What challenges do rape victims face in getting cases to court? – The Guardian

‘Rape prosecutions and convictions have halved in three years, prompting concerns that the offence is effectively being decriminalised. These are some of the challenges rape victims face in getting their cases to court.’

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The Guardian, 30th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Hindsight bias in health and safety – Six Pump Court

Posted July 28th, 2020 in bias, health & safety, news, statutory duty by sally

‘David Travers QC of 6 Pump Court discusses hindsight bias, its relevance to health and safety cases and how to avoid its impact.’

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Six Pump Court, July 2020

Source: www.6pumpcourt.co.uk

Relationships with counsel and chambers – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 28th, 2020 in bias, judiciary, news, recusal by sally

‘It is of fundamental importance that judicial decisions should be made free from bias or partiality – it has long been recognised that justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done (R v Sussex Justices, ex parte McCarthy [1924] 1 KB 256). A judge must, therefore, recuse themselves in circumstances of actual or apparent bias.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 27th July 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Judge removed from child welfare case over ‘pejorative’ remarks about mother – The Guardian

Posted July 28th, 2020 in bias, family courts, judges, news, remote hearings by sally

‘A high court judge has been taken off a case centred on the care of a child after “pejorative comments” she made about the child’s mother were accidentally broadcast to people taking part in a hearing remotely.’

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The Guardian, 25th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge rejects calls for recusal in planning case amid accusations of bias – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 27th, 2020 in bias, injunctions, judges, local government, news, planning, recusal by sally

‘A High Court judge has refused to recuse himself from a planning case involving Surrey Heath Borough Council after claimants accused him of bias.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 23rd July 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Stevie Martin: Bullying, threatening and animus: what remains of the rule against apparent bias following the Supreme Court’s judgment in Serafin? – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘At the heart of the Supreme Court judgment in Serafin v Malkiewicz was the question of whether the Court of Appeal was correct in finding that the defamation proceedings before Justice Jay had been unfair (though the Court’s reasons with respect to the public interest defence under s 4 of the Defamation Act 2013 are also profoundly significant).’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 22nd July 2020

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Hindsight bias in health and safety – Six Pump Court

Posted July 21st, 2020 in bias, health & safety, news, statutory duty by sally

‘In this interview with Pietra Asprou for Lexis Nexis, David Travers QC considers the impact of hindsight bias in health and safety cases, and what can be done to avoid it.’

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Six Pump Court, 21st July 2020

Source: www.6pumpcourt.co.uk

Judge refuses to recuse herself over counsel link – Litigation Futures

Posted July 8th, 2020 in barristers, bias, judges, litigants in person, McKenzie friends, news, recusal by sally

‘A High Court judge has refused a request from a litigant in person to recuse herself from hearing a case where she had briefly supervised counsel for the defendants at her old chambers.’

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Litigation Futures, 8th July 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

‘Against natural justice’: father to sue exams regulator over A-level grades system – The Guardian

‘Fears Ofqual’s Covid-19 method of adjusting marks in line with a school’s prior performance will penalise bright pupils.’

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The Guardian, 20th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK police chiefs criticised for lack of action as race panel launched – The Guardian

Posted June 19th, 2020 in bias, equality, news, police, proportionality, race discrimination, racism by sally

‘An attempt by police chiefs to grapple with racism claims by launching a panel to recommend action has been criticised by victims’ representatives and met with scepticism from within their own ranks.’

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The Guardian, 18th June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

New Judgment: Serafin v Malkiewicz & Ors [2020] UKSC 23 – UKSC Blog

‘Serafin had sued Malkiewicz & Ors for libel in respect of an article they had published about him in Nowy Czas, a newspaper addressing issues of interest to the Polish community in the UK. The Court of Appeal found that the conduct of the trial by Mr Justice Jay in the High Court had been unfair towards the claimant and allowed the claimant’s appeal. The defendants appealed against that finding to the Supreme Court. They also challenged the Court of Appeal’s analysis of the effect of the Defamation Act 2013, S4, which sets out “the public interest defence” to a defamation claim.’

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UKSC Blog, 3rd June 2020

Source: ukscblog.com

“Hostile” judge harassed litigant in person, Supreme Court rules – Litigation Futures

‘A High Court judge “harassed and intimidated” a litigant in person in ways which “surely would never have occurred if the claimant had been represented”, the Supreme Court has ruled.’

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Litigation Futures, 3rd June 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Supreme court orders libel case retrial over judge’s ‘barrage of hostility’ – The Guardian

‘The supreme court has ordered the re-trial of a long-running libel case after finding that a high court judge, Mr Justice Jay, subjected the unrepresented claimant to a “barrage of hostility” and offensive language.’

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The Guardian, 3rd June 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

QC says judge should have recused himself in school friend case – Litigation Futures

Posted May 18th, 2020 in barristers, bias, judges, news, recusal by sally

‘Leading QC Dinah Rose has questioned the decision of a judge not to recuse himself from hearing a case where he had been at school with the director of a defendant company more than 45 years ago.’

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Litigation Futures, 14th May 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Judge denies bias in favour of former school friend – Litigation Futures

Posted May 13th, 2020 in bias, disclosure, insolvency, judges, news, recusal by sally

‘A judge has rejected a recusal application on the grounds of apparent bias, based on him being in the same class at school as the director of a defendant company more than 45 years ago.’

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Litigation Futures, 13th May 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

What does Manchester City’s Champions League ban have to do with human rights? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 24th, 2020 in appeals, bias, disciplinary procedures, human rights, news, sport by sally

‘Last month European football’s governing body, UEFA, announced that English champions Manchester City had been fined 30 million Euros and banned from the Champions League – the most illustrious competition in European football. The Adjudicatory Chamber of UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) handed down a two-year ban on the basis that Man City had breached Financial Fair Play Regulations. The club have responded fiercely, complaining of a ‘prejudicial process’ and alleging that the case was ‘initiated by UEFA, prosecuted by UEFA and judged by UEFA.’ Against this background it is thought likely that City will rely on human rights arguments in their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (a somewhat ironic development in the view of some commentators given previous criticisms of the human rights records of the club’s backers).’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd March 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Short shrift for bias and recusal submissions in police misconduct hearings – UK Police Law Blog

Posted February 27th, 2020 in bias, disciplinary procedures, news, police, recusal by tracey

‘In R (Short) v (1) Police Misconduct Tribunal (2) Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police [2020] EWHC 385 (Admin), Mr Justice Saini delivered a resounding reaffirmation that misconduct hearing panels are well able to put irrelevant and prejudicial matters out of their minds rather than having to recuse themselves and that they are able to determine their own procedures, just like civil courts and tribunals.’

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UK Police Law Blog, 27th February 2020

Source: ukpolicelawblog.com

Is the prejudice of an investigating manager relevant to determining the propriety of a dismissal, even if the decision makers are not aware of and do not share that prejudice? – 12 King’s

‘In Cadent Gas Ltd v Singh [2019] UKEAT 0024/19/0810, the Employment Appeal Tribunal has considered whether the personal animus of a manager who had been heavily involved in a disciplinary investigation had tainted the dismissal process as a whole, even though the dismissing managers had not shared that animus. Furthermore, the EAT considered whether that manager’s prejudice towards the Claimant, informed by his trade union activities, could be attributed to the employer.’

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12 King's Bench Walk, 3rd January 2020

Source: www.12kbw.co.uk

Judge sues MoJ claiming racial discrimination – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 12th, 2019 in bias, harassment, judges, Ministry of Justice, news, race discrimination by tracey

‘A district judge is suing the Ministry of Justice and two supervising judges for unconscious bias, harassment, victimisation, micro-aggression and discrimination after a complaint was made against him by an appellant in one of his cases.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 11th December 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Mother claims judge’s ‘outdated views’ on sexual assault led him to rule against her in child custody battle – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 6th, 2019 in bias, children, custody, domestic violence, judges, news, rape by sally

‘A mother has claimed that a judge’s “outdated views” on sexual assault led him to rule against her after she accused a former partner of rape during a child custody case.’

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Daily Telegraph, 5th December 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk