Grenfell Inquiry: Aesthetics v safety v money – BBC News

‘Grenfell was the worst residential fire in UK peacetime history, with 72 people losing their lives. We now know what happened – the report on phase one of the public inquiry has been published – but the next phase is spending months investigating why it happened, and considering who might be to blame.’

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BBC News, 13th March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

CPS failed to tell inspectors of internal review revealing rape case failings – The Guardian

‘The Crown Prosecution Service conducted a secret internal review that exposed its failings in rape cases – but failed to share it with inspectors who were conducting an official inquiry for a major government investigation into rape, the Guardian can reveal.’

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The Guardian, 15th March 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Councils and Electoral Commission welcome government decision to put May 2020 elections back by one year – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 16th, 2020 in delay, elections, health & safety, local government, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘The government has decided to postpone the 7 May 2020 local and mayoral elections in England for one year.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Commercial Court ends “ready approval” of long witness statements – Litigation Futures

Posted March 16th, 2020 in Commercial Court, evidence, limitations, news, witnesses by sally

‘The current Commercial Court practice of readily granting applications seeking an extension of the 30-page limit for witness statements is to end, the judge in charge has said.’

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Litigation Futures, 12th March 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

SRA: “Solicitors conceal disability for fear of harming careers” – Legal Futures

‘Many disabled solicitors have downplayed the extent of their disability because they do not trust law firms to meet their needs, research has revealed.’

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Legal Futures, 16th March 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

New bill aims to protect UK shop workers from soaring abuse – The Guardian

Posted March 16th, 2020 in bills, news, police, sale of goods, statistics, threatening behaviour, violence by sally

‘Shop workers across the UK will be better protected from soaring levels of violence, verbal and physical abuse under proposed legislation to be put before the House of Commons.’

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The Guardian, 16th March 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judicial review: ‘Snarling’ not the way to get reform, says former top judge – BBC News

Posted March 16th, 2020 in brexit, judges, judicial review, news, parliament, prorogation by sally

‘”Shouting and snarling” is not the way to get judges to accept curbs to their powers, a former top judge has warned.’

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BBC News, 13th March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Assisted dying law ‘lacks compassion’, Lord Falconer says – BBC News

Posted March 16th, 2020 in assisted suicide, news, suicide by sally

‘A terminally ill man who campaigned to change the law on assisted dying has won the support of the former head of the judiciary.’

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BBC News, 16th March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Amendment of LA Plan, post final orders – what can parents do? – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 13th, 2020 in appeals, care orders, children, families, fostering, human rights, local government, news by sally

‘Natalie Cross looks at what needs to happen where parents seek to challenge a change to a care plan where the earlier plan (i.e. remaining at home) has already been approved by the court when the final order was made.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Valid or not valid? – Local Government Lawyer

‘Does an obvious mistake in a Notice of Seeking Possession invalidate it…or not? Steven Eccles reports on the lessons for housing associations and local authorities from an important recent ruling.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Islamic Nikah ceremony and marriage validity – Family Law

Posted March 13th, 2020 in appeals, divorce, families, financial provision, Islam, islamic law, marriage, news by sally

‘The case of Khan v Akhter has now been decided by the Court of Appeal. It received a huge amount of coverage in the legal press and beyond. In simple terms, the court has ruled that a couple who went through a religious-only wedding ceremony in the UK are neither validly married nor parties to a void marriage, overturning an earlier decision of the High Court.’

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Family Law, 12th March 2020

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Care worker sentenced for misconduct in public office – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted March 13th, 2020 in care workers, imprisonment, misfeasance in public office, news, sentencing by sally

‘A care worker, who had a sexual relationship with a vulnerable young adult and manipulated her colleagues to cover up her actions, has been imprisoned today (12 March 2020).’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 12th March 2020

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Question of Incompatibility – Deprivation of Children’s Liberty Without Court Order? – Family Law Week

Posted March 13th, 2020 in care homes, care orders, children, families, human rights, news, privacy by sally

‘Helen Crowell, Pupil Barrister and Shaun Spencer, Barrister, of St Johns Buildings discuss Deprivation of Liberty and the Children’s Home Regulations 2015.’

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Family Law Week, 12th March 2020

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

How the net closed on Oxford’s grooming gang – BBC News

Posted March 13th, 2020 in child abuse, children, gangs, news, police, rape, sexual grooming, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘Nearly a decade after the abuse of vulnerable girls in Oxford began to be addressed, following years of negligence by police and social services, the last of the so-called Operation Bullfinch trials has ended. How did the sex offenders at the centre of the city’s depraved underworld finally come to face justice?’

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BBC News, 13th March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Met Police criticised for response to VIP abuse inquiry review – BBC News

‘A watchdog has criticised the Met Police for being slow to learn lessons from a damning review of its probe into a Westminster paedophile ring.’

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BBC News, 13th March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Manchester officers face investigations into death of unarmed man – The Guardian

Posted March 13th, 2020 in firearms, inquiries, news, ombudsmen, police, professional conduct, unlawful killing by sally

‘Six officers including the former assistant chief constable of Greater Manchester police will be investigated for misconduct following an inquiry into the death of a man shot by armed police.’

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The Guardian, 12th March 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Gambling firm Betway hit with record £11.6m penalty – BBC News

Posted March 13th, 2020 in consumer protection, fines, gambling, money laundering, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘Online betting firm Betway has been hit with a record penalty of £11.6m for failings over customer protection and money-laundering checks.’

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BBC news, 12th March 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Lacklustre’ response to suicides at London jail despite warnings, report finds – The Independent

Posted March 13th, 2020 in drug abuse, news, ombudsmen, prisons, standards, statistics, suicide by sally

‘A prison in London has shown a “lacklustre” response to self-inflicted deaths despite major warnings that it must improve and widespread concerns over failures across the penal estate to respond to inmate suicides.’

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The Independent, 12th March 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Lack of gender neutral option on passport forms: no breach of human rights – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 12th, 2020 in gender, news, passports by sally

‘R (on the application of Christie Elan-Cane) v Secretary of State for the Home Department with Human Rights Watch intervening [2020] EWCA Civ 363. When we apply for a passport, we are generally asked to state on the form whether we are a man or a woman, and this is generally reflected in our passports. However, in our modern day and age, there are now more than two genders – some people can choose to define as gender neutral, essentially meaning that they don’t like to describe themselves using the normal terms of “man” or “woman”. MX Elan-Cane is one of those individuals. They sued the Home Office because there was no “X” (as in, no gender neutral) option on the passport form as it was a breach of their Human Rights. The High Court said that yes, this engaged Article 8 of the Human Rights Convention (the right to private and family life), but the current passport policy did not breach that right. The Court of Appeal agreed with the High Court, both that this engaged Article 8, but that the rights to a private life were not breached here.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 12th March 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Appeal judge hits out at “all-too-prevalent attitude” that in judicial review applications it is always possible to “have another go” – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 12th, 2020 in judicial review, news, planning by sally

‘A Court of Appeal judge has criticised the way a case was brought that sought to challenge a ruling over a development in Wakefield.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk