‘Councils Cannot Blame Funding For Special Educational Needs Failures’, High Court Told – Rights Info

‘A lack of funding gives councils “no excuse” for failing to meet their legal duty to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), a court has heard.’

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Rights Info, 27th June 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

Ombudsman urges county council to bring its assessments into line with Care Act 2014 – Local Government Lawyer

Posted June 26th, 2019 in disabled persons, duty of care, local government, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has called on Somerset County Council to put in place the recommendations he has made to bring its assessments into line with the requirements of the Care Act.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 24th June 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court considers Article 2 inquests in medical cases – UK Human Rights Blog

‘A three-judge panel of the Divisional Court has re-affirmed that, in general, medical inquests do not engage the State’s positive obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 21st May 2019

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

‘Broken’ care system for most vulnerable – BBC News

‘Patients with mental health problems, autism and learning disabilities are being let down by a “broken” care system, a report warns.’

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BBC News, 21st May 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New Acts – legislation.gov.uk

2019 c. 18 – Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019

2019 c. 17 – Offensive Weapons Act 2019

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Judge spikes PI claim from ‘disabled’ victim over fundamental dishonesty – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The High Court has thrown out a personal injury claim – without letting the case go to full quantum trial – after the litigant presented an ‘egregiously untrue picture’ of his disabilities.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 16th May 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

High Court hears judicial review challenge over proposed closure of day care centre – Local Government Lawyer

‘The High Court in Leeds is this week (13-14) hearing a judicial review challenge to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council’s decision to close a day care centre for adults with learning disabilities.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th May 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Sight impaired voters and the secret of the ballot box – UK Human Rights Blog

‘How can someone who suffers from severely limited sight avail herself of the process for making a mark on a paper ballot under the Representation of the People Act 1983?’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 12th May 2019

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Assisted suicide: Paul Lamb renews bid for right to die – BBC News

‘A man who lives with chronic and excruciating pain has begun a fresh legal challenge to the law that criminalises assisted suicide.’

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BBC News, 7th May 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

CMC censured over ‘all birth injuries caused by negligence’ claim – Litigation Futures

‘The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against a claims management company whose advertising implied that birth injuries were only caused by medical negligence.’

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Litigation Futures, 1st May 2019

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Tribunal rejects law firm’s bid to strike out disability claim – Legal Futures

‘An employment tribunal has said it would be “wholly inappropriate” to strike out a disability discrimination claim against a law firm from a legal secretary suffering from depression.’

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Legal Futures, 2nd May 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Workplace stress drives up disability discrimination claims by more than a third, employment law experts say – Daily Telegraph

‘Workplace stress drives up disability discrimination claims by more than a third, employment law experts suggest.’

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Daily Telegraph, 28th April 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Barristers can act as deputies, Court of Protection rules – Legal Futures

‘Barristers can act as professional property and affairs deputies for people who lack mental capacity, although it is not seen as a legal service, the Court of Protection has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 26th April 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The Inheritance Act and Adult Child Claimants – recent guidance from the Chancery Division – Family Law Week

‘Gwyn Evans, barrister of Tanfield Chambers, explains the court’s judgment in a recent Inheritance Act case involving an estranged adult claimant, reliant on state benefits, and defendants for whom inheritance was a windfall.’

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Family Law Week, 29th March 2019

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Court hears test case on ability of parents to make decisions for children over 18 with learning disabilities – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Protection will this week hear a test case brought by the parents of three young people with learning disabilities over the position under current law which prevents them being able to make best interests decisions on behalf of their children as they are now over 18.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th March 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘No consent’ for teeth removal op on woman who later died – BBC News

‘The mother of a disabled woman who died after all her teeth were removed says she did not consent to the operation. Rachel Johnston’s family has started a legal claim for negligence, saying medics failed to discuss risks of the treatment she had for tooth decay.’

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BBC News, 21st March 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Capacity to tweet? – Doughty Street Chambers

‘In two judgments (Re A and Re B) Cobb J has confirmed that capacity to make decisions about internet and social media use do not form a “subset” of of a person’s ability to make decisions about care or contact. Capacity to use the internet and social media are “inextricably linked; the internet is the communication platform on which social media operates. For present purposes, it does not make sense in my judgment to treat them as different things. It would, in my judgment, be impractical and unnecessary to assess capacity separately in relation to using the internet for social communications as to using it for entertainment, education, relaxation, and/or for gathering information.”‘

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Doughty Street Chambers, 26th February 2019

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

Phillip Nicholson: ‘Chances missed’ to protect murdered man – BBC News

‘A vulnerable man who was murdered by his ex-partner and her lover could have been better protected, a review found.’

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BBC News, 14th March 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

A Brief Guide to Carrying out Capacity Assessments -39 Essex Chambers

‘This purpose of this document is to provide for social workers and those working in front-line clinical settings a brief overview of the law and principles relating to the assessment of capacity. Its focus is on (a) how to apply the MCA 2005 principles when assessing capacity; and (b) how to record your assessment, primarily in the context of health and welfare decisions.’

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39 Essex Chambers, March 2019

Source: 1f2ca7mxjow42e65q49871m1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com

DWP defeats public sector equality duty challenge over method of communication with homeless man – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Department for Work & Pensions has successfully defended a High Court challenge brought by a homeless man who claimed that its approach to communication was in breach of its duties under the public sector equality duty.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th March 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk