Part Four: The Future of Human Rights in the UK – Each Other

‘As has become apparent amid the tumult of COVID-19, our understanding of human rights is constantly developing. We have published a mini-series of explainers reviewing the history of our rights and where these leave us standing today. Part 1 looked at the modern history of human rights themselves. Part 2 asked what is the link between social justice and human rights? Part 3 looked at how COVID-19 has affected our human rights. This fourth and final part of our human rights explainer series touches upon the future of human rights in the UK.’

Part one
Part two
Part three

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Each Other, 5th May 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

How will the new UK residential property developer tax work? – Practical Law: Construction Blog

‘On 29 April 2021, the government published a consultation on what is to be called the Residential Property Developer Tax (or RPDT). This sets out proposals for the design of a new tax to be charged on the largest residential property developers.’

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Practical Law: Construction Blog , 5th May 2021

Source: constructionblog.practicallaw.com

Taskforce launched to investigate reported rise in pet thefts – Home Office

Posted May 10th, 2021 in animals, crime prevention, government departments, press releases, theft by tracey

‘Taskforce will investigate and draw up action to tackle these crimes.’

Full press release

Home Office, 8th May 2021

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Deaths of people on benefits prompt inquiry call – BBC News

‘The family of a woman who took a fatal overdose after her benefit payments were cut say they have begun a legal claim against the government.’

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BBC News, 10th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Home Office unlawfully stopped family joining Windrush woman, court rules – The Guardian

‘The Home Office unlawfully prevented the children and husband of a Windrush generation woman from joining her in the UK, separating the family for almost three years in a manner the high court ruled represented “a colossal interference” in her right to family life.’

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The Guardian, 6th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Judge criticises Priti Patel over policy for asylum seekers in pandemic – The Guardian

‘A high court judge has criticised the British home secretary in court and said he found it “extremely troubling” after one of her officials admitted the Home Office might have acted unlawfully in changing its asylum accommodation policy during the pandemic.’

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The Guardian, 6th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mikołaj Barczentewicz: Should Cart Judicial Reviews be Abolished? Empirically Based Response – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The Government adopted a recommendation of the Independent Review of Administrative Law that Cart judicial reviews should be abolished. The reasons given by the Review for that recommendation have been criticised on this blog by Joe Tomlinson & Alison Pickup and by Joanna Bell. The Review (and the Government) claimed that there is only a 0.22% rate of success in Cart judicial reviews (“Cart JRs”), which makes the expenditure of judicial resources on dealing with Cart claims disproportionate. Tomlinson & Pickup and Bell noted that this figure is almost certainly incorrect, but they were not able to say what the true rate of success is due to the unavailability of necessary data. To address that, I conducted an unprecedented empirical study concluding that the success rate of Cart reviews is at least over ten times higher than the Review’s calculation. Here, I briefly summarize the results of my study and argue that in the light of that evidence the Government should propose to put the Cart procedure on a statutory footing, but not abolish it.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 5th May 2021

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Windrush scandal: Concern over wait for compensation – BBC News

‘Campaigners say they are concerned about the low number of compensation payments to victims of the Windrush scandal.’

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BBC News, 4th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

More trafficking victims facing forcible removal from UK under rule change – The Guardian

‘More victims of trafficking will be locked up in detention and forcibly removed from the UK after MPs approved a change in Home Office rules relating to this vulnerable group, campaigners have warned.’

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The Guardian, 5th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ep 143: Henry VIII Powers undermining parliamentary supremacy – Law Pod UK

‘In this episode, Rosalind English discusses with Sarabjit Singh and Isabel McArdle of 1 Crown Office Row a number of laws containing “Henry VIII” powers which allow ministers to avoid full parliamentary debate.’

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Law Pod UK, 4th May 2021

Source: audioboom.com

Landmark Domestic Abuse Bill receives Royal Assent  – Home Office

‘The Bill provides protection to millions of people who experience domestic abuse and strengthens measures to tackle perpetrators.’

Full press release

Home Office, 29th April 2021

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

‘A hugely retrograde step’: Cross-party MPs attack Home Office plans to lock up more trafficking survivors – The Independent

‘Cross-party MPs have attacked Home Office plans that will see more trafficking survivors locked up in immigration detention and threatened with removal, warning that it is a “hugely retrograde step”.’

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The Independent, 29th April 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Boy wins case against Home Office policy of no recourse to public funds – The Guardian

Posted April 30th, 2021 in benefits, children, government departments, immigration, news by tracey

‘A five-year-old boy has won a case against the Home Office as high court judges declared the government’s “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF) policy unlawful for the second time in a year because it drives some families into destitution and breaches the duty to safeguard child welfare. Thousands of children living in poverty are likely to benefit from the ruling.’

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The Guardian, 29th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Grenfell survivors condemn ‘grave injustice’ as leaseholders left facing huge bills to remove cladding – The Independent

Posted April 30th, 2021 in accidents, bills, building law, fire, government departments, housing, leases, loans, news, victims by tracey

‘Survivors and bereaved relatives from the Grenfell Tower fire disaster say they are furious after parliament voted for measures that will leave householders facing huge bills for removing dangerous cladding from homes.’

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The Independent, 29th April 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Sham’: 200 groups criticise UK government consultation on refugee policy – The Guardian

‘Almost 200 organisations have branded a government consultation on fundamental changes to refugee policy “a sham”. A total of 192 refugee, human rights, legal and faith groups have signed a public statement condemning the six-week consultation on the government’s New Plan for Immigration as “vague, unworkable, cruel and potentially unlawful”.’

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The Guardian, 30th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

PM can be challenged in court over Priti Patel bullying decision, hearing rules – The Guardian

‘Boris Johnson’s decision to back Priti Patel and disregard the findings of his adviser on ministerial standards that the home secretary had bullied staff can be challenged in court, a hearing has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 27th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Nicholas Reed Langen: Confronting Climate Change in the Courts – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘Talk is cheap. Governments, particularly wealthy, western ones, have been quick to make promises on climate change. They swear blind that they understand the threat the world faces, and that they will implement a policy response commensurate with it. Few nations have adopted this rhetoric as determinedly as the UK, with the British government promising to transform the UK into a net-zero country by 2050, an oath enshrined in law through the passing of the Climate Change Act 2008 (Order 2019) by Parliament in the summer of 2019.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 27th April 2021

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Grenfell: Government defeated on fire safety costs bill – BBC News

‘The government has been defeated for a fourth time on its Fire Safety Bill as the House of Lords voted to shield residents from fire safety work costs.’

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BBC News, 27th April 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

I suffered faith-based conversion therapy – Boris Johnson’s religious loophole is deeply worrying – The Independent

‘By creating exemptions in legislation to ban conversion therapies, we leave thousands of young people vulnerable to abuse. I can no more cure my sexuality than I can scrub the brown from my skin.’

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The Independent, 28th April 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Dropping of stalkers’ register from bill an ‘insult to victims’ – The Guardian

‘Ministers have been accused of misleading and insulting victims after a push by a cross-party group of peers to create an automatic register of dangerous domestic abusers and stalkers was dropped.’

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The Guardian, 27th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com