Troubled Families report ‘suppressed’ – BBC News
‘An unfavourable evaluation of the government’s flagship policy response to the 2011 riots has been suppressed, BBC Newsnight has learned.’
BBC News, 8th August 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
David Cameron to face inquiry into resignation honours list – The Independent
‘David Cameron is to face a Commons inquiry into his resignation honours list, which has been widely criticised for the way he used it to reward friends and financial backers.’
The Independent, 9th August 2016
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Two-thirds of young women suffer sexual harassment at work, survey finds – Daily Telegraph
‘The level of sexual harassment in the workplace is “shameful”, with women being subjected to unwelcome jokes, verbal advances, suggestive remarks and even demands for sexual favours, a report has found.’
Daily Telegraph, 10th August 2016
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Law amounts to unnecessary death sentence for dogs, claims RSPCA – The Guardian
‘Hundreds of dogs are being put down unnecessarily, an animal charity has warned, as it calls for a government law change.’
The Guardian, 9th August 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
NHS hit with costs over “drip feed” disclosure – Litigation Futures
‘A district judge has made a costs order in favour a claimant who discontinued her occupier’s liability claim against a hospital, because the defendant NHS trust “drip-fed” documents that should have been disclosed up front under the pre-action protocol.’
Litigation Futures, 9th August 2016
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
Regulator seeks reform of UK payments infrastructure – OUT-LAW.com
‘Plans to reform UK payments infrastructure have been outlined by the industry’s regulator after it found that current competition in the market is lacking and serving as a barrier to innovation.’
OUT-LAW.com, 8th August 2016
Source: www.out-law.com
Tribunal clears two solicitors of unwittingly enabling mortgage fraud – Legal Futures
‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has cleared two solicitors of being unwitting parties to a mortgage fraud, saying that once the mortgagor’s solicitor had been sanctioned in 2015, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) should not have continued its case against them as the purchaser’s advisers.’
Legal Futures, 9th August 2016
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
For too long the youth court has been seen as a ‘rehearsal court’ for lawyers at the start of their careers – Legal Voice
‘Every day, the Youth Justice Legal Centre, set up by the youth justice charity Just for Kids Law, sees the criminal justice system failing young people. Now a growing body of opinion agrees it is time for reform, says Laura Cooper.’
Legal Voice, 8th August 2016
Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk
Labour to appeal High Court ruling that new members should have right to vote in leadership election – The Independent
”Due this decision, we are now in the absurd position that Labour HQ is wasting members’ money to prevent members having a democratic vote on the leader of their choice, which has already been firmly upheld by a High Court judgement’.’
The Independent, 8th August 2016
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Anthony Long: Officer cleared after Azelle Rodney shooting attacks IPCC – BBC News
‘An ex-Met firearms officer cleared of murder has said the police watchdog “seems to be treating officers as criminals”.’
BBC News, 9th August 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Watchdog demands banking overhaul to save customers money – The Guardian
‘A package of measures intended to help customers save £92 a year by switching their bank accounts has been unveiled by the competition watchdog after a two-year investigation into the sector.’
The Guardian, 9th August 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Escaping “the jungle” must be done in an orderly manner – UK Human Rights Blog
‘Four asylum seekers, namely three unaccompanied minors and one disabled adult, were in “the jungle” – the (increasingly permanent) temporary refugee and migrant camp in Calais – since October 2015. Having fled from war-torn Syria, they were trying to join their siblings in the UK. The problem was that the French system for processing asylum claims under EU rules would involve considerable delays and the evidence showed that the conditions in the camp were wholly inadequate: these children experienced physical violence and their medical needs were unmet. So they ignored the EU rules and issued a claim in the UK.’
UK Human Right Blog, 8th August 2016
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
What lies do to claims – the Supreme Court – UK Human Rights Blog
‘Twin doses of dishonesty in the Supreme Court, last month. Both raised dilemmas for the SC trying to steer a principled way (in different circumstances) towards determining the cost of lying.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 6th August 2016
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
New Home Office API on Gay Asylum Claims: Not Fit For Purpose – Free Movement
‘The new Asylum Policy Instruction on Sexual Orientation Issues in the Asylum Claim, published last Wednesday, marks an unwelcome retrograde step for the Home Office, which still continues to apply the ‘voluntary discretion test’ to gay asylum claims, even though this has been held to be unlawful, as a matter of EU law, since July 2015. Having made positive strides with respect to the quality of decision-making since the public outcry over the sexually explicit methods of questioning gay asylum seekers in February 2014, in August 2016 this API will lead to sub-standard and unlawful decisions by the Home Office, and arguably Courts and Tribunals who rely on the API, leading to devastating outcomes to those returned to countries where they will suffer persecution.’
Free Movement, 8th August 2016
Source: www.freemovement.org.uk
Trading standards institute: consumers are no longer protected – The Guardian
‘Trading standards officers have accused the government of failing to protect consumers after it emerged that the local council budget for policing rogue traders has fallen to just £1.99 a year per citizen.’
The Guardian, 7th August 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
UK ruling shows need for businesses to make purposes of actions subject to contract clear, says expert – OUT-LAW.com
‘Only the “dominant purpose” of actions governed by commercial contracts will be considered by courts in dispute over what is meant by ‘the purpose’ of those actions unless businesses are more specific in the way they word those clauses, a litigation expert has said.’
OUT-LAW.com, 5th August 2016
Source: www.out-law.com
A (brief) update on how the UK will deal with IP rights after Brexit – Technology Law Update
‘The UK’s Intellectual Property Office has issued a briefing on the future for IP rights after Brexit. This gives IP owners some crumbs of comfort to innovative businesses, but little detail.’
Technology Law Update, 5th August 2016
Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk
Housing needs and household members – Nearly Legal
‘This was a judicial review of a decision by Luton Council Housing Appeals and Review Panel not to offer Mr Jones a tenancy of the property of which Mr J’s late father was the tenant, but instead offer a one bed property.’
Nearly Legal, 7th August 2016
Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk
How the Iraq Inquiry failed to follow the money – OUP Blog
‘In 2007, I published an article that sought to show in detail how the Iraqi economy had been opened up to allow the transformation of the economy and the routine corruption that enabled a range of private profit-making companies to exploit the post-invasion economy. The article argued that the illegal war of aggression waged by a ‘coalition’ headed by George Bush and Tony Blair was tied to a series of subsequent crimes of pillage and occupation. These included the transformation of the economy and the political system that was explicitly illegal under the terms of the Geneva and Hague Convention; and the mobilisation of political and economic instruments to ‘liberate’ the oil. The recently published Chilcot Report recognizes this corruption – and indeed UK joint legal responsibility for the corruption – and yet the evidence for it has been buried. – See more at: http://blog.oup.com/2016/07/iraq-inquiry-chilcot-money/#sthash.UiY9VxUh.dpuf
OUP Blog, 31st July 2016
Source: www.blog.oup.com
Anger over legal aid bill for Ellie Butler’s parents – The Guardian
‘The grandfather of murdered six-year-old Ellie Butler has condemned the legal aid granted to her killer father, amid reports the taxpayer picked up a bill of more than £1.5m for his legal expenses.’
The Guardian, 6th August 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
