Challenge upheld to Covid-19 changes to care regime for children – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted December 8th, 2020 in adoption, care orders, children, coronavirus, ministers' powers and duties, news by sally

‘The issue before the Court of Appeal was whether the Secretary of State for Education had acted unlawfully in failing to consult certain bodies representing children in care, including the Children’s Commissioner for England, before introducing the Adoption and Children (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (“the Amendment Regulations”) following the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 7th December 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Information commissioner gets busy with fines – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 8th, 2020 in data protection, EC law, fines, news by sally

‘General Data Protection Regulation fines are like a number 65 bus: you wait for a long time and then three arrive at once. In the space of a month the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued three monetary penalty notices. All relate to breaches of GDPR’s security requirements as set out in articles 5 and 32.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 7th December 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Kevin’s identity was stolen by police after he died’ – BBC News

‘David Crossland’s whole family died beside him on a holiday flight to Yugoslavia in September 1966. His wife Daphne, and their young children Kevin and Lynne were killed when their plane crashed in woods as it was approaching the airport in Ljubljana. David, who was sitting across the aisle from his wife and children, crawled to safety from the burning wreckage.’

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BBC News, 7th December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Keira Bell lawyer warns on internet coverage of transgender issues – The Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2020 in health, internet, news, transgender persons by sally

‘The promotion of transgender issues on social media should be subject to safeguarding measures, according to the lawyer for a woman who brought last week’s landmark case against England’s only NHS gender identity development service (GIDS).’

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The Guardian, 6th December 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Law Commission issues proposals for reforming offence of misconduct in public office – Local Government Lawyer

‘The “outdated and unclear” common law offence of misconduct in public office should be replaced by two new statutory offences of corruption in public office and breach of duty in public office, the Law Commission has said.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th December 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Former appeal court judge to lead UK review of Human Rights Act – The Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2020 in human rights, judges, news, statutory interpretation, treaties by sally

‘A former court of appeal judge has been appointed to lead a review into how the Human Rights Act (HRA) is being interpreted in UK courts.’

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The Guardian, 7th December 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Small claims worst hit so far by Covid as trial delays lengthen – Litigation Futures

Posted December 8th, 2020 in coronavirus, criminal justice, delay, news, small claims by sally

‘Small claims have been disproportionally impacted by Covid-19 in terms of timeliness, official figures have shown.’

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Litigation Futures, 8th December 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

UK should ban use of spit hoods and Tasers on children, says Unicef – The Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2020 in children, human rights, minorities, news, police, restraint, statistics, weapons by sally

‘The use of Tasers and spit hoods on children should be banned in the UK, the global humanitarian organisation for children Unicef has recommended.’

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The Guardian, 8th December 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

3,000 law firms “could be forced to close or merge” – Legal Futures

Posted December 8th, 2020 in conveyancing, coronavirus, insurance, law firms, legal services, loans, mergers, news by sally

‘As many as 3,000 law firms could be forced to close or merge over the next few years after the conveyancing bubble bursts and the recession really kicks in, a leading law firm consultant has warned.’

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Legal Futures, 8th December 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Council defeats legal challenge over decision to rename square called after Elizabethan sailor with slave trade links – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 8th, 2020 in change of name, consultations, local government, names, news, roads by sally

‘A district judge has rejected a legal challenge over a decision by Plymouth City Council to change the name of a square from an Elizabethan sailor associated with the slave trade, Sir John Hawkins, to a black footballer, Jack Leslie.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th December 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Police bail reforms left crime victims feeling unsafe, finds report – The Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2020 in bail, crime, criminal justice, news, police, reports, victims by sally

‘Victims have been left unprotected and a suspected paedophile left free to strike after government changes to bail plunged parts of the criminal justice system into chaos, an official report has found.’

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The Guardian, 8th December 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Remote Witnessing of Wills During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Parklane Plowden

Posted December 7th, 2020 in chambers articles, coronavirus, fraud, news, probate, undue influence, wills by sally

‘There has unsurprisingly been an uprise in the number of people making wills since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, though social distancing measures have created problems for people in terms of complying with the witnessing requirements of section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 (“the Wills Act”).’

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Parklane Plowden, 10th November 2020

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

Guess who? Does a section 8 notice have to contain the landlord’s own name and address? – Hardwicke Chambers

‘Kort Egan discusses Prempeh v Lakhany [2020] EWCA Civ 1422, in which the Court of Appeal considered whether a section 8 notice that is signed by the landlord’s agent and contains the agent’s details, must also include the landlord’s name and address.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 13th November 2020

Source: hardwicke.co.uk

Cost Budgets: Not Necessarily for Life, Maybe Just For Christmas – CPR Rule 3.15A – Becket Chambers

Posted December 7th, 2020 in chambers articles, civil procedure rules, costs, news by sally

‘The Covid-19 pandemic has dominated the legal landscape throughout 2020 with many changes being made to the way professionals work as well as the rules they are subject to. There have been many amendments and additions made to the Civil Procedure Rules as a result of the pandemic, however they are not the only such changes that have been made.’

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Becket Chambers, 3rd December 2020

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Beyond regulation: controlling app-based private hire operators – 11 KBW

Posted December 7th, 2020 in chambers articles, internet, licensing, news, regulations, standards, taxis by sally

‘In former times, if you wanted to build a business empire, you needed bricks, mortar and time. It took twenty years for Marks and Spencer to move from their first covered market in Leeds to their first shop. No more. You can run the world’s largest holiday lettings company without owning a hotel, or the largest book retailer in the world without a bookshop, and you can revolutionise the global taxi industry without owning a car. And it all happens at a dizzying pace. The question arises whether these commercial leviathans can be regulated and if so how.’

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11 KBW, November 2020

Source: www.11kbw.com

New Judgment: R (on the application of Gourlay) v Parole Board [2020] UKSC 50 – UKSC Blog

Posted December 7th, 2020 in appeals, costs, judicial review, news, parole, prisons, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed this appeal concerning the role of the Court in relation to the principles governing the award of costs in lower courts.’

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UKSC Blog, 4th December 2020

Source: ukscblog.com

Guidance on the approach to applications under section 10A of POCA 2002—civil rules and the family home (R v Forte) – 5SAH

‘This case sets out the key principles and procedure to be followed under applications pursuant to section 10A of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA 2002) where the court has to determine the extent of the interest of a third party in property held by a defendant that is likely to be realised or otherwise used to satisfy a confiscation order. The court held that where the prosecution intends to prove that a defendant has a beneficial interest in property and another holds, or may hold, an interest in that property, the burden and standard to be applied are those of the civil standard. Where matrimonial property is concerned, the court is entitled to look to the evidence and draw such inferences as they see fit to determine whether beneficial interest should follow legal title. Such evidence can include sham divorce proceedings and the use of property for a joint purpose.’

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5SAH, 30th November 2020

Source: www.5sah.co.uk

Commission proposes block on ‘vexatious’ misconduct prosecutions – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office is “too ill-defined and uncertain to be maintained in the criminal law,”.the Law Commission has concluded, recommending its replacement with two new offences. The proposed reform would also block ‘vexatious’ private prosecutions of public figures.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 4th December 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Civil partnership conversion for landmark gay couple – BBC News

Posted December 7th, 2020 in civil partnerships, equality, homosexuality, marriage, news, Northern Ireland by sally

‘Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane were the first gay men in the UK to get a civil partnership back in 2005.’

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BBC News, 7th December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Met faces legal action over spies’ use of dead children’s identities – The Guardian

Posted December 7th, 2020 in bereavement, children, families, news, police, professional conduct, spying by sally

‘The relatives of dead children whose identities were stolen by undercover police officers have launched legal action against the Metropolitan police over their resulting trauma.’

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The Guardian, 7th December 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com