Gay discrimination and Christian belief: Analysis of Bull v. Hall in the Supreme Court – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The recent confirmation by the Supreme Court that it was unlawful discrimination for Christian hotel owners to refuse a double-bedded room to a same-sex couple was of considerable interest as the latest in a string of high-profile cases involving religious belief and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation (and the first such judgment involving the highest court in the land). We have already provided a summary of the facts and judgment here, and our post on the Court of Appeal ruling can be found here.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 11th December 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

A tale of three murderers – BBC News

Posted December 11th, 2013 in human rights, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘Three murderers were sentenced to life imprisonment on one day. The minimum terms set were 18, 27 and 40 years. Why were they so different?’

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BBC News, 11th December 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Mba v Merton London Borough Council – WLR Daily

Mba v Merton London Borough Council [2013] EWCA Civ 1562; [2013] WLR (D) 474

‘A provision put in place by a council care home requiring a worker who was a Christian whose genuine belief that Sunday was a day of worship and rest to work on Sundays as rostered discriminated against the worker but was a proportionate means of achieving the legitimate aim of running the care home effectively.’

WLR Daily, 5th December 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Continued detention pending removal of failed asylum seeker on hunger strike not unlawful – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The Court of Appeal has ruled that the secretary of state for the Home Department had the power to detain an immigration detainee in hospital to ensure that he received appropriate medical treatment pending his removal from the United Kingdom.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th December 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Judges to rule on ‘right to die’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 9th, 2013 in appeals, assisted suicide, bills, human rights, judiciary, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘A panel of Britain’s most senior judges are preparing to make a landmark ruling over attempts to introduce a ”right to die” under human rights legislation.’

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Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Mba, Article 9 and Indirect Discrimination – Employment Law Blog

‘Ms Eweida, you may recall, is the British Airways employee who wanted to wear a cross on a necklace over her uniform so that others could see it. She considered that that was a religious belief. Over-simplifying, doing what she wanted to do meant a breach of her employer’s dress code. Ms Eweida complained that, amongst other things, she was the victim of an act of indirect discrimination.’

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Employment Law Blog, 5th December 2013

Source: www.employment11kbw.com

National Security trumps disclosure of Litvinenko secret documents, rules High Court – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs v Assistant Deputy Coroner for Inner North London [2013] EWHC 3724 (Admin). The Foreign Secretary successfully appealed against an order for disclosure of secret documents to the Inquest for the death of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 5th December 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

European court is not superior to UK supreme court, says Lord Judge – The Guardian

Posted December 5th, 2013 in courts, human rights, judges, news, speeches, treaties by sally

‘The law should be changed to make it clear that British courts are not obliged to implement judgments of the European court of human rights (ECHR), according to the former lord chief justice.’

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The Guardian, 4th December 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Juror jailed for contempt for using internet takes case to Europe – BBC News

Posted December 5th, 2013 in appeals, contempt of court, human rights, imprisonment, internet, juries, news, sentencing by sally

‘A Luton juror, who was jailed for contempt of court after carrying out research on the internet during a trial, is taking her case to Europe.’

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BBC News, 5th December 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

What’s the point of human rights? – Lady Hale

Posted December 4th, 2013 in human rights, lectures, legal history, news by sally

What’s the point of human rights? (PDF)

Lady Hale

Warwick Law Lecture, 28th November 2013

Source: www.supremecourt.gov.uk

Prince Charles faces fresh challenge to secret communications with ministers – The Guardian

‘Prince Charles is to face a fresh challenge to his secret communication channel to government ministers when a court is asked to reveal whether he lobbied for an exemption to property laws affecting his £800m estate.’

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The Guardian, 3rd December 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Senior judge: European court of human rights undermining democratic process – The Guardian

‘The European court of human rights exceeds its legitimate powers, usurps the role of politicians and “undermines the democratic process”, one of the UK’s most senior judges has warned.’

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The Guardian, 28th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Slavery – then and, yes, now – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted December 3rd, 2013 in false imprisonment, human rights, news, trafficking in human beings by sally

‘The recent story of three women being freed after an alleged 30 years held captive in a South London house has aroused enormous public interest. It is a shocking example of modern day slavery. Perhaps it is so shocking because we assume that the very practice of slavery no longer exists here; that it lives on only in the history books.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 2nd December 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Welfare of child not a trump card against deportation – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The Supreme Court has clarified the principles to be applied when considering the welfare of children in deportation cases. The following summary is based on the Supreme Court’s Press Summary.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 29th November 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Zoumbas v Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily

Posted November 29th, 2013 in appeals, asylum, children, human rights, immigration, law reports, Scotland, Supreme Court by sally

Zoumbas v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2013] UKSC 74; [2013] WLR (D) 458

“The fact that the children of failed asylum seekers were not British citizens, and therefore had no right to education and health care in the United Kingdom, was relevant when assessing whether it was reasonable to expect them to live in another country if their parents were removed from the United Kingdom.”

WLR Daily, 27th November 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Zoumbas (Appellant) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – Supreme Court

Posted November 29th, 2013 in appeals, asylum, children, human rights, immigration, law reports, Scotland, Supreme Court by sally

Zoumbas (Appellant) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2013] UKSC 74 | UKSC 2013/0100 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 27th November 2013

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Bull and another (Appellants) v Hall and another (Respondents) On Appeal from the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) (England and Wales) – Supreme Court

Bull and another (Appellants) v Hall and another (Respondents) [2013] UKSC 73 | UKSC 2012/0065 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 27th November 2013

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

More laws are needed as religion declines, top judge says – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 29th, 2013 in human rights, judges, news, speeches, treaties by sally

“One of Britain’s most senior judges said the rapid rise in the number of laws in recent years had been necessary as other modes of social control such as religion and old fashioned morality declined.”

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Daily Telegraph, 28th November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Preddy v Bull and another; Hall v Same – WLR Daily

Preddy v Bull and another; Hall v Same: [2013] UKSC 73;   [2013] WLR (D)  454

‘The refusal of hoteliers, who believed that sex outside marriage was sinful, to provide a same sex couple who were in a civil partnership with a double-bedded room because they were not married constituted unlawful discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. The limitation on the hoteliers’ right to manifest their religion was justified as a proportionate means of achieving the legitimate aim of protecting the rights and freedoms of others.’

WLR Daily, 27th November 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Stop deferring to human rights court, says senior judge – The Guardian

Posted November 28th, 2013 in courts, human rights, interpretation, judges, news, speeches, treaties by tracey

‘UK courts should stop deferring to the European court of human rights on every issue and develop their own rulings, according to Lord Justice Laws, the longest serving court of appeal judge.’

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The Guardian, 27th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk