Charging disabled persons for services – Local Government Lawyer

‘A recent challenge to Birmingham City Council’s policy to charge disabled persons for services at the statutory maximum has failed. Joe Thomas explains why.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 31st May 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Hull hospital doctor struck off for ‘sexual harassment’ – BBC News

‘A doctor who inappropriately touched two junior female colleagues has been struck off the medical register.’

Full Story

BBC News, 28th May 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Section 23 Care Act and a need for accommodation – Nearly Legal

‘Campbell, R (On the Application Of) v London Borough of Ealing (2024) EWCA Civ 540. This was an appeal from a judicial review of Ealing’s decision in May 2022 to end funding for Mr Campbell’s temporary bed and breakfast accommodation that had been provided by Social Services since 2016. Mr C had been placed in temporary accommodation in Ealing’s area by LB Hillingdon under Part VII Housing Act 1996. Hillingdon then apparently discharged duty. Ealing Social Services then took over funding the accommodation (and various subsequent temporary accommodation) on, they said, the basis that it was “exercising its statutory power under s.19(3) Care Act 2014 to provide care and support in the form of accommodation pending a needs assessment”.’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 28th May 2024

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

The new law on sexual harassment in the workplace – Local Government Lawyer

Posted May 29th, 2024 in employment, equality, harassment, local government, news, sex discrimination by tracey

‘The Government has recently passed new legislation to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 is due to come into force on 26 October 2024. Nicole Natur takes a closer look at the Act and how it will impact employers, as well as the steps that should be taken in order to prepare for the change.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 28th May 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Neurodiversity in academic misconduct: considerations for accessibility, equity and inclusion – Kingsley Napley Regulatory Blog

‘As artificial intelligence technologies (“AI”) progress, universities face heightened pressure to detect and address academic dishonesty, including plagiarism and collusion. Receiving an allegation of academic misconduct is a difficult experience for any student, but for neurodivergent students, this process can add layers of complexity and emotional strain.’

Full Story

Kingsley Napley Regulatory Blog, 20th May 2024

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

Disabled benefit claimants may have been mistreated – BBC News

Posted May 23rd, 2024 in benefits, disabled persons, equality, news, social security by sally

‘The government is being investigated by the equalities watchdog over claims that its treatment of disabled benefits claimants may have broken the law.’

Full Story

BBC News, 22nd May 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inquiry to begin into DWP’s treatment of ill and disabled people on benefits – The Guardian

‘The treatment of chronically ill and disabled people by welfare officials, including benefits decisions subsequently linked to the deaths of vulnerable claimants, is to be formally investigated by Britain’s human rights watchdog.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 22nd May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Employees and mental health – Local Government Lawyer

‘Do you have to excuse poor behaviour from an employee with a mental health problem? That was the issue the tribunal had to decide in a recent case, reports Jo Moseley.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 17th May 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

R v Michaela Community Schools Trust: Human Rights and Freedom of Religion in the UK – Oxford Human Rights Hub

‘The relationship between Islam, religious freedom, and human rights has long been a subject of debate in Britain. However, the significance of the latest instalment in this saga, the judgment of R v Michaela Community Schools Trust, lies not in Islam’s relationship with secularism or human rights but instead in illustrating the incoherence of British ideas on freedom of religion.’

Full Story

Oxford Human Rights Hub, 16th May 2024

Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk

McCloud Costs Directions: BMA v HM Treasury – Pensions Barrister

Posted May 16th, 2024 in age discrimination, costs, equality, judicial review, news, pensions by sally

‘Edward Sawyer of Wilberforce Chambers discusses the Court of Appeal’s decision in BMA v HM Treasury, which upheld the validity of directions made by the Treasury to charge members rather than taxpayers with the costs of remedying the discrimination in public sector schemes following the McCloud litigation.’

Full Story

Pensions Barrister, 16th May 2024

Source: www.pensionsbarrister.com

Supporting disability at the Bar is a work of A.R.T. – Counsel

‘The Bar is slowly addressing the barriers to attracting disabled talent, says Daniel Holt, but there are more ways chambers can authentically commit to disability inclusion.’

Full Story

Counsel, May 2024

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Parts of police act ‘intrude’ on lives of Gypsies and Travellers, court finds – The Guardian

Posted May 15th, 2024 in equality, human rights, news, police, race discrimination, travellers by sally

‘A high court judge has found parts of the UK government’s policing legislation to be in breach of human rights law, with its powers capable of causing a “significant intrusion” on the lives of Gypsies and Travellers.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 14th May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

In a high-profile ruling, the High Court has rejected a legal challenge to a school prayer ban. Philip Wood explains why – Local Government Lawyer

Posted May 14th, 2024 in equality, human rights, news, religious discrimination, school children by tracey

‘The High Court has dismissed a challenge from a pupil at the Michaela Community School, a secondary school in Wembley, London, who argued that a ban on prayer in the school was a breach of the Equality Act as well as her Human Rights. There was also a related challenge to two suspensions that the pupil had received on the basis that they were not procedurally fair.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 10th May 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Restoring faith: Marina Wheeler KC – Counsel

‘The “non-party political” employment silk advising Labour talks to Stephanie Hayward about employer failure to tackle workplace sexual harassment and the urgent need to reinvent whistleblowing culture.’

Full Story

Counsel, May 2024

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Pupillage providers using blind recruitment “are less diverse” – Legal Futures

Posted May 8th, 2024 in barristers, diversity, equality, news, pupillage, statistics by tracey

‘Pupillage providers using blind or contextual recruitment techniques have a higher proportion of male and White pupils than those who do not, research by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has found.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 8th May 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Schoolgirls treated differently to boys – Ofsted – BBC News

‘Girls at a Bradford primary school told Ofsted inspectors they are treated differently to boys during an inspection last September.’

Full Story

BBC News, 7th May 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Garrick Club votes to accept female members for first time – The Guardian

Posted May 8th, 2024 in clubs, diversity, equality, gender, news, women by tracey

‘The men-only Garrick Club has finally voted to allow women to become members, 193 years after the London institution first opened its doors.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 7th May 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Bar earnings gap a “serious cultural and structural problem” – Legal Futures

‘The earnings gap between male and female barristers is not explained by caring responsibilities, choice of practice area, or amount of legally aided work”, new research by the Bar Council has found.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 24th April 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

UK policy denying visas to children of care workers faces legal challenge – The Guardian

‘An organisation that supports migrant workers has launched a legal challenge against the government’s new policy to bar care workers from bringing children and partners to the UK, warning that it is “tearing families apart”.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 26th April 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Reasonable Adjustments: Trial Periods and the Burden of Proof – 3PB

‘Stephen Wyeth reviews Rentokil Initial UK Ltd v Miller [2024] EAT 37 which deals with the issue of whether trial periods can be a reasonable adjustment in the context of existing case law and offers some useful discussion about how the burden of proof shifts in such cases.’

Full Story

3PB, 26th March 2024

Source: www.3pb.co.uk