Yarl’s Wood: Undercover tour of detention centre with dreadful reputation for its treatment of asylum seekers – The Independent

‘The Detention Centre in Bedfordshire – privately run, but publicly funded – has a dreadful reputation for its treatment of asylum seekers. Cole Moreton found a way inside to see if its notoriety is deserved.’

Full story

The Independent, 16th November 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Government may weigh rights against national security without courts’ interference – UK Human Rights Blog

‘R (on the application of Lord Carlile of Berriew QC and others) (Appellants) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Respondent) [2014] UKSC 60. The exclusion of a dissident Iranian from the UK, on grounds that her presence would have a damaging impact on our interests in relation to Iran, has been upheld by the Supreme Court.’

Full story

Uk Human Rights Blog, 12th November 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Regina (Lord Carlile of Berriew and others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily

Regina (Lord Carlile of Berriew and others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department: [2014] UKSC 60; [2014] WLR (D) 479

‘The Home Secretary’s decision to maintain an order excluding the entry into the United Kingdom of a dissident Iranian politician, invited by members of the Houses of Parliament to meet them in London to discuss human rights and democratic issues in Iran, was not a disproportionate interference with their right to freedom of expression under article 10 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms: the Home Secretary was entitled to accept the recommendation of the Foreign Secretary that to permit such entry would risk jeopardising the United Kingdom’s diplomatic and economic interests and might provoke a violent reaction in Iran resulting in damage to British property and endangering the safety of British and local personnel.’

WLR Daily, 12th November 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Human Rights and the Common Law – Where Next after Kennedy v the Charity Commission? The Jan Grodecki Lecture 2014

Posted November 12th, 2014 in human rights, lectures by sally

‘Human Rights and the Common Law – Where Next after Kennedy v the Charity Commission? The Jan Grodecki Lecture 2014 by Michael Tugendhat at the University of Leicester School of Law on 23rd October, 2014.’

Full lecture

University of Leicester, 23rd October 2014

Source: www.le.ac.uk

Be wary of judicial slogans – Jonathan Sumption – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 11th, 2014 in human rights, judges, news, proportionality, speeches by sally

‘In his lecture to the Administrative Law Bar Association earlier this month, Lord Sumption surveys the concept of “anxious scrutiny” – a judicial method which he characterises as a forerunner to the principle of proportionality. The term was actually coined by Lord Bridge in Bugdaycay (1986), and was meant to apply where the rights engaged in a case were sufficiently fundamental, and stretched the traditional “Wednesbury” test to public authority decisions or actions which were not, on the face of it, irrational. (The citation given in the PDF of the speech incidentally is incorrect). The same way of thinking had been arrived at in the US courts a few years earlier, with their “hard look” doctrine, but to Lord Sumption there was something peculiarly English about the “crab-like” way in which our courts approached and eventually acknowledged this doctrine, hitherto alien to the judicial toolbox.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 10th November 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Delays in prisoner rehabilitation did not breach Convention – Strasbourg Court – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 10th, 2014 in human rights, news, parole, prisons, rehabilitation by sally

‘Two prisoners have failed in their human rights protest against prison rehabilitation courses in the United Kingdom.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 7th November 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Control and restraint techniques used on people being removed from UK are lawful, says Court of Appeal – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 7th, 2014 in aircraft, human rights, immigration, news, restraint by sally

‘R (on the application of FI) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2014] EWCA Civ 1272. The Court of Appeal has held that the physical restraint of persons being removed from the UK by aircraft is subject to a sufficient framework of safeguards to fulfil the state’s obligations under Articles 2 and 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Further, the decision of the Home Secretary not to publish aspects of the applicable policy on the use of such control and restraint is lawful.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 7th November 2014

Source: http://ukhumanrightsblog.com/

Deportation of Lebanese man with Down’s ‘inhumane’ – Vince Cable – The Guardian

Posted November 7th, 2014 in appeals, deportation, human rights, immigration, learning difficulties, news by sally

‘The proposed deportation of a Lebanese man with Down’s syndrome has been branded “fundamentally inhumane” by the business secretary, Vince Cable. Wadih Chourey, 44, has lived in Twickenham, south-west London, for the past 17 years after seeking refuge from abuse in Beirut. But both his parents have since died and his brother Camil, 52, said he would be unable to care for himself in Lebanon.’

Full story

The Guardian, 6th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Anxious Scrutiny – Speech by Lord Sumption

Posted November 6th, 2014 in human rights, news, proportionality, speeches, treaties by sally

Anxious Scrutiny (PDF)

Lord Sumption

Administrative Law Bar Association Annual Lecture, 4th November 2014

Source: www.supremecourt.uk

Letting in a chink of light to closed material cases : Bank Mellat again – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 6th, 2014 in banking, closed material, disclosure, human rights, news, setting aside by sally

‘Fireworks here from Collins J in making sure that Bank Mellat got some disclosure of information in its fight to discharge a financial restriction order against it.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 5th November 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

VB (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent); EN (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent); CM (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent); CU (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent) – Supreme Court

VB (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent); EN (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent); CM (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent); CU (Appellant) v Westminster Magistrates’ Court (Respondent) [2014] UKSC 59 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 5th November 2014

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Supreme Court to rule on Rwandan genocide extradition this week – The Independent

‘Supreme Court judges will be asked this week to rule whether five men accused of taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide should be extradited to face trial.’

Full story

The Independent, 2nd November 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Modern slavery bill is ‘lost opportunity’, says human trafficking adviser – The Guardian

‘The government’s modern slavery bill is a “lost opportunity,” the home secretary’s former special envoy for human trafficking has warned. Anthony Steen, who advised on the legislation and chairs the Human Trafficking Foundation, said the bill, which will be debated in parliament on Tuesday for its third reading, had “yawning gaps”, and failed to focus on the needs of victims of trafficking in the UK.’

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge attacks legal aid cuts as couple fight to keep their son – The Independent

‘One of Britain’s most senior judges has launched a withering attack on cuts to legal aid after a couple with learning disabilities was not provided with a lawyer to fight the forced adoption of their two-year-old son.’

Full story

The Independent, 31st October 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Removal of subsidy for spare room not unlawful – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 31st, 2014 in benefits, children, housing, human rights, judicial review, news, residence orders by sally

‘Whether you call it the “spare room subsidy” or the “bedroom tax”, the removal of this type of housing benefit has been nothing short of controversial. There have been several previous legal challenges to the Regulations, as well as to the benefit cap introduced as part of the same package of welfare changes. The outcome of these cases was not promising for these claimants, in particular the decision of the Court of Appeal in R (MA) v Secretary of State for Work & Pensions [2014] EWCA Civ 13. Another important case is R (SG (previously JS)) v Secretary of State for Work & Pensions [2014] EWCA Civ 156.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 29th October 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Dinah Rose QC: “Give MPs a constitution crash course” – The Lawyer

Posted October 30th, 2014 in barristers, constitutional law, human rights, news, parliament, rule of law, speeches by sally

‘New Members of Parliament should be given training on the constitution and the rule of law, one of the UK’s most prominent barristers has suggested.’

Full story

The Lawyer, 29th October 2014

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Naked Rambler loses at European court over right to public nudity – The Guardian

‘A man known as the Naked Rambler has lost his case at the European court of human rights where, he claimed he had a right to bare all in public.’

Full story

The Guardian, 28th October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (Barclay and another) v Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and others (No 2) (Attorney General of Jersey and another intervening) – WLR Daily

Posted October 28th, 2014 in appeals, Guernsey, human rights, law reports, orders in council, Sark, Supreme Court by sally

Regina (Barclay and another) v Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and others (No 2) (Attorney General of Jersey and another intervening) [2014] UKSC 54; [2014] WLR (D) 446

‘Although the courts of the United Kingdom had jurisdiction judicially to review an Order in Council made on the advice of the Government of the United Kingdom acting in whole or in part in the interests of the United Kingdom, there were circumstances in which the court should nevertheless decline to entertain a claim for judicial review. The Queen’s Bench Divisional Court ought to have declined to entertain a human rights-compatibility challenge to legislation enacted in respect of the Island of Sark— a Crown dependency which was part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey but not of the United Kingdom— since it ought properly to have been brought before the bailiwick courts for determination under the island’s own human rights legislation.’

WLR Daily, 22nd October 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Government not required to disclose full details of defence – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The High Court has ruled that in a case against the state which did not directly affect the liberty of the subject, there was no irreducible minimum of disclosure of the state’s case which the court would require. The consequences of such disclosure for national security prevailed.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 27th October 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Separated families and bedroom tax – NearlyLegal

Posted October 24th, 2014 in benefits, children, families, housing, human rights, news by sally

‘This was the Liberty backed judicial review of the bedroom tax regulations on the basis that the regulations amounted to an article 8 breach, or an article 14 breach read with article 8, or that the regulations were irrational. At issue was the status of separated families where there was shared care.’

Full story

NearlyLegal, 23rd October 2014

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk