BBC to pay ‘substantial damages’ to William and Harry’s royal nanny over Bashir smears – The Independent

Posted July 22nd, 2022 in BBC, damages, deceit, defamation, news, royal family by sally

‘The BBC has agreed to pay “substantial damages” to William and Harry’s former nanny over “false and malicious” allegations used to obtain Martin Bashir’s 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.’

Full Story

The Independent, BBC News, 22nd July 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK cybersecurity chiefs back plan to scan phones for child abuse images – The Guardian

‘Tech companies should move ahead with controversial technology that scans for child abuse imagery on users’ phones, the technical heads of GCHQ and the UK’s National Cybersecurity Centre have said. So-called “client-side scanning” would involve service providers such as Facebook or Apple building software that monitors communications for suspicious activity without needing to share the contents of messages with a centralised server.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 21st July 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Top barrister accuses Labour of ‘spin’ over NDAs gagging ex-staff – The Guardian

‘One of the UK’s most high-profile freedom of expression lawyers has accused Labour of “spin and dissembling” for denying it attempted to stop two female ex-staffers from speaking about sexual harassment. In a highly unusual intervention, Mark Stephens, who represented Georgie Robertson and Laura Murray, said there were “high public interests at play” and said the party was “undermining their credibility” by issuing statements denying it had tried to offer them non-disclosure agreements.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 21st July 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Fulbourn Hospital: CQC not told about alleged ward sex assault – BBC News

Posted July 22nd, 2022 in hospitals, mental health, news, ombudsmen, racism, sexual offences by sally

‘The Care Quality Commission (CQC) was not informed about an alleged serious sexual assault on a ward at a Cambridgeshire psychiatric unit, it has been revealed. Records relating to the alleged incident at Fulbourn Hospital had also gone missing, a CQC report said.’

Full Story

BBC News, 22nd July 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Supreme Court date for indyref2 case set for 11 October – BBC News

Posted July 21st, 2022 in devolution, news, referendums, Scotland, Supreme Court by sally

‘A key court case that could allow the Scottish Parliament to legislate for another independence referendum will hear arguments in October, the Supreme Court has said.’

Full Story

BBC News, 21st July 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New Judgment: HA (Iraq) (Respondent) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Appellant) RA (Iraq) (Respondent) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Appellant) AA (Nigeria) (Respondent) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Appellant) [2022] UKSC 22 – UKSC Blog

‘These three conjoined appeals concern the statutory regime governing the deportation of foreign criminals under section 117C of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (“the 2002 Act”). A “foreign criminal” for the purposes of these appeals is a person who is not a British citizen, is convicted in the UK of an offence, and who is sentenced to a period of imprisonment of at least 12 months. The 2002 Act divides foreign criminals who have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment into two categories. Those sentenced to at least 12 months, but less than four years (“medium offenders”), can avoid deportation if they can establish that its effect on a qualifying child or partner would be “unduly harsh” (“the unduly harsh test”). This is known as Exception 2. Exception 1, which relates to length of lawful residence and integration, is not in issue in this appeal. Those sentenced to at least four years (“serious offenders”) can avoid deportation if they establish that there are “very compelling circumstances, over and above those described in Exceptions 1 and 2” (“the very compelling circumstances test”). Whether deportation would produce unduly harsh effects for a qualifying partner/child is relevant there too.’

Full Story

UKSC Blog, 20th July 2022

Source: ukscblog.com

A victory for public interest journalism – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 21st, 2022 in defamation, media, news, public interest by sally

‘On 13 June Arron Banks’ libel claim against Carol Cadwalladr was dismissed, in a significant victory for public interest journalism (Arron Banks v Carole Cadwalladr [2022] EWHC 1417 (QB)).’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 15th July 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Treatment of UK prisoners during Covid meets UN definition of torture – The Guardian

Posted July 21st, 2022 in coronavirus, mental health, news, prisons, torture, United Nations by sally

‘By and large we know by now how hospitals, care homes, schools and most other state-run institutions coped, or didn’t, with the Covid pandemic. But not until now, with this shocking, distressing, authentic and academically robust study, have we had the unvarnished truth about conditions in UK prisons.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 20th July 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

New Judgment: Harpur Trust v Brazel [2022] UKSC 21 – UKSC Blog

Posted July 21st, 2022 in appeals, employment, flexible working, holiday pay, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘This appeal concerned the calculation of annual leave and holiday pay entitlements for workers who work for varying hours during only certain weeks of the year but have a contract throughout that year (“part–year workers”).’

Full Story

UKSC Blog, 20th July 2022

Source: ukscblog.com

Paramedic Robert Woodruff jailed for killing cyclist in drink-drive crash – BBC News

Posted July 21st, 2022 in dangerous driving, drunk in charge, homicide, imprisonment, news, sentencing by sally

‘An off-duty paramedic who drank 10 pints before crashing into and killing a cyclist has been jailed.’

Full Story

BBC News, 20th July 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Premature birth ‘almost twice as likely’ in England’s prisons than outside – The Guardian

Posted July 21st, 2022 in birth, health & safety, imprisonment, news, pregnancy, prisons, statistics, women by sally

‘Female prisoners are almost twice as likely to give birth prematurely as women in the general population, leaving them and their babies at risk, research has revealed.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 19th July 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

New Judgment: R v Luckhurst [2020] UKSC 23 – UKSC Blog

‘This case concerns whether the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) permits a variation to a restraint order to cover reasonable legal expenses in respect of civil proceedings founded on the same or similar allegations or facts as those giving rise to the making of the restraint order.’

Full Story

UKSC Blog, 20th July 2022

Source: ukscblog.com

Retired farmer jailed for at least 18 years for murdering wife in 1982 – The Guardian

‘An 89-year-old retired pig farmer who tried to blame the serial killer Fred West for the disappearance of his wife in 1982 has been jailed for a minimum of 18 years after being found guilty of murdering her and dumping her body in a septic tank.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 20th July 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK Data Protection and Digital Information Bill: in detail – OUT-LAW.com

‘New data protection laws proposed by the UK government are intended to promote data-driven innovation and reduce some of the burdens organisations have come to associate with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).’

Full Story

OUT-LAW.com, 20th July 2022

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Public uncomfortable with tech firms’ use of court data – Legal Futures

‘Less than a fifth (18%) of the public are comfortable with the use of data from the courts by tech companies, a major study has found.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 21st July 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act can be “read down” to accord with Convention family rights – UK Human Rights Blog

‘This poignant case tells a sad story, but an instructive one in terms of human rights and the ability of courts to interpret statutes in accordance with these rights under Section 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998.’

Full Story

UK Human Rights Blog, 19th July 2022

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Law Commission unveils plans for reforms to “confusing, out-of-date and restrictive” weddings law – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 20th, 2022 in families, Law Commission, marriage, news by sally

‘The Law Commission of England and Wales has set out its recommendations to reform weddings law, proposing a fairer system that it says will give couples more choice over where and how their wedding takes place.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 19th July 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Couple who cashed in on mother’s Hertfordshire health scam jailed – The Guardian

‘A couple who enjoyed holidays abroad with money from a relative who faked being bedridden to scam a local authority out of more than £624,000 have been jailed.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 19th July 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

English courts get new powers to dismiss Slapp cases against reporters – The Guardian

Posted July 20th, 2022 in abuse of process, freedom of expression, media, news, public interest by sally

‘Courts in England and Wales are to be granted new powers to dismiss lawsuits employed by wealthy claimants to stifle free speech, the government has said.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 20th July 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Samsung did not break rules over woman running at 2am advert – BBC News

Posted July 20th, 2022 in advertising, complaints, news, ombudsmen, women by sally

‘A Samsung ad criticised for showing a woman running alone at 02:00 has been cleared by the advertising watchdog.’

Full Story

BBC News, 20th July 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk