Man convicted after mistaken identity cigarette fine – BBC News
‘A man has received a criminal conviction for not paying a fine for dropping a cigarette butt, even though he says he has never smoked’
BBC News, 19th August 2026
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: news
Asylum seekers told rape and harassment illegal in UK in new Home Office booklet – BBC News
‘Asylum seekers have been told that rape, sexual harassment and domestic abuse are illegal in the UK, in guidance for new arrivals published by the Home Office.’
BBC News, 19th August 2026
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
How one man gets new laws passed – again and again – BBC News
‘Over the years Bailey has worked for groups including the Green Party, the Community Rights Project and the Sustainable Energy Association.
‘In that time he estimates he has been involved in getting 16 bills into law and has had a hand in a further 25 law changes.’
BBC News, 19th August 2026
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Bristol osteopath struck off after telling patient that ‘having sex with children is OK’ – The Independent
‘An osteopath who told a patient “it’s OK to have sex with children as long as they have hit puberty” has been struck off.’
The Independent, 19th August 2026
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘I want the children to have a relationship with their father but he scares me’ – Part 2: the welfare decision – Transparency Project
‘In Part One of this report, I described the court hearings in Cardiff Family Court that led to HHJ Paul Hopkins KC producing a 188 page fact-finding judgment of more than 700 paragraphs. The judge concluded that most of the allegations that the father, (who I’m calling “Ben”) against his ex-wife (“Laura”) were not true. In 2024, Ben had applied for a child arrangements order that his children live with him, instead of with Laura.’
Transparency Project, 12th August 2026
Source: transparencyproject.org.uk
CDM statement: Bishop Paul Butler – Law & Religion UK
‘On 17 August 2026, the Church of England issued the Press Release Clergy Discipline complaint against Bishop Paul Butler which is reproduced in full below.’
Law & Religion UK, 18th August 2026
Source: lawandreligionuk.com
Court of Appeal ruling raises new negligence risks for developers – OUT-LAW.com
‘A recent Court of Appeal decision could have significant implications for developers, housebuilders and construction businesses in England and Wales after the court upheld a negligence claim arising from neighbouring land use despite finding that a claim in private nuisance could not succeed, experts have said.’
OUT-LAW.com, 17th August 2026
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
Compulsory ethics discussions “risk becoming another box to tick” – Legal Futures
‘Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) plans for solicitors to attend compulsory three-hour ethics discussions “could lead to a ‘box-ticking’ approach”, academics have warned.’
Legal Futures, 19th August 2026
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Judge hits out at “aggressive” approach of party and its lawyers – Legal Futures
‘A judge has heavily criticised the “aggressive” approach of a defendant and its lawyers, saying the case was “like going back in time to when I first started in practice in the 1980s”.’
Legal Futures, 19th August 2026
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Windrush victims facing ‘two-tier’ justice – Law Society Gazette
‘People seeking compensation for the Windrush scandal are fundamentally disadvantaged compared with those claiming in other schemes because of a lack of funded legal support, legal reform charity JUSTICE claims today [18th August]. JUSTICE and Shaila Pal, director of clinical legal education at Kings College London, compared the plight of Windrush claimants compared with their counterparts affected by the Post Office and infected blood scandals. Each is entitled to claim from a government-backed compensation scheme but the authors found inconsistencies in the application of evidential standards and decision-making across all schemes.’
Law Society Gazette, 18th August 2026
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Permanent exclusions and decision letters – Local Government Lawyer
‘The judgment in R (HVF) v Lift Schools [2026] EWHC 2088 (Admin) spans numerous issues: it questions schools’ general preference for redacted still CCTV images over the use of unredacted CCTV video footage, suggesting that there are circumstances where this preference may call for the quashing of a decision to permanently exclude; it reminds Governors that their function is to come to their own decision and use the headteacher as witness/adviser, rather than to deferentially review the headteacher’s decision; it comments on how giving reasons is fundamental to giving participants confidence in the system, particularly when there are concerns regarding discrimination; and identified key areas of statutory guidance that may require updating.’
Local Government Lawyer, 18th August 2026
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Deaf patient given wrong jab due to sign language error, report says – BBC News
‘A deaf woman was given the wrong vaccine because she was not provided with a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter at her doctor’s surgery, a report says.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) said disabled people were being let down by inaccessible communications.’
BBC News, 19th August 2026
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Why Sheffield Utd are in the High Court and what it could mean – BBC News
‘Sheffield United’s owners face a winding-up petition in the High Court on Wednesday [19th August] which could mean the club incur a 12-point deduction in the Championship this season.
BBC News, 18th August 2026
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘We owe it to them, her children’: Jade’s law in an era of so-called ‘parental alienation’ – how parental responsibility and the presumption of parental involvement entrap women and children to perpetrators of domestic abuse – Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law
‘In 2023, the UK Government supported Jade’s Law, the suspension of parental responsibility (PR) after a parent murders the other parent. The law was born out of Jade’s parents’ plea for legal autonomy while caring for their four grandchildren as their father exerted control from behind prison walls. PR termination by family courts in England and Wales has, throughout the Children Act 1989, been a rare phenomenon, while PR acquisitions are common. This article poses the hypothesis that the relationship between the presumption of parental involvement, PR, and more recently so-called ‘parental alienation’ feed into the courts’ resistance to terminate PR. Even after serious criminal convictions or extended parental abandonment, this hesitance remains. Seven PR termination cases and two of PR restriction involving domestic abuse were analysed between 1995 and 2023. Mothers were sometimes penalised for obstructing parental involvement and silenced with ‘alienation’ counter-allegations. PR operates within an ‘at all costs’ culture that was reinforced by the presumption under Section 1(2A). Protective mothers’ and children’s resistance to the involvement of perpetrators is framed as ‘alienating’ behaviours. It creates a dangerous power tool that legally entraps women and children in endless patriarchal cycles of violence and control.’
Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 17th August 2026
Source: www.tandfonline.com
More people living in family and criminal legal aid deserts – Legal Futures
‘There has been a sharp rise in the number of people living in legal aid deserts for family and criminal law, while around 14.5m people overall are in deserts for at least one primary area of practice, according to new research.’
Legal Futures, 18th August 2026
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Burnham urged to intervene over ‘zero-hours’ custody officers in private prison – The Guardian
‘Andy Burnham is under pressure to intervene in a privately run prison that is seeking to recruit custody officers on zero-hours contracts for the first time across England and Wales’ prison estate.’
The Guardian, 18th August 2026
Source: www.theguardian.com
Pink Crime with Professor Valena Beety – Law Pod UK
‘In this episode of LawPod UK, Lucy McCann is joined by Professor Valena Beety, legal scholar, innocence litigator and former federal prosecutor, to discuss her new book Pink Crime.
Professor Beety explores her concept of ‘Pink Crime’ a distinctive category of wrongful convictions of women and queer people, often in cases where no crime actually occurred, by examining historic cases and contemporary prosecutions involving pregnancy loss, parenting decisions, and queer identity.’
Law Pod UK, 17th August 2026
Source: audioboom.com
Telford man sentenced for 3D-printing illegal firearm – Crown Prosecution Service
‘A man who was creating an illegal firearm at home using a 3D printer has been jailed for four years.’
Crown Prosecution Service, 10th August 2026
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
Senior President of Tribunals’ Consultation on Panel Composition in the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
‘Below is a consultation paper seeking views on proposals as to how the Senior President of Tribunals should exercise powers to amend the Practice Direction: Panel Composition in the First-tier Tribunal, Property Chamber. This consultation is only concerned with Residential Property. [The deadline for responses to this Consultation is Friday 25 September 2026].’
Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 10th August 2026
Source: www.judiciary.uk
A turning point in Article 8 reunification cases – Administrative Court Blog
‘The Court of Appeal has continued to emphasise the strictness of the approach which should be applied by courts and tribunals when determining whether individuals challenging immigration decisions can properly demonstrate an existence of family life engaging Article 8 ECHR protection. The case is Entry Clearance Officer v FA [2026] EWCA Civ 1014 (30 July 2026).’
Administrative Court Blog, 11th August 2026
