The Key Immigration Law Cases From The Year So Far
In this one-hour session for DG Legal, barrister Adam Pipe breaks down the most important UK immigration law cases of 2025 to date.
EIN Blog, 4th April 2025
Source: www.ein.org.uk
Day: 4 April 2025
Martyn’s Law gains Royal Assent – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as “Martyn’s Law”, has this week received Royal Assent and become law.’
Local Government Lawyer, 4th April 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Anti-abortion campaigner convicted of breaching buffer zone outside UK clinic – The Guardian
‘An activist whose case had prompted concern by the US state department over “freedom of expression” in the UK has been convicted of breaching a buffer zone outside an abortion clinic.’
The Guardian, 4th April 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
Mother who suffocated her baby and left his body in woodland in secret kept for 25 years avoids jail – The Independent
‘A mother who suffocated her newborn baby and left his body in woodland in a secret she kept for 25 years has avoided jail.’
The Independent, 4th April 2025
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Cornwall man banned from keeping dogs for 10 years following successful Criminal Behaviour Order application by council – Local Government Lawyer
‘A man from Cornwall whose dogs killed 22 sheep while roaming free has received a 10-year ban from keeping or owning dogs, after the local authority successfully applied for a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).’
Local Government Lawyer, 4th April 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Trespass to the ‘person’ in the metaverse – International Review of Law, Computers & Technology
‘The term ‘metaverse’ refers to a varied collection of internet-based virtual reality worlds in which, amongst other things, users across the globe can collaborate, socialise, trade, play games, access entertainment, or even work. Increasingly, technological innovations, such as high-resolution headsets and sensory (or ‘haptic’) clothing, are closing the experiential gap between such virtual environments and the ‘actual’ world, and broadening the scope of daily activities that the former can accommodate. Whilst this clearly presents opportunities, it also raises questions about the suitability and efficacy of existing legal rules for regulating user conduct within these platforms. Using English law as a case study, this paper specifically considers the various torts commonly referred to under the umbrella term of ‘trespass to the person’, evaluating the extent of their applicability within this novel context, and thereby illuminating issues that might, in time, require intervention from law and policy makers both within the case study context and beyond. It is argued that, as the qualitative difference between physical contact in the actual world and virtual contact in the metaverse becomes smaller, it will become increasingly difficult to justify applying the torts of trespass to the person differently in each context.’
International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, 26th March 2025
Source: www.tandfonline.com
Sticks and stones and mobile phones – Threats in the Twenty First Century – St Philips Barristers
‘We all may remember the childhood rhyme, and console ourselves that names will never harm us, but the law has long provided punishment for threatening words and behaviour. Threats to kill, threats to cause criminal damage, blackmail, public order offences, harassment/stalking and controlling and coercive behaviour can all be committed without any physical contact between perpetrator and victim and yet can contain words which constitute a threat.’
St Philips Barristers, 1st April 2025
Source: st-philips.com
Pre-crime, hyper-vigilance and the over-surveillance of migrant-heritage families in ‘FGM-safeguarding’ in England and Wales – Critical and Radical Social Work
‘This article investigates the role of pre-emptive policies and practices aiming to eliminate female genital cutting/mutilation (FGC/M) in England and Wales. We argue that the Serious Crime Act 2015, with its focus on pre-empting, uncovering and punishing FGC/M, represents a milestone in the development of a pre-crime society. By combining data collected from focus groups with migrant-heritage families living in Bristol in 2018 and data on state practices obtained via Freedom of Information requests in 2022, we provide unique insights into the nature and unfolding harmful impacts of hyper-vigilance and over-surveillance associated with the pre-emptive justice elements of the 2015 Act. In doing so, we expose the role played by the central government in ‘institutionalising racism’ within the police and social work. Facilitating an effective challenge to these issues requires social work professionals to engage reflexively in anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice and to drive new discussions about decolonialism within the profession.’
Critical and Radical Social Work, 24th February 2025
Freedom of information requests – House of Commons Library
‘The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (‘the FOI Act’) gives everyone the right to request recorded information from UK public authorities. This right applies to UK citizens, people who are not UK citizens, people living in the UK and people living abroad, journalists, political parties, lobby groups and commercial organisations. The act covers public authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while Scotland has its own legislation.’
House of Commons Library, 2nd April 2025
Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk
Keeping it in the family: how are informal loans treated by the Courts? – Wilberforce Chambers
‘All too often, arrangements between family members arise informally and without the benefit of legal advice. It is often assumed that everyone involved understands what is expected of them, and that any differences or disputes will be sorted out within the family. But certain seismic events – deaths, divorces, bankruptcies and so on – bring these sorts of arrangements inevitably into contact with the legal system.’
Wilberforce Chambers, 31st March 2025
Source: www.wilberforce.co.uk
The Shadow of Gestmin – Analysing Lay Witness Evidence in Historic Industrial Disease Cases – Ropewalk Chambers
‘It is a common feature of most industrial disease litigation that the relevant events often took place a long time ago. A trial judge determining such cases is frequently faced with limited documentary evidence and with evidence from lay witnesses (some of whom may have died before trial) who have limited recall of historic events in question. It is necessary, in those circumstances, to analyse the evidence of lay witnesses with particular care. This blog outlines the way in which the court has done so to date, with a particular consideration of two recent decisions.’
Ropewalk Chambers, 3rd April 2025
Source: ropewalk.co.uk
Upcoming Changes to CPR 25: new rules on freezing, proprietary and search orders, effective 6 April 2025 – St Philips Barristers
‘As of 6th April 2025, there will be a wholesale change to CPR 25 and the Model Orders associated with applications for injunctive relief (freezing orders, proprietary orders and search/imaging orders).
In this 20-minute talk recorded on 2nd April 2025, Ali Tabari reviews the changes, highlights the key aspects for all practitioners dealing with this crucial area of the Rules, and sets out some key takeaways for dealing with the new regime.’
St Philips Barristers, 3rd April 2025
Source: st-philips.com
A toxic defence of a toxic legacy? Unpacking Boris Johnson’s evidence to the UK COVID-19 inquiry – Global Discourse
‘This article highlights some of the toxic dimensions of Boris Johnson’s legacy as UK prime minister through a detailed examination of the key narratives and discursive tactics he employed as he gave evidence to the UK COVID-19 inquiry. In doing so, we draw upon the concept of ‘toxic leadership’, a term that has been developed through the work of Lipman-Blumen and others to highlight the damaging impact that some types of leaders can have on their followers and the organisations they lead. We contend that the inquiry provides an illuminating focal point for an exploration of Johnson’s toxic legacy. On the one hand, it brought to light myriad details of Johnson’s toxic handling of the pandemic and the damage his decisions – and often lack of decisiveness – brought to many of his most ardent followers and the reputation of the government he led. On the other hand, as our analysis shows, Johnson’s testimony also brought to light the fact that he continued to rely on some of these same toxic behaviours to defend his already tarnished record. Overall, we hope to demonstrate the utility that a focus on discourse and rhetoric can bring to the study of toxic political leadership.’
Global Discourse, 21st March 2025
Supreme Court revisits a trustee’s duty to account for unauthorised profits: Rukhadze v Recovery Partners GP Ltd [2025] UKSC 10 – Gatehouse Chambers
‘In Rukhadze v Recovery Partners GP Ltd, the Supreme Court recently revisited the previously settled law regarding a fiduciary’s duty to account for an unauthorised profit.’
Gatehouse Chambers, 31st March 2025
Source: gatehouselaw.co.uk
Practice Direction 57AD – Disclosure in the Business and Property Courts – Parklane Plowden Chambers
‘A disclosure pilot scheme (known as PD51U) operated in the Business and Property Courts (the “BPC”) in a number of courts including Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, and London from 1st January 2019. Practice Direction 57A (“PD57A”) substantively reproduces PD51U and came into force on 1st October 2022.’
Parklane Plowden Chambers, 27th March 2025
Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk
Clapham v Narga [2024]: the priorities of interstellar boundaries – Tanfield Chambers
‘Daniel Dovar considers the decision in Clapham v Narga and others [2024] EWCA Civ 1388 in which the Court of Appeal held that section 75 of the Land Registration Act 1925 did not apply where title to land had already been extinguished through adverse possession by the time it was first registered.’
Tanfield Chambers, 2nd April 2025
Source: tanfieldchambers.co.uk
The painful reality of the Sara Sharif case – Pump Court Chambers
‘Catherine Gee discusses the issues raised by the Sara Sharif case and the decision to publish the names of the judges involved.’
Pump Court Chambers, 26th March 2025
Source: www.pumpcourtchambers.com
Criminalizing Coercive Control: Cross-Jurisdictional Lessons – Statute Law Review
‘An increasing number of jurisdictions are introducing coercive control offences. It is therefore vital that the experiences of jurisdictions which have already enacted such legislation are examined in order to ascertain what lessons can be learnt. This paper seeks to analyse the coercive control provisions which have been enacted or drafted to date, and also to examine experiences of the implementation of such provisions. The article focuses in particular on the coercive control offence introduced in Northern Ireland under section 1 of the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021. Being the final jurisdiction within the UK and Ireland to criminalize coercive control allowed Northern Ireland to ‘cherry pick’ aspects of the relevant provisions in the other jurisdictions, and Northern Ireland therefore exemplifies a jurisdiction which effectively took learnings from experiences elsewhere. In April 2024, a review of the implementation of Northern Ireland’s coercive control offence was published. The article examines the lessons which can be learnt from this review for other jurisdictions implementing coercive control offences.’
Statute Law Review, 31st March 2025
Source: academic.oup.com
A Deep Dive into the Mental Health Bill 2024 – Autism and Learning Disability – Doughty Street Chambers
‘On 4 March 2025, Dr Oliver Lewis held the third seminar in Doughty Street Chambers’ series about the Mental Health Bill 2024 (‘the Bill’), as amended. His seminar was about how the Mental Health Act 1983 (‘MHA 1983’) affects people with autism and learning disabilities, and whether the Bill changes that.’
Doughty Street Chambers, 27th March 2025
Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk
Looking forward to Awaab’s Law – Pump Court Chambers
‘The Housing Ombudsman has recently published a report entitled “Learning from: Severe Maladministration – Taking the key lessons from our severe maladministration decisions.” It is sobering and informative.’
Pump Court Chambers, 27th March 2025
Source: www.pumpcourtchambers.com
