Adoption and race discrimination: Mander – Law & Religion UK

Posted December 10th, 2019 in adoption, human rights, news, race discrimination, Sikhism by sally

‘Sandeep and Reena Mander are of Sikh heritage and were born and brought up in the UK. They identify as part of the wider Sikh community but are not religious:

“They go to Temple a few times a year much as, they say, some of their non-practising Christian friends go to church at Christmas or Easter. They consider themselves culturally British, whilst acknowledging their Indian heritage”.’

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Law & Religion UK, 10th December 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

“Disproportionate” to strike out claim for late payment of court fees – Litigation Futures

Posted December 10th, 2019 in fees, news, striking out, time limits by sally

‘Striking out a £120,000 claim for late payment of court fees was disproportionate and the claimant was entitled to relief from sanctions, the High Court has ruled.’

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Litigation Futures, 10th December 2019

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Campaigners threaten UK parties with legal action over data processing – The Guardian

Posted December 10th, 2019 in data protection, elections, news, political parties by sally

‘A data rights group has threatened legal action against the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats over the parties’ use of personal data ahead of Thursday’s election.’

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The Guardian, 9th December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Supreme Court to hear appeal over arrangements by housing association to allocate properties only to members of religious community – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 10th, 2019 in charities, equality, housing, Judaism, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal over whether a charitable housing association’s arrangements for allocating housing, which amount to direct discrimination on the ground of religion, were lawful.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 9th December 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Serial rapist Joseph McCann given 33 life sentences – The Guardian

Posted December 10th, 2019 in news, rape, sentencing by sally

‘The serial rapist Joseph McCann has been handed 33 life sentences with a minimum term of 30 years.’

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The Guardian, 9th December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

English judges deciding Scottish divorce cases is “recipe for chaos”, Supreme Court hears – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 10th, 2019 in choice of forum, divorce, financial provision, news, Scotland by sally

‘English judges deciding Scottish divorce cases is a “recipe for chaos”, the Supreme Court has heard in a landmark case between an aristocrat and his estranged wife.’

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Daily Telegraph, 9th December 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Girl sexually exploited ‘by over 40 adults’ while in care – The Guardian

Posted December 9th, 2019 in abuse of position of trust, care homes, care workers, child abuse, children, hospitals, mental health, news, police, psychiatric damage, sexual offences, social services by sally

‘The children’s commissioner has been called on to intervene in the case of a vulnerable teenager alleged to have been the victim of a catalogue of failures at the hands of social workers, medical authorities and police.’

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The Guardian, 8th December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Stop and search: the controversial police power – BBC News

Posted December 9th, 2019 in investigatory powers, news, police, race discrimination, statistics, stop and search by sally

‘Stop and search is a controversial police power to stop, question and search a person who is suspected of doing something illegal, including carrying drugs.’

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BBC News, 7th December 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal aid firm loses JR over contract withdrawal – Legal Futures

Posted December 9th, 2019 in contracts, judicial review, law firms, legal aid, news by sally

‘There is no basis for a law firm’s challenge to a Legal Aid Agency (LAA) decision to reject its tender for a legal aid contract, the High Court has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 9th December 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘National disgrace’: Hundreds of disabled people detained in UK hospitals for more than 10 years – The Independent

Posted December 9th, 2019 in autism, detention, disability discrimination, disabled persons, hospitals, learning difficulties, news, statistics by sally

‘More than 350 people with special needs have been detained in hospitals for more than 10 years, analysis has revealed.’

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The Independent, 8th December 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Solicitor who felt “intimidated” by clients struck off – Legal Futures

Posted December 9th, 2019 in deceit, disciplinary procedures, licensing, mental health, negligence, news, personal injuries, professional conduct, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by sally

‘A partner who said she felt “threatened and intimidated” by clients who would not accept her advice to discontinue has been struck off for lying about the progress of their cases.’

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Legal Futures, 9th December 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Judge believes blameless parents and sends baby home – Transparency Project

Posted December 9th, 2019 in accidents, child cruelty, children, families, news, social services by sally

‘His Honour Judge Dancey has published a judgment in which he explains why he has decided that social services have failed to prove that either parent caused a skull fracture sustained by their baby, with the result that the baby is going home. The judge decided that the evidence did not prove that the fracture had been inflicted as opposed to caused accidentally, and the injury just remained unexplained. The baby has made a full recovery, by the way.’

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Transparency Project, 7th December 2019

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Couple ‘told they couldn’t adopt a white child because of their Indian heritage’ win £120,000 in landmark discrimination case – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 9th, 2019 in adoption, children, damages, equality, families, local government, news, race discrimination by sally

‘A British couple have won nearly £120,000 in damages following a landmark discrimination case after they were told they could not adopt a “white child” because of their Indian heritage.’

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Daily Telegraph, 6th December 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Gender-Neutral Passport Rules: A Human Rights Breach? – Rights Info

Posted December 9th, 2019 in equality, gender, human rights, news, passports, sex discrimination by sally

‘The Court of Appeal heard this week that the government’s passport rules, which force non-gendered people to apply as either male or female, are a human rights breach. The case was brought by activist Christie Elan-Cane, who has campaigned on the issue for more than 25 years, and believes the rules are “inherently discriminatory”. How could what is written on our passports affect our rights? Emily Kent examines.’

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Rights Info, 6th December 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

“Over-lawyered” witness statements set for limited reform – Litigation Futures

Posted December 9th, 2019 in consultations, evidence, legal profession, news, statistics, witnesses by sally

‘Witness statements are “over-lawyered” and too long and argumentative, a Commercial Court working group has found, but it has shied away from recommending radical reform.’

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Litigation Futures, 9th December 2019

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Dispute over empty properties and £10m+ in business rates to go to Supreme Court – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 9th, 2019 in appeals, interpretation, leases, local government, news, rates, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a dispute over empty commercial properties and whether councils are owed more than £10m in business rates arrears.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 6th December 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Baby P’s mother should not be freed, says Parole Board – The Guardian

Posted December 9th, 2019 in causing death of children or vulnerable adults, child cruelty, children, families, news, parole by sally

‘Tracey Connelly, the mother of Baby P, who died after months of abuse, should not be freed from jail or moved to an open prison, the Parole Board has decided.’

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The Guardian, 6th December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Lawyers want crackdown on ‘unscrupulous’ untrained advocates who put public at risk – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 9th, 2019 in advocacy, barristers, Law Society, legal aid, legal profession, legal representation, McKenzie friends, news, perverting the course of justice by sally

‘A new breed of untrained legal advocates who are ripping off the public with “flawed” and “dangerous” legal advice should be banned, lawyers’ leaders and politicians have urged ministers.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Jeremy Bamber lawyers challenge CPS over withheld evidence – The Guardian

Posted December 9th, 2019 in Crown Prosecution Service, disclosure, evidence, families, forensic science, miscarriage of justice, news by sally

‘Lawyers representing Jeremy Bamber, who is serving a whole life sentence for killing his adoptive parents, sister and her six-year-old twin boys in 1985, have launched a high court challenge to the Crown Prosecution Service for its failure to disclose evidence they say would undermine the safety of his conviction.’

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The Guardian, 8th December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Tate Modern balcony push: Teen admits attempted murder – BBC News

Posted December 9th, 2019 in attempted murder, autism, causing serious physical harm to a child or vulnerable adult, children, news, young offenders by sally

‘A teenager said he threw a boy from the 10th floor of the Tate Modern in London because he wanted to be on the TV news.’

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BBC News, 6th December 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk