Equal Treatment Bench Book – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted November 8th, 2013 in diversity, documents, equality, judiciary, news by tracey

“The Equal Treatment Bench Book, a guide for judges, magistrates and all other judicial office-holders, has been revised and updated.”

Full text

Judiciary of England and Wales, 6th November 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Five disabled people win independent living fund appeal – The Guardian

“Five disabled people have won their court of appeal bid to overturn the government’s decision to abolish the independent living fund (ILF).”

Full story

The Guardian, 6th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Bar in society: A vital force for good – Speech by Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

The Bar in society: A vital force for good (PDF)

Speech by Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

Annual Bar Conference, 2nd November 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

The courts are secular, says top family judge – Law Society’s Gazette

“The law has a neutral view of religious belief, the president of the Family Division said today, stressing the secular nature of the judges’ job.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 29th October 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Ombudsman could rule on Church of England disputes – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 28th, 2013 in Church of England, clergy, complaints, equality, news, ombudsmen, women by sally

“Church of England proposes setting up an ombudsman to handle complaints arising from the introduction of women bishops.”

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Daily Telegraph, 25th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Social mobility – is law leading the way? – Legal Week

Posted October 25th, 2013 in diversity, equality, legal profession, news, reports by sally

“The latest Alan Milburn report on social mobility has produced a little backslapping in legal circles, primarily because of this judgment: “Professions are undertaking more activity in order to improve but results are mixed: law leads medicine, media, politics and finance.”

Full story

Legal Week, 24th October 2013

Source: www.legalweek.com

Ministeriet for Forskning, Innovation og Videregaende Uddannelser v Manova A/S – WLR Daily

Posted October 18th, 2013 in EC law, equality, law reports, public procurement, tenders by tracey

Ministeriet for Forskning, Innovation og Videregaende Uddannelser v Manova A/S; (Case C-336/12);   [2013] WLR (D)  383

“The principle of equal treatment did not preclude a contracting authority from asking a candidate, after the deadline for applying to take part in the contracts award procedures pursuant to Parliament and Council Directive 2004/18/EC, to provide documents describing that candidate’s situation which could be objectively shown to pre-date that deadline.”

WLR Daily, 10th October 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Most gay hate crimes go unreported, Stonewall survey finds – The Independent

“More than three-quarters of gay, bisexual and lesbian victims of hate crime did not report it to the police, a survey found.”

Full story

The Independent, 15th October 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Female lawyers earn a third less than males – The Lawyer

Posted October 11th, 2013 in diversity, equal pay, equality, legal profession, news by sally

“Female lawyers receive just 68 per cent of male lawyers’ total remuneration, while the average bonus given to a woman equals just half that of men’s bonuses, research by recruiter Laurence Simons has revealed.”

Full story

The Lawyer, 10th October 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Legal aid protests held by UK Uncut – BBC News

Posted October 7th, 2013 in budgets, demonstrations, equality, legal aid, news by sally

“Demonstrators have staged events across England in opposition to planned changes to legal aid.”

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BBC News, 5th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Michael Mansfield: ‘Nowadays there’s one rule for the rich, and another for the poor’ – The Independent

Posted September 30th, 2013 in barristers, budgets, equality, inquiries, legal aid, news by sally

“He has represented everyone from the Lawrence family to the Hillsborough victims. But, he tells Emily Dugan, cuts to legal aid mean he can now only exist as a ‘virtual lawyer’.”

Full story

The Independent, 27th September 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Betriu Montull v Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social (INSS) – WLR Daily

Betriu Montull v Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social (INSS) (Case C-5/12); [2013] WLR (D) 354

“Council Directives 92/85/EEC of 19 October 1992 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding and 76/207/EEC of 9 February 1976 on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions did not preclude a national measure which provided that the father of a child, who was an employed person, was entitled, with the consent of the mother, who was also an employed person, to take maternity leave for the period following the compulsory leave of six weeks which the mother had to take after childbirth except where her health would be at risk, whereas a father of a child who was an employed person was not entitled to take such leave where the mother of his child was not an employed person and was not covered by a State social security scheme.”

WLR Daily, 19th September 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Inheriting aristocratic titles: what’s in a name? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted September 23rd, 2013 in equality, news, parliament, peerages & dignities, sex discrimination, women by sally

“Reforming the law on the inheritance of an aristocratic title was never really going to be a popular rallying cry, but it’s in the news again. The Earldom of Northesk is one of the great titles (albeit with no huge estate or wealth) that by a curious twist of fate has passed to a male descendent of the cadet branching of the family from 1654 rather than the 14th Earl’s daughter, Lady Carnegie. What is now more interesting about this is we now have a contrasting legal position to compare it with, s 1 of the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 which removes gender from the question of who inherits the Throne. Primogeniture, the benefit of the eldest male child for centuries, has been changed and so – ask a number of Lords and Ladies – should this not be changed for them as well?”

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 20th September 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Women are legally free to abort a baby because of its sex, says abortion charity head – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 18th, 2013 in abortion, charities, Crown Prosecution Service, doctors, equality, gender, news, prosecutions by sally

“The chief executive of Britain’s biggest abortion charity has said women are legally free to arrange an abortion because they are unhappy with the sex of their unborn baby.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 18th September 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Damian Green Speech to the annual Superintendents’ Conference – Home Office

Posted September 12th, 2013 in crime prevention, diversity, equality, police, speeches by tracey

“Damian Green Speech to the annual Superintendents’ Conference on Wednesday (11 September).”

Full speech

Home Office, 11th September 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Employment law means all workers are equal – wherever they come from – The Guardian

Posted August 13th, 2013 in employment, equality, news, remuneration by sally

“The only way the law could be changed to allow British workers to receive favourable treatment in the recruitment market would be if the UK unwound its membership of the European Union. Otherwise it would be illegal under the Equality Act to discriminate against Polish workers or any other group from the EU.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th August 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

High Court rejects challenge to maximum expenditure policy on adult care – Local Government Lawyer

“A High Court judge has rejected claims that a council unlawfully decided to introduce a ‘maximum expenditure policy’ on funding for adult care packages where people choose to live in the community.”

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th August 2013

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Home Office may have broken the law in ‘racist’ spot checks on suspected illegal immigrants – and may have questioned domestic violence victims – The Independent

“The Home Office is facing an investigation into whether its officials broke the law by carrying out ‘racist’ spot checks to find illegal immigrants, as it emerged that domestic violence victims may also have been questioned about their right to be in Britain.”

Full story

The Independent, 3rd August 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Cuts to legal aid are an attack on working class, says ’80s miners’ lawyer – The Independent

Posted August 5th, 2013 in budgets, equality, legal aid, miners, news, police by sally

“A leading civil-rights lawyer who helped striking miners successfully fight false accusations from police during the infamous ‘Battle of Orgreave’ has said it would now be much harder for them to achieve justice under the Government’s legal aid reforms.”

Full story

The Independent, 4th August 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Not equal everywhere: legal problems for gay couples who emigrate – Daily Telegraph

“Same-sex couples face continued uncertainty over their legal rights abroad that could leave them vulnerable. Family lawyer Fiona Wood explains more.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 30th July 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk