And There Lurks the Minotaur: The Interrelationship Between the Inherent Jurisdiction and Section 25, CA 1989: Part II – Family Law Week

‘Alex Laing, barrister of Coram Chambers, considers further the interrelationship of secure accommodation and the inherent jurisdiction and the principles which should govern its use.’

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Family Law Week, 8th July 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Parents with disabilities – Park Square Barristers

‘It is entirely common for care proceedings to involve parents with learning disabilities or difficulties. This case is essential reading for all practitioners involved in such cases. It sets out the expectations on the state (inevitably through a local authority) to provide support to such parents in caring for their children.’

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Park Square Barristers, 23rd June 2016

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

Surrogacy – Child Arrangement Orders – Park Square Barristers

‘This article summarises the recent landmark decision in Re Z (surrogacy agreements) (Child Arrangements Orders) [2016] EWFC 34 whereby the Court awarded full care of the child to the surrogate Mother.’

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Park Square Barristers, 11th July 2016

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

IPCC criticises Sussex police over hooding of disabled 11-year-old girl – The Guardian

‘Sussex police have been strongly criticised by the force watchdog after an 11-year-old disabled girl was hooded, handcuffed and detained in custody for a total of more than 60 hours.’

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The Guardian, 8th June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Relatives campaign for ‘Robin’s law’ to oblige care homes to inform family if a loved one is ill – The Guardian

‘As a new inquest approaches into the death of their autistic sister, family continues to fight for a law to boost the rights of relatives.’

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The Guardian, 1st June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

I’ve seen how our jails wreck human potential. Reform will take courage – The Guardian

‘Reoffending costs £13bn a year – and giving inmates an education is the best way to prevent it, says a member of the Coates review panel’

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The Guardian, 22nd May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK judges to rule on death penalties for ‘intellectually disabled’ – The Guardian

‘The fate of two Trinidadian prisoners, both of whom have been condemned to death despite having extremely low IQs, will be decided by British judges this week.’

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The Guardian, 15th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Winterbourne View report author calls for Learning Disabilities Commissioner – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 23rd, 2016 in disabled persons, housing, learning difficulties, news, reports by sally

‘Sir Stephen Bubb, author of a report into the Winterbourne View scandal, has called on the Government to appoint a Learning Disabilities Commissioner.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 22nd February 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Starbucks employee wins dyslexia discrimination case – BBC News

Posted February 9th, 2016 in dyslexia, employment tribunals, learning difficulties, news by sally

‘A woman with dyslexia has won a disability discrimination case against her employer Starbucks after she was accused of falsifying documents.’

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BBC News, 9th February 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Men jailed for ‘despicable’ sexual assault and mugging of woman with learning difficulties in Birmingham – The Independent

Posted January 25th, 2016 in learning difficulties, news, robbery, sentencing, sexual offences by sally

‘Two men have been jailed for the “despicable” sexual assault and mugging of a woman with learning difficulties in Birmingham last year.’

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The Independent, 24th January 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Family judge criticised for not naming council that breached father’s rights – The Guardian

‘A family court judge has come under fire after refusing to name a council that violated a man’s parental rights by taking his four-year-old daughter into care without a proper investigation.’

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The Guardian, 10th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Hospital sorry for ‘do not resuscitate’ order on Down’s syndrome patient – BBC News

Posted December 8th, 2015 in hospital orders, human rights, learning difficulties, news by sally

‘A hospital trust has apologised for placing a “do not resuscitate” (DNR) order on a patient with Down’s Syndrome – and listing his learning difficulties among the reasons for doing so.’

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BBC News, 8th December 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Disabled girl sedation and removal ‘like Guantanamo rendition’ – BBC News

Posted November 18th, 2015 in care homes, consent, disabled persons, learning difficulties, news by tracey

‘A teenager with learning disabilities was “unlawfully” sedated and flown from south-west England to Dundee in a move a health boss likened to “extraordinary rendition to Guantanamo Bay”.’

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BBC News, 18th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

DNR order ‘violated disabled man’s human rights’ – BBC News

‘A ‘do not resuscitate’ (DNR) order put on a disabled man’s records without consulting his mother breached his human rights, the High Court has ruled.’

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BBC News, 13th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Affordability and intentionality – adding it up – Nearly Legal

‘A second appeal from a s.204 County Court appeal that addressed the council’s decision-making on whether the property from which Ms Samuels had become homeless was affordable (and thus, whether she was intentionally homeless for failing to pay the full rent).’

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Nearly Legal, 8th November 2015

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Gove admits the UK sentencing framework needs to be more sensitive, & 7 more things we learned at the 2015 Howard League AGM – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘Since his appointment as Justice Secretary & Lord Chancellor in May this year, the Rt Hon Michael Gove has maintained a fairly low profile. Aside from his Making Prisons Work speech in July, Mr Gove’s plans for the future of the Criminal Justice System have not been very clearly outlined. Although since his swearing in, to the delight of many, Gove has managed to overturn the previous Lord Chancellor, Chris Grayling’s ban on books for prisoners; scrapped plans to create a super youth prison; and halted massively controversial plans for the UK to undertake Saudi Arabian prison training contracts.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 6th November 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Intensive care, and the outer limits of Cheshire West – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Where a coroner has reason to suspect that a person has died in custody or “otherwise in state detention” and that the death was violent, unnatural or by way of unknown cause, the coroner must hold an inquest with a jury (section 7 Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (“CJA”)). The interesting issue in this case was whether and/or in what circumstances a person who has died whilst in intensive care will be regarded as having died “in state detention”, thus triggering a jury inquest.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th November 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

A duty to facilitate an individual’s release – No. 5 Chambers

‘The below article by Philip Rule, barrister at No5 Chambers, aims to offer a new potential for those with learning disability and/or autism, their families, and the many charities and NGOs that fight for the rights of these groups, to ensure things are improved for such individuals.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 2nd September 2015

Source: www.no5.com

‘Urgent review’ of appropriate adults needed – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 27th, 2015 in learning difficulties, mental health, news, reports by sally

‘Solicitors have urged the government to review, as a matter of urgency, the provision of appropriate adults (AA) for mentally vulnerable detainees in police stations after a report published today highlighted ‘significant shortcomings’.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 26th August 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Appropriate adults not being used’ for many vulnerable people in custody – BBC News

Posted August 26th, 2015 in detention, learning difficulties, local government, mental health, news, police by sally

‘About a quarter of a million vulnerable people are not receiving the support of an “appropriate adult” while in police custody, a report has suggested.’

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BBC News, 26th August 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk