Category: news

Surge in parents forced to fight child custody battles with no legal representation – The Independent

Posted February 5th, 2019 in budgets, children, custody, families, legal aid, litigants in person, news, statistics by sally

‘The number of parents forced to represent themselves in child custody battles at family courts has more than doubled in six years in the wake of legal aid cuts. Campaigners have warned “huge injustices” are taking place and children’s best interests are being “obscured”. Government data revealed 23,881 parents who applied to open private law cases for child arrangements in 2017 had no legal representation – up 134 per cent since 2011.’

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The Independent, 4th February 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Victoria Tube station ‘upskirter’ Hiroshi Yuasa fined – BBC News

Posted February 4th, 2019 in fines, news, outraging public decency, photography by sally

‘A man who took a photograph up the skirt of a woman at a London Tube station has been fined £2,000.’

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BBC News, 1st February 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

CPS secures first conviction for female genital mutilation – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 4th, 2019 in Crown Prosecution Service, female genital mutilation, news, prosecutions by sally

‘The mother of a three year old girl has become the first person in England and Wales to be convicted of female genital mutilation (FGM) offences since the practice was criminalised in the UK in 1985.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 1st February 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Parole Board system to be reviewed after John Worboys case – BBC News

Posted February 4th, 2019 in news, parole by sally

‘The way the Parole Board of England and Wales operates is to be reviewed to see whether it needs “fundamental” reform.’

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BBC News, 4th February 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lawyer whistleblower struck off despite revealing misconduct – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 4th, 2019 in disciplinary procedures, news, solicitors, whistleblowers by sally

‘A trainee solicitor struck off after reporting her bosses for overcharging clients by up to 2,000 per cent has warned how the legal industry does “precious little” to protect whistleblowers.’

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Daily Telegraph, 2nd February 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Charity calls for court to livestream Heathrow third runway challenge – The Guardian

Posted February 4th, 2019 in airports, charities, environmental protection, internet, media, news, video recordings by sally

‘A high court challenge to the government’s controversial plan for a third runway at Heathrow could be opened up to a mass audience through livestreaming for the first time if judges accept a legal argument.’

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The Guardian, 4th February 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Sir Elton John, Liz Hurley and Heather Mills settle phone hacking claims – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 4th, 2019 in compensation, interception, media, news, privacy by sally

‘Sir Elton John, Elizabeth Hurley and Heather Mills have settled their phone hacking claims against News Group Newspapers (NGN), their lawyers have confirmed.’

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Daily Telegraph, 2nd February 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Call to register home-schooled children – BBC News

Posted February 4th, 2019 in children, news, special educational needs by sally

‘Children taught at home should be recorded on a compulsory register, England’s children’s commissioner has said.’

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BBC News, 4th February 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

A draft domestic abuse bill Domestic abuse in 2019 – David Burrows – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 4th, 2019 in bills, domestic violence, news, non-molestation orders by sally

‘Domestic abuse is endemic in UK society. The law’s response has consisted of sporadic police prosecutions, a Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (rarely used), and uncoordinated remedies in family proceedings mostly under Family Law Act 1996 Part 4 (the non-molestation and the occupation order). Each is governed by a different set of procedural rules; and different means of enforcement. Views vary as to what is the legal definition of ‘domestic violence’ – still used by the Legal Aid Agency: see Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 – and ‘domestic abuse’, which is now defined by a family proceedings practice direction which deals only with children proceedings (yes, really): Family Procedure Rules 2010 PD12J.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 31st January 2019

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Urgent action needed to address lack of FGM awareness, say experts – The Guardian

Posted February 4th, 2019 in female genital mutilation, health, internet, news by sally

‘A national public health campaign, improved training for professionals and better use of social media to engage young people are among recommendations to be made by a cross-sector forum set up to hold the government to account on tackling female genital mutilation (FGM).’

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The Guardian, 2nd February 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judiciary welcomes first female chartered legal executive – Litigation Futures

Posted February 4th, 2019 in judiciary, legal executives, news, women by sally

‘Elizabeth Johnson, an associate in the Exeter office of Ashfords, has become the first female chartered legal executive appointed to the judiciary.’

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Litigation Futures, 1st February 2019

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Home Office ‘wrecked my life’ with misuse of immigration law – The Guardian

Posted February 4th, 2019 in immigration, income tax, mistake, news, taxation, terrorism by sally

‘The Home Office has been accused of inflicting irreversible damage on the life of a pharmaceutical expert by misusing a controversial clause in immigration law to try to force her out of the UK.’

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The Guardian, 2nd February 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Friston issues “double jeopardy” warning over conduct issues – Litigation Futures

Posted February 4th, 2019 in civil procedure rules, costs, double jeopardy, news by sally

‘Conduct issues that could have been dealt with at trial cannot be revisited during detailed assessment, the author of Friston on Costs, sitting in the Senior Courts Costs Office, has ruled.’

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Litigation Futures, 31st January 2019

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

UK police use of computer programs to predict crime sparks discrimination warning – The Guardian

Posted February 4th, 2019 in artificial intelligence, bias, computer programs, news, police, race discrimination by sally

‘The rapid growth in the use of computer programs to predict crime hotspots and people who are likely to reoffend risks locking discrimination into the criminal justice system, a report has warned.’

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The Guardian, 3rd February 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Watchdog wants public sector contractors subject to FOI laws – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 4th, 2019 in contracting out, freedom of information, news, public procurement by sally

‘Freedom of information (FOI) laws should be updated to account for the risks to transparency and accountability in the performance of public services where they are outsourced to businesses, the UK’s information commissioner has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 1st February 2019

Source: www.out-law.com

‘The day I went to prison, I got my life back’ – BBC News

Posted February 4th, 2019 in domestic violence, imprisonment, news, women by sally

‘For many people, receiving a jail sentence would be the worst thing that ever happened to them. But when you’ve been experiencing domestic abuse – as most female prisoners have – you may see things slightly differently.’

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BBC News, 4th February 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

High court judge tweets appeal for missing mother to bring son home – The Guardian

Posted February 4th, 2019 in child abduction, internet, judges, news by sally

‘A high court judge has used Twitter to urge a woman who disappeared with her three-year-old son six months ago to return home.’

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The Guardian, 2nd February 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Innocent people caught up in serious police investigations due to data-handling errors, watchdog finds – The Independent

Posted February 1st, 2019 in mistake, news, ombudsmen, police, professional conduct, standards, statistics by sally

‘Innocent people were wrongly caught up in serious police investigations such as child pornography and paedophile grooming because of data-handling errors, a watchdog found.’

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The Independent, 31st January 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Challenging Interim Threshold – Family Law Week

Posted February 1st, 2019 in care orders, children, doctors, expert witnesses, families, local government, news, personal injuries by sally

‘Anna McKenna QC, 1 King’s Bench Walk, Emily Boardman, partner, Boardman, Hawkins & Osborne LLP and Anna Sutcliffe, barrister, 1 King’s Bench Walk consider the circumstances when it may be appropriate to challenge interim threshold findings in an alleged NAI case without waiting for evidence from a single joint expert.’

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Family Law Week, 30th January 2019

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Gambling regulator warns firms over use of gagging orders – The Guardian

Posted February 1st, 2019 in compensation, disclosure, gambling, news, non-disclosure agreements, ombudsmen, proceeds of crime, theft, victims by sally

‘The UK’s Gambling Commission has warned the industry over the use of gagging orders, after incidents of consumers being paid substantial sums of money in return for agreeing not to talk to the regulator.’

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The Guardian, 31st January 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com