James Milton: Rule of Law, Political Accountability and the Importance of Culture – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted November 30th, 2023 in news, parliament, political parties, rule of law, standards by sally

‘Political accountability plays a key role in the operation of the rule of law. This is the main claim I seek to defend through this blog post. My framework here is that the rule of law is just as concerned about the ethos of public officials as it is their actions. Political accountability acts as a mechanism through which the ethos behind public officials actions and decision-making can be monitored. As a result, political accountability plays a crucial part in the operation of the rule of law.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 30th November 2023

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Reasonable for protesters to call Iain Duncan Smith ‘Tory scum’, court rules – The Guardian

‘Two protesters were “reasonable” in calling Iain Duncan Smith “Tory scum” outside the Conservative party conference, the high court has ruled, in a rejection of an attempt to overturn their acquittal.’

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The Guardian, 21st November 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Andy McDonald sues Tory MP who accused him of ‘seeking to justify’ Hamas atrocity – The Guardian

Posted November 3rd, 2023 in damages, defamation, Israel, news, political parties, war by tracey

‘A suspended Labour MP is suing the Conservative MP Chris Clarkson, who accused him of “seeking to justify the murderous actions of Hamas” in the Israel-Hamas conflict.’

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The Guardian, 3rd November 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Labour seeking to delay antisemitism leak lawsuit until after election – The Guardian

‘Labour is seeking to delay until after the general election a court case against five former staff alleging they leaked a report concerned with the party’s handling of antisemitism complaints, as its costs were said to have apparently soared to £1.4m.’

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The Guardian, 6th October 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

GB News interview with chancellor breached impartiality rules, says Ofcom – BBC News

Posted September 19th, 2023 in budgets, complaints, media, news, political parties by sally

‘GB News breached impartiality rules in an interview with Jeremy Hunt, the broadcasting watchdog has found.’

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BBC News, 18th September 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘An activist blob’: Tory party attacks on lawyers – a timeline – The Guardian

‘Critical language used to blame lawyers for thwarting immigration policy dates back to Boris Johnson era.’

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The Guardian, 16th August 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ofcom to investigate GB News and TalkTV over impartiality rules – The Guardian

Posted July 5th, 2023 in complaints, media, news, ombudsmen, parliament, political parties by sally

‘Ofcom has launched investigations into GB News and TalkTV as the media regulator struggles to handle how rightwing television channels are employing serving politicians as presenters.’

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The Guardian, 3rd July 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mike Gordon: Creating an Integrity and Ethics Commission in the UK: The Case for Reform and Challenges for Implementation – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘In an era of intense and continuing controversy over the rules of political responsibility, the question of how to reform the current framework of constitutional standards applicable to politicians requires serious consideration. In addition to the regularity with which allegations about ministerial irresponsibility are being raised and sometimes (eventually) addressed, there are clearly structural challenges relating to these accountability processes and practices. There are legitimate concerns about the consistency, certainty, efficacy, independence and transparency of decision-making in this context. These concerns apply to the way in which potential violations of ethical standards are investigated, and also to the way in which sanctions are (or are not – or are not for long) imposed on political actors who are found to have broken the rules. The systemic nature of the UK’s failings in this area shows the need to consider potentially radical constitutional reforms.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 22nd June 2023

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Chinese couple barred from UK over Communist party donation allegations – The Guardian

Posted June 21st, 2023 in China, immigration, news, political parties by tracey

‘A pair of wealthy Chinese nationals have been barred from entering the UK after the government accused them of being involved in making donations to British political figures on behalf of the Chinese Communist party.’

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The Guardian, 20th June 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

High-profile defamation case dismissed by judge – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 9th, 2023 in defamation, media, news, political parties by tracey

‘The head of the High Court media list has thrown out a high-profile defamation action and concluded “that no purpose would be served by giving the claimant a further opportunity to replead his claim.”’

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Law Society's Gazette, 8th June 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Eliza Bechtold: Recent Efforts to Regulate Expression by Conservatives in the UK and the US Highlight a Shift Toward Illiberalism – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘Conservative politicians in the UK and the US are making headlines for regulatory efforts targeting core free speech principles under the guise of protecting members of the public from harm. Four days prior to the coronation of King Charles III – a coincidence according to the UK government – the controversial Public Order Act 2023 (POA 2023), introduced by former Home Secretary Priti Patel, received royal assent. The application of the new law, in conjunction with the expansive powers granted to police under prior legislation, led to the controversial targeting and arrest of dozens of peaceful anti-monarchy protesters during the coronation proceedings. In the US, Republicans are responsible for a flurry of recent regulations censoring expression concerning sexual orientation, race, and other issues at the forefront of the so-called ‘culture war’ in public school classrooms and libraries across the country. These regulatory efforts highlight the increasingly illiberal posture of conservative parties in these countries, which undermines shared democratic values and reflects a broader shift toward the use of anti-democratic means to achieve political ends.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 1st June 2023

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Former MP jailed over child abuse images – BBC News

‘A former Labour MP who shared child abuse material has been jailed.’

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BBC News, 13th May 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ignoring ECHR orders would threaten rule of law, legal figures warn – The Independent

‘Any move to allow ministers to ignore European Court of Human Rights orders stopping the removal of migrants would undermine the rule of law, senior legal figures have warned.’

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The Independent, 20th April 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

First-Tier Tribunal Finds Jamiyate Ulamaye Islam and Hefazat-e-Islam Activist in the UK at Risk of Persecution in Bangladesh – EIN Blog

Posted April 20th, 2023 in appeals, asylum, Bangladesh, news, political parties, refugees, tribunals by sally

‘A recent Immigration and Asylum First-tier Tribunal appeal involving a Bangladeshi political activist has highlighted the dangers faced by opposition figures in the country and the importance of providing asylum to those in need of protection. According to the UNHCR Global Trends Report 2021, there are currently 26 million refugees worldwide, with more than 80% hosted in developing countries.’

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EIN Blog, 19th April 2023

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Amendments To The Illegal Migration Bill Split Parliament – Each Other

Posted March 30th, 2023 in asylum, bills, deportation, immigration, news, political parties by sally

‘On 27 March, MPs were back in parliament to debate the proposed Illegal Migration Bill. Its return to the House of Commons has reportedly split Tory MPs over the issue of its hardening stance on people arriving on small boats across the Channel.’

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Each Other, 29th March 2023

Source: eachother.org.uk

Man jailed for sending racist and misogynistic messages to MP – The Independent

‘A man has been jailed for harassing and sending racist and misogynistic messages to his MP.’

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The Independent, 22nd March 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Election court awards costs against petitioner in ‘dates bribe’ case – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 1st, 2023 in bribery, costs, elections, local government, news, political parties by sally

‘A rare sitting of the Election Court has agreed to withdraw a petition for a council election to be declared void after receiving “conclusive evidence” that the petitioner handed packets of dates to potential voters.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 28th February 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Gordon Guthrie: Brown vs Dewar – The Labour Commission on the UK’s Future – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘With the publication of Labour’s Commission on the UK’s Future it is worth contrasting the approach that Gordon Brown and his colleagues have taken with the very successful devolutionary legacy of Donald Dewar.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 8th February 2023

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Conor Casey: House of Lords Constitution Committee Rejects Significant Reform to UK Law Officers – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The Attorney General and Solicitor General are the UK government’s principal legal advisors. Known collectively as the Law Officers, the origins of these ancient constitutional officers date back to the 13th Century. Historically, the Law Officers were leading barristers who acted as the Crown’s personal lawyers, fiercely representing their interests in legal proceedings. As political power passed from the Crown to the Prime Minister and their Cabinet, the Law Officers eventually became salaried ministers. Appointed and removed by the Crown on the advice of the Prime Minister, Law Officers today are typically qualified lawyers with experience in practice who are also political figures; as members of one of the Houses of Parliament, a member of government, and senior member of the governing political party.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 31st January 2023

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Online safety bill returns to parliament after five-month delay – The Guardian

Posted December 5th, 2022 in bills, delay, government departments, internet, news, political parties by sally

‘The online safety bill, the government’s flagship internet regulation, returns to parliament on Monday, after a five-month delay prompted by Conservative party factional warfare threatened to kill it off.’

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The Guardian, 5th December 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com