More than 2,500 prison staff disciplined in five years with majority for sex and drugs, MoJ figures show – Daily Telegraph

‘Thousands of prison staff have been subject to disciplinary action in the past five years, including for relationships with inmates, assaulting prisoners and racism.’

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Daily Telegraph, 29th April 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Why are rape prosecutions falling? – BBC News

‘Recorded rape offences have been rising in England and Wales, but the proportion of offences making it to court has fallen significantly over the past few years.’

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BBC News, 29th April 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Workplace stress drives up disability discrimination claims by more than a third, employment law experts say – Daily Telegraph

‘Workplace stress drives up disability discrimination claims by more than a third, employment law experts suggest.’

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Daily Telegraph, 28th April 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Home Office faces legal action over English test cheating claims – The Guardian

Posted April 26th, 2019 in appeals, deportation, fraud, government departments, immigration, news, statistics, visas by sally

‘The Home Office is facing over 300 court of appeal legal challenges from foreign students who believe they were wrongly accused of cheating in English tests, and dozens more cases are pending in immigration tribunals.’

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The Guardian, 26th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Parish councils win High Court challenge over abolition after borough misinterpreted guidance – Local Government Lawyer

‘Slough Borough Council misinterpreted government guidance and so an order providing for the abolition of two parish councils in its area must be quashed, a High Court judge has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 23rd April 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

UK watchdog blocks record number of child abuse webpages – The Guardian

‘More than 100,000 webpages containing child sexual abuse imagery (CSAI) or videos were identified and blocked over the last year by the UK charity tasked with maintaining the nationwide blacklist, an increase of more than a third on the year before.’

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The Guardian, 24th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Who gets legal aid? – BBC News

Posted April 16th, 2019 in budgets, civil justice, criminal justice, legal aid, news, statistics by tracey

‘Who gets legal aid?’

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BBC News, 15th April 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

I’m still at a loss’: Windrush victims who were forced into homelessness and debt due to scandal still living in anguish and destitution a year on – The Independent

‘On 16 April 2018, Amber Rudd – then home secretary – stood up in the House of Commons to formally acknowledge the Windrush scandal for the first time. The treatment of immigrants by her department’s “hostile environment” was appalling, she said, vowing to deal with cases within two weeks and put things right. But exactly one year later, the suffering goes on. Many are yet to receive a response to their application to the taskforce, leaving them in a “state of limbo” with little or no information about how their case is progressing.’

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The Independent, 16th April 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Prisoners Sentenced Under Now Abolished IPP Law ‘Give Up Hope Of Release’ – Rights Info

Posted April 12th, 2019 in imprisonment, limitations, mental health, news, parole, public interest, statistics by sally

‘Prisoners who were sentenced under the imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence are facing increasing mental health issues and a loss of trust in the justice system as they remain imprisoned without a set release date.’

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Rights Info, 11th April 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

Upskirting now a crime after woman’s campaign – BBC News

‘Upskirting is now a criminal offence in England and Wales after a campaign by a woman targeted at a music festival.’

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BBC News, 12th April 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Spending on jail staff legal fees 46-times more than for bereaved – The Guardian

Posted April 11th, 2019 in bereavement, fees, inquests, legal aid, legal representation, news, prisons, statistics by sally

‘The Ministry of Justice spent £4.2m representing prison officers at inquests, while paying out only £92,000 in legal aid for bereaved families at hearings that examine deaths in prison, according to newly released figures.’

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The Guardian, 10th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Two-thirds of councils say they can’t afford to comply with homelessness law – The Guardian

Posted April 10th, 2019 in benefits, budgets, homelessness, housing, local government, news, statistics by sally

‘The Homelessness Reduction Act, in operation for the past 12 months, is potentially the greatest piece of homelessness legislation for 40 years in England, according to Southwark council in south London. The Labour-run council pioneered the government’s new flagship act, and is upbeat about it. While homelessness went up in the borough last year, as it did across London, the rise was less steep than expected: 8.6% for families placed in temporary accommodation and a similarly small increase for rough sleepers. At the same time, there was also a 50% increase in the number of people the council helped to stay in their home. “It shows the act works,” says the council’s cabinet member for housing, Stephanie Cryan.’

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The Guardian, 10th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Disciplinary action for police officers over Shana Grice murder – The Guardian

‘Police officers are to face disciplinary charges over the case of a woman murdered after being stalked by her former partner, whose repeated pleas for help instead saw her fined for wasting police time.’

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The Guardian, 9th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Law firm insolvencies hit new high amid ‘loan stacking’ warning – Legal Futures

Posted April 10th, 2019 in debts, insolvency, law firms, loans, news, statistics by sally

‘The number of insolvencies among solicitors’ firms reached a new high last year, Insolvency Service figures have shown, and a funder has warned that the practice of ‘loan stacking’ will only make things worse.’

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Legal Futures, 10th April 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

No-fault divorce: Could it increase rates? – BBC News

Posted April 10th, 2019 in divorce, families, news, reasons, statistics by sally

‘The introduction of “no-fault divorce” in England and Wales could reduce the time it takes for many couples to end their marriages. But what could that mean for divorce rates?’

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BBC News, 10th April 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Social media firms to be penalised for not removing child abuse – The Guardian

‘New laws proposed to tackle social media companies streaming child abuse, extremism, terrorist attacks and cyberbullying have been welcomed by senior police and children’s charities.’

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The Guardian, 8th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Divorce to be wholly online “within months” – Legal Futures

‘Every family law practitioner will have felt the effects of court modernisation in their daily practice within a year, with the remaining parts of the divorce process moving online within months, the president of the Family Division has declared.’

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Legal Futures, 8th April 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Animal testing: Which ones are used in UK experiments? – BBC News

Posted April 4th, 2019 in animal cruelty, animals, medical ethics, medicines, news, statistics by sally

‘Mice, fish, cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, monkeys – they’re all used in animal testing across the world.’

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BBC News, 4th April 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Five online gambling firms break UK rules on ads targeting children – The Guardian

Posted April 4th, 2019 in advertising, children, gambling, internet, news, ombudsmen, statistics by sally

‘The UK advertising watchdog has caught five gambling firms, including Aston Villa’s sponsor Unibet, breaking strict rules that ban them from targeting children with online betting ads.’

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The Guardian, 4th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Fraud victims let down by ‘inconsistent policing’ – BBC News

Posted April 2nd, 2019 in fraud, news, ombudsmen, police, standards, statistics, victims by tracey

‘Some police forces are actively seeking reasons to drop investigations into fraud, a watchdog’s report has warned. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services said an “inconsistent” approach to policing fraud in England and Wales left the public at high risk of scams.’

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BBC News, 2nd April 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk