Government says discrimination against black people and Travellers ‘objectively justified’ with new laws – The Independent

‘Discrimination against black people and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in a controversial suite of new laws is “objectively justified”, the government has claimed.’

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The Independent, 13th September 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Grenfell Inquiry: Government petition launched calling minister to examine discrimination role in fire – The Independent

‘A government petition has been launched calling for an inquiry into the role of institutional discrimination in the Grenfell Tower fire. The petition is calling for an “independent, expertise-led and community-centred” inquiry into whether institutional racism, classism and/or discrimination against religion contributed to the events leading to the fire.’

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The Independent, 11th September 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Declan Jones: Community welcomes jailing of former police officer following attacks on Black men – The Independent

‘Campaigners have welcomed the jailing of a police officer who assaulted two Black people – including a child – as a positive step towards justice.’

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The Independent, 11th September 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Policing bill will deepen racial and gender disparities, say experts – The Guardian

‘A new policing bill that will be debated this week risks deepening racial and gender disparities in the justice system while forcing professionals to betray the trust of vulnerable people, hundreds of experts and a report have warned.’

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The Guardian, 13th September 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Runnymede Trust did not breach guidance over race report, watchdog finds – The Guardian

Posted September 2nd, 2021 in charities, equality, judicial review, news, race discrimination, racism, reports by sally

‘A leading race equality thinktank did not breach charity guidance despite claims from Conservative MPs that it is pursuing a political agenda, a watchdog has found.’

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The Guardian, 1st September 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

A constructive dismissal is, in principle, capable of constituting an act of harassment, within the meaning of section 26 of the Equality Act 2010 – 3PB

‘The EAT’s earlier decision in Timothy James Consulting Ltd v Wilton [2015] IRLR 368 had been decided per incuriam European Directives and domestic case law, in the light of which it was “manifestly wrong”. In so far as Wilton had decided that a constructive dismissal could not itself amount to an act of unlawful harassment within the meaning of section 26 of the Equality Act 2010 (“EqA”), it would not be followed.’

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3PB, August 2021

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

The ‘shifting’ burden and the drawing of adverse inferences – 3PB

‘The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed this appeal concerning two questions of law:
(i) whether a change in the wording of equality legislation has altered the burden of proof in employment discrimination cases, and
(ii) when a tribunal may draw adverse inferences from the absence of a potential witness.’

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3PB, 9th August 2021

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Discriminatory Denial of Peaceful Assembly in the UK – Oxford Human Rights Hub

‘In July 2020, the UN Human Rights Committee adopted General Comment No. 37 on the right to peaceful assembly, directing States to recognise the “intrinsic value” of the right, and to “promote an enabling environment for the exercise of the right to peaceful assembly without discrimination”. The Human Rights Committee also reaffirmed that, even in states of emergencies, states’ obligations to ensure non-discrimination remain: emergency measures must not discriminate either in their purpose or their effects.’

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Oxford Human Rights Hub, 19th August 2021

Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk

UK academic sues university after losing role in critical race theory row – The Guardian

‘Aysha Khanom claims discrimination after Leeds Beckett accused her of using “racist language” in tweets.’

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The Guardian, 16th March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Black lawyers most likely to say racial injustice has held back careers – Legal Futures

Posted August 10th, 2021 in legal profession, minorities, news, race discrimination, statistics by sally

‘Black lawyers are much more likely than Asian colleagues to say that racial injustice has held them back in their careers, a survey has found.’

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Legal Futures, 10th August 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The Macpherson Report more than 20 years on – Home Affairs Committee calls for urgent action to tackle deep rooted racial disparities in policing – Garden Court Chambers

‘More than twenty years on from the publication of the Macpherson report that followed the Inquiry into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, the Committee has found that there are still serious and deep rooted racial disparities, and that neither police forces nor governments have taken race equality seriously enough for too long.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 30th July 2021

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Met police seek judicial review over senior black officer’s reinstatement – The Guardian

‘The Metropolitan police want go to the high court to insist it was correct in its decision to sack a decorated black officer after she was found with a child abuse video, sent to her on WhatsApp, on her phone.’

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The Guardian, 4th August 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Black barrister to lead independent police oversight board – The Guardian

Posted August 3rd, 2021 in criminal justice, minorities, news, police, race discrimination by sally

‘Police chiefs hoping to pull themselves out of a race crisis have appointed a new tsar who has previously said black people fear calling on officers for help.’

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The Guardian, 3rd August 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘The Mark Duggan case was a catalyst’: the 2011 UK riots 10 years on – The Guardian

Posted August 2nd, 2021 in criminal justice, news, police, public order, race discrimination, racism by sally

‘In 4 August 2011, Mark Duggan was shot and killed by police in Tottenham, north London, sparking the largest civil unrest the UK has seen for a generation. The disturbance quickly spread and for five nights, London, Birmingham, and other major cities in England were engulfed by fire and violence.’

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The Guardian, 30th July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Courts failed people ‘caught up’ in UK riots in 2011, says ex-chief prosecutor – The Guardian

‘Pressures in the criminal justice system meant it failed to distinguish between repeat offenders and people “caught up” in the 2011 English riots, a former chief prosecutor has said.’

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The Guardian, 1st August 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Marcus Coutain: Knee-on-neck arrest PC will not face disciplinary action – BBC News

‘A police officer who knelt on a black man’s neck during an arrest will not face disciplinary proceedings, the police watchdog has decided.’

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BBC News, 29th July 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Efobi v Royal Mail Group Limited: The burden of proof and drawing of inferences in discrimination claims – Littleton Chambers

‘The Supreme Court has delivered a unanimous and emphatic judgment on the burden of proof in discrimination claims. The decision has confirmed that the Claimant bears the initial burden of proof to establish a prima facie case, and so restored the orthodoxy that had been disturbed by the ruling of the EAT earlier in these proceedings. It also offers some useful guidance on the drawing of adverse inferences.’

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Littleton Chambers, 23rd July 2021

Source: littletonchambers.com

The Sewell Report and the Meaning of Institutional Racism – No. 5 Chambers

Posted July 29th, 2021 in chambers articles, equality, news, race discrimination, racism by sally

‘Oliver Lawrence, a barrister at No5 examines the approach taken by the Sewell report to the concept of institutional racism. Drawing on the MacPherson definition, he explores the meaning of the term and the ambiguities within it in order to clarify the findings of the report and the controversy it created. Using the Equality Act 2010 definitions of direct and indirect discrimination, he explains how the Sewell report uses the term to refer to discriminatory reasons whereas many of its critics use the term to refer to discriminatory outcomes. He concludes that without a clear and unambiguous definition of institutional racism, there will inevitably be widespread disagreement about the extent of the problem.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 13th July 2021

Source: www.no5.com

Discrimination the “sole cause” of paucity of Black QCs – Legal Futures

‘Discrimination is the “sole identifiable cause” for the paucity of Black barristers, particularly at QC level, a co-chair of the Bar Council’s race working group has argued.’

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Legal Futures, 26th July 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

New Judgment: Royal Mail Group Ltd v Efobi [2021] UKSC 33 – UKSC Blog

‘The Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed this appeal concerning two questions of law: (i) whether a change in the wording of equality legislation has altered the burden of proof in employment discrimination cases and (ii) when a tribunal may draw adverse inferences from the absence of a potential witness.’

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UKSC Blog, 23rd July 2021

Source: ukscblog.com