Watchdog issues record fine to Welsh council after serious data protection breach – OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 9th, 2011 in data protection, fines, local government, news by tracey

“A Welsh council has been issued with the highest ever fine levied by the UK’s data protection watchdog after mistakenly sending child protection documents to the wrong person.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 8th December 2011

Soruce: www.out-law.com

Ex-councillor admits porn charges – The Independent

Posted December 7th, 2011 in indecent photographs of children, internet, local government, news by sally

“A Lib Dem MP’s former aide, who ran a campaign to prevent the closure of a local swimming pool popular with children, avoided a jail sentence today after admitting child porn offences.”

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The Independent, 7th December 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Record £130,000 child data error fine for Powys council – BBC News

Posted December 7th, 2011 in data protection, fines, local government, news, social services by sally

“A council which sent details of a child protection case to the wrong person has received a record £130,000 fine for breaching the Data Protection Act.”

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BBC News, 6th December 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judges warned against straying into politics – by top judge – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 7th, 2011 in courts, judiciary, local government, murder, news, sentencing by sally

“Judges are straying too far in the world of politics and should stay within their ‘proper function’, the head of the judiciary, Lord Judge, has said.”

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Daily Telegraph, 6th December 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Leeds Group plc v Leeds City Council (No 2) Regina (Leeds Group plc) v Leeds City Council (No 2) – WLR Daily

Leeds Group plc v Leeds City Council (No 2); Regina (Leeds Group plc) v Leeds City Council (No 2) [2011] EWCA Civ 1447; [2011] WLR (D) 347

“Sections 98 and 103(2) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which inserted subsection (1A) into section 22 of the Commons Registration Act 1965, thereby amending the definition of town or village green, were clear and unambiguous and the new policy in subsection (1A) applied in its entirety to all applications to register land as a town or village green made on or after 30 January 2001. If the impact of the new policy as a whole was considered it had been prospective, not retrospective, in its effect when enacted on 30 November 2000.”

WLR Daily, 2nd December 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

By-law plan to remove Parliament Square tent protest – BBC News

Posted December 6th, 2011 in byelaws, demonstrations, fines, local government, London, news by sally

“Westminster City Council has said it intends to introduce a by-law to remove tents from Parliament Square.”

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BBC News, 5th December 2011

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Council meeting prayers challenged at high court – The Guardian

Posted December 1st, 2011 in Christianity, local government, news, religious discrimination by sally

“The long tradition of prayers being said before local council meetings is to be challenged at the high court on Friday.”

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The Guardian, 30th November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Managing Major Change: Employment and Corporate Governance – Cloisters

Posted November 30th, 2011 in employment, legislation, local government, news by sally

“National governments impose obligations on local government. Electors have needs and preferences to be met. Politicians have aspirations to achieve. None of this will happen without the worker – bees of local government – from chief executive to road sweeper – willingly putting their shoulder to the wheel or hand to the broom. So good human resource management is what makes things happen well.”

Full story (PDF)

Cloisters, 15th-17th November 2011

Source: www.cloisters.com

Women win landmark court of appeal decision over equal pay – The Guardian

Posted November 29th, 2011 in appeals, equal pay, local government, news, time limits by sally

“Cooks, cleaners, caterers and care staff have won a landmark court of appeal decision that could pave the way for many more equal pay claims.”

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The Guardian, 29th November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Local authorities report more than 1000 personal data breaches in last three years – OUT-LAW.com

“Local authorities in the UK have collectively lost personal data on at least 1035 occasions in the past three years, a privacy group has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 24th November 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Elderly home care failures breach human rights, report finds – The Guardian

“Equality and Human Rights Commission says elderly people face unchecked ‘ageism’ from council-funded home care.”

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The Guardian, 23rd November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Boys’ wrestling can continue at cage-fight club, council says – The Guardian

Posted November 18th, 2011 in children, licensing, local government, news, sport by tracey

“A social club where two young boys took part in a cage-fighting event can continue to hold similar bouts even though it breached its licence, councillors said on Thursday.”

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The Guardian, 17th November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Williams v Essex County Council – WLR Daily

Posted November 17th, 2011 in appeals, law reports, local government, special educational needs by tracey

Williams v Essex County Council: [2011] EWCA Civ 1315;  [2011] WLR (D)  329

“A statement of special educational needs automatically lapsed when a person ceased to be a child, which was at 19 years. The Court of Appeal so stated when allowing the appeal of Essex County Council against a decision of Judge Jacobs in the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) on 8 March 2010 setting aside a decision of the First-tier Tribunal (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) of 8 September 2009 that it was no longer necessary to maintain the statement of special educational needs of MW (now aged 22 years), the daughter of the claimant, Antony John Williams.”

WLR Daily, 15th November 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Court allows challenges against library closures – The Guardian

Posted November 16th, 2011 in appeals, budgets, judicial review, libraries, local government, news by sally

“Campaigners won the latest legal battle over library closures when a judge in London allowed challenges against plans to shut libraries in Gloucestershire and Somerset.”

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The Guardian, 16th November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (SA (A Child) (by SH as litigation friend)) v Kent County Council (Secretary of State for Education, intervener) – WLR Daily

Posted November 15th, 2011 in appeals, children, families, fostering, law reports, local government by sally

Regina (SA (A Child) (by SH as litigation friend)) v Kent County Council (Secretary of State for Education, intervener) [2011] EWCA Civ 1303; [2011] WLR (D) 326

“The obligations imposed on a local authority in certain circumstances pursuant to section 23(2) and (6) of the Children Act 1989, relating to the provision of accommodation and/or maintenance for certain children in need and being looked after by the authority, were to be considered as alternatives, rather than as parallel means by which to achieve a single statutory purpose.”

WLR Daily, 10th November 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Courts step in to save vulnerable from cuts – The Independent

Posted November 14th, 2011 in budgets, community care, disabled persons, judicial review, local government, news by sally

“Two disabled men who faced losing their right to care won a landmark High Court case yesterday over cost cutting by their council. It was the latest in a series of rulings that threatens to disrupt the Government’s attempts to slash local authority spending.”

Full story

The Independent, 12th November 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Council’s social care cuts are unlawful, high court rules – The Guardian

Posted November 11th, 2011 in budgets, community care, judicial review, local government, news by tracey

“Two severely disabled adults have won a landmark high court battle over cost-cutting by their local authority when a judge ruled that Isle of Wight council’s plans to reduce its adult social care budget are unlawful.”

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The Guardian, 11th November 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bubb v Wandsworth London Borough Council – WLR Daily

Posted November 11th, 2011 in appeals, homelessness, housing, judicial review, law reports, local government by tracey

Bubb v Wandsworth London Borough Council: [2011] EWCA Civ 1285;  [2011] WLR (D)  323

“A county court judge hearing an appeal on a point of law under section 204 of the Housing Act 1996, against a review of whether a local housing authority owed a duty to a homeless person under the 1996 Act, had no jurisdiction to find the relevant primary facts for himself. The judge’s function was to consider whether the reviewing officer’s decision should be quashed on judicial review grounds.”

WLR Daily, 9th November 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Council cuts to elderly care fees ruled illegal – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 11th, 2011 in budgets, care homes, elderly, judicial review, local government, news by tracey

“Councils across England could be forced to spend hundreds of millions of pounds extra on care for the elderly after a landmark High Court case.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 10th November 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Social Services have both statutory and common law duty to protect children from abuse – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 8th, 2011 in child abuse, duty of care, local government, news, social services by sally

“This case concerned the entitlement to compensation for the years of abuse the claimants, three brothers a sister, the youngest, who had suffered at the hands of their father. The older claimants had both suffered regular abuse from an early age until late teens. The third claimant escaped the prolonged abuse suffered by his brothers. The fourth claimant, who was conceived after the defendant social services became aware of the situation, nevertheless endured abuse for five or six years.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 8th November 2011

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com