in Europe for more than 15 years from voting in the EU referendum.’

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BBC News, 15th March 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Regina (Orbital Shopping Park Swindon Ltd) v Swindon Borough Council – WLR Daily

Posted March 7th, 2016 in interpretation, judicial review, law reports, local government, planning by sally

Regina (Orbital Shopping Park Swindon Ltd) v Swindon Borough Council: [2016] EWHC 448 (Admin)

‘The claimant submitted two separate planning applications to the defendant: one for the installation of a mezzanine floor at its property; and the other for external works to the property, which created no additional floor space. The defendant granted planning permission for both applications, informing the claimant that the mezzanine installation was development liable to a community infrastructure levy (“CIL”). The defendant’s view was that the development proposals fell within the scope of the meaning of development for CIL purposes due to the direct link between the two applications for the mezzanine and external alterations. The defendant, as the relevant CIL collecting authority, subsequently issued a CIL liability notice under regulation 65 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 in relation to the installation of a mezzanine floor and external alterations at the claimant’s property, and a demand notice under regulation 69 of the 2010 Regulations in respect of the same development. By a judicial review claim the claimant challenged the lawfulness of the defendant’s act in issuing the two notices on the grounds that the mezzanine planning permission fell within the exemption created by regulation 6(1)(c) and that the external planning permission created no floor space and so was not liable to a CIL.’

WLR daily, 3rd March 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

BMA ignored lawyers’ advice before launching judicial review over new contracts for junior doctors – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 1st, 2016 in contracts, doctors, industrial action, judicial review, news by sally

‘The British Medical Association ignored the advice of its own lawyers before launching a judicial review over new contracts for junior doctors, it has emerged.’

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Daily Telegraph, 29th February 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Challenging Government Decisions a Pain in the Neck – Henderson Chambers

‘On 11 December 2015, Cranston J gave Judgment in Speed Medical Examination Services Limited v Secretary of State for Justice [2015] EWHC 3585 (Admin). Cranston J held that the Defendant’s reforms in respect of the system for obtaining medical reports in whiplash cases was not open to challenge on grounds of irrationality or its purported anticompetitive effects.’

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Henderson Chambers, 3rd February 2016

Source: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk

Junior doctors launch legal challenge to Jeremy Hunt’s decision to impose new contract – The Independent

‘Junior doctors have a launched a legal challenge to Jeremy Hunt’s decision to impose a new contract, and announced that three fresh strikes will hit the NHS in the spring.’

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The Independent, 23rd February 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

High Court dismisses judicial review challenge to HMRC’s decision to restrict the availability of the Liechtenstein disclosure facility – RPC Tax Take

Posted February 22nd, 2016 in disclosure, HM Revenue & Customs, judicial review, news, taxation by sally

‘In R (on the application of City Shoes Wholesale Ltd) v Revenue & Customs Commissioners [2016] EWHC 107 (Admin), the High Court rejected an application for judicial review of HMRC’s refusal to grant the nine claimants, all of whom had operated employee benefit trusts (EBTs), the full benefits of the Liechtenstein disclosure facility (LDF). The court dismissed the claimants’ application for judicial review on the basis that their applications were never registered and therefore they had no legitimate expectation to receive full benefit of the LDF, and there had been no abuse of power or error of law by HMRC.’

Full story

RPC Tax Take, 18th February 2016

Source: www.rpc.co.uk

Jake W. Rylatt and Joseph Tomlinson: Neuberger’s Novelties: Keyu and the Substantive Review Debate – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted February 18th, 2016 in inquiries, judicial review, news, proportionality by sally

‘Over the past few decades, the question of substantive review has provided one of the liveliest debates in public law. However, despite a myriad of contributions from courts and legal commentators, we are still left with little certainty as to its nature, scope, and structure. As we near 70 years since Lord Greene’s landmark decision in Wednesbury, and despite some interesting and innovative recent additions to the debate, a distinct sense of fatigue has begun to set in.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 17th February 2016

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Ministers seek to stop procurement boycotts through new guidance – Local Government Lawyer

‘Public procurement should never be used as a tool to boycott tenders from suppliers based in other countries, “except where formal legal sanctions, embargoes and restrictions have been put in place by the UK Government”, ministers have said in new guidance.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17 February 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Judicial Review: What is meant by “totally without merit” – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 16th, 2016 in appeals, immigration, judicial review, news by sally

‘What is the difference between a case that is “totally without merit” and one that is “not arguable”? Are either of those more or less hopeless than a case that is “bound to fail”?’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 15th February 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Failing on systematic failings – Nearly Legal

Posted February 15th, 2016 in homelessness, housing, judicial review, local government, news, statutory duty by sally

‘This was a quite extraordinary judicial review (or rather four joined judicial review claims with another 16 cases put in evidence in support) in which what was in the end at stake was not any remedy for the individual claimants – it was agreed that their individual issues had been remedied and the claims were academic on that basis – but whether there were systemic failings in Birmingham’s handling of homeless applications such that Birmingham:

generally, discourage and divert applications so that individuals are denied their statutory rights to have their situation properly inquired into and be given interim accommodation whilst those inquiries are being made.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 14th February 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Regina (MM) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily

Posted February 1st, 2016 in citizenship, families, Islam, judicial review, law reports, public interest, terrorism by sally

Regina (MM) v Secretary of State for the Home Department: [2015] EWHC 3513 (Admin); [2015] WLR (D) 503

‘The Secretary of State for the Home Department had no discretion to refuse citizenship by naturalisation under section 6(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981 in order to deter potential extremists from their activities through knowing that family members would not be naturalised in consequence.’

WLR Daily, 3rd December 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Appeal court rules bedroom tax discriminatory in two cases – The Guardian

‘A victim of domestic violence and the grandparents of a severely disabled teenager have won court of appeal challenges over the lawfulness of the bedroom tax.’

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The Guardian, 27th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

District council defeats judicial review challenge over neighbourhood plan – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 26th, 2016 in judicial review, local government, news, planning, referendums by sally

‘Chichester District Council has successfully defended a judicial review challenge to a neighbourhood plan.’
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Local Government Lawyer, 26th January 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court upholds Pensions Regulator’s approach to auto-enrolment of peripatetic workers – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 18th, 2016 in contracts, employment, judicial review, news, pensions by sally

‘The eligibility of peripatetic workers for automatic enrolment onto workplace pension schemes in Great Britain depends on where the worker is based and not on what is set out in the worker’s contract, the High Court has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 15th January 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Legal aid crackdown to protect troops from being sued – Daily Telegraph

‘ Human rights lawyers who have brought thousands of war crimes cases against British troops will see their taxpayer-funded legal aid cut, in a new assault on “ambulance chasing” law firms. David Cameron has ordered a crackdown after becoming “very concerned” at the boom in compensation claims and investigations against soldiers over incidents in Iraq and Afghanistan.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 16th January 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Regina (Cruelty Free International) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily

Regina (Cruelty Free International) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] EWHC 3631 (Admin); [2015] WLR (D) 556

‘Nothing in section 18(2) or (2A) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 required the Secretary of State or someone acting under delegated authority to wait for an inspector’s report before taking any decision against the licence holder.’

WLR Daily, 14th December 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk