Female lawyers should not be forced to wear heels, says Baroness Hale – The Independent

‘The UK’s most senior judge has condemned law firms that demand female lawyers wear high heels, as she lamented the lack of “progress” on sex discrimination in the legal profession.’

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The Independent, 12th January 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Upskirting’ of women and girls is a daily occurrence, new figures show – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 10th, 2020 in consent, news, photography, sexual offences, victims, voyeurism, women by tracey

‘Incidents of men taking “upskirt” photographs of women are being reported on an almost daily basis since tougher new legislation was introduced, with victims known to be as young as 13. The first figures to chart the impact of the Voyeurism Offences Act show that almost one victim a day has contacted police to report being targeted since the law came into effect in April last year.

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Daily Telegraph, 10th January 2020

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Researcher who lost job for tweeting ‘men cannot change into women’ loses employment tribunal – The Independent

‘A researcher who lost her job after tweeting that men cannot change their biological sex has lost an employment tribunal after her opinions were ruled “absolutist”.’

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The Independent, 19th December 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Black cab rapist John Worboys given two life sentences – BBC News

Posted December 18th, 2019 in news, parole, probation, rape, sentencing, sexual offences, taxis, victims, women by sally

‘Black cab rapist John Worboys has been handed two life sentences with a minimum term of six years for attacking four more women.’

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BBC News, 17th December 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lady Hale at the BACFI Denning Lecture 2019, Athenaeum, Pall Mall, London – Supreme Court

Posted December 11th, 2019 in diversity, equality, gender, judges, legal history, legal profession, sex discrimination, women by tracey

‘Women in law –the next 100 yearsBACFI DenningLecture2019Athenaeum, Pall Mall, LondonLady Hale, President of The Supreme Court.’

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Supreme Court, 4th December 2019

The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 – 100 Years On – Pump Court Chambers

Posted December 4th, 2019 in juries, legal profession, news, sex discrimination, women by sally

‘This year marks the centenary of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919. This ground breaking Act of Parliament, which became law on 23 December 1919, allowed women to become Solicitors, Barristers, Magistrates and Jurors for the first time. The Act begins with the defining words “a person shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage from the exercise of any public function”. A sentiment which we take for granted nowadays but the first female jurors in England were sworn in on 29th July 1920. In the last 100 years, the legal profession has made progress in the pursuit of equality: the UK’s first female Prime Minister began her career studying for the Bar and our beloved first female President of the Supreme Court, Lady Hale has made her mark and taken every opportunity to develop equality within our legal system.’

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Pump Court Chambers, 29th November 2019

Source: www.pumpcourtchambers.com

Perspective: being a Muslim woman at the Bar – No. 5 Chambers

Posted December 4th, 2019 in barristers, Islam, news, women by sally

‘As the Bar Council marks 100 years since the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919, which first allowed women to practise as lawyers, Nabila Mallick of No5 Barrister’s Chambers, speaks about her experience as a Muslim woman at the Bar.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 28th November 2019

Source: www.no5.com

Devon anthrax hoaxer jailed for targeting female MPs – BBC News

Posted November 29th, 2019 in harassment, news, parliament, sentencing, threatening behaviour, women by tracey

‘A hoaxer with a “hatred of women” has been jailed for five years for sending packages of white powder to female MPs, a Euro MP and local councillors.’

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BBC News, 28th November 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Grace Millane’s Trial Exposes A Dark Trend In Coverage Of Violence Against Women – Rights Info

Posted November 28th, 2019 in media, murder, news, victims, women by sally

‘The murder of Grace Millane in 2018 seized front pages of media outlets worldwide, with article after article fixated on details of her personal history. These details implied that the sexually violent nature of Millane’s death was somehow a product of her own actions, and this treatment is itself part of a much larger media trend in how violence against women is represented.’

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Rights Info, 27th November 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

“No right” to judge women lawyers on appearance – Legal Futures

Posted November 27th, 2019 in barristers, equality, gender, legal profession, news, sex discrimination, women by sally

‘It is about time that men and women realise that they have “no right to judge a woman’s commitment to and ability to do her job based on her appearance”, a leading QC has declared.’

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Legal Futures, 27th November 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

British women ‘being forced into polygamous relationships’ because law lets them down, campaigners say – The Independent

Posted November 25th, 2019 in islamic law, marriage, married persons, news, women by sally

‘British women are increasingly being pressured into polygamous relationships or left without child support when relationships break up because UK law does not offer adequate protection to spouses in religious marriages, campaigners have warned.’

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The Independent, 25th November 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Millionaire who claimed his girlfriend died accidentally after ‘rough sex’ loses appeal against prison sentence – The Independent

‘A millionaire property tycoon who left his injured and bleeding partner to die after claiming she had been injured during “rough sex” has lost an appeal to have his prison sentence cut.’

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The Independent, 14th November 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

“Bedroom tax” unlawful -Strasbourg Court – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 12th, 2019 in benefits, domestic violence, housing, human rights, news, sex discrimination, women by sally

‘Much may have changed in the political world since the Coalition Government introduced its controversial ‘bedroom tax’, but the legal fall-out from the policy continues. The European Court of Human Rights has delivered its verdict on the compatibility of the scheme with the prohibition on discrimination set out in Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Strasbourg Court has found that the policy discriminated unlawfully against women at risk of domestic violence.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 12th November 2019

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Mother to sue justice ministry after probation errors led to son’s murder – The Guardian

‘The Ministry of Justice is to be sued by the mother of a five-year-old boy who was murdered by her boyfriend after an inquest concluded that defects in the probation system contributed to his death.’

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The Guardian, 9th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Discrimination in ‘one succession’ for secure tenancies – Nearly Legal

‘Simawi v London Borough of Haringey (2019) EWCA Civ 1770. We saw this case in the High Court – our report here – now this is the court of appeal judgment on Mr S’ appeal, seeking a finding that there was discriminatory treatment in the Housing Act 1985 succession rules between a person who became a sole tenant on the death of a former tenant as opposed to a person who became a sole tenant upon judicial assignment of the tenancy in a divorce (pre Localism Act amendments). In short, survivorship on a joint tenancy, or succession of spouse/partner on death of sole tenant counts as a succession, while an assignment of tenancy by court order under section 24 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 on divorce does not. Mr S was the child of a spouse who succeeded by survivorship.’

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Nearly Legal, 3rd November 2019

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Speech by Mrs Justice Carr DBE: Women in Commercial Law – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘Speech by Mrs Justice Carr DBE: Women in Commercial Law.’

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Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 6th November 2019

Source: www.judiciary.uk

A third of women at the biggest female jail are spending just three weeks or less in prison – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 5th, 2019 in homelessness, news, prisons, recidivists, rehabilitation, sentencing, statistics, women by sally

‘A third of the inmates at Europe’s largest female jail spend three weeks or under behind bars, watchdogs have revealed.’

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Daily Telegraph, 4th November 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

‘I was told women couldn’t survive as barristers’ – BBC News

Posted November 4th, 2019 in barristers, diversity, equality, judges, judiciary, news, women by sally

‘Two senior judges have spoken about the challenges they have faced in the justice system.’

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BBC News, 4th November 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Why The Legal Definition Of Consent Fails Victims – Rights Info

Posted November 1st, 2019 in consent, deceit, equality, homosexuality, interpretation, news, rape, sexual offences, victims, women by sally

‘A British man called Jason Lawrance is appealing his conviction for raping a woman. The woman had willingly had unprotected sex with him – he told her he’d had a vasectomy – but she pressed charges after he texted her to say he had lied.’

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Rights Info, 31st October 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

Police may have used ‘dangerous’ facial recognition unlawfully in UK, watchdog says – The Independent

‘Facial recognition technology may have been used unlawfully by police, a watchdog has warned while calling for urgent government regulation.’

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The Independent, 1st November 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk