Universities ignoring rape culture warnings, say campaigners – The Guardian

‘Universities have ignored repeated warnings to tackle rape culture on campus, and left themselves exposed to lawsuits and reputational damage, according to lawyers and campaigners.’

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The Guardian, 15th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Keeping it Simple … A blog by Daphne Romney QC on the Asda Stores v Brierley UKSC decision – Cloisters

‘The Supreme Court has finally handed down judgment in Asda Stores Ltd v Brierley. But although it clarified and simplified the law concerning comparators at different establishments under s.79 EqA, it left other questions unresolved. Daphne Romney QC considers the judgment.’

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Cloisters, 26th March 2021

Source: www.cloisters.com

Judgment on Asda Stores Ltd v Brierley and others [2021] UKSC 10 – case summary by Daisy van den Berg – Old Square Chambers

‘Judgment was handed down on 26 March 2021 by the Supreme Court in the case of Asda Stores Ltd v Brierley and others [2021] UKSC 10. It was held that employees working in Asda’s stores can use as comparators employees working in Asda’s depots for the purposes of an equal pay claim.’

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Old Square Chambers, 26th March 2021

Source: oldsquare.co.uk

Ep 140: Harriet Wistrich on Criminal Justice for Women – Law Pod UK

Posted April 13th, 2021 in criminal justice, news, podcasts, women by sally

‘Following International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Emma-Louise Fenelon spoke to Harriet Wistrich, founder of the Centre for Women’s Justice about the many ways in which the UK criminal justice system is failing women.’

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Law Pod UK, 12th April 2021

Source: audioboom.com

Cross – establishment comparisons are generally to be permitted save in exceptional circumstances: Asda Stores Ltd v. Brierley & Ors [2019] EWCA Civ 44 – 3PB

‘This Equal Pay claim has been ongoing for some time already (since 2016) and is set to continue for some time yet. In short, the Supreme Court’s Judgment handed down 3 days ago (26th March 2021) is focused upon a narrow point, which whilst of importance and interest to both parties and their advisors, in no sense has brought closure to these proceedings which are likely to continue to attract media attention as the layers of equal value litigation unfold.’

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3PB, 29th March 2021

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Asda staff win a major victory in their equal pay claim – Mills & Reeve

Posted April 8th, 2021 in contract of employment, equal pay, news, Supreme Court, women by sally

‘In a hotly anticipated decision at the Supreme Court last week, Asda supermarket staff won a major victory in their equal pay claim against Asda. Although the ruling does not mean the approximately 35,000 claimants have won the right to equal pay, the ruling does represent a big step forward and means their claim can continue.’

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Mills & Reeve, 6th April 2021

Source: www.mills-reeve.com

Watchdog steps in over secrecy about UK women in Syria stripped of citizenship – The Guardian

‘The Home Office’s refusal to disclose the number of women who, like Shamima Begum, have been deprived of their British citizenship after travelling to join Islamic State is under investigation by the information commissioner.’

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The Guardian, 29th March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Domestic abuse: Women ‘could die in unregulated refuges’ – BBC News

Posted March 26th, 2021 in bills, domestic violence, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news, women by tracey

‘Domestic abuse support groups have warned that women will be unsafe if unregulated refuges are allowed to continue offering accommodation. One organisation said “women could die” if the practice does not stop. They fear the government’s Domestic Abuse Bill could see private landlords offering rooms for vulnerable women fleeing violence.’

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BBC News, 26th March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The Domestic Abuse Bill and its Lack of Support for Migrant Women – EIN Blog

Posted March 23rd, 2021 in benefits, bills, domestic violence, immigration, news, women by sally

‘Domestic abuse is a pivotal issue within today’s society, and is often not realised to be exacerbated by poor policy and support. After years of development the Domestic Abuse Bill returned to the House of Lords in the UK on the 8th March 2021 to complete its report stage, one of the final stages before being enshrined in law.’

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EIN Blog, 22nd March 2021

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Half of women have little or no faith in CPS to prosecute crimes against them, poll finds – The Independent

‘Half of women have little or no faith in the authorities to prosecute crimes against them, according to a new poll. Almost a quarter have “no trust at all” in the Crown Prosecution Service, the research by Savanta ComRes found.’

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The Independent, 21st March 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Clapham vigil policing investigator is suing Home Office for sex and race bias – The Guardian

‘The investigator helping coordinate the official inquiry into the Metropolitan police’s handling of the Sarah Everard vigil and concerns over women’s safety is suing the Home Office for sex discrimination over claims that he has been penalised for being a “white man”, the Observer can reveal.’

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The Guardian, 21st March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Sexual assault: ‘One in 40’ young women experience it each year – BBC News

Posted March 19th, 2021 in news, sexual offences, statistics, victims, women, young persons by sally

‘One in 40 women aged between 16 and 24 in England and Wales experience rape or assault by penetration, including attempts, each year, Office for National Statistics estimates suggest.’

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BBC News, 18th March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Women Disproportionately Affected By Soaring Mental Health Act Detentions – Each Other

Posted March 18th, 2021 in detention, freedom of information, mental health, news, statistics, women by sally

‘The number of women being detained under Section 2 rose by more than 25% in some areas of England, according to exclusive new FOI data.’

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Each Other, 17th March 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Police will be required to record crimes motivated by hostility to women – minister – The Guardian

Posted March 18th, 2021 in bills, domestic violence, hate crime, news, police, violence, women by sally

‘The government is to require police forces to collect data on crimes apparently motivated by hostility towards women, a potentially significant step towards making misogyny a hate crime.’

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The Guardian, 17th March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

New safety measures after Sarah Everard death – BBC News

‘”Immediate steps” aimed at improving safety for women and girls in England have been announced by Downing Street after Sarah Everard’s death. Among them is an additional £25m for better lighting and CCTV as well as a pilot scheme which would see plain-clothes officers in pubs and clubs.’

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BBC News, 16th March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Mikołaj Barczentewicz: An empirical study of the gender of counsel before the UK’s highest court – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘During the live television coverage of the Supreme Court hearings in Miller (No 1), some commentators (and no doubt many members of the public) noted that almost all lawyers in the courtroom were male. That image of the UK’s “Supreme Court bar” (to borrow a US term), though not entirely accurate, highlighted an ongoing problem with gender representation. In a new study (available here), I analysed the trends of gender and seniority in counsel appearances before the House of Lords and the Supreme Court from 1970 to 2020 based on a unique dataset I created covering 5,041 lawyers and 2,714 judgments. I found that there are some very optimistic signs regarding appearances of the most junior counsel. However, gender balance among the more senior counsel is not as good and has not been clearly improving over the most recent years, which matters because counsel with more experience before the highest court dominate litigation in that court. The unprecedented representation of women among the most junior counsel in the Supreme Court gives nevertheless a reason to believe that the situation will improve also among the more senior counsel.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association , 15th March 2021

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

‘Unwarranted attack’ by judge on indecent assault accuser could discourage women coming forward, she claims – The Independent

Posted March 15th, 2021 in complaints, harassment, judges, news, sexual offences, women by tracey

‘A woman who accused hedge fund boss Crispin Odey of indecent assault has complained about a judge’s “unwarranted attack” on her character, according to a report.’

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The Independent, 15th March 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Johnson to chair crime taskforce on violence against women as he calls Everard vigil footage ‘concerning’ – The Independent

‘Boris Johnson will chair a meeting of the government’s crime and justice taskforce on Monday to discuss what more needs to be done to stamp out violence against women and girls.’

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The Independent, 15th March 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Sarah Everard: Court challenge over Clapham vigil ban – BBC News

Posted March 12th, 2021 in coronavirus, demonstrations, human rights, murder, news, women by sally

‘Organisers of a vigil in response to the disappearance of Sarah Everard are going to the High Court after police said gatherings would be “unlawful”.’

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BBC News, 12th March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Partners and Confiscation – Carmelite Chambers

‘Data from 2019 suggests that 26% of prosecutions brought against women, of which only 10% are for indictable offences. The same data indicates that women account for just 5% of the prison population.’

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Carmelite Chambers, March 2021

Source: www.carmelitechambers.co.uk