‘Guidance drawn up by Conservative ministers which told civil servants to ignore Strasbourg rulings and remove asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful, the high court has ruled.’
The Guardian, 5th July 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The essence of public administration, good or otherwise, is the exercise of public power. Decision-makers who are vested with statutory and common law powers to be exercised strictly in the public interest must actually exercise those powers if they are to fulfil their roles. As to how those powers are exercised, in the United Kingdom’s constitutional arrangements, like most other contemporary representative democracies, elected politicians pursue policies which may become law through Parliament’s enactment of legislation or may be adopted by the Executive as policy to shape the exercise of statutory powers in practice.’
Landmark Chambers, 28th May 2024
Source: www.landmarkchambers.co.uk
‘The union for senior civil servants is launching an unprecedented legal challenge to ministers’ Rwanda plan.’
BBC News, 1st May 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Civil servants have threatened ministers with legal action over concerns that senior Home Office staff could be in breach of international law if they implement the government’s Rwanda deportation bill.’
The Guardian, 12th March 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘In a unanimous judgment, the Court of Appeal has dismissed the government’s appeal of a High Court judgment which proscribed the government’s practice of routinely redacting the names of junior civil servants when supplying disclosure in judicial review proceedings. Christian Grierson and Jonathan Blunden analyse the judgment.’
Local Government Lawyer, 9th February 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The Court of Appeal has found the practice of Government departments redacting the names of junior civil servants when disclosed is “inimical to open government” and does not fulfil the duty of candour.’
Local Government Lawyer, 7th February 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The UK government is once again navigating legal and political hurdles over its plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. The latest debate is over the emergency bill that legally declares Rwanda a safe place to send refugees (despite the supreme court ruling the opposite).’
EIN Blog, 23rd January 2024
Source: www.ein.org.uk
‘The Ministry of Defence has been reported to the equalities watchdog after claims from female civil servants that it has failed adequately to address allegations of sexual harassment and assault. The union Prospect wrote to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) asking for an investigation into whether the MoD was failing in its public sector equalities duty in relation to discrimination, harassment and victimisation. The EHRC will now have to decide whether to take action.’
The Guardian, 14th January 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A High Court judge has said there was no “legitimate reason” to anonymise civil servants in a judgment concerning the parole of a rapist who has spent 41 years in prison. Declining a request to redact the names of junior civil servants, the Honourable Justice Fordham said nobody would be imperilled by his decision.’
Law Society's Gazette, 8th January 2024
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Law reform charity Justice has intervened on what it called a “principle of open justice”, to allege the Government wanted blanket anonymity for civil servants deemed ‘junior’ in documents disclosed in judicial review proceedings.’
Local Government Lawyer, 16th November 2023
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘In an era of intense and continuing controversy over the rules of political responsibility, the question of how to reform the current framework of constitutional standards applicable to politicians requires serious consideration. In addition to the regularity with which allegations about ministerial irresponsibility are being raised and sometimes (eventually) addressed, there are clearly structural challenges relating to these accountability processes and practices. There are legitimate concerns about the consistency, certainty, efficacy, independence and transparency of decision-making in this context. These concerns apply to the way in which potential violations of ethical standards are investigated, and also to the way in which sanctions are (or are not – or are not for long) imposed on political actors who are found to have broken the rules. The systemic nature of the UK’s failings in this area shows the need to consider potentially radical constitutional reforms.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 22nd June 2023
Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org
‘A GCHQ employee who was sacked after calling publicly for the resignation of the UK’s most senior civil servant during the final weeks of Boris Johnson’s government is launching a legal claim under whistleblowing legislation.’
The Guardian, 25th January 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘This Attorney General’s Guidance is for lawyers advising on lawfulness and legal risk in Government. It explains the common framework to assess risk across the Government Legal Profession.’
Attorney General's Office, 2nd August 2022
Source: www.gov.uk
‘The Department of Health has been reprimanded over ministers’ and officials’ use of messaging apps and private email during the pandemic.’
BBC News, 11th July 2022
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A former civil servant received a six-figure pay-out from the government over discrimination after she says was subjected to “insidious” racism during a 20-year battle with the Ministry of Justice.’
The Independent, 8th May 2022
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘R (All the Citizens) v SoS (2022) EWHC 960 (Admin), a Divisional Court is concerned with whether there is a legal duty, enforceable by judicial review, to create and maintain records so that they are available for posterity, and whether policies are enforceable as a matter of public law.’
Local Government Law, 4th May 2022
Source: local-government-law.11kbw.com
‘A former civil servant has been convicted of stalking an ex-colleague after camping outside his office on Whitehall with a “waiting for my Wilko” placard.’
Daily Telegraph, 15th February 2022
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
© Inner Temple Library 2024