Andy Tsege: High Court rejects 9-year-old’s plea for UK to bring back British father kidnapped by Ethiopia – The Independent

‘The High Court has rejected the case of a nine-year-old British girl demanding Theresa May’s government do more to help her father, who has been kidnapped by the Ethiopian authorities and now faces an impending death sentence.’

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The Independent, 7th September 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Supreme Court refuses to hear appeal over transport to regeneration site – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 31st, 2016 in appeals, government departments, news, railways, Supreme Court, transport by sally

‘The Supreme Court has refused to give the London Borough of Enfield permission to appeal in a dispute with the Government over the number of trains stopping near a major regeneration scheme.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 31st August 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Suicides of benefit claimants reveal DWP flaws, says inquiry – The Guardian

‘A series of secret internal inquiries into the deaths of people claiming social security reveal that ministers were repeatedly warned of shortcomings in the treatment of vulnerable claimants facing potentially traumatic cuts to their benefits entitlements.’

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The Guardian, 13th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK government spent £105,000 in legal fees on lost air pollution case – The Guardian

‘The government spent at least £105,000 in legal costs while fighting and losing a court challenge over illegal levels of air pollution, according to data released through freedom of information rules, and now faces further bills from a new case it is contesting.’

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The Guardian, 11th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ministry of Defence faces legal claims over malaria drug – BBC News

‘A group of military personnel are seeking damages from the Ministry of Defence over an anti-malarial drug they say has caused mental health problems.’

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BBC News, 11th May 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ministers back down on rule ‘gagging’ scientists – The Guardian

Posted April 20th, 2016 in freedom of expression, government departments, lobbying, news by sally

‘Ministers have exempted thousands of scientists from a controversial “gagging clause” that would have prevented the academics from trying to influence government on public policy matters.’

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The Guardian, 19th April 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Secret court hearing to rule on Foreign Office’s evaluation of human rights – The Guardian

‘A three-year battle by the Foreign Office (FCO) to keep secret how diplomatic issues colour its human rights decisions reached its climax on Thursday, in a court case that was itself largely held in secret at the insistence of the security services.’

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The Guardian, 7th April 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Department for Business ‘failing to uphold human rights commitments’ – The Guardian

Posted February 23rd, 2016 in government departments, human rights, news, select committees by sally

‘Civil servants in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are giving British companies the all-clear to press ahead with contracts even though they are likely to lead to human rights abuses, the foreign affairs select committee will be told on Tuesday.’

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The Guardian, 22nd February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Inquiry into foreign backers of UK extremists gets green light – The Guardian

Posted January 18th, 2016 in government departments, inquiries, Islam, news, Saudi Arabia, terrorism by tracey

‘The Home Office’s new extremism analysis unit has been directed by Downing Street to specifically examine the scale and origin of funding of extremist groups in the UK with a remit to follow overseas funding streams.’

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The Guardian, 17th January 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Home Office loses track of more than 10,000 asylum seekers – The Guardian

Posted December 18th, 2015 in asylum, enforcement, government departments, immigration, news by tracey

‘The Home Office has lost touch with more than 10,000 asylum seekers in Britain and efforts to trace them are considered “a drain on resources”, the official immigration watchdog has revealed.’

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The Guardian, 17th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Home Office ‘used wrong law’ in bid to send high-risk Jamaican criminal home – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 14th, 2015 in deportation, drug offences, government departments, human rights, immigration, news by sally

‘Michael Evans Clarke will be allowed to stay in Britain indefinitely under human rights laws following the Home Office gaffe.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th December 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Upper Tribunal continues to refuse to enforce procedure rules against Home Office – Free Movement

Posted December 4th, 2015 in costs, government departments, immigration, judicial review, news by tracey

‘In the recent case of R (on the application of Turay) v Secretary of State for the Home Department IJR [2015] UKUT 485 (IAC) Mr Ockelton, the Deputy President of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the Upper Tribunal, concludes (1) that applicants for judicial review cannot supplement or amend their position but (2) the Home Office can.’

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Free Movement, 2nd December 2015

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Attorney General’s guidelines on information security and government work – Attorney General’s Office

‘Guidelines for civil panel counsel, revised to include the new government security classifications.’

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Attorney General’s Office, 18th November 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/ago

Government loses ‘pollutant of publicity’ FOI case – BBC News

Posted November 16th, 2015 in freedom of information, government departments, news by tracey

‘The Cabinet Office has lost a tribunal case where it argued that publicly revealing how often a cabinet committee meets would harm the workings of government by introducing the “pollutant of publicity”.’

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BBC News, 16th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Barristers “under pressure” to agree not to act against big clients if they want their work – Legal Futures

‘Barristers need to resist pressure from big clients and government departments to agree not to act against them in the future if they want instructions, the Bar Council has said.’

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Legal Futures, 11th November 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Home Office criticised over delays in immigration cases – BBC News

Posted November 10th, 2015 in complaints, delay, government departments, immigration, news, ombudsmen, reports by sally

‘The Home Office has been accused of delays and poor decision making in its handling of immigration cases.’

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BBC News, 10th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Freedom of Information Act misused by media to create stories, says Grayling – The Guardian

Posted October 30th, 2015 in freedom of information, government departments, media, news by sally

‘A Conservative cabinet minister has signalled a crackdown on the “misuse” of freedom of information requests as a means of researching stories for journalists.

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The Guardian, 29th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Approach of Home Office to nationality case “astonishing and grotesque” rules High Court – Free Movement

Posted October 16th, 2015 in citizenship, DNA, government departments, India, news, paternity by sally

‘The case is R (Bondada) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] EWHC 2661 (Admin), a challenge to a refusal by British officials to recognise the British citizenship of a lady who was a survivor of domestic violence looking to rebuild her life.’

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Free Movement, 16th October 2015

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Judge attacks government’s ‘grotesque’ conduct in denying woman UK passport – The Guardian

Posted October 16th, 2015 in citizenship, DNA, government departments, India, news, paternity by sally

‘The government tried to deny a passport to the daughter of a British citizen in conduct described as “grotesque” by a high court judge.’

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The Guardian, 15th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government refuses to publish legal basis for air strikes on Syria – The Independent

‘Two Government departments have refused to publish the legal advice that paved the way for Britain to launch a drone strike on Isis targets in Syria.’

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The Independent, 9th October 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk