MPs press for new inquiry into UK role in rendition and torture – The Guardian

Posted July 3rd, 2018 in human rights, inquiries, intelligence services, news, rendition, torture by sally

‘The UK government will give “careful consideration” to calls for a renewed judge-led inquiry into the country’s involvement in human rights abuses after 9/11, the Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan told MPs on Monday.’

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The Guardian, 2nd July 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Paedophile hunter’ jailed for blackmailing victims – BBC News

Posted July 3rd, 2018 in blackmail, fraud, news, sentencing by sally

‘A self-styled “paedophile hunter” who blackmailed his victims for tens of thousands of pounds has been jailed.’

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BBC News, 2nd July 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

“A New Form of Discrimination”: Civil Partnerships for Different-Sex Couples in the UK Supreme Court – Oxford Human Rights Hub

Posted July 3rd, 2018 in appeals, civil partnerships, equality, human rights, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘Civil partnerships were introduced by the New Labour government in the UK in 2005 to give same-sex couples many of the protections and rights afforded to married couples without actually extending the right to marry. In 2014 same-sex couples were granted the right to marry but the civil partnership status was not revoked. This created a clear inequality: Same-sex couples could choose to marry or to enter into a civil partnership, but the only way that different-sex couples could formalise their relationship was through marriage. In Steinfeld and Keidan, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for International Development (in substitution for the Home Secretary and the Education Secretary) [2018] UKSC 32 the UK Supreme Court held that this differential treatment was contrary to Art 14 (the prohibition of discrimination) when taken in conjunction with Art 8 (the right to respect for family life) under the European Convention on Human Rights.’

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Oxford Human Rights Hub, 2nd July 2018

Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk

Akhmedova v Akhmedov: piercing the corporate veil – Family Law

‘It is not incomprehensible that wealthy business shareholders feed their high-net-worth assets through their companies, with the consequence of making the assets available to their spouse limited and out of reach. It therefore comes as no real surprise that the English family courts have shown that they are prepared to tackle the issues related with parties hiding international assets within divorce proceedings, whilst trying to remedy the same.’

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Family Law, 2nd July 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Council concedes in strip club policy legal challenge over equality duty failure – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 3rd, 2018 in equality, licensing, local government, news, women by sally

‘Sheffield City Council last week (29 June) conceded in court that it had failed to properly discharge the public sector equality duty, after a campaigner challenged the lawfulness of the authority’s decision to adopt a policy of licensing unlimited strip clubs.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 2nd July 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

BSB and Bar Council warn about risks of online barrister reviews – Legal Futures

Posted July 3rd, 2018 in barristers, competition, complaints, consumer protection, internet, news by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board has warned consumers about the risks of choosing a barrister based on online reviews, while telling the profession that it needs to watch this fast-growing area.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd July 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

UK to ban discredited ‘gay cure’ therapies under LGBT action plan – The Guardian

Posted July 3rd, 2018 in health, homosexuality, mental health, news, transgender persons by sally

‘The government will appoint a national LGBT health adviser and take measures to end so-called conversion therapy as part of a plan to deliver what Theresa May has promised will be “real and lasting change”.’

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The Guardian, 3rd July 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Protesters lose bid to overturn abortion clinic buffer zone – BBC News

Posted July 2nd, 2018 in abortion, demonstrations, local government, news by sally

‘Protesters have lost their bid to remove a buffer zone around an abortion clinic in west London.’

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BBC News, 2nd July 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ep. 39: Employment/Disciplinary injunction success for psychiatrist – 1 COR

Posted July 2nd, 2018 in disciplinary procedures, injunctions, news, psychiatrists by sally

‘Richard Booth joins Emma-Louise Fenelon to discuss a successful employment injunction to prevent a gross misconduct disciplinary hearing.’

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Law Pod UK, 2nd July 2018

Source: audioboom.com

Transgender parents, registration of children on birth and human rights – Family Law

Posted July 2nd, 2018 in birth certificates, children, news, transgender persons by sally

‘The registration of children after birth is an important and significant moment for parents. On first blush there is no obvious link between registration of a child’s birth and the gender of the child’s parents. However, this can be a particularly challenging moment for transgender parents.’

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Family Law, 28th June 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Independent barristers “better quality” than other criminal advocates, say judges – Legal Fututes

Posted July 2nd, 2018 in advocacy, barristers, criminal justice, news, solicitor advocates by sally

‘The standard of criminal advocacy is “generally competent”, but that of solicitor-advocates and in-house barristers is inferior to the self-employed Bar, research among judges has found.’

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Legal Futures, 2nd July 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Website blocking orders – who pays? – Technology Law Update

Posted July 2nd, 2018 in counterfeiting, electronic commerce, internet, news, repayment by sally

‘It has been clear for a while now that court orders against intermediaries can be a useful tool in tackling web-based infringement. Online selling requires the involvement of technology services – internet service providers, online marketplaces, social media platforms, etc – in order to function. The law recognises this and looks for ways to tackle infringement. But a recent UK Supreme Court ruling (Cartier International v BT) takes a new direction by requiring IP owners to repay ISPs for the cost of blocking measures.’

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Technology Law Update, 29th June 2018

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

Mixed Data in the Court of Appeal – Panopticon

Posted July 2nd, 2018 in data protection, disclosure, medical records, news by sally

‘Hot off (Thursday’s) press comes the CA judgment in DB v GMC [2018] EWCA Civ 1497, which will now be the leading case on the treatment of mixed personal data.’

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Panopticon, 2nd July 2018

Source: panopticonblog.com

Supreme Court and Court of Appeal replenish ranks with string of new appointments – Litigation Futures

Posted July 2nd, 2018 in judges, judiciary, news, Supreme Court, women by sally

‘Ten senior judicial appointments were announced yesterday, with Lady Justice Arden becoming the third woman to sit on the Supreme Court.’

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Litigation Futures, 28th June 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Court asks Attorney General to end solicitor’s vexatious litigation – Legal Futures

Posted July 2nd, 2018 in disciplinary procedures, news, solicitors, vexatious litigants by sally

‘The Attorney General is to be asked to put a permanent stop to years of vexatious litigation pursued by a struck-off solicitor against the Law Society, Bar Council, senior judges and many others.’

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Legal Futures, 29th June 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Windrush victims detained ‘unlawfully’ by Home Office – BBC News

Posted July 2nd, 2018 in colonies, detention, immigration, news, reports, select committees by sally

‘Immigration officials detained members of the Windrush generation “unlawfully and inappropriately” despite their right to be in the UK, MPs have found.’

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BBC News, 29th June 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Families of missing people struggle with mounting debts as new powers to let them manage affairs are delayed – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 2nd, 2018 in debts, families, missing persons, news by sally

‘Families of missing people are struggling to deal with mounting debts as the Government delays new powers to enable them to manage their loved one’s affairs.’

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Daily Telegraph, 1st July 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Steinfeld and Keidan: what happens next? – Family Law

‘Five Supreme Court Justices have ruled in favour of a heterosexual couple whose three and a half year legal campaign challenged legislation preventing opposite-sex couples from entering into a civil partnership. The court unanimously agreed that the Civil Partnership Act 2004 is ‘incompatible’ with the European Convention on Human Rights as it applies only to same-sex couples and therefore amounted to discrimination.
This judgment will likely put the Government under significant pressure to change the law and allow heterosexual couples to become civil partners. Currently, opposite-sex couples may only marry, whilst same-sex couples may opt to marry or enter into a civil partnership.’

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Family Law, 28th June 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Jury fails to reach verdict in Buckingham Palace terror trial – BBC News

Posted July 2nd, 2018 in juries, news, offensive weapons, terrorism by sally

‘A jury has been dismissed in the trial of an Uber driver accused of planning a sword attack at Buckingham Palace, after it failed to reach a verdict.’

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BBC News, 29th June 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inquest into killing of London academic gets under way – The Guardian

Posted July 2nd, 2018 in diminished responsibility, homicide, inquests, news by sally

‘The widow of academic Dr Jeroen Ensink, 41, who was stabbed to death as he posted cards to friends announcing the birth of his daughter, hopes questions will be answered at his inquest which begins on Monday.’

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The Guardian, 2nd July 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com