The pitfalls of relying on s21 during the pandemic – St Ives Chambers

‘Master Dagnall gave judgment in the case of Corp of Trinity House of Deptford Strond v (1) Dequincy Prescott (2) Clodagh Byrne on 11 February 2021 [2021] EWHC 283 (QB) which considered several issues regarding the pandemic and possession proceedings which are worthy of note as the stay on evictions has again been extended.’

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St Ives Chambers, February 2021

Source: www.stiveschambers.co.uk

Judgment in Good Law Project JR on publication of Covid-19 procurement notices – Monckton Chambers

‘This is the first in a series of procurement law judicial review (JR) cases relating to Covid-19 brought by the Good Law Project (GLP) to have reached the judgment stage. The case concerned the (non)publication of contract award notices (CANs) within 30 days under regulation 50 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR) and of other contract notices and materials within 20 or 90 days under relevant transparency policies.’

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Monckton Chambers, 19th February 2021

Source: www.monckton.com

Has the pandemic changed the way in which future jury trials may be conducted? – KCH Garden Square

Posted February 25th, 2021 in coronavirus, criminal justice, juries, news, remote hearings by sally

‘As anyone immersed in, or interested in, the Criminal Justice System will know, when the first lockdown was announced back in March 2020, in person attendance at court buildings almost ground to a halt. This inevitably meant that all jury trials were suspended, and serious thought had to be given as to how they could safely resume in the future. Social distancing rules and the concern of causing covid outbreaks meant that the reintroduction of jury trials was slow, but by July 2020 and through the introduction of Perspex screens in between jurors and the relaxation of some of the lockdown restrictions, they slowly started to return to barristers’ diaries across the country.’

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KCH Garden Square, 18th February 2021

Source: kchgardensquare.co.uk

Inside a domestic violence call centre – BBC News

Posted February 25th, 2021 in charities, coronavirus, domestic violence, news, victims by sally

‘A major charity working with victims of domestic abuse says calls to their 24-hour helpline increased by more than 50 per cent in the year of the pandemic.’

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BBC News, 24th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Judges overturn conviction for refusal to give name and address in case of suspected Covid regulations breach – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 25th, 2021 in coronavirus, human rights, identification, news, regulations by sally

‘The Administrative Court has ruled that a man was entitled to refuse to give his name and address to a police officer who wanted to issue a fixed penalty notice for breach of lockdown regulations.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 24th February 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Failure to enact public duty law ‘has worsened England inequality in pandemic’ – The Guardian

Posted February 25th, 2021 in coronavirus, equality, news, statutory duty by sally

‘The failure of successive governments to enact part of the Equality Act, which would have imposed a duty to address socio-economic disadvantage, has exacerbated inequalities in England during the coronavirus pandemic, a thinktank has claimed.’

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The Guardian, 24th February 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Woman with Covid should be allowed to die weeks after giving birth, judge rules – The Guardian

Posted February 25th, 2021 in birth, consent, coronavirus, families, medical treatment, news by sally

‘A woman in her early 30s, who has Covid and remains in an induced coma after giving birth to a son, should be allowed to die, against the wishes of her family, a judge has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 24th February 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

James Bevan: ‘10-year prison sentences for breaching COVID-19 entry requirements into the United Kingdom’? Governmental Decree is undermining the Rule of Law – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, announced in Parliament on Tuesday 9th February that those returning from ‘red list’ countries who fail to disclose that fact could receive a 10-year prison sentence following conviction (see The Telegraph).’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 24th February 2021

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

The PPE procurement case: transparency missed in both politics and law – Transparency Project

Posted February 24th, 2021 in coronavirus, government departments, judicial review, news, public procurement by sally

‘Last week the High Court made a widely publicised decision declaring that a government minister and his department had acted unlawfully in relation to the award of PPE procurement contracts in the early weeks of the pandemic. The case is called R (Good Law Project and others) v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care [2021] EWHC 346 (Admin). It’s of particular interest to us because it’s all about transparency.’

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Transparency Project, 23rd February 2021

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Covid: Scarborough woman jailed for coughing at police – BBC News

‘A woman who deliberately coughed at police investigating a breach of coronavirus restrictions has been jailed for four months.’

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BBC News, 23rd February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Christian group fined £10k for Bulwell car park meet Published15 hours ago – BBC News

Posted February 22nd, 2021 in Christianity, coronavirus, fines, freedom of movement, news by sally

‘Police have handed a £10,000 fine to the organiser of a church meet-up in a pub car park.’

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BBC News, 21st February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Covid: Cwmbran man jailed for killing wife in lockdown – BBC News

‘A man has been jailed for five years for killing his wife during the first coronavirus lockdown in March.’

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BBC News, 18th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

At-home early medical abortions should be made permanent, say advocacy groups – The Guardian

‘Covid legislation in England allows patients in first 10 weeks of pregnancy to take pills at home.’

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The Guardian, 18th February 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Trust in law at risk if ministers bypass parliament, says ex-legal chief – The Guardian

‘Public trust in the law is at risk if ministers continue to rush through hundreds of new rules and legislation, bypassing parliament and leaving citizens, businesses and police in the dark, the former head of the government’s legal department has said.’

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The Guardian, 18th February 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Covid: Court rejects self-employed mothers’ sexual discrimination case – BBC News

‘The charity Pregnant Then Screwed has lost its legal challenge against the government for indirect sexual discrimination over the amount of support self-employed mothers received.’

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BBC News, 17th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal Services Board under fire for “neglecting impact of Covid” – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Council and Law Society have accused the Legal Services Board (LSB) of failing to take into account the impact of the pandemic on the profession in its latest draft strategy.’

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Legal Futures, 17th February 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Covid: Equalities watchdog urged to investigate UK’s pandemic response – BBC News

Posted February 16th, 2021 in coronavirus, equality, ministers' powers and duties, news, women by sally

‘Unions, women’s groups and charities have asked the UK’s equalities watchdog to investigate whether the government broke the law in its pandemic response.’

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BBC News, 15th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Pensioner cleared of murdering wife during first lockdown in Wales – The Guardian

Posted February 16th, 2021 in coronavirus, domestic violence, guilty pleas, mental health, murder, news, Wales by sally

‘A man who killed his wife five days into the first lockdown last year in Wales has been cleared of her murder.’

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The Guardian, 15th February 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Substantial debts are not substantial arrears – Nearly Legal

Posted February 15th, 2021 in coronavirus, debts, housing, human rights, landlord & tenant, news, rent, repossession by sally

‘The decision of Master Dagnall in The Master, Wardens and Assistants of the Guild Fraternity of the Brotherhood of the Most Glorious and Undivided Trinity and St Clement in the Parish of Deptford Strond, commonly called the Corporation of the Trinity House of Deptford Strond v (1) Prescott (2) Byrne (2021) EWHC 283 (Ch), was, until Saturday night, at risk of being a footnote in housing law history, but, with the extension of the ban on (most) evictions in England being extended until the end of March (here, and see below), it’s now a bit more important.’

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Nearly Legal, 14th February 2021

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Covid: HSE refuses to close workplaces that are putting employees at risk – The Guardian

‘The government’s health and safety watchdog has failed to shut down any workplaces that put employees at risk of coronavirus even though there have been over 3,500 outbreaks at work since the start of the pandemic, the Observer has discovered.’

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The Guardian, 14th February 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com