Beaver families win legal ‘right to remain’ – BBC News
‘Fifteen families of beavers have been given the permanent “right to remain” on the River Otter in East Devon.’
BBC News, 6th August 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Race to the bottom: reform to planning system in England could be catastrophic – The Guardian
‘“More good quality, attractive and affordable homes faster.” According to the housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, that is the main aim of his “complete overhaul” of the English planning system, announced on Thursday. Yet there is precious little evidence that any of the new measures could lead to higher quality, more attractive or more affordable homes. Instead, the proposals look set to deliver the exact opposite.’
The Guardian, 6th August 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Rise in care children being ‘deprived of liberty’ – BBC News
‘The number of children in care in England and Wales who have restrictions placed on their freedom has tripled in the last two years, BBC News has found.’
BBC News, 6th August 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Meghan wins court bid to keep friends’ identities secret – The Guardian
‘The Duchess of Sussex has won a high court bid to keep secret the identities of five friends who gave anonymous interviews to a US celebrity magazine, in the latest stage of her legal action against the owner of the Mail on Sunday.’
The Guardian, 5th August 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Keeley Bunker: Man guilty of murdering childhood friend – BBC News
‘A man has been convicted of raping and murdering his childhood friend on the way home from celebrating her birthday.’
BBC News, 5th August 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Judge gives reasons for granting interim injunction prohibiting anti-HS2 protesters from overnight sleeping and other acts on council land next to construction site – Local Government Lawyer
‘A High Court judge has issued his reasons for last month granting Hillingdon Council a limited interim injunction preventing a number of named defendants and persons unknown from doing certain acts on land at Harefield Moor owned by the council and adjoining the site of construction works for part of the HS2 railway line.’
Local Government Lawyer, 5th August 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Claimant ordered to pay defence costs after fundamental dishonesty finding – Law Society’s Gazette
‘The High Court has reversed a costs order on appeal after a successful defendant had initially been forced to pay most of the losing claimant’s costs.’
Law Society's Gazette, 1st August 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Home Office drops ‘racist’ algorithm from visa decisions – BBC News
‘The Home Office has agreed to stop using a computer algorithm to help decide visa applications after allegations that it contained “entrenched racism”.’
BBC News, 4th August 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
SRA imposes ban on trainee solicitor jailed for rape – Legal Futures
‘A one-time trainee solicitor who violently raped one woman and attempted to rape another has been banned from the profession.’
Legal Futures, 5th August 2020
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Courts reluctant to strike-out negligence actions against the police – UK Police Law Blog
‘In Tindall v Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police [2020] EWHC 837 (QB) — available on Westlaw but not yet Bailii or the ICLR, the courts have again demonstrated a reluctance to strike-out a police negligence claim. This shows the difficulty of trying to show whether the police have positively created a danger / made it worse or merely refrained from protecting someone. A claim against the police for negligence will usually arise in the first instance but not, subject to exceptions, the second.’
UK Police Law Blog, 4th August 2020
Source: ukpolicelawblog.com
Another recusal refusal – but this time the Court of Appeal steps in – Transparency Project
‘In the second such case in a month, a judge has refused to recuse herself at the request of a litigant, but on this occasion the Court of Appeal has reversed that decision and ordered that she step down from the case and let another judge take over.’
Transparency Project, 3rd August 2020
Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk
Council charged over death of girl, 5, killed by playground swing faces £2m legal bill – Daily Telegraph
‘A council has reportedly been charged over the death of a five-year-old girl who was killed by a rotting playground swing, and faces a potential £2m legal bill.’
Daily Telegraph, 4th August 2020
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
PC Andrew Harper killing: sentences referred to attorney general – The Guardian
‘The jail terms handed to three teenagers who killed a police officer as they tried to escape the scene of a crime have been referred to the attorney general, who will consider claims they are unduly lenient.’
The Guardian, 4th August 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
High Court rejects challenge to award by arbitrator favouring council in property lease dispute – Local Government Lawyer
‘A High Court judge has dismissed a bid by a landlord to have set aside an arbitrator’s award that favoured a council as tenant of a city centre property.’
Local Government Lawyer, 4th August 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Autism in children: ‘Many families face council discrimination’ – BBC News
‘More than a quarter of English councils are acting unlawfully by discriminating against children with autism, according to a report by disability law experts.’
BBC News, 4th August 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Model Code of Conduct consultation – Law Society’s Gazette
‘Most councillors work with tireless dedication to provide, promote and lead best-quality and responsive local services in their areas. But for their pains they can often be subject to rude abuse. Even Samuel Pepys, writing on 17 March 1662, recorded his Lord Mayor as “a talking, bragging Bufflehead” (blockhead) and was “confident there is no man almost in the City cares a turd for him”. On the other hand, the dark ghost of “Donnygate” haunts public perceptions of council members’ conduct. On 13 March 2002, the Guardian reported that: “The worst local government corruption case since the Poulson scandal of the 1970s ended yesterday” when former Doncaster planning chairman, Peter Birks, was imprisoned for four years and two former council leaders and two former mayors were among 21 councillors convicted of fraud.’
Law Society's Gazette, 3rd August 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Judge dismisses legal challenge by humanists, finds weddings discrimination to be justified with Law Commission review – Local Government Lawyer
‘A High Court judge has dismissed a legal challenge brought by six couples who are humanists and who complained that the legal recognition of different forms of religious wedding ceremony under English law does not similarly extend to weddings carried out in accordance with their humanist beliefs.’
Local Government Lawyer, 3rd August 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Court rules £2.2m claim was abuse of process but will live on – Law Society’s Gazette
‘The Court of Appeal has overturned a decision to strike out a £2.2m personal injury claim, despite concluding it was issued inappropriately and there had been an abuse of process.’
Law Society's Gazette, 4th August 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Council wins appeal over order discharging interim care orders – Local Government Lawyer
‘Herefordshire Council has won an appeal from an order discharging interim care orders in relation to girls aged nine and seven.’
Local Government Lawyer, 3rd August 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
CA reinstates £2.6m that languished in RTA portal for four years – Litigation Futures
‘The Court of Appeal has overturned a decision to strike out a £2.6m personal injury claim which remained in the RTA portal for almost four years before the claimant’s solicitors sought to transfer it to the multi-track.’
Litigation Futures, 4th August 2020
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
