Covid: Equalities watchdog urged to investigate UK’s pandemic response – BBC News

Posted February 16th, 2021 in coronavirus, equality, ministers' powers and duties, news, women by sally

‘Unions, women’s groups and charities have asked the UK’s equalities watchdog to investigate whether the government broke the law in its pandemic response.’

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BBC News, 15th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Universal Credit childcare payment system indirectly discriminates against women – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 9th, 2021 in benefits, human rights, judicial review, news, sex discrimination, women by sally

‘R (Salvato) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2021] EWHC 102 (Admin). Ms Salvato is one such lone mother, who brought judicial review proceedings claiming that the differential method for reimbursing childcare costs constituted indirect discrimination against women contrary to Article 14 (read with Article 8 and/or Article 1 Protocol 1) ECHR and was irrational at common law. The Administrative Court agreed on both grounds.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 8th February 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Domestic Abuse Bill: calls for data ‘firewall’ to protect migrant women – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The government has been urged to remove ‘blind spots’ in the Domestic Abuse Bill that could deter migrant women from reporting domestic abuse to the police for fear of being deported or enable perpetrators to control their victims.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 3rd February 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal aid win means domestic abuse victims will no longer be asked to sell their homes to access justice – The Independent

Posted January 29th, 2021 in domestic violence, legal aid, legal representation, mortgages, news, women by sally

‘Domestic abuse victims blocked from getting legal aid will no longer be pushed into selling their homes in a bid to obtain justice and secure safety from their violent partners.’

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The Independent, 28th January 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Barrister suspended for “sexual” touching without consent – Legal Futures

Posted January 27th, 2021 in barristers, consent, disciplinary procedures, harassment, news, sexual offences, women by sally

‘A barrister who touched two individuals sexually has been suspended from practice for three months by a Bar disciplinary tribunal.’

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Legal Futures, 26th January 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

CPS accused of ‘systemic illegality’ in charging rape cases – The Guardian

Posted January 27th, 2021 in codes of practice, Crown Prosecution Service, equality, news, prosecutions, rape, women by sally

‘The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has been accused of “systemic illegality” in its approach to charging rape cases in a landmark judicial review into how the crime is prosecuted.’

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The Guardian, 26th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

The impact of Covid-19 on women’s sport – how the virus compounds funding disparities – Littleton Chambers

Posted January 26th, 2021 in coronavirus, news, remuneration, sport, women by sally

‘The impact of Covid-19 on sport has been significant but not all sports, or athletes, have been affected equally. In particular women’s sport and women’s teams have experienced the pandemic very differently from their male counterparts.’

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Littleton Chambers, 18th January 2021

Source: littletonchambers.com

Female child sex abuse ‘remains taboo’ while victims struggle – BBC News

Posted January 20th, 2021 in child abuse, children, news, sexual offences, statistics, victims, women by sally

‘Victims of female child sexual abusers face “enormous stigma and shame”, according to police and charities.’

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BBC News, 19th January 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sexual harassment victims ‘less likely to be believed if they are seen as less feminine’ – The Independent

Posted January 15th, 2021 in harassment, news, sex discrimination, sexual offences, victims, women by sally

‘Women that suffer sexual harassment who are deemed to be less stereotypically feminine are less likely to have their allegations believed, a new study has found.’

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The Independent, 14th January 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Work Rights in the Nursery: Au pairs entitled to the NMW (but in respect of which hours?) – Littleton Chambers

Posted January 12th, 2021 in EC law, employment tribunals, equal pay, minimum wage, news, women, working time by sally

‘The employment tribunal has disapplied the “family worker” exemption, in effect holding that au pairs and other domestic workers who live in the home are entitled to the protections of the National Minimum Wage (“NMW”) regime. If this tribunal decision stands, it gives rise to another significant question: which hours should count towards the NMW for domestic workers?’

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Littleton Chambers, 4th January 2021

Source: littletonchambers.com

UK ministers face legal action over lack of abortion services in Northern Ireland – The Guardian

‘Northern Ireland’s human rights commission (NIHRC) has launched a landmark legal action against the UK government for its failure to commission safe and accessible abortion services more than a year after abortion was made legal in the country, the Guardian can reveal.’

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The Guardian, 10th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Pinto: Gender parity a long way off in fraud work – Legal Futures

‘The immediate past chair of the Bar Council has welcomed work by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to ensure greater gender parity in its instructions but said female fraud barristers are “a long way from parity” with their male colleagues.’

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Legal Futures, 8th January 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Research lays bare gender disparities in publicly funded advocacy – Legal Futures

Posted January 5th, 2021 in barristers, equality, legal aid, news, queen's counsel, remuneration, reports, women by sally

‘There are “significant gender disparities” in barristers’ access to work and pay across both criminal and civil publicly funded work, research by a circuit judge has found.’

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Legal Futures, 5th January 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Tough new domestic abuse tsar prepares to shape laws to protect threatened women – The Guardian

‘As violence soars in locked-down homes, Nicole Jacobs explains how, as commissioner, she can make a difference.’

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The Guardian, 3rd January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Significant leap in number of women applying for silk – Legal Futures

‘Some 116 new QCs were named yesterday, with the appointment body revealing that more women applied for silk this year and the majority were successful – unlike men.’

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Legal Futures, 17th December 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Why The Sexual Exploitation Bill Will Make Vulnerable Women Less Safe – Each Other

‘Paying for sex could become a criminal offence in England and Wales if Parliament approves a new Bill which claims to protect women from sexual exploitation. But criminalisation will only further harm people who are already marginalised, argues Rachel Trafford.’

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Each Other, 17th December 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

Female advocates “will lose work” if court hours are extended – Legal Futures

Posted December 17th, 2020 in barristers, carers, coronavirus, courts, news, women, working time by sally

‘Advocates unable to cover extended operating hours in the courts will likely lose work and could be driven out of the profession as a result, a high-profile group of women barristers has told the government.’

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Legal Futures, 17th December 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Role of grooming of women involved in violent crime examined as part of new gangs guidance – Crown Prosecution Service

‘Prosecutors working on gang-related cases which involve women and girls should consider if there is evidence they have been forced or groomed into committing crime, according to new legal guidance published today. The guidance, Decision-making in “gang” related offences, has been drawn up by the Crown Prosecution Service to give lawyers practical advice on building the strongest possible cases and gathering robust evidence to present to the court.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 16th December 2020

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Virginity testing ban proposed by Richard Holden MP – BBC News

Posted December 16th, 2020 in bills, doctors, human rights, news, women by sally

‘Proposals to outlaw virginity testing have passed their first parliamentary stage. North West Durham Conservative MP Richard Holden told parliament the practice was “medieval”. His Virginity Testing (Prohibition) Bill has been passed by MPs for further consideration by the Commons in January.’

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BBC News, 15th December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Fifth femicide census shows “a serious failing and indicates a lack of will to tackle root causes” of killings of women by men in the UK – Family Law

Posted December 10th, 2020 in homicide, news, reports, statistics, victims, women by sally

‘The Femicide Census has produced its fifth, and most comprehensive, report to date of women killed by men in the UK.’

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Family Law, 9th December 2020

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk