Category: equality

Gender-Neutral Passport Rules: A Human Rights Breach? – Rights Info

Posted December 9th, 2019 in equality, gender, human rights, news, passports, sex discrimination by sally

‘The Court of Appeal heard this week that the government’s passport rules, which force non-gendered people to apply as either male or female, are a human rights breach. The case was brought by activist Christie Elan-Cane, who has campaigned on the issue for more than 25 years, and believes the rules are “inherently discriminatory”. How could what is written on our passports affect our rights? Emily Kent examines.’

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Rights Info, 6th December 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

Legal action launched in row between National Theatre and lesbian group – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 9th, 2019 in equality, homosexuality, human rights, news, sexual orientation discrimination, theatre by sally

‘Legal action is being launched in a dispute between the National Theatre and a group of lesbian claimants.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

A Bar for all–with fair work distribution – Counsel

Posted December 5th, 2019 in barristers, diversity, equality, legal profession, news, statistics by sally

‘Disputes do arise. Between states, in businesses, within different sectors and in small knit groups, disagreements can happen, and they can have many unwelcome consequences.’

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Counsel, December 2019

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

The Future Could Be Accessible, But Only If All Disability Shortlists Are Made Legal – Oxford Human Rights Hub

Posted December 5th, 2019 in disability discrimination, disabled persons, elections, equality, human rights, news, political parties by sally

‘Tuesday 3 December marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD), but with only one week to go until the UK General Election, the prospects of sufficient Members of Parliament with disabilities being elected looks dismal. The theme of the 2019 IDPWD is ‘The Future is Accessible’, examining what barriers need to be removed to enable full inclusion of people with disabilities. Reforming Section 104 of the Equality Act 2010 on selection of candidates to allow for All Disability Shortlists would remove a significant barrier. The legitimacy of our democracy and political engagement by disabled people requires it.’

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Oxford Human Rights Hub, 5th December 2019

Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk

Councils Appeal High Court Ruling On Traveller Ban – Rights Info

Posted December 5th, 2019 in appeals, equality, human rights, injunctions, local government, news, race discrimination, travellers by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has heard a landmark case which could have wide-ranging implications on whether local authorities can use injunctions to place a blanket ban on Travellers camping on public land.’

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Rights Info, 4th December 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

Education Newsletter – 39 Essex Chambers

Posted December 4th, 2019 in disabled persons, education, equality, news, school children, special educational needs by sally

‘The Winter edition of 39 Essex Chambers’ Education Newsletter is now available.’

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39 Essex Chambers, November 2019

Source: www.39essex.com

Disabled workers paid 12% less, ‘damning’ UK official figures show – The Guardian

Posted December 3rd, 2019 in disability discrimination, disabled persons, employment, equality, news, remuneration, statistics by tracey

‘Disabled people continue to face prejudice in the workplace campaigners have said, after latest government figures showed they were paid on average 12.2% less than those without impairments, equivalent to £1.48 an hour.’

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The Guardian, 2nd December 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Sets without equal numbers of women “will lose work” – Legal Futures

Posted December 2nd, 2019 in barristers, diversity, equality, gender, news, remuneration, sex discrimination by tracey

‘Market forces will mean that commercial sets without a diverse gender pool at all levels will soon find themselves losing work to more gender-equal sets, according to a circuit judge who has researched equality at the Bar.’

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Legal Futures, 2nd December 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

“No right” to judge women lawyers on appearance – Legal Futures

Posted November 27th, 2019 in barristers, equality, gender, legal profession, news, sex discrimination, women by sally

‘It is about time that men and women realise that they have “no right to judge a woman’s commitment to and ability to do her job based on her appearance”, a leading QC has declared.’

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Legal Futures, 27th November 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Birmingham anti-LGBT school protesters had ‘misinterpreted’ teachings, judge says – The Guardian

Posted November 27th, 2019 in demonstrations, equality, homosexuality, injunctions, Islam, news, school children by sally

‘A high court judge has said activists protesting against LGBT equality lessons had “grossly misrepresented” what was being taught to children as he ruled that they would be permanently banned from demonstrating directly outside a Birmingham primary school.’

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The Guardian, 26th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Lady Hale predicts gender parity in judiciary by 2033 – The Guardian

Posted November 25th, 2019 in diversity, equality, judges, judiciary, news, remuneration, statistics by sally

‘Gender equality in the number of judges in England and Wales should be achieved by 2033 at the current rates of progress, according to Lady Hale, the president of the supreme court.’

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The Guardian, 23rd November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Burford school agrees to provide alternative to Christian assembly – BBC News

Posted November 21st, 2019 in Christianity, equality, human rights, news, religious discrimination, school children by tracey

‘A couple who threatened to take a school to the High Court over its religious assemblies have won their fight for alternative activities for their children.’

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BBC News, 20th November 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Civil partnerships legislation – unfinished business – Law & Religion UK

Posted November 18th, 2019 in civil partnerships, consultations, equality, homosexuality, marriage, news, parliament, statutory interpretation by sally

The draft Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (“the Regulations”) was the first item of the secondary legislation within the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 (“the Act”) to achieve the necessary approval of both Houses under the affirmative resolution procedure. It was also the last item of debated business before parliament was dissolved on 6 November. Through section 2(2) of the Act the regulations were subject to a “sunset clause” which required them to be in force by the end of December, and as such, only limited time was available for its scrutiny and approval; this left a number of items of unfinished business, and these are summarized below.

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Law & Religion UK, 18th November 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Free Internet Access ‘Should Be A Human Right’ – Professor – Rights Info

Posted November 18th, 2019 in equality, human rights, internet, news, statistics by sally

‘Many of us take for granted our ability to tap in to Twitter or spend longer than we would care to admit tumbling down a YouTube rabbit hole. But this luxury is not afforded to an estimated 1.94 million UK households lacking internet access in 2019.’

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Rights Info, 15th November 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

Police oppose Traveller and Gypsy camp crackdown, FOI shows – The Guardian

Posted November 14th, 2019 in consultations, equality, human rights, news, police, travellers, trespass by tracey

‘Proposals to criminalise unauthorised Gypsy and Traveller encampments fly in the face of police recommendations to make more sites available to best tackle the situation, it has been revealed.’

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The Guardian, 14th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

JUSTICE Report calls for mandatory training on the law for school teachers involved in excluding students – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 12th, 2019 in equality, news, reports, school exclusions, teachers by sally

‘A new report has called for reform of the process by which schools permanently exclude students after suggesting that school teachers have an inconsistent understanding of their Equality Act duties and that Independent Review Panels (IRPs) lack the power to remedy unlawful exclusions.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th November 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Call for reform of pupil exclusions ‘as schools unaware of legal duties’ – The Guardian

Posted November 11th, 2019 in appeals, disabled persons, disciplinary procedures, equality, learning difficulties, news, school children, school exclusions, statistics by sally

The law reform group Justice has called for a radical overhaul of exclusions amid concerns that too many schools do not fully understand their legal duties and that the appeal process available to parents wishing to challenge an exclusion is inadequate.

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The Guardian, 11th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Trustees of Sikh Temple charity fail in High Court challenge to traffic management order – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 11th, 2019 in charities, consultations, equality, local government, news, road traffic, Sikhism by sally

‘A High Court judge has rejected a legal challenge brought over the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea’s decision to make a traffic management order imposing additional parking restrictions in an area with a Sikh Temple.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th November 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Discrimination in ‘one succession’ for secure tenancies – Nearly Legal

Posted November 7th, 2019 in appeals, bereavement, children, divorce, equality, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news, women by tracey

‘Simawi v London Borough of Haringey (2019) EWCA Civ 1770. We saw this case in the High Court – our report here – now this is the court of appeal judgment on Mr S’ appeal, seeking a finding that there was discriminatory treatment in the Housing Act 1985 succession rules between a person who became a sole tenant on the death of a former tenant as opposed to a person who became a sole tenant upon judicial assignment of the tenancy in a divorce (pre Localism Act amendments). In short, survivorship on a joint tenancy, or succession of spouse/partner on death of sole tenant counts as a succession, while an assignment of tenancy by court order under section 24 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 on divorce does not. Mr S was the child of a spouse who succeeded by survivorship.’

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Nearly Legal, 3rd November 2019

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Speech by Mrs Justice Carr DBE: Women in Commercial Law – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted November 7th, 2019 in barristers, Commercial Court, diversity, equality, legal history, legal profession, solicitors, speeches, women by tracey

‘Speech by Mrs Justice Carr DBE: Women in Commercial Law.’

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Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 6th November 2019

Source: www.judiciary.uk