Vulnerable women ‘still locked up in Yarl’s Wood immigration centre’ – The Guardian

Posted November 1st, 2017 in asylum, detention, mental health, news, women by sally

‘Severely traumatised survivors of sexual violence are being routinely locked up at the notorious Yarl’s Wood immigration detention centre, in breach of the UK government’s own policies.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 1st November 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Deaths in custody: police urged to stop holding mentally ill in cells – The Guardian

Posted October 30th, 2017 in complaints, criminal justice, death in custody, detention, mental health, news, police by sally

‘Far-reaching reforms to the police, justice system and health service in England and Wales are needed to reduce the risk of people dying in custody, a long-delayed report has concluded.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 30th October 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police handling a third more mental health cases, figures suggest – BBC News

Posted October 30th, 2017 in mental health, news, police, statistics by sally

‘The number of mental health cases dealt with by police in England and Wales has risen by more than a third in three years, figures obtained by Labour show.’

Full Story

BBC News, 28th October 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Man jailed for life for lecturer’s murder in south London – The Guardian

‘A man has been sentenced to life in prison for the killing of a university lecturer in Merton, south London.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 27th October 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Lack of secure accommodation – ‘blood on our hands’? – Family Law

Posted October 24th, 2017 in care orders, children, detention, housing, mental health, news, self-harm, young persons by sally

‘It is sometimes necessary for local authorities to seek to place a looked after child in what is called secure accommodation. This is designed to protect them from injuring themselves or others and/or absconding from other types of accommodation and suffering significant harm as a consequence.’

Full Story

Family Law, 23rd October 2017

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Panayiotou v Waltham Forest LBC; Smith v Haringey LBC – Arden Chambers

Posted October 20th, 2017 in disabled persons, homelessness, housing, local government, mental health, news by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has held that whether a person has a priority need for accommodation by reason of vulnerability requires consideration of whether he is “significantly” more vulnerable in a way that is relevant to his ability to deal with the consequences of homelessness; the question is qualitative, not quantitative.’

Full Story

Arden Chambers, 19th October 2017

Source: www.ardenchambers.com

Why bother with wellbeing? – Counsel

Posted October 20th, 2017 in barristers, mental health, news by sally

‘In the first of a new series, systemic coach Zita Tulyahikayo and James Pereira QC explain why supporting wellbeing should be an essential aspect of barristers’ and chambers’ practice.’

Full Story

Counsel, October 2017

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Black and Muslim prisoners suffer worse treatment, study finds – The Guardian

‘Black and Muslim offenders are more likely to be badly treated in prison, leading to poorer outcomes and mental health concerns, research has found.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 19th October 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ten years after the death of Fiona Pilkington, have the police got better at tackling hate crime? – The Independent

Posted October 18th, 2017 in hate crime, mental health, news by sally

‘Everyone remembers Fiona as the woman who burnt herself to death. They remember reading about her in the papers or seeing her face on the news: a photo of a brown-haired, middle-aged woman with downcast eyes. No one knew her personally. Fiona spent much of her life isolated and alone. Ten years on, residents in the Leicestershire village where she lived and worked still seem disconnected to her death. Locals living just a few metres from the lay-by where Fiona eventually set her own car ablaze struggle to recall the details. “We saw nothing,” one elderly resident says. “There was no fuss here. We had no one asking any questions.”’

Full Story

The Independent, 18th October 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Family in dispute over care of woman with brain damage – The Guardian

Posted October 17th, 2017 in euthanasia, families, health, medical treatment, mental health, news by tracey

‘A family is in dispute over the ongoing care of a woman with brain damage who had suggested she would want to die in such circumstances, a court has heard.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 16th October 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Criminal or casualty? – Counsel

Posted October 12th, 2017 in armed forces, diminished responsibility, homicide, mental health, murder, news, war by sally

‘Marine A is a salutary lesson on the pressures of modern warfare and those acting for service personnel, say Shaun Esprit and Jo Morris.’

Full Story

Counsel, October 2017

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

‘Narcissistic cult’ brothers put into care – BBC News

Posted October 10th, 2017 in care orders, children, families, mental health, news by sally

‘Three teenage brothers should be taken from their mother and put into care, having developed a “narcissistic cult” mentality, a High Court judge has said.’

Full Story

BBC News, 9th October 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Vulnerability, medical evidence & Now Medical – Nearly Legal

Posted October 5th, 2017 in expert witnesses, homelessness, local government, mental health, news by tracey

‘Thomas v Lambeth LBC, County Court at Central London, 16 March 2017. This is a s.204 appeal in the County Court of a vulnerability decision by Lambeth. Of particular interest is that the judgment concerns and indeed turns on Now Medical reports on the homeless applicant and the use made of them by LB Lambeth on s.184 decision and on s.202 review.’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 3rd October 2017

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Gala Bingo advert banned for suggesting gambling can ease depression – The Independent

Posted October 4th, 2017 in advertising, complaints, gambling, mental health, news by sally

‘The advert for the bingo company, which was created by its affiliate, was seen on the 365dailynews website and described a man who was in debt and ‘stumbled on’ an ad for Gala Bingo.’

Full Story

The Independent, 4th October 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

An Oxford medical student stabbed her boyfriend with a bread knife. So why did she not go to prison? – The Secret Barrister

‘Lavinia Woodward, the 24-year old Oxford student who pleaded guilty to stabbing her boyfriend with a bread knife, was sentenced yesterday at Oxford Crown Court for unlawful wounding. The case caused a splash back in May when, having entered her plea, the defendant was told by the judge that she was unlikely to receive an immediate custodial sentence, in part due to her promising medical career. Thus was born the tale of the rich, blonde, white Oxford student who was “too clever” to be sent to prison. “Too clever” appears in all headlines in quotation marks, notwithstanding that no-one in court, not least the judge, ever used these words; rather this is one of the those splendid auto-generated media myths, where one tabloid shorthand was adopted by all until everyone came to accept that these words must have been said.’

Full Story

The Secret Barrister, 26th September 2017

Source: thesecretbarrister.com

Woman’s murder in care home could have been prevented, inquiry finds – The Guardian

Posted September 29th, 2017 in autism, care homes, mental health, murder, news, social services by sally

‘The murder of an 18-year-old woman by a fellow resident at a care home who had previously attempted to strangle other women was both predictable and preventable, a serious case review has found.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 28th September 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Bar Council launches Wellbeing at the Bar: Phase Two – The Bar Council

Posted September 27th, 2017 in barristers, internet, mental health, press releases by tracey

‘To mark the first anniversary of the Wellbeing at the Bar website, the Bar Council will introduce a Certificate of Recognition to recognise efforts made to promote wellbeing across the Bar. In line with the theme of One Bar at this year’s Annual Bar and Young Bar Conference, everyone – including chambers, Specialist Bar Associations, Circuits, Inns and organisations that employ barristers – will be able to apply. The Certificate will act as a beacon of good wellbeing practice at the Bar for those who receive it.’

Full press release

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Judge rules council and CCG not required to fund visits of mother – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 22nd, 2017 in expenses, local government, mental health, news, statutory duty by sally

‘Central Bedfordshire Council and North Norfolk Clinical Commissioning Group need not meet the travelling expenses of a woman who makes a lengthy weekly trip to see her son in a mental hospital.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 21st September 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Mental health trust pays damages over man’s death in tower block fire – The Guardian

Posted September 21st, 2017 in accidents, fire, housing, mental health, news, social services by sally

‘A mental health trust has paid out damages over the case of a man with bipolar disorder and a history of lighting fires who was trapped in a blaze at his cluttered tower block flat.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 20th September 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

IPCC: police had series of chances to help man who died after arrest – The Guardian

Posted September 21st, 2017 in complaints, death in custody, duty of care, mental health, news, police, reports by sally

‘Police missed a string of opportunities to help a young man with mental health problems who died after he was restrained by officers, locked up in a van on a hot night and then left naked in a cell, a watchdog has said.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 21st September 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com