Bereavement payments for co-habiting couples urged – BBC News
‘A landmark legal case has found denying bereavement payments to co-habiting couples is against human rights law.’
BBC News, 7th February 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: equality
Green Space borough-wide preventative injunctions: the view from the Court of Appeal – Local Government Lawyer
‘Steven Woolf examines the Court of Appeal’s recent decision and guidance on Green Space borough-wide preventative injunctions.’
Local Government Lawyer, 7th February 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Firm sacked paralegal days after emergency bowel surgery – Law Society’s Gazette
‘ Birmingham firm who dismissed a worker within days of him leaving hospital post-surgery have been found in breach of employment law by a tribunal.’
Law Society's Gazette, 6th February 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Casual sexism is still prevalent’: how close is the law to gender equality? – The Guardian
‘Almost 100 years ago, Dr Ivy Williams joined the Inner Temple as a law student. In 1922, three years after the Sex Disqualification Removal Act, she became the first woman to be called to the bar in this country. Most people have never heard of her. Although she never entered private practice, she taught law for 25 years and gave free legal advice to those who couldn’t afford it. A tireless activist and campaigner, her example paved an important road.’
The Guardian, 4th February 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Civil partnerships for heterosexual couples: what you need to know – Family Law
‘As of 31st December 2019, it is now possible for both same-sex and heterosexual couples to enter into a civil partnership. The institution was initially devised solely for same-sex couples through the Civil Partnership Act 2004; it was meant to be a distinct separate relationship status for same-sex couples akin, but different to, a marriage. This has now changed and moving into 2020, heterosexual couples may opt for a civil partnership instead of a marriage.’
Family Law, 5th February 2020
Source: www.familylaw.co.uk
High Court hears JR over extending QOCS to Equality Act claims – Litigation Futures
‘Qualified one-way costs shifting should be extended to people pursuing claims under the Equality Act, the High Court heard last week.’
Litigation Futures, 3rd February 2020
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
Employment Tribunal provides reasoning in ethical veganism case – UK Human Rights Blog
‘Following his headline-grabbing finding on 3rd January 2020 that “ethical veganism is a philosophical belief which qualifies as a protected belief within the meaning of section 10 of The Equality Act 2010”, Norwich Employment Tribunal Judge Postle has now provided his full determination.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 29th January 2020
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
Solicitor rejected for job was victim of age discrimination – Legal Futures
‘An experienced property solicitor was rejected for a job at a law firm despite being the only person interviewed because of age discrimination, an employment tribunal has ruled.’
Legal Futures, 29th January 2020
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
White men still dominate judiciary, says Justice report – The Guardian
‘Progress to improve diversity in the judiciary is too slow and there has been stagnation in the appointment of BAME judges, according to a damning report by an influential law reform group whose head warns that senior roles are still “dominated by white men”.’
The Guardian, 29th January 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Guidance on the court’s approach to challenges to planning permissions for quarrying in green belt (Haden v Shropshire Council) – No. 5 Chambers
‘Planning analysis: In Haden v Shropshire Council, the High Court rejected a legal challenge to a local planning authority’s (LPA’s) decision to grant planning permission for development of a sand and gravel quarry in the green belt. Nina Pindham, a barrister at No5 Barristers’ Chambers and counsel for the defendant, considers the case and its implications.’
No. 5 Chambers, 23rd January 2020
Source: www.no5.com
A legal duty to tackle inequality: Scotland first, Wales next, England when? – Cloisters
‘This month a public consultation is underway in Wales looking at implementing a duty on public bodies to consider the effect of policies on socio-economic inequality.’
Cloisters, 23rd January 2020
Source: www.cloisters.com
Be Careful What You Tweet For (part 2) – UK Human Rights Blog
‘The Claimant’s belief in Forstater – that “sex is biologically immutable” — denied trans people their legal right to be recognised as the sex they had transitioned to even when they had obtained a Gender Recognition Certificate. This right has been recognised for over a decade by the European Convention on Human Rights (“the Convention”) and by domestic law in the Gender Recognition Act 2004. The Claimant’s belief — in the words of Judge Tayler — also violated the dignity of trans people and created an “intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment” for them.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 24th January 2020
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
Gypsies and Travellers – time for a rethink – Nearly Legal
‘Over the last few years, there has been a real growth in “all borough” injunctions against anticipated trespass by gypsies and travellers. As far as the Court of Appeal could tell, there seem to be 38 presently in force. For obvious reasons, once one authority obtains such an injunction, the pressure builds on other authorities to do likewise. Moreover, because the injunctions are usually sought against “persons unknown” there are rarely, if ever, any represented defendants.’
Nearly Legal, 26th January 2020
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
Be Careful What You Tweet For (part 1) – UK Human Rights Blog
‘Forstater v CGD Europe & Others [2019] UKET 2200909/2019. Last month, the Central London Employment Tribunal held that a woman’s belief that “sex is biologically immutable” was not protected as a philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd January 2020
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
Court of Appeal rejects council bid for borough-wide injunction, issues guidance on tackling unauthorised encampments – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by the London Borough of Bromley over a High Court judge’s refusal to grant a borough-wide injunction on encampment at all accessible public spaces in the council’s area.’
Local Government Lawyer, 21st January 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Tribunal Judge loses case of race discrimination against fellow Judges – Ely Place Chambers
‘Employment Judge Snelson has handed down judgment in Kumrai v Ministry of Justice and others, an unusual case involving serious allegations of race discrimination by members of the senior judiciary in which the Claimant and all three Respondent witnesses were serving Tribunal Judges. The Claimant, a Judge of the First-Tier Tribunal, sued both the Regional Judge and President of the relevant chamber together with the Ministry of Justice, for direct race discrimination, harassment and victimisation.’
Ely Place Chambers, 14th January 2020
Source: elyplace.com
‘Victory’ For Traveller Communities Against Blanket Council Bans – Each Other
‘Local authorities who attempt to ban Travellers and Gypsies from vast swathes of public land risk breaching their “enshrined freedom” to roam the country, a court has ruled.’
Each Other, 21st January 2020
Source: eachother.org.uk
