Speech by President of the Queen’s Bench Division: Justice for the 21st Century – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘Sir Brian Leveson, President of the Queen’s Bench Division gave the Caroline Weatherill Lecture “Justice for the 21st Century” in the Isle of Man on 9 October 2015.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judicairy, 12th October 2015

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

EAD Solicitors and Ors v Abrams: Equality for all “Persons?” – Cloisters

‘Chris Milsom considers the recent EAT Judgment which decides that a limited company can sue for discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 .’

Full story

Cloisters, 29th September 2015

Source: www.cloisters.com

Gay man loses fight to secure equal pension rights for husband – The Guardian

‘A gay man has lost his appeal court bid to win his husband the same pension rights a wife would enjoy if he was in a heterosexual relationship.’

Full story

The Guardian, 6th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Court of Appeal set to rule in landmark case on pension benefits affecting surviving civil partners – OUT-LAW.com

‘The Court of Appeal in London is set to determine what pension benefits surviving civil partners are entitled to receive when their spouse dies in a landmark judgment due out on Tuesday.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 5th October 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Number of female judges in UK ‘snowballing’ despite equality row – The Guardian

Posted October 2nd, 2015 in equality, judicial appointments commission, judiciary, news, statistics, women by tracey

‘The rate at which women are being appointed judges is gathering momentum in a “snowball effect”, ensuring gender equality on the bench is not that far away despite remarks by supreme court justice Jonathan Sumption – so says a female judge involved in judicial selection.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

NUS begins legal action to prevent government scrapping maintenance grants – The Guardian

Posted September 25th, 2015 in budgets, education, equality, loans, news, trade unions, universities by sally

‘The National Union of Students has begun legal action to prevent the government scrapping maintenance grants.’

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Sexual harassment and universities’ legal obligations – the government’s new taskforce – Education Law Blog

‘Many of you will have heard about the government’s recent decision to set up a taskforce to tackle violence against women on campus. (See the government press release here.) This move is timeous or long overdue (depending on your viewpoint) in the light of the accumulating momentum of campaigns by various individuals and organisations to highlight the high incidence of sexual violence/harassment on campus.’

Full story

Education Law Blog, 23rd September 2015

Source: www.education11kbw.com

No rush for more women at the top of the legal profession, says senior judge – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 22nd, 2015 in costs, diversity, equality, human rights, judges, judiciary, legal profession, news, women by sally

‘Lord Sumption claims rushing to achieve equality could damage the judiciary.’
Full story

Daily Telegraph, 21st September 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Settled Gypsies could be forced back on to the road by new planning laws – The Independent

Posted September 21st, 2015 in equality, news, planning, travellers by sally

‘Gypsies and Travellers across Britain will be driven off sites they have made their home by new planning laws requiring them to prove that they are still itinerant. The move could cause a large increase in the number of unauthorised roadside camps, and force many families – including the infirm and those with children in school – on to the road against their will.’

Full story

The Independent, 19th September 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Court fee hikes will tip justice balance towards rich – bar – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 16th, 2015 in barristers, civil justice, consultations, courts, equality, fees, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘The Bar Council has warned that government plans to increase court fees for a second time would unbalance civil justice, giving rich people and big businesses an unfair advantage.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th September 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Regina (Unison) v Lord Chancellor, (Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening) (Nos 1 and 2) – WLR Daily

Regina (Unison) v Lord Chancellor, (Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening)(Nos 1 and 2)[2015] EWCA Civ 935; [2015] WLR (D) 370

‘The Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal Fees Order 2013 whereby fees were payable by a claimant or appellant on the commencement of a claim or an appeal and also in advance of the final hearing unless they were entitled to a remission on account of limited means was lawful and not discriminatory.’

WLR Daily, 26th August 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Law firms need to work on giving female barristers equal “crack of the whip” on instructions – Legal Futures

Posted September 3rd, 2015 in barristers, equality, law firms, news, women by sally

‘Male solicitors must be alert to their “unconscious assumptions” and ensure female barristers get an “equal crack of the whip in winning work on their merits”, the vice-chair of the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has said.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 2nd September 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Gay priest forced to wait for verdict in church discrimination tribunal – The Guardian

‘A clergyman who wed his partner in a same-sex marriage may have to wait until next year to find out whether a decision by the church to remove his right to officiate was discriminatory.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Lingering Gender Pay Gap – No. 5 Chambers

Posted August 28th, 2015 in equal pay, equality, news, women by sally

‘Jessica Smeaton looks at the government’s new consultation paper and the impact on large employers.’
Full story

No. 5 Chambers, 25th August 2015

Source: www.no5.com

Stop-and-search: Police training will challenge ‘unconscious bias’ of officers to cut down on unlawful use of tactic – The Independent

‘Hundreds of police officers around the country are to have their prejudices challenged by a training programme that aims to reduce discrimination among those using stop-and-search powers, a tactic that disproportionately targets people from ethnic minorities.’

Full story

The Independent, 22nd August 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Court overturns relaxed planning requirements for smaller English housing sites – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 10th, 2015 in appeals, codes of practice, equality, housing, local government, news, planning by sally

‘The UK government has been forced to withdraw the exemption from affordable housing contributions and the vacant building credit (VBC) for small housing developments in England after the High Court ruled it was unlawful.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 7th August 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Smashing stereotypes, childcare and class snobbery: My life as a female judge – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 6th, 2015 in equality, judiciary, news, women by sally

‘New figures show there are more judges under 40 than ever in Britain – and more than half of them are women. Here, Marilyn Mornington, who became a judge at 40, explains what it’s like being a woman at the top of the law.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 4th August 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Why doesn’t our judiciary reflect the diverse society it serves? – The Guardian

Posted August 6th, 2015 in equality, judiciary, news, women by sally

‘What percentage of court of appeal and high court judges would you guess are women? What about the proportion of black and minority ethnic (BME) members of the judiciary?’

Full story

The Guardian, 5th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (Child Soldiers International) v Secretary of State for Defence – WLR Daily

Posted August 4th, 2015 in age discrimination, armed forces, EC law, equality, law reports, news, regulations by sally

Regina (Child Soldiers International) v Secretary of State for Defence [2015] EWHC 2183 (Admin); [2015] WLR (D) 343

‘Article 3(4) of Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation gave member states an unqualified and unrestricted power not to apply the Directive to the armed forces, so that the terms of the Army Terms of Service Regulations 2007 were not incompatible with equal treatment under the Directive.’

WLR Daily, 24th July 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Mothers Confined – Part 2: Time for action – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

It is plain that across the board there is a desire for change in relation to women and criminal justice. Many examples exists of wonderful, creative, worthwhile and even evidently successful projects in relation to diverting women away from custody and improving conditions for women who lose their liberty. Research related to women and criminal justice is ongoing from a range of respected and vociferous advocates such as Women’s Breakout, The Prison Reform Trust, Women in Prison and Halsbury’s Law Exchange to name but a few – many working together to effect change. There is no doubt that evidence and recommendations from each of these respected bodies – and more alongside them – will call for real change, offering genuine educated and reasonable arguments for doing so. However arguably (at least for now), the real “power” lies with the Courts, ergo it is the Courts who need to be at the vanguard of change.

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 3rd August 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk