Category: coronavirus

Self-Employment Support Scheme appeal dismissed – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted January 18th, 2022 in coronavirus, human rights, maternity leave, news, self-employment, sex discrimination, taxation, women by tracey

‘R. (on the application of Motherhood Plan) v HM Treasury [2021] EWCA Civ 1703. In a judgment handed down on 24 November 2021, the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal concerning the lawfulness of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (“the Scheme”) which was introduced by the Government in April 2020 during the first lockdown as part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 17th January 2022

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Appeal court overturns ‘unlawful’ ruling over Covid contract for Cummings friends – The Independent

Posted January 18th, 2022 in appeals, contracts, coronavirus, news, public procurement by tracey

‘The Court of Appeal has overturned a ruling that a Covid contract given to a company whose founders were friends of former Downing Street adviser Dominic Cummings was unlawful.’

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The Independent, 18th January 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK data watchdog warns No 10 staff not to erase messages amid party probe – The Independent

Posted January 14th, 2022 in coronavirus, data protection, freedom of information, government departments, inquiries, news, ombudsmen, telecommunications by tracey

‘The UK’s data watchdog has warned that it is important “official records are kept” as Downing Street staff face an investigation over allegations of lockdown-breaking.’

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The Independent, 13th January 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Met police won’t investigate alleged No 10 lockdown party – The Guardian

Posted January 14th, 2022 in coronavirus, criminal justice, government departments, inquiries, news, police, time limits by tracey

‘The Metropolitan police will not investigate alleged parties held at Downing Street in apparent breach of lockdown rules unless an upcoming inquiry finds evidence of criminality.’

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The Guardian, 13th January 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Covid: Government’s PPE ‘VIP lane’ unlawful, court rules – BBC News

Posted January 13th, 2022 in coronavirus, judicial review, news, protective equipment, public procurement by tracey

‘The government’s use of a “VIP lane” to award contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE) to two companies was unlawful, the High Court has ruled.’

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BBC News, 12th January 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Video-witnessed wills extended until 2024 – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 12th, 2022 in coronavirus, Law Commission, Ministry of Justice, news, video recordings, wills, witnesses by tracey

‘Legislation introduced during the pandemic allowing wills to be witnessed over Zoom and Skype will be extended until January 2024, the government announced today.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 11th January 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Court of Protection authorises vaccination of autistic boy despite parental objections – Local Government Lawyer

Posted January 11th, 2022 in autism, children, consent, coronavirus, Court of Protection, disabled persons, learning difficulties, news, vaccination by tracey

‘The benefits of vaccination against Covid-19 for a child with autism, severe learning disability and asthma “significantly outweigh” the possible risks, the Court of Protection has found, despite objections from the boy’s parents.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th January 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

The Farquhar Committee and the Future of the Financial Remedies Court – Family Law

Posted January 10th, 2022 in coronavirus, electronic filing, families, family courts, financial dispute resolution, litigants in person, news, remote hearings by tracey

’23 March 2020 will be etched in the mind of generations. It was the day which brought unprecedented change to the way the world worked, not least the operation of the justice system and access to justice. Like many areas of law, the Financial Remedies Court [‘FRC’], was not prepared for the sudden and abrupt suspension of attended hearings, yet advances in technology quickly enabled the FRC to get back to work, albeit, at least to begin with, in a totally alien way for many. The use of remote hearings as a way of administering justice has now been the norm for over 20 months, and as the world begins to cautiously ‘get back to normal’, the question on the minds of all those practicing within the FRC is “what does the new normal look like?”’

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Family Law, 7th January 2022

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Children: Public Law Update (Winter 2022) – Family Law Week

Posted January 7th, 2022 in appeals, care orders, children, coronavirus, costs, disabled persons, families, family courts, fostering, local government, news, third parties, vaccination by tracey

‘John Tughan QC of 4PB considers recent judgments that public law child lawyers need to know about.’

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Family Law Week, 7th January 2022

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Remote hearings: the HMCTS evaluation – Transparency Project

Posted January 5th, 2022 in consultations, coronavirus, HM Courts Service, news, remote hearings, statistics by sally

‘Last month HM Courts and Tribunals Service published their own research into user experiences of remote hearings: Evaluation of remote hearings during the COVID 19 pandemic. The report analyses responses to surveys conducted between May and October 2020 with public users of the justice system and in mid-2021 with professionals such as lawyers, judges and court staff.’

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Transparency Project, 4th January 2022

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

New Acts – legislation.gov.uk

Posted January 4th, 2022 in armed forces, company directors, contracts, coronavirus, disqualification, financial regulation, legislation, rates by tracey

2021 c. 34 – Rating (Coronavirus) and Directors Disqualification (Dissolved Companies) Act 2021

2021 c. 33 – Critical Benchmarks (References and Administrators’ Liability) Act 2021

2021 c. 35 – Armed Forces Act 2021

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Lady Hallett to chair spring public inquiry into Covid pandemic – The Guardian

Posted December 16th, 2021 in coronavirus, inquiries, judges, news by sally

‘Lady Hallett, a former senior appeal court judge, has been appointed to chair the public inquiry into the Covid pandemic.’

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The Guardian, 15th December 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Covid: Family of woman lose appeal against end-of-life ruling – BBC News

Posted December 16th, 2021 in appeals, coronavirus, families, medical treatment, news by sally

‘Relatives of a woman left brain-damaged and paralysed after contracting Covid-19 have lost an appeal against a ruling that she should be allowed to die.’

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BBC News, 15th December 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Fiona de Londras, Daniella Lock and Pablo Grez Hidalgo: COVID passes and the ongoing abuse of ‘urgent’ law-making – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted December 14th, 2021 in coronavirus, emergency powers, news, parliament, regulations by tracey

‘Later today the House of Commons will consider the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Entry to Venues and events) (England) Regulations 2021, which introduce a system mandating the use of COVID passes (or, in formal parlance, “COVID status certifications”). These Regulations are being made using the emergency provisions contained in s. 45R of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 14th December 2021

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Unorthodox Covid Views and Medical Regulation – Richard Smith – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted December 13th, 2021 in coronavirus, disciplinary procedures, doctors, freedom of expression, human rights, medical treatment, medicines, news, vaccination by tracey

‘White v General Medical Council [2021] EWHC 3286 (Admin) (03 December 2021). A case in which the High Court reminds the regulator of requirements for imposing curbs on free speech.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 7th December 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

HMCTS: Public prefers remote hearings but professionals see declining respect – Legal Futures

Posted December 13th, 2021 in coronavirus, courts, HM Courts Service, news, remote hearings, statistics, trials by tracey

‘Public users of the courts generally prefer remote to in-person hearings, but they have led to declining levels of respect, formality and concentration, according to government research.’

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Legal Futures, 13th December 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal challenge to hotel quarantine policy goes to Court of Appeal – BBC News

Posted December 10th, 2021 in appeals, coronavirus, government departments, health, holidays, hotels, judicial review, news by michael

‘A legal challenge to the Government’s mandatory quarantine hotel policy is to be taken to the Court of Appeal.’

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BBC News, 9th December 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UKHSA considers legal action against privately run Immensa lab – The Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2021 in auditors, contracting out, coronavirus, freedom of information, health, news, ombudsmen, public procurement by sally

‘A government health watchdog is considering legal action against a private health company whose laboratory gave at least 43,000 people potentially false negative Covid-19 test results.’

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The Guardian, 8th December 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Coroners in England issue rare warnings over avoidable deaths in pandemic – The Guardian

Posted December 7th, 2021 in coronavirus, coroners, inquests, news by sally

‘Coroners in England have said lessons must be learned from failings made by overstretched services that struggled to adapt during the Covid pandemic, as details of inquests into deaths only now emerge.’

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The Guardian, 6th December 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Covid not good enough reason for solicitors missing court deadline – Legal Futures

Posted December 6th, 2021 in coronavirus, delay, law firms, negligence, news, striking out, time limits by sally

‘The disruption caused by Covid last year was not a good enough excuse for a law firm missing a deadline to file amended particulars of claim by four months, the High Court has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 6th December 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk