BAME children three times more likely to have a Taser weapon used on them by police – The Guardian

‘Children from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are almost three times more likely to have a Taser electronic weapon used on them by police than their white counterparts.’

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The Guardian, 16th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mayor defeats Court of Appeal challenge to removal of congestion charge exemption from minicab drivers – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has found for the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in a case brought by minicab drivers, despite judges being troubled by aspects of his actions.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th August 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Challenging the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities – Doughty Street Chambers

‘The recent appointment of Dr Tony Sewell as head of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities has been cause for concern for racial justice campaigners. In an article in Prospect magazine, Dr Sewell stated that he believed institutional racism has given black children “the discourse of the victim” and he has recently had to apologise for making “wrong and offensive” comments about gay men.’

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Doughty Street Chambers, 12th August 2020

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

Facial Recognition Technology not “In Accordance with Law” – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The Court of Appeal, overturning a Divisional Court decision, has found the use of a facial recognition surveillance tool used by South Wales Police to be in breach of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The case was brought by Liberty on behalf of privacy and civil liberties campaigner Ed Bridges. The appeal was upheld on the basis that the interference with Article 8 of the ECHR, which guarantees a right to privacy and family life, was not “in accordance with law” due to an insufficient legal framework. However, the court found that, had it been in accordance with law, the interference caused by the use of facial recognition technology would not have been disproportionate to the goal of preventing crime. The court also found that Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) was deficient, and that the South Wales Police (SWP), who operated the technology, had not fulfilled their Public Sector Equality Duty.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 13th August 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Police’s Automated Facial Recognition Deployments Ruled Unlawful by the Court of Appeal – Doughty Street Chambers

‘R. (Bridges) v Chief Constable of South Wales [2020] EWCA Civ 1058 [2020] 8 WLUK 64 is thought to be the first case in the world to consider the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement agencies. In this short article, we explore the judgment and its implications for the deployment of these and similar technologies in future.’

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Doughty Street Chambers, 12th August 2020

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

Let’s face it: use of automated facial recognition technology by the police – UK Police Law Blog

‘The case of R (Bridges) v Chief Constable of South Wales Police & Information Commissioner [2020] EWCA Civ 1058 (handed down on 11 August 2020) was an appeal from what is said to have been the first claim brought before a court anywhere on planet earth concerning the use by police of automated facial recognition (“AFR”) technology. There could be nothing wrong with posting scores of police officers with eidetic memories to look out for up to a 800 wanted persons at public gatherings. So why not use a powerful computer, capable of matching 50 faces a second with a database of (under) 800 suspects, to do this job much more cheaply and instantaneously, flagging any matches to a human operator for final assessment? According to the Court of Appeal in Bridges, this system constitutes an interference with Article 8 rights which is not such as is in accordance with the law, but which (critically) would be proportionate if a sufficiently narrow local policy were framed.’

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UK Police Law Blog, 11th August 2020

Source: ukpolicelawblog.com

South Wales police lose landmark facial recognition case – The Guardian

‘Campaigners are calling for South Wales police and other forces to stop using facial recognition technology after the court of appeal ruled that its use breached privacy rights and broke equalities law.’

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The Guardian, 11th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge loses race discrimination claim over litigant’s complaint – Legal Futures

Posted August 11th, 2020 in complaints, harassment, judges, news, race discrimination, victimisation by sally

‘A judge has failed in his claim that he suffered discrimination, harassment and victimisation due to his race over how a complaint by a litigant was dealt with.’

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Legal Futures, 10th August 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Race equality chief faces legal challenge over appointment – The Guardian

Posted August 11th, 2020 in equality, homosexuality, judicial review, news, race discrimination, racism by sally

‘The academic chosen to lead the prime minister’s new racial equality commission, despite having cast doubt on the effects of institutional racism and making homophobic comments in the past, is facing a legal challenge to his appointment.’

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The Guardian, 11th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police racism inquiries in the UK: Do they change how things work? – BBC News

‘Do the police racially discriminate against people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities?’

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BBC News, 10th August 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government Scraps Immigration “Streaming Tool” before Judicial Review – UK Human Rights Blog

‘In response to a legal challenge brought by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), the Home Office has scrapped an algorithm used for sorting visa applications. Represented by Foxglove, a legal non-profit specialising in data privacy law, JCWI launched judicial review proceedings,, arguing that the algorithmic tool was unlawful on the grounds that it was discriminatory under the Equality Act 2010 and irrational under common law.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th August 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Home Office drops ‘racist’ algorithm from visa decisions – BBC News

‘The Home Office has agreed to stop using a computer algorithm to help decide visa applications after allegations that it contained “entrenched racism”.’

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BBC News, 4th August 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Coronavirus: ‘Institutional racism left minorities exposed’ – BBC News

Posted August 3rd, 2020 in coronavirus, employment, equality, health, inquiries, news, race discrimination, racism, Wales by sally

‘Institutional racism may have contributed to the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on ethnic minorities in Wales, a top judge has claimed.’

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BBC News, 3rd August 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police in England and Wales ‘twice as likely’ to fine young BAME men during lockdown – The Guardian

‘Police were twice as likely to fine young black and Asian men under the lockdown rules than their white counterparts, according to new figures that underline concerns about racial bias in policing.’

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The Guardian, 27th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Youth Justice Board chair aims to tackle racial disparities in criminal justice system in England and Wales – The Guardian

Posted July 27th, 2020 in children, criminal justice, news, race discrimination, racism, statistics by sally

‘Keith Fraser says all agencies working with BAME children need to examine their practices, and that children should not be treated the same as adults in the justice system.’

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The Guardian, 27th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

What are my rights if I’m stopped and searched? – BBC News

‘The police watchdog is launching a review into whether police tactics, such as stop and search, discriminate against ethnic minorities.’

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BBC News, 10th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Proposal To Scrap Juries ‘Shocking’ Amid Black Lives Matter Movement – Each Other

‘Proposals to scrap juries for some trials to reduce court backlogs would remove the “only part of the criminal justice process” proven not to discriminate against minority ethnic groups, a legal expert has warned.’

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Each Other, 9th July 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

Review launched into police ‘race discrimination’ – BBC News

‘The police watchdog is launching a review into whether officers across England and Wales racially discriminate against ethnic minorities.’

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BBC News, 10th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

How stop and search in the UK is failing black people – video explainer – The Guardian

‘There has been renewed criticism over stop and search in the UK after research found that BAME people are 54% more likely to be fined under coronavirus rules than white people. The subsequent death of George Floyd in the US and the support for the Black Lives Matter movement has brought more scrutiny to the disproportionality.’

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The Guardian, 7th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Grenfell Tower inquiry: Fire ‘inextricably linked with race’ – BBC News

‘The Grenfell Tower fire inquiry “must not ignore” the impact of race and poverty on the disaster, a lawyer representing survivors has said.’

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BBC News, 7th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk