British bill of rights could ‘unravel’ constitution, say MPs – The Guardian

‘The government’s proposed bill of rights will hamper the fight against crime, undermine the UK’s international moral authority and could start “unravelling” the constitution, a cross-party parliamentary committee is warning.’

Full story

The Guardian, 9th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Questions and Answers – Nearly Legal

‘A judicial review of a decision on a s.17 Children Act 1989 assessment of a homeless, non-eligible family. The issues were the extent of investigations required, and legitimate conclusions to be drawn from a lack of information provided.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 8th May 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Tate to face information tribunal over payments from BP – The Guardian

Posted May 9th, 2016 in budgets, disclosure, energy, environmental protection, news, tribunals by sally

‘Tate will come under fire again over its relationship with fossil fuel companies when it is forced to defend its refusal to disclose details of financial payments made to it by BP.’

Full story

The Guardian, 8th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Illegal immigrant exploited FGM laws to stay in Britain – Daily Telegraph

‘An illegal immigrant from Nigeria was granted leave to remain in Britain after falsely alleging that her daughters would be subjected to female genital mutilation if they were sent back.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th May 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

South Yorkshire PCC Alan Billings to investigate Hillsborough police ‘spin’ – BBC News

‘South Yorkshire’s re-elected police and crime commissioner will investigate claims that a former police press officer was asked to “spin” news during the Hillsborough inquests.’

Full story

BBC News, 7th May 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Dying pensioners admitted to hospital against their will, CQC report finds – Daily Telegraph

Posted May 9th, 2016 in consent, equality, health, hospitals, news, quality assurance, standards, statistics by sally

‘Dying elderly people are being admitted to hospital against their will and end of life care is not good enough, a Care Quality Commission study has found.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th May 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Reducing women’s imprisonment: sentencing of mothers – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘Ciara O’Neill wrote recently on the Halsbury’s Law Exchange about Michael Gove’s talk on 4 November at the AGM of the Howard League for Penal Reform: “He believes that our sentencing framework needs a complete overhaul…Gove recognised that evidence shows short sentences are more likely than not to lead to recidivism, and that the system needs a more appropriate sentencing framework. This will be based on extensive research into the effectiveness of current sentencing practices.” (“Gove admits the UK sentencing framework needs to be more sensitive, & 7 more things we learned at the 2015 Howard League AGM“).’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 3rd May 2016

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Five facts you need to know about your passport – The Independent

Posted May 9th, 2016 in EC law, news, passports, referendums, time limits, visas by sally

‘As it emerged up to 80,000 Britons could be banned from US flights due to a passport changes, here are five more things you may not know about yours.’

Full story

The Independent, 6th May 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Blacklisted workers win £10m payout from construction firms – The Guardian

‘About £10m will be paid in compensation to more than 250 building workers who were “blacklisted” by some of Britain’s biggest construction firms under a settlement to be announced on Monday.’

Full story

The Guardian, 9th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Existing laws ‘putting people’s pensions at risk’ – BBC News

Posted May 9th, 2016 in inquiries, insolvency, news, pensions, select committees by sally

‘The chancellor has been warned that gaps in existing pension laws “could put the retirement savings of many thousands of people at risk”.’

Full story

BBC News, 7th May 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘They didn’t know they were victims’: revenge porn helpline sees alarming rise – The Guardian

‘Victims and their loved ones report sense of powerlessness in face of flawed laws and mixed police responses.’

Full story

The Guardian, 8th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK courts adopt contrasting approaches to appeals against HSE inspection notices – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 6th, 2016 in appeals, health & safety, judicial review, news, Scotland by sally

‘Tribunals are entitled to take into account information that was not available to a health and safety inspector at the time that a notice was issued when hearing an appeal against that notice, the Scottish appeal court has ruled.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 4th May 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Poker organisers ordered to pay £32,000 after council prosecution – Local Government Lawyer

Posted May 6th, 2016 in fines, gambling, local government, news by sally

‘Two organisers of illegal commercial poker tournaments have been ordered to pay £32,000 in fines and costs following a prosecution brought by the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 5th May 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Tis aw a muddle – costs edition – Nearly Legal

Posted May 6th, 2016 in agency, costs, injunctions, joinder, landlord & tenant, news, repossession by sally

‘Morales v Enver (2016) QBD (Irwin J) 28/04/2016. Mr M had brought injunction for re-entry proceedings against a landlord and agents.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 4th May 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk/blog/

Won’t Someone Think of the Children? – Panopticon

Posted May 6th, 2016 in detention, freedom of information, news, restraint, young offenders by sally

‘There has long been considerable public concern over the restraint techniques used in young offender institutions and secure training centres. In Willow v Information Commissioner & Ministry of Justice [2016] UKUT 157 (AAC), the Upper Tribunal had to consider the public interest balance as it applied to section 31(1)(f) FOIA, i.e. information prejudicial to the maintenance of security and good order in prisons or other institutions in which people are detained. The request had been for the physical restraint training manual, and the FTT had upheld the application of the exemption.’

Full story

Panopticon, 6th May 2016

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Data protection reforms to apply from 25 May 2018 – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 6th, 2016 in data protection, EC law, news by sally

‘New EU data protection laws will apply from 25 May 2018.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 5th May 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Straining out a Gnat and Swallowing a Camel: The Convention, the Charter and Mrs May – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 6th, 2016 in brexit, constitutional law, EC law, human rights, news by sally

‘In a speech about Brexit last week, the Home Secretary shared what she called her “hard-headed analysis”: membership of an unreformed EU makes us safer, but – beware the non-sequitur – we must withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, which does not.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 6th May 2016

Source: https://ukhumanrightsblog.com

Government working on fixed costs extension, says Faulks, as clinical negligence debate hots up – Litigation Futures

Posted May 6th, 2016 in costs, negligence, news, personal injuries by sally

‘The government is investigating the extension of fixed recoverable costs across all civil litigation, including how to deal with differences between different types of litigation, civil justice minister Lord Faulks said yesterday.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 5th may 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Tribunal “appalled and dismayed” by SRA’s approach to prosecuting solicitor – Legal Futures

Posted May 6th, 2016 in accounts, disciplinary procedures, news, solicitors, tribunals by sally

‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has slammed a prosecution by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in the strongest terms, saying it was “appalled and dismayed” that the regulator had asked it to “rubber stamp” a deal which saw charges of dishonesty dropped at the last minute after the solicitor involved admitted lesser allegations.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 6th May 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

BSB publishes new figures showing success rates for student barristers – Bar Standards Board

Posted May 6th, 2016 in barristers, examinations, legal education, news, statistics by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today published a new edition of its statistical information on student performance on the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC).’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 5th May 2016

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk