Category: news

Sikhs, beards and “hygiene”: Sethi – Law & Religion UK

Posted January 15th, 2020 in codes of practice, employment, employment tribunals, health & safety, interpretation, news, religious discrimination, Sikhism by sally

‘In Mr R Sethi v Elements Personnel Services Ltd [2019] ET 2300234/2018, the Claimant, a practising but unbaptised Sikh, applied for a job with the Respondent: a specialist agency providing temporary staff for the hospitality industry, mainly at five-star hotels. He attended an induction course at which he was asked to sign various documents including the Respondent’s standard Contract for Agency Workers, which included the Respondent’s Code of Conduct. The Code provided, înter alia, that “No beards or goatees are allowed”. He explained that he would not be able to shave off his beard for religious reasons.’

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Law & Religion UK, 15th January 2020

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Solicitors’ group tip-off leads to activist’s conviction – Legal Futures

Posted January 15th, 2020 in disciplinary procedures, electronic mail, fines, immigration, legal services, news, solicitors by sally

‘A campaigner who used her email address as a committee member of the Solicitors International Human Rights Group (SIHRG) to conduct unlawful immigration law work was convicted this week.’

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Legal Futures, 15th January 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Congolese torture survivor gets Home Office reprieve – The Guardian

Posted January 15th, 2020 in asylum, deportation, government departments, immigration, news, torture, whistleblowers by sally

‘A torture survivor from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is celebrating after a Home Office U-turn allowed him to stay in the UK.’

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The Guardian, 15th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Humanist weddings and the Marriage (Approved Organisations) Bill – Law & Religion UK

Posted January 15th, 2020 in bills, equality, marriage, news by sally

‘On 9 January, Baroness Meacher introduced the Marriage (Approved Organisations) Bill in the House of Lords.’

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Law & Religion UK, 14th January 2020

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Solicitor fined for acting in conflict of interest – Legal Futures

Posted January 15th, 2020 in conflict of interest, costs, fines, news, professional conduct, solicitors by sally

‘A solicitor who acted where there was a real conflict of interest and paid out almost £6m from buyer clients before they had obtained any security in the flats they were hoping to buy, has been fined for misconduct.’

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Legal Futures, 14th January 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Fifth of adults in England and Wales abused as children, figures suggest – The Guardian

Posted January 15th, 2020 in child abuse, children, news, sexual offences, statistics by sally

‘About one in five adults in England and Wales experienced a form of child abuse before they turned 16, figures suggest.’

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The Guardian, 14th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Pub ‘banter’ and social media posts can be sexual harassment, equality watchdog warns bosses – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 15th, 2020 in bullying, codes of practice, employment, equality, Equality and Human Rights Commission, harassment, internet, news, sex discrimination, sexual offences, women by sally

‘Businesses must train their staff that pub “banter” and social media posts can amount to sexual harassment, the equality watchdog has warned in a letter to all major firms.’

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Daily Telegraph, 14th January 2020

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Home Office proposes offence of possessing terrorist propaganda – The Guardian

Posted January 15th, 2020 in coroners, freedom of expression, government departments, inquests, news, terrorism by sally

‘A new offence relating to possession of terrorist propaganda that glorifies or encourages extremism could be introduced to toughen up UK anti-terror laws.’

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The Guardian, 14th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Michael Oluronbi: Birmingham pastor guilty of raping children – BBC News

Posted January 15th, 2020 in abuse of position of trust, child abuse, children, news, sexual offences by sally

‘A church pastor repeatedly raped children after “holy baths” he claimed would ward off evil.’

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BBC News, 14th January 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Court wellbeing protocol targets ‘last minute’ culture – Legal Futures

Posted January 14th, 2020 in electronic mail, family courts, news, working time by sally

‘Birmingham Family Court will today introduce a wellbeing protocol which aims to end a ‘last minute’ work culture that increases stress on practitioners outside of work hours.’

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Legal Futures, 14th January 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Staff shortages leave probation service in crisis, report finds – The Guardian

Posted January 14th, 2020 in budgets, news, probation, reports by sally

‘Public safety is at risk as huge workloads and staff shortages continue to place the probation sector under pressure, inspectors have said, while officers lack the “professional curiosity” needed to spot potentially dangerous behaviour among offenders managed in the community.’

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The Guardian, 14th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Union To Sue Police After Barrister Arrested At Medical University Protest – Each Other

Posted January 14th, 2020 in barristers, contracting out, equality, freedom of expression, hospitals, human rights, minorities, news, trade unions by sally

‘A trade union is taking legal action against the Metropolitan Police after its barrister was arrested at a protest outside a medical university.’

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Each Other, 13th January 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

UK courts “under attack” from Russian manipulation – Litigation Futures

Posted January 14th, 2020 in international relations, money laundering, news, reports, rule of law, Russia by sally

‘The corrupt leaders of Russia are manipulating courts and tribunals around the world – with a particular focus on the UK – with “blatant lies, forged documents, and utterly implausible explanations”, it was claimed today.’

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Litigation Futures, 13th January 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Electrical safety checks – soon with added regulation – Nearly Legal

Posted January 14th, 2020 in electricity, health & safety, landlord & tenant, news, regulations by sally

‘The draft of The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 has been laid in Parliament. The regs require a resolution of each house, so this will not be an immediate approval, but should be soon – it looks like the intention is for the Regs to be in force from 1 April 2020.’

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Nearly Legal, 13th January 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Contempt and pre-action conduct – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 14th, 2020 in contempt of court, holidays, jurisdiction, news, personal injuries, pre-action conduct, witnesses by sally

‘In the landmark decision in Jet2 Holidays Limited v Hughes & Hughes [2019] EWCA Civ 1858, the Court of Appeal (Sir Terence Etherton MR, Hamblen and Flaux LJJ) confirmed that the High Court has jurisdiction to commit for contempt of court in respect of false witness statements made under a pre-action protocol (PAP) even though proceedings were never issued.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 13th January 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Theodore Konstadinides and Riccardo Sallustio: Clause 26 of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill 2019-20: An Exercise of Constitutional Impropriety? – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted January 14th, 2020 in bills, brexit, EC law, ministers' powers and duties, news, precedent, rule of law, statutory interpretation by sally

‘The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill 2019-20 will pave the way for the UK to ratify the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement and thus depart from the European Union (EU) soon thereafter, having received its third reading in the House of Commons just last week. This contribution examines certain major consequences deriving from the Bill becoming law and, in particular, the controversial, but little discussed Clause 26 which (as Lord Pannick remarked in a recent article in the Times) requires particularly careful scrutiny.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 14th January 2020

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

UK immigration rules are unworkable, says Law Commission – The Guardian

Posted January 14th, 2020 in immigration, Law Commission, legislative drafting, news, regulations by sally

‘Immigration rules are “overly complex and unworkable” according to the Law Commission, which recommends simplifying them in order to save the government £70m over the next decade.’

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The Guardian, 14th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Peter Ball – the on-going legacy – Law & Religion UK

Posted January 14th, 2020 in child abuse, Church of England, clergy, inquiries, news, reports, sexual offences by sally

‘In 2015, Peter Ball, the former Bishop of Lewes and Gloucester, was jailed at the Old Bailey for sexual offences against 18 young men over three decades, the circumstances of which have been the subject of inquiries within the Church of England and externally. BBC2 has scheduled a documentary, Exposed: The Church’s Dark Secret, on the Peter Ball case for 13 and 14 January 2020. This post reviews the legal issues that have arisen in the case of Peter Ball, and comments on related ongoing enquiries and the legal implications for the Church.’

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Law & Religion UK, 13th January 2020

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Man arrested over killing of paedophile Richard Huckle – BBC News

Posted January 14th, 2020 in child abuse, homicide, indecent photographs of children, news, prisons, sexual offences by sally

‘A man has been arrested in connection with the death of one of Britain’s most prolific paedophiles.’

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BBC News, 13th January 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Half of London’s knife killers had previous convictions for possessing blades, new stats show – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 14th, 2020 in homicide, London, news, offensive weapons, recidivists, statistics by sally

‘Half of London’s knife killers had previous convictions for possessing blades, new figures have shown as the capital’s “half-hearted” approach has been blamed.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th January 2020

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk