Former Met Police officer branded ‘the devil’ as he is jailed for life over multiple rapes – The Independent

‘A former Metropolitan Police officer jailed for multiple counts of rape has been described as the “devil” and a “pathetic excuse of a man” by his victims.’

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The Independent, 1st May 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

When is an administrator an ‘officer’ of the company? – Legal Studies

‘When a company becomes insolvent, particularly if it is a large company, this will often mean that there will be a large-scale redundancy process. The requirements of the process can be technical, but there is a list of obligations that must be adhered and these are set out within the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRCA 1992).’

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Legal Studies, 19th April 2024

Source: www.cambridge.org

Long Residence Applications – Where Are We Now? – EIN Blog

Posted May 2nd, 2024 in domicile, immigration, news, regulations, visas by sally

‘For many years the long residence route was pretty straightforward. 10 years’ continuous lawful residence, good character, within absences limits – job done.’

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EIN Blog, 1st May 2024

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Uber faces £250m London black cab drivers case – BBC News

Posted May 2nd, 2024 in class actions, computer programs, licensing, London, news, taxis by sally

‘Uber is facing a multi-million pound legal case being brought on behalf of almost 11,000 London black cab drivers, in the latest challenge to the firm in the UK capital.’

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BBC News, 2nd May 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

All or Nothing – Cambridge Law Journal

Posted May 2nd, 2024 in barristers, consumer protection, fees, news, unfair contract terms by sally

‘Glaser v Atay [2023] EWHC 2539 (KB) is a significant decision in two respects. First, it is a vanishingly rare example of a superior court striking down a contractual term as unfair under Part 2 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA). Second, the case contains interesting – and ultimately problematic – discussion of the effect of a term being unfair, an issue seldom explored in previous cases.’

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Cambridge Law Journal, 3rd April 2024

Source: www.cambridge.org

Nearly 3,000 people are languishing in jail unfairly. We must set them free – Bob Neill – The Guardian

Posted May 2nd, 2024 in imprisonment, news, parole, select committees, sentencing by sally

‘There is consensus in parliament that indeterminate sentences are unjust. So why is the government dragging its heels?’

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The Guardian, 2nd May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Trauma-informed lawyering in the context of civil claims for sexual violence – Journal of Law and Society

Posted May 1st, 2024 in civil justice, compensation, damages, news, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘Over the last decade, there has been an increase in civil compensation claims for sexual violence in the United Kingdom (UK). Given that trauma-informed approaches have been called for in relation to legal responses to sexual violence, we put forward seven key principles of trauma-informed lawyering in this context and draw on interviews with UK-based civil lawyers who represented sexual violence survivors to explore the extent to which trauma-informed work is taking place. While we found that our sample of lawyers typically had a very good knowledge of sexual violence and the trauma that it can cause, there was less certainty about how to accommodate the impacts in practice. Moreover, there was a tendency to prioritize individual healing and medicalize a form of social injustice. We conclude by emphasizing the need for legal training and education on a trauma-informed approach that accounts for the social and political dimensions of sexual violence and trauma.’

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Journal of Law and Society, 29th April 2024

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com

The Pursuit of Corporate Accountability: Climate Change Litigation and the Use of Shareholder Derivative Actions – Cambridge Law Journal

‘ClientTEarth v Shell [2023] EWHC 1897 (Ch) is the first attempt to use the statutory shareholder derivative action (Part 11 Chapter 1 of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006)) to hold directors liable for breach of directors’ duties for issues related to climate change. A derivative action can be used by shareholders in limited circumstances to bring an action of recourse on behalf of the company. Derivative actions are typically used to protect minority shareholders. Therefore, its use in ClientEarth v Shell is of interest, especially considering the ongoing discussion on the role and purpose of business in society. Although company law has primarily focused on profits, the more modern view is that companies should exist for profit, public interests and societal goals (See British Academy, Reforming Business for the 21 st Century: A Framework for the Future of the Corporation). The ClientEarth case confirms and clarifies situations in which a claimant may obtain permission to continue a claim; and when an absolute liability may be imposed on directors for a climate change-related breach of director’s duty in shareholder derivative claims. It raises questions around the prospects of success for future claimants due to the difficulty in establishing sufficient legal merit; and the relationship between stage one and stage two of the statutory regime.’

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Cambridge Law Journal, 3rd April 2024

Source: www.cambridge.org

Martin Myers tried and failed to steal a cigarette. Why has he spent 18 years in prison for it? – The Guardian

‘A devoted father with a zest for life, he was given an indeterminate sentence in 2006. He is still locked up – and losing hope that he will ever be released.’

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The Guardian, 1st May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Joint enterprise in England and Wales: why problems persist despite legal change – Current Issues in Criminal Justice

‘The law in England and Wales (as in Australia and other jurisdictions) enables a person to be convicted of an offence committed by another using complicity liability, sometimes termed ‘joint enterprise’. In England and Wales, ‘joint enterprise’ has been widely criticised for: failing to distinguish between the moral and legal culpability of the person who commits the substantive offence and those on the periphery of it; being disproportionality applied in cases involving young men from black and mixed ethnic backgrounds; and for lacking legal legitimacy. Thus, it was hoped that the decision of the Supreme Court in England and Wales in 2016 to abolish the extended form of complicity liability, known as Parasitic Accessorial Liability (PAL), would resolve these issues. Reporting on interviews with police detectives, and prosecution and defence lawyers in England involved in cases of serious youth violence, this paper argues that the problems associated with ‘joint enterprise’ in England and Wales remain, despite the change in the law. This is due to there being only ‘subtle shift’ in practice and a continued reliance on racialised inferences about young men from black and mixed ethnic backgrounds. To reduce problems with disproportionality and improve the fairness of the law related to complicity liability, changes to police and prosecutorial practice are required, alongside meaningful law reform.’

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Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 29th April 2024

Source: www.tandfonline.com

Negligence in football: A claim of two halves – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted May 1st, 2024 in accidents, damages, negligence, news, personal injuries, podcasts, sport by sally

‘Football fans everywhere will be familiar with reckless tackles, whether from their own Sunday league experience or as followers of the professional game. But when will a tackle amount to negligence and be actionable in a civil court, such that an injured player can sue their opponent?’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 30th April 2024

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Digitising probate without new rules “an expensive mistake” – Legal Futures

Posted May 1st, 2024 in delay, HM Courts Service, inquiries, news, probate, wills by sally

‘Digitising the Probate Service without modernising the rules was “an expensive mistake”, the former chair of the Law Society’s wills and equity committee has told MPs.’

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Legal Futures, 1st May 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Navigating housing rights, education and religious freedom: Ghaoui – Law & Religion UK

‘In Ghaoui v London Borough of Waltham Forest [2024] EWCA Civ 405, Mr Ghaoui, his wife and two young children lived in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. They were rendered homeless in April 2019 and Mr Ghaoui applied to the local authority for assistance with accommodation. In September 2019, he sent his older child to a fee-paying Muslim nursery in Waltham Forest [2]. The family was evicted in March 2020 and Waltham Forest LBC provided temporary accommodation in the Harlow area, some 20 miles from their previous address, which made it harder for the parents to get to work in London and for the child to go to the nursery [3]. In early September 2022, the younger child entered the same nursery [5]. Mr Ghaoui argued that in offering them accommodation 20 miles from the school, Waltham Forest was “not considering their rights”, while Waltham Forest explained at some length that it was not under any legal duty to provide accommodation that allowed the children to attend a specific religious school: in short, it was not a housing “need” [6]. The point at issue was whether or not the local authority was, in fact, under any such obligation.’

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Law & Religion UK, 1st May 2024

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Rap music used as evidence in scores of trials in England and Wales, study finds – The Guardian

‘Rap and drill music was used as prosecution evidence for serious charges including alleged gang-related murders against at least 252 defendants in England and Wales over a three-year period, a study has found.’

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The Guardian, 30th April 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Pair jailed for neglect after boy’s window fall – BBC News

Posted May 1st, 2024 in child neglect, children, drug abuse, imprisonment, news, sentencing by sally

‘A man and woman have been jailed after a child they were looking after fell out of a window while they were under the influence of drugs.’

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BBC News, 30th April 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sexual harassment in the workplace: employers, are you ready for the new rules? You have 6 months and counting… – 12 King’s Bench Walk Employment and Discrimination Blog

Posted April 30th, 2024 in chambers articles, employment, harassment, news by sally

‘On 26 October 2024, the new duty on employers, introduced by The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 (‘Act’), to prevent sexual harassment of employees takes effect.’

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12 King’s Bench Walk Employment and Discrimination Blog, 8th April 2024

Source: 12kbwemploymentlaw.wordpress.com

Liability for Negligent or Reckless Tackles: Elbanna v Clark – 12KBW Personal Injury Law Blog

Posted April 30th, 2024 in chambers articles, negligence, news, personal injuries, sport by sally

‘In this article Megan Griffiths and Spencer Turner consider the recent High Court decision of Elbanna v Clark [2024] EWHC 627 (KB), in which a rugby tackle was found to have been negligent in the context of an amateur rugby match.’

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12KBW Personal Injury Law Blog, 18th April 2024

Source: pilawblog.com

Quantifying whiplash and non-whiplash injuries in RTA claims – Becket Chambers

‘The Supreme Court recently considered the correct approach to quantum of general damages for PSLA in claims concerning whiplash and non-whiplash injuries.’

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Becket Chambers, 5th April 2024

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Irwin Mitchell Trust Corporation v PW – Hailsham Chambers

‘The increasingly entrepreneurial activity of professional service providers has, as entrepreneurial activity usually does, its problems and risks. The losses of Novitas Loans Ltd., an intermediate consumer lender serving the legal market, remind anyone that the legal market is not risk-free.’

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Hailsham Chambers, 11th April2024

Source: www.hailshamchambers.com

Denial in the Nile: intention and contract formation – Gatehouse Chambers

Posted April 30th, 2024 in chambers articles, contracts, news, remuneration, shipping law by sally

‘The Court of Appeal in SMIT Salvage BV v Luster Maritime SA [2024] EWCA Civ 260 has dismissed an appeal against the High Court’s decision that no contract was agreed for the remuneration of salvage services provided to refloat the ‘Ever Given’.’

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Gatehouse Chambers, 9th April 2024

Source: gatehouselaw.co.uk