Christopher Kapessa river death: No prosecution decision upheld – BBC News
‘A 14-year-old boy who pushed a boy, 13, into a river before he died will not be prosecuted, a review has concluded.’
BBC News, 20th July 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: ombudsmen
Family of man Tasered in his home consider suing Met police – The Guardian
‘The family of a man Tasered in his own home are considering suing Scotland Yard after the police watchdog said it had not exonerated officers involved in the case – despite the Metropolitan police claiming it had done so.’
The Guardian, 16th July 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
UK accounting firms criticised by watchdog for ‘unacceptable’ work – The Guardian
‘The accounting watchdog has hit out at the UK’s largest auditors, after its annual inspection uncovered an “unacceptable” number of poorly executed company audits.’
The Guardian, 14th July 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
What are my rights if I’m stopped and searched? – BBC News
‘The police watchdog is launching a review into whether police tactics, such as stop and search, discriminate against ethnic minorities.’
BBC News, 10th July 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Ombudsman criticises council for mother of 6 left in bed and breakfast accommodation – Local Government Lawyer
‘A recently housed Haringey mother that had been living in a bed and breakfast since February 2020 was failed by her local council because it did not do enough to prevent her from becoming homeless, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.’
Local Government Lawyer, 10th July 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Review launched into police ‘race discrimination’ – BBC News
‘The police watchdog is launching a review into whether officers across England and Wales racially discriminate against ethnic minorities.’
BBC News, 10th July 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Housing Ombudsman publishes new Complaint Handling Code – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Housing Ombudsman has published its new Complaint Handling Code in preparation for its assumption of greater powers at the end of the year.’
Local Government Lawyer, 8th July 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Watchdog challenges ruling on lethal force by UK firearms officers – The Guardian
‘A police watchdog has begun an appeal after failing to bring misconduct proceedings against a specialist firearms officer who shot and killed a man while trying to foil an attempt to snatch two prisoners from a prison van.’
The Guardian, 7th July 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Council to review decision-making process and reimburse mother after boy left without suitable education for second time – Local Government Lawyer
‘Norfolk County Council has agreed to review its decision-making process and internal communications in relation to its special educational needs services, and provide its People and Communities select committee with regular updates on its performance, following a critical report from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.’
Local Government Lawyer, 2nd July 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Criminal cases backlog could take a decade to clear, watchdog warns – The Guardian
‘The backlog of untried cases in the criminal justice system – which has ballooned during lockdown – could take a decade to clear, an official watchdog has warned.’
The Guardian, 30th June 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Government and watchdog ‘are totally failing problem gamblers’ – The Guardian
‘The government and the gambling watchdog have an “unacceptably weak understanding” about the harmful effects of gambling and how to tackle them, a parliamentary committee has warned.’
The Guardian, 28th June 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Peers call for tougher regulation of digital and social media in UK – The Guardian
‘Ministers are being urged to toughen up the regulation of digital and social media because “a pandemic of misinformation and disinformation” is eroding trust in politics and public institutions.’
The Guardian, 29th June 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
296 days to correct a factual inaccuracy – effective press regulation? – Transparency Project
‘296 days ago, on 27 August 2019, the Daily Express published an inaccurate article in the print edition of their paper. Today they have published a correction because the regulator IPSO required this.’
Transparency Project, 18th June 2020
Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk
Council agrees to pay out £60k after Ombudsman report into failure to support autistic woman – Local Government Lawyer
‘A council has agreed to pay a woman with autism, severe anxiety disorder and associated mental health disorders £60,000 after it failed to provide her with support for more than five years.’
Local Government Lawyer, 15th June 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Family of black man who died in UK police custody speak out – The Guardian
‘The family of a black man who died in police custody in Devon last month have said they still have no idea of the circumstances that led to his death and are demanding answers.’
The Guardian, 12th June 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Racism campaigners call for police watchdog to be abolished – The Guardian
‘Black families in the UK whose loved ones have died in incidents involving the police have called for the abolition of the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which investigates the police, and the immediate suspension of officers involved in deaths as part of a new plan to address systemic racism and unlawful killings.’
The Guardian, 14th June 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Prison release schemes almost impossible to deliver, says watchdog – The Guardian
‘Prisoners in England and Wales have been left confused by high-profile government announcements that led them to believe thousands of inmates would be temporarily released to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus behind bars, a prison deaths watchdog has said.’
The Guardian, 31st May 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Data watchdog relaxes regulatory function to prioritise guidance on complying with law during coronavirus public health emergency – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will stand down audit work, issue fewer fines and generally use fewer formal powers against organisations that are struggling to meet data protection standards as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.’
Local Government Lawyer, 22nd May 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Consumer Protection in the time of Covid-19 – Henderson Chambers
‘The Competition and Market Authority (“CMA”) has set up a task force to take action against companies which it considers are breaching consumer laws in the way in which they are dealing with the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic (for example, companies refusing to provide cash refunds for goods and services which have been disrupted). The CMA has robust enforcement powers such that businesses would be wise to be careful as to how they balance their commercial interests with consumer rights in these difficult times.’
Henderson Chambers, 13th May 2020
Watchdog reveals 8.8m attempts to access online child abuse in April – The Guardian
‘Nearly 9m attempts to access child sexual abuse material online were made in the UK last month during the coronavirus lockdown, according to an internet watchdog.’
The Guardian, 20th May 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
