Police face court over refusal to hand over reports on anti-Muslim ‘bias’ – The Guardian

“Scotland Yard is facing court action next week after refusing to hand over the results of investigations it was ordered to conduct into claims that it used counter-terrorism powers to discriminate against and harass innocent Muslims.”

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The Guardian, 13th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge to decide if defendant can wear niqab – The Guardian

“Decision due on Monday on whether woman must show face in court or will be allowed to wear full-face veil.”

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The Guardian, 16th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Veils in Court, Grayling and the Left & Legal Aid Anxieties – The Human Rights Roundup

“Welcome back to the UK Human Rights Roundup, your regular breakfast cereal variety box of human rights news and views. The full list of links can be found here. You can find previous roundups here. Post by Sarina Kidd, edited and links compiled by Adam Wagner.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 16th September 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Anti-caste discrimination reforms blocked, say critics – The Guardian

“The government has been accused of deliberately delaying moves to outlaw caste discrimination despite agreeing to extend legal protection to the tens of thousands of people in the UK who are from traditionally lower status Asian backgrounds.”

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The Guardian, 29th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK court ducks position on circumcision – UK Human Rights Blog

“This case concerns a hitherto little-explored aspect of the right to a private and family life: a parent’s opportunity to teach their offspring about their own religious faith.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 20th July 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Scientology case has judges debating the meaning of religion – The Guardian

“Five supreme court justices have spent a day wrestling with notions of God, nirvana and what constitutes worship in an attempt to decide whether Scientologists may conduct weddings.”

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The Guardian, 18th July 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lady Hale gives the Alison Weatherfield Memorial Lecture at the Employment Lawyers Association – Supreme Court

Lady Hale gives the Alison Weatherfield Memorial Lecture at the Employment Lawyers Association (PDF)

Supreme Court, 10th July 2013

Source: www.supremecourt.gov.uk

A lot of Wonga – Sports Law Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

“Papiss Cisse’s dispute with Newcastle United Football Club about wearing the official shirt sponsor’s logo raises some important questions for sports lawyers.”

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Sports Law Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 15th July 2013

Source: www.sportslawbulletin.org

Muslim-run company to compensate Christian worker for race discrimination – Daily Telegraph

“A Muslim-run company have been ordered to pay a Christian worker over £2,000 for racially discriminating against him because he is white.”

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Daily Telegraph, 29th May 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

European Court of Human Rights rejects Christians’ cases that their religious rights were violated by employers – The Independent

“Three British Christians who claimed their religious rights were violated by employers were told by European judges today that they could take their rejected cases no further.”

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The Independent, 28th May 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Tarunabh Khaitan: Caste as Race—A Welcome First Step – UK Constitutional Law Group

Posted May 10th, 2013 in equality, news, race discrimination, religious discrimination by sally

“Caste is not something that exists only in the cities and villages in the Indian subcontinent. With the diaspora, caste has travelled around the world, the United Kingdom being no exception. Despite activist and academic demands, the then Labour government decided not to prohibit caste discrimination when it enacted the Equality Act 2010. Instead, section 9(5) of the Act permitted a Minister to amend the Act ‘so as to provide for caste to be an aspect of race’—a power that was never exercised. Section 97 of the recently enacted Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 now requires the concerned Minister to amend the definition of ‘race’ in section 9(1) of the Equality Act to include ‘caste’. The new legislation also empowers the Minister to review the operation of the amended section 9(5) of the Equality Act and repeal it if necessary. The House of Lords would have preferred a more straightforward and permanent expansion of the definition of ‘race’ by Parliament directly, but compromised to persuade a cautious Commons.”

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UK Constitutional Law Group, 10th May 2013

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

Christians launch landmark human rights case – Daily Telegraph

“Christians are to launch a landmark legal case arguing their religion is being treated as a ‘thought crime’ by government and courts.”

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Daily Telegraph, 20th April 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Managing the manifestation of faith in the workplace – No. 5 Chambers

“Fatim Kurji considers the European Court of Human Rights’ verdict in the case of Eweida & Others v The United Kingdom [2013] IRLR 231.”

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No. 5 Chambers, 18th March 2013

Source: www.no5.com

Racial harassment claim by Jewish teacher over union’s Israel-Palestine policies fails – UK Human Rights Blog

“In this case, a member of the Union brought various claims of harassment related to his ‘race, religion or belief’ under section 57 of the Equality Act 2010. The wide ranging allegations made by the Claimant arose, in essence, from the way in which Union had handled the Israel/Palestine debate. For example, claims arose from motions debated at the Union’s congress on proposals for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions and related questions. The Claimant alleged that the Union was guilty of ‘institutional anti-Semitism’ which he alleged constituted harassment of him as a Jewish member of the Union.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 16th April 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Union conference motions on Israel and Palestine: employment tribunal dismisses harassment claim by member – Employment Law Blog

“The case of Fraser v University and College Union concerned a number of claims of harassment by the Claimant against the Respondent union of which he was a member, under section 57 of the Equality Act 2010. The complaints were based on or stemmed from motions debated at the Respondent’s Congress (annual conference) in the years 2007 to 2011 on proposals for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.”

Full story

Employment Law Blog, 3rd April 2013

Source: www.employment11kbw.com

Regina (Dowsett) v Secretary of State for Justice – WLR Daily

Regina (Dowsett) v Secretary of State for Justice [2013] EWHC 687 (Admin); [2013] WLR (D) 126

“The Secretary of State’s policy that male prisoners could not normally object to “rub-down” searches being conducted by a female prison officer except on genuine religious or cultural grounds was not discriminatory on grounds of sex or lack of religion. The exceptions to the policy were a proportionate way of dealing with genuine objections by male prisoners to being searched by female officers and the width of the exceptions to the policy did not lead to an unacceptable risk of unlawful decision-making.”

WLR Daily, 27th March 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Caste discrimination should be outlawed, say Lords – The Guardian

“The House of Lords voted on Monday to outlaw discrimination against people on the basis of their caste.”

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The Guardian, 5th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Badmouthing the pope in heated news room does not amount to harassment – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 21st, 2013 in appeals, employment tribunals, harassment, news, religious discrimination by sally

“The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has found that the use of bad language was evidently merely an expression of bad temper and not intended to express hostility to the Pope or Catholicism and that it did not constitute harassment within the meaning of the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 20th February 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Commission launches guidance on managing religion or belief in the workplace – Equality and Human Rights Commission

Posted February 15th, 2013 in employment, homosexuality, human rights, marriage, news, religious discrimination by sally

“Equality and Human Rights Commission has published new guidance today to help employers and employees deal with the expression of religion or belief at work and avoid conflict and costly court cases.”

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14th February 2013

Source: www.equalityhumanrights.com

Employment tribunal hearing first claim for caste discrimination collapses – The Guardian

“An employment tribunal hearing the first claim for unfair dismissal on the grounds of caste discrimination has collapsed after information handed to the judge by police led the judge to recuse herself from the case.”

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The Guardian, 14th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk