15/09/2023 – Current Awareness

‘The High Court recently ruled that a planning permission granted by a council that varied a previous planning permission for a solar farm by removing an electricity substation from the plans was unlawful. Robin Green and Robert Williams examine the judgment.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th September 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Forced marriage and the inherent jurisdiction – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 15th, 2023 in appeals, Court of Protection, families, family courts, forced marriages, foreign jurisdictions, jurisdiction, learning difficulties, local government, marriage, married persons, news by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal recently considered the use of the inherent jurisdiction in a forced marriage case. Rhys Hadden analyses the ruling.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th September 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Clients ordered to pay costs assigned by firm to non-lawyer – Legal Futures

Posted September 15th, 2023 in appeals, assignment, costs, fees, law firms, news, solicitors by tracey

‘A law firm’s former clients have lost their appeal against a decision that they owe outstanding fees to the non-lawyer who took assignment of their retainers.’

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Legal Futures, 15th September 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar Council announces new contextual recruitment tool to boost social mobility at the Bar – The Bar Council

Posted September 15th, 2023 in barristers, diversity, equality, news, pupillage, statistics by tracey

‘The Bar Council is boosting its commitment to social mobility at the Bar with the introduction of a contextual recruitment tool to the Pupillage Gateway system from 2024/25. The announcement was made in a speech on the future of the Bar by Nick Vineall KC, Chair of the Bar of England and Wales, last night (Wednesday 13 September). Contextual recruitment tools look at the context in which students receive their grades, so that recruiters can identify candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds who outperformed their immediate peers and who can demonstrate the qualities needed to succeed at the Bar, but who might otherwise be missed in a recruitment process.’

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The Bar Council, 14th September 2023

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

One fifth of judgments missing from national database – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 15th, 2023 in archives, courts, delay, family courts, judgments, news, statistics by tracey

‘Important gaps remain in the government’s official repository of court judgments more than a year after its launch, research has revealed. According to the study by the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting in England and Wales (ICLR), about 20% of the judgments that might be expected to be on the National Archives’ Find Case Law database are missing.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 15th September 2023

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Police watchdog to investigate handling of Andrew Malkinson case – The Guardian

Posted September 15th, 2023 in appeals, complaints, Criminal Cases Review Commission, Crown Prosecution Service, disclosure, miscarriage of justice, news, ombudsmen, police, rape, sexual offences by tracey

‘The police watchdog has announced an investigation into Greater Manchester police’s handling of Andrew Malkinson’s case. Malkinson was exonerated in July of a rape for which he wrongly spent 17 years in prison after a DNA breakthrough. The court of appeal also ruled that disclosure failures by Greater Manchester police (GMP) rendered his conviction unsafe.’

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The Guardian, 13th September 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Met police admit overusing powers to strip-search children after IOPC inquiry – The Guardian

Posted September 15th, 2023 in children, disciplinary procedures, equality, inquiries, investigatory powers, news, police, professional conduct, race discrimination, racism, school children, sex discrimination by tracey

‘Scotland Yard has admitted overusing its power to strip-search children after four of its officers were told they would face disciplinary proceedings over allegations that their search of a 15-year-old black schoolgirl known as Child Q was inappropriate and amounted to discrimination owing to her race and sex.’

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The Guardian, 14th September 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Letby inquiry must also examine NHS ‘cover-up culture’, says ombudsman – The Guardian

Posted September 15th, 2023 in children, families, government departments, hospitals, inquiries, news, ombudsmen, whistleblowers by tracey

‘The public inquiry into Lucy Letby’s crimes must be widened to examine the NHS’s “cover-up culture” over failures in patient safety, the health service ombudsman has said.’

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The Guardian, 15th September 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Honour-based abuse: Government rejects calls for legal definition – BBC News

Posted September 15th, 2023 in coercive & controlling behaviour, criminal justice, domestic violence, families, forced marriages, government departments, murder, news, police, violence, women by tracey

‘The government has rejected calls for a legal definition of honour-based abuse.’

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BBC News, 15th September 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk