Portbury Hundred shooting: Spencer Ashworth lawfully killed, jury says – BBC News
‘A man shot dead by police after firing an air pistol at an officer was lawfully killed, a jury has found.’
BBC News, 17th March 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Martha Timbo v The Mayor and Burgess of the London Borough of Lambeth [2019] EWHC 1396 (Ch) – Tanfield Chambers
‘In a claim for relief from forfeiture the High Court refused to order relief where there was no good reason for delay beyond 6 months from re-entry, whether this resulted in a windfall for the landlord was irrelevant to the question of promptness.’
Tanfield Chambers, 25th February 2020
Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk
Rights in a time of quarantine – an extended look by Niall Coghlan – UK Human Rights Blog
‘Quarantines and lockdowns are sweeping Europe: Italy, France, Spain. Through them, states seek to contain Covid-19 and so save lives. It is difficult to imagine higher stakes from a human rights perspective: mass interferences with whole populations’ liberties on one side; the very weighty public interest in protecting lives on the other; and all this under the shadow of uncertainty and disorder. What, if anything, do human rights have to say?’
UK Human Rights Blog, 17th March 2020
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
Lie detectors should be used to monitor sex offenders, UK study says – The Guardian
‘Mandatory testing with a polygraph, or lie-detector, should be introduced to monitor convicted sex offenders undergoing police supervision, according to university research commissioned by police chiefs.’
The Guardian, 18th March 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Coronavirus: Jury trials, message from the Lord Chief Justice – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
‘The impact of the public health emergency on the operation of the courts has been under constant review. In all jurisdictions steps are being taken to enable as many hearings as possible to be conducted with some or all of the participants attending by telephone, video-link or online. Many court hearings will be able to continue as normal with appropriate precautions being taken. We must make every effort to maintain a functioning court system in support of the administration of justice and rule of law.’
Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 17th March 2020
Source: www.judiciary.uk
Emergency bill to strengthen coronavirus (COVID-19) response plans – GOV.UK
‘New laws will be introduced to protect public health, increase NHS capacity, strengthen social care and support the public to take the right action at the right time.’
GOV.UK, 17th March 2020
Source: www.gov.uk
The Criminal Justice System: Not fit for Purpose? – 5 SAH
‘Superficially, legally enforceable rights and/or minimum standards for ‘victims’ being served by the Criminal Justice System seem laudable. However, it is worth remembering that a major part of the function of the Criminal Justice System is to determine whether there is a ‘victim’ at all and, if so, who it is.’
5 SAH, 2nd March 2020
Source: www.5sah.co.uk
York House (Chelsea) Ltd v Edward Thompson (1) and Domitila Thompson (2) [2019] EWHC 2203 (Ch) – Tanfield Chambers
‘A husband and wife who are the joint freeholders of a block of flats, granted a number of leases of various parts of that block to one or other of themselves. These were found to be disposals which were exempt from the provisions of part 1 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 (‘the 1987 Act’), either because these were gifts to family under s.4(2)(e) or disposals within a family under s.4(2)(h).’
Tanfield Chambers, 25th February 2020
Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk
Law in the Time of Covid – UK Human Rights Blog
‘The Covid-19 pandemic gives rise to such a volume of material as to justify a slightly more detailed examination of its consequences. In time, the response of governments across the globe to the disease will no doubt be the subject of detailed study by academics across the fields of biology, history and law.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 16th March 2020
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
Court of Appeal upholds no order for costs decision in housing case where claimant withdrew proceedings after being given new accommodation – Local Government Lawyer
‘A judge was entitled to conclude that the appropriate course was to make no order for costs in a housing case where legal proceedings were withdrawn because the claimant had obtained all the relief she was seeking, the Court of Appeal has found.’
Local Government Lawyer, 16th March 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Disability Discrimination: Chief Constable of Gwent Police v Parsons and Roberts – Old Square Chambers
‘The Claimants were two police officers aged 48 and 44 who were disabled under Equality Act 2010 (EqA). Because they were also unable to carry out the normal duties of a police officer, they were both awarded “H1 certificates” by the Force Medical Officer, which among other things, gave them the right to have immediate access to their pension (which would otherwise be deferred) if they left the police force before their normal retirement age.’
Old Square Chambers, 3rd March 2020
Source: www.oldsquare.co.uk
Online political ads should be labelled, says Law Commission – The Guardian
‘Online political adverts should be labelled or “imprinted” to show who is paying for them, according to the Law Commission, which warns that there is a “very real risk of the electoral process losing credibility”.’
The Guardian, 17th March 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Are meaning hearings the new norm? – Law Society’s Gazette
‘While words can mean different things to different people, in libel the parties are concerned with finding the single meaning the words complained of bear. Meaning is important, because it will determine to a large extent what defences a defendant could viably run (for example truth or honest opinion).’
Law Society's Gazette, 16th March 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Casual’ and ‘fragmented’ approach to welfare of immigration detainee resulted in his death – UK Human Rights Blog
‘Following an Article 2 inquest into the tragic death of Prince Fosu, a vulnerable foreign national detained in an immigration removal centre, a jury has found that Mr Fosu’s death was avoidable and was caused by a number of gross failures on the part of the Home Office and various agencies to provide appropriate care in immigration detention at Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 16th March 2020
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
Fearn & Ors v Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery [2020] EWCA Civ 104 – Tanfield Chambers
‘There was no cause of action that existed in respect of a private nuisance for overlooking. The instant case was more akin to an invasion of privacy rather than nuisance, and Parliament should be the body to legislate that area rather than the Courts.’
Tanfield Chambers, 25th February 2020
Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk
No whiplash rules until May as clock ticks down to launch – Legal Fututes
‘Personal injury law firms and insurers look unlikely to have sight of the new rules governing the whiplash portal until May as they were not signed off at this month’s meeting of the Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC), it has emerged.’
Legal Futures, 17th March 2020
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
Sexual predator jailed for luring aspiring models to free photoshoot where he would drug and molest them – Daily Telegraph
‘A serial sexual abuser has been jailed for luring aspiring models to photoshoots where he would ply them with drugged alcohol, wait for them to pass out and assault them.’
Daily Telegraph, 14th March 2020
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
