Gay rights group challenges Charity Commission refusal – The Guardian

Posted November 18th, 2013 in appeals, charities, homosexuality, human rights, news, public interest by sally

“A human rights organisation that supports gay and lesbian individuals in countries where homosexuality is outlawed has been denied charitable status on the grounds that it is not sufficiently of ‘public benefit’.”

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The Guardian, 17th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK objects to attempt by Council of Europe to examine online spying – The Guardian

“Britain is delaying the publication of a declaration on internet freedom by the 47 members of Europe’s human rights watchdog after objecting to a probe into the gathering of ‘vast amounts of electronic data’ by intelligence agencies.”

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The Guardian, 8th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

A proud profession – The Bar Council

“Addressing lazy journalism; recognising what really motivates members of the Bar; looking at the pro bono work carried out on all fronts by so many; and the need for wider understanding of this contribution by all, especially the Government.”

Full story (PDF)

The Bar Council, October 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

The Bar in society: A vital force for good – Speech by Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

The Bar in society: A vital force for good (PDF)

Speech by Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar

Annual Bar Conference, 2nd November 2013

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Needs, wants and principles – Law Society’s Gazette

“The High Court recently offered a useful starter pack in both planning and administrative law.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 28th October 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Two new Upper Tribunal decisions: commercial confidentiality, ministerial communications – Panopticon

Posted October 28th, 2013 in confidentiality, disclosure, news, public interest, tribunals by sally

“The Upper Tribunal has issued two decisions on information rights matters this week. Both are by Upper Tribunal Judge David Williams, and both include substantive treatments of some of the issues that arise most commonly in information rights litigation.”

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Panopticon, 25th October 2013

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

More than a slip ‘twixt cup and lip – UK Human Rights Blog

“Technical evidence can sometimes be crucial to judicial decisions and this case shows how dramatic the consequences are for a family if evidence is unreliable. If the respondent in this case had not put probity before its commercial interests, a mother would have been deprived of the care of her child. Hence the importance of publishing the judgment.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 25th October 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

High Court dismisses challenge to PCO in Richard III burial case – Litigation Futures

“The High Court has comprehensively rejected the government’s bid to overturn the grant of a protective costs order (PCO) in favour of campaigners for the reburial of King Richard III in York.”

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Litigation Futures, 18th October 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

UK’s top prosecutor defends journalists who break law in public interest – The Guardian

“Britain’s most senior prosecutor has launched a robust defence of journalists who break the law pursuing investigations that have a genuine public interest. Legal guidelines had been drafted, he said, to protect reporters.”

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The Guardian, 18th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MF (Nigeria) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily

MF (Nigeria) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2013] EWCA Civ 1192; [2013] WLR (D) 380

“The new immigration rules, introduced by Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (2012) (HC 194) into Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (1994) (HC 395), which concerned the deportation of foreign criminals and the evaluation of their article 8 rights under the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, were a complete code. Where a foreign criminal came within the provisions of paragraph 399 or 399A of HC395, as amended,, he could be entitled to leave to remain on a limited or indefinite basis on article 8 grounds, but where those paragraphs did not apply very compelling reasons, described as ‘exceptional circumstances’, would be required to outweigh the public interest in deportation.”

WLR Daily, 8th October 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Man cannot be stripped of British citizenship, rules Supreme Court – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 14th, 2013 in appeals, citizenship, human rights, Iraq, news, public interest, Supreme Court by sally

“In late 2007, the Secretary of State for the Home Department made an order depriving Mr Al Jedda, who had been granted British citizenship in 2000, of his citizenship, under the British Nationality Act 1981. Section 40(4) of the Act prohibits the deprivation of nationality where the effect would be to render the person stateless.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 14th October 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

BSB issues statement after Twitter confusion over judicial review costs – The Lawyer

“The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has issued a statement about the costs of a judicial review into the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) following widespread outrage and confusion on Twitter.”

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The Lawyer, 11th October 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Related link: Bar Standards Board Statement on costs and the judicial review of QASA

High Court grants injunction to losing bidder over £1bn waste contract award – Local Government Lawyer

“A High Court judge has granted an energy company an injunction preventing a waste authority from entering into a £1bn+ resource recovery contract (RRC) with a rival business.”

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th October 2013

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Watchdog warning over ‘unnecessary’ gagging clauses – BBC News

“The use of ‘gagging clauses’ risks stopping employees from speaking out about failures in the public sector, the National Audit Office has warned.”

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BBC News, 8th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Why Mrs Litvinenko did not get her PCO – but what if it had been an environmental claim? – UK Human Rights Blog

“An extraordinary story which would have raised our eyebrows at its implausibility had it come from our spy novelists. In late 2006, Alexander Litvinenko was murdered by polonium-210 given to him in London. He was an ex-Russian Federation FSB agent, but by then was a UK citizen. He had accused Putin of the murder of the journalist Anna Politovskaya. He may or may not have been working for MI6 at the time of his death. The prime suspects for the killing are in Russia, not willing to help the UK with its inquiries. But rightly, in one form or another, we want to know what really happened.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 9th October 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Statement from Director of Public Prosecutions on abortion related cases – Crown Prosecution Service

“In early 2012, the Daily Telegraph carried out an undercover investigation at various abortion clinics in England. As a result, a police investigation was conducted and, in due course, the police asked the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for advice about possible criminal charges. This note relates to the decision to take no further action in relation to two doctors: Dr S and Dr R.”

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Crown Prosecution Service, 7th October 2013

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Dominic Grieve under pressure to explain CPS decision not to prosecute over gender selection abortion scandal – Daily Telegraph

“Britain’s top law officer is to come under pressure in the House of Commons this week to say why the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute over the gender selection abortion scandal.”

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Daily Telegraph, 7th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

General Medical Council too late with child sex abuse complaint, rules High Court – UK Human Rights Blog

“The High Court has strongly affirmed the prohibition against the pursuit of long delayed complaints against doctors in regulatory proceedings. The prohibition arose from the General Medical Council’s own procedural rules. It applied even where the allegations were of the most serious kind, including sexual misconduct, and could only be waived in exceptional circumstances and where the public interest demanded. The burden was upon the GMC to establish a sufficiently compelling public interest where allegations had already been thoroughly investigated by the competent authorities such as the police and social services.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 26th September 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Home Office: Drugs must remain illegal to ‘protect society’ – The Independent

Posted September 30th, 2013 in drug offences, government departments, news, police, public interest by sally

“Government clashes with one of England’s leading police officers who says Class A drugs should be decriminalised.”

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The Independent, 29th September 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK’s surveillance laws need overhaul, says former defence secretary – The Guardian

“Laws used by Britain’s spy agencies to justify mass surveillance and interception techniques must be reviewed to ensure they have kept pace with ‘incredible changes’ in communications, one of the country’s foremost intelligence experts has said.”

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The Guardian, 26th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk