Employers told to look out for the signs of domestic violence or ‘they could be held liable’ – The Independent

Posted November 24th, 2014 in domestic violence, employment, health & safety, news by sally

‘In the advice from the Government’s health agency, managers will be asked to spot sudden shifts in behaviour, or changes to clothing and appearance which may disguise bruising, and are to be encouraged to approach staff sensitively and offer help.’

Full story

The Independent, 21st November 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Google case over online abuse to begin in High Court – BBC News

Posted November 24th, 2014 in defamation, internet, malicious communications, news by sally

‘The case of a UK businessman who wants Google to stop malicious web postings about him appearing in its search results is set to begin.’

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BBC News, 24th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Appeal court judge ‘horrified’ at number of litigants without lawyers – The Guardian

Posted November 24th, 2014 in barristers, budgets, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

‘A court of appeal judge has said she is “horrified” at the number of unrepresented litigants and warned that the delays caused will “clog up” the justice system.’

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The Guardian, 23rd November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prince Charles letters row: Supreme Court to hear case – BBC News

Posted November 24th, 2014 in confidentiality, disclosure, freedom of information, news, royal family, veto by sally

‘The Supreme Court is set to consider whether letters from Prince Charles to the government should be made public.’

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BBC News, 24th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Child abuse cases are ‘tip of the iceberg’ in sexual exploitation of young people, warns Theresa May – The Independent

Posted November 24th, 2014 in child abuse, inquiries, news, sexual offences by sally

‘The cases of child abuse exposed so far are only the “tip of the iceberg” of the extent of sexual exploitation of young people, the Home Secretary Theresa May has warned.’

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The Independent, 23rd November 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Anti-terror measures: May aims to close ransom loophole – The Guardian

Posted November 24th, 2014 in immigration, insurance, news, terrorism by sally

‘The government will embark on fresh steps to cut funding to “barbaric” terror groups such as Islamic State by changing the law to prevent insurance firms from inadvertently reimbursing ransom payments, Theresa May will say on Monday.’

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The Guardian, 24th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Two cab drivers guilty of refusing to pick up blind man and guide dog – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 21st, 2014 in disabled persons, equality, news, prosecutions, taxis by sally

‘A blind man who was left standing in the pouring rain when two cab drivers refused to transport his guide dog has welcomed the decision to prosecute the pair so that “other people will not have to suffer”.

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Daily Telegraph, 21st November 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Lancashire sham marriages: Manchester gang jailed – BBC News

Posted November 21st, 2014 in fraud, immigration, marriage, news, sentencing by sally

‘A Manchester gang which set up sham weddings between Pakistani grooms and Portuguese brides has been jailed.’

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BBC News, 21st November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Conduct and disability – Employment Law Blog

Posted November 21st, 2014 in assault, disability discrimination, mental health, news, unfair dismissal by sally

‘Was there gross misconduct? If there was, did it justify dismissal? Those were issues before Judge Eady QC in Burdett v Aviva Employment Services Ltd, UKEAT/0439/13/JOJ, a case concerned with both unfair dismissal and discrimination arising from disability. The employee had committed assaults in the workplace. However, this was because of his disability. He suffered from a paranoid schizophrenic illness. The ET was judged to have been in error in finding gross misconduct. They had failed to engage with the question of blameworthiness. The ET was also found to have been in error in assuming that dismissal will necessarily fall within the range of reasonable responses in a gross misconduct case.’

Full story

Employment Law Blog, 20th November 2014

Source: www.employment11kbw.com

Public access to local authority information: transparency with teeth – Panopticon

Posted November 21st, 2014 in documents, freedom of information, local government, news, planning by sally

‘The Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations are the dominant statutory regimes for public transparency, but they are of course not the only ones. A good example is the regime under the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), particularly sections 100A-K. Those provisions govern public access to local authority meetings, as well as the public availability of minutes, reports, background documents and so on for such meetings, subject to provisions for exempt information (Schedule 12A). A recent judgment of the Admin Court (Cranston J) in a planning matter, Joicey v Northumberland County Council [2014] EWHC 3657 (Admin) illustrates the importance of compliance with that regime for public access to information.’

Full story

Panopticon, 20th November 2014

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Alexander Horne and Richard Kelly: Prerogative Powers and the Fixed-term Parliaments Act – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 is a contentious and oft criticised piece of legislation, although it does have its supporters. The government and the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee have argued it has created a stable environment for longer-term government planning.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 19th November 2014

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org/blog

Frontier Estates -v- Berwin Leighton Paisner: in time application for extension of time refused – Zenith PI Blog

Posted November 21st, 2014 in civil procedure rules, limitations, news, time limits by sally

‘Parties are advised to make applications in advance of the expiry of time limits in order to avoid a breach and have the courts look more favourably on their applications. It must be remembered however that an application made in time is not necessarily bound to succeed.’

Full story

Zenith PI Blog, 21st November 2014

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

Giving evidence in court – UK Visas and Immigration

Posted November 21st, 2014 in codes of practice, immigration, news, visas, witnesses by sally

‘Modernised guidance for how UK Visas and Immigration prepares and gives evidence in court, and what it expects when it gives evidence.’

Full text

UK Visas and Immigration, 20th November 2014

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration

Applying interest in damages claims – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted November 21st, 2014 in competition, damages, delay, news by sally

‘In this blog, Enno Eilts, a Senior Consultant, discusses issues connected with the calculation of interest in damages actions.’

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Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 18th November 2014

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council v KW and others – WLR Daily

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council v KW and others: [2014] EWCOP 45; [2014] WLR (D) 493

‘Article 5 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms was not engaged where a person, often elderly, who was both physically and mentally disabled to a severe extent, was being looked after in her own home and where the arrangements had been made and paid for by a local authority rather than by the person’s own, or family, funds.’

WLR Daily, 18th November 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted November 21st, 2014 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

Rasheed v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2014] EWCA Civ 1493 (20 November 2014)

GE (Eritrea), R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department Bedford Borough Council [2014] EWCA Civ 1490 (20 November 2014)

Colborne v Colborne [2014] EWCA Civ 1488 (20 November 2014)

Assaubayev & Ors v Michael Wilson & Partners Ltd [2014] EWCA Civ 1491 (20 November 2014)

W (Children) [2014] EWCA Civ 1492 (20 November 2014)

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Clifford, R v [2014] EWCA Crim 2245 (07 November 2014)

High Court (Technology and Construction Court)

Group M UK Ltd v Cabinet Office [2014] EWHC 3863 (TCC) (20 November 2014)

Source: www.bailii.org

Birmingham ‘exploitation’ order: Two more men banned – BBC News

Posted November 21st, 2014 in burden of proof, child abuse, injunctions, local government, news, sexual grooming by sally

‘Two more men have been banned from contact with young girls in an “innovative” High Court case to prevent child sexual exploitation.’

Full story

BBC News, 20th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Mental health NHS trusts ranked for risk of poor care – BBC News

Posted November 21st, 2014 in hospitals, mental health, news, quality assurance by sally

‘Health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has ranked almost every mental health NHS trust in England in terms of risk of providing poor care.’

Full story

BBC News, 20th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police face legal action for snooping on journalists – The Guardian

Posted November 21st, 2014 in data protection, investigatory powers, media, news, police, stop and search by sally

‘A group of journalists has launched a legal action against Scotland Yard after discovering that the Metropolitan police has been recording their professional activities on a secret database designed to monitor so-called domestic extremists.’

Full story

The Guardian, 20th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

JJB Sports boss Christopher Ronnie guilty of £1m fraud – BBC News

Posted November 21st, 2014 in communicating false information, fraud, news by sally

‘The former chief executive of JJB Sports has been convicted of accepting more than £1m in backhanders.’

Full story

BBC News, 20th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk