No rational basis for denying all prisoners the vote, concludes joint Parliamentary Committee – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted December 19th, 2013 in bills, elections, human rights, news, prisons, reports by tracey

‘The Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Draft Voting Eligibility (Prisoners) Bill today published its report.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 18th December 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Theresa Villiers did not break ministerial code report finds – BBC News

Posted December 19th, 2013 in codes of practice, lobbying, ministers' powers and duties, news, reports, transport by tracey

‘Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers did not breach the ministerial code over a meeting with a lobbyist, an internal No 10 report has found. She had faced allegations that, as a transport minister, she failed to declare a meeting with a representative of a firm seeking to build a railway depot in the Hertfordshire green belt. But a report by the Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heyward has cleared her.’

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BBC News, 18th December 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Chancery Modernisation Review: Final Report Published – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted December 18th, 2013 in consultations, courts, news, reports by sally

‘A review of the Chancery Division of the High Court by Lord Justice Briggs is published today. Based in the Rolls Building in London and in the seven principal regional trial centres, the Chancery Division is now the largest unit for handling business and property cases in the country.’

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Judiciary of England and Wales, 17th December 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Jeremy Forrest: school staff ‘missed repeated chances to blow whistle’ – The Guardian

Posted December 17th, 2013 in child abduction, child abuse, news, reports, sexual grooming, teachers by sally

‘School staff missed repeated opportunities to blow the whistle on inappropriate conduct between the maths teacher Jeremy Forrest and the teenage schoolgirl he went on to abduct, a damning review has found.’

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The Guardian, 16th December 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Prisons: Efforts to cut reoffending ‘not working’ – BBC News

Posted December 17th, 2013 in news, prisons, probation, recidivists, rehabilitation, reports by sally

‘Efforts to stop prisoners reoffending are “not working” and should be the subject of a major policy review, two senior inspectors have said.’

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BBC News, 17th December 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Government’s Modern Slavery Bill will ‘fail victims and spare criminals’ – The Independent

Posted December 16th, 2013 in bills, consultations, news, police, reports, trafficking in human beings, victims by sally

‘The Government’s Modern Slavery Bill is being rushed through Parliament without proper consultation and will offer almost no help to the victims of the crime, sources close to the process have told The Independent on Sunday.’

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The Independent, 14th December 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Contempt of court – controversial reforms seek to secure fair trials and freedom of speech – Legal Week

‘The Law Commission has produced its eagerly awaited report on juror misconduct and internet publications, following extensive consultation. The Commission had been urgently tasked with considering reform in this area, following a number of high-profile contempt cases involving errant jurors and eager publishers.’

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Legal Week, 10th December 2013

Source: www.legalweek.com

Sex, lies and the law: Lord Denning and the Profumo Affair – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted December 12th, 2013 in inquiries, judges, legal history, news, reports by sally

‘While the Profumo affair took place just over 50 years ago, it never seems to have left the public arena for very long. This month sees a new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical open to tell the story of Stephen Ward, the man who “pimped” Christine Keeler, the call girl at the centre of the affair. It is also the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of The Denning Report into the British political scandal and an apt time to reflect on what the report teaches us about public inquiries and the atmosphere of the time.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 11th December 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Oxfordshire toddler’s death review reveals ‘missed chance’ – BBC News

Posted December 12th, 2013 in child neglect, news, reports, social services by sally

‘A report has concluded the death of a 22-month-old boy may have been prevented if organisations had worked more effectively together.’

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BBC News, 12th December 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Contempt of Court: Juror Misconduct and Internet Publications – Law Commission

Posted December 10th, 2013 in contempt of court, internet, juries, Law Commission, reports by tracey

‘In a report published today we make recommendations to reform elements of the law governing contempt of court.’

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Law Commission, 9th December 2013

Source: www.justice.gov.uk/lawcommission

PM taskforce recommends new powers to tackle extremism – Home Office

‘New measures to tackle extremism and radicalisation across the UK have been proposed by the Prime Minister’s Extremism Taskforce.’

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Home Office, 4th December 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Ministers to develop single public services ombudsman for England – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 3rd, 2013 in local government, news, ombudsmen, reports by sally

‘The Government is to develop plans for a single public services ombudsman for England, it has been announced.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 2nd December 2013

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Family ‘foster carers’ losing out, says watchdog – BBC News

Posted November 29th, 2013 in families, fostering, local government, news, ombudsmen, reports by sally

“People who look after young relatives or friends’ children are being treated unfairly by some councils, a local government watchdog says.”

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BBC News, 29th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Commission calls for code to protect whistleblowers – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 28th, 2013 in codes of practice, news, reports, whistleblowers by tracey

‘Workers who expose wrongdoing should be protected by a statutory whistleblowing code, according to a report by a retired senior judge.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 27th November 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Disturbingly poor care is too common in NHS’, says chairman of Mid-Staffs inquiry – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 28th, 2013 in care homes, health, hospitals, inquiries, news, reports by tracey

‘Reports of “disturbing, poor and unsafe care” in the NHS have become too   common, the chairman of the inquiry into Mid-Staffs has said, as he called   on hospitals to learn from the mistakes of previous scandals. Robert Francis QC, newly appointed as president of the Patients Association,   spoke as the charity exposed a catalogue of hospital and care home failings.’

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Daily Telegraph, 28th November 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

FGM – No More Excuses – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted November 26th, 2013 in female genital mutilation, health, news, prosecutions, reports, select committees by tracey

‘There is no topic more appropriate to write about on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women than that of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). FGM involves the partial or total removal of a girl’s genitalia for non-medical reasons. The potential health risks resulting from the FGM procedure are numerous and severe: in extreme cases it can lead to sterility, infection, haemorrhaging and death. The risks associated with FGM are exacerbated by the fact that it is usually performed by people with no formal medical training in unsanitary conditions. Many statements from girls who were mutilated describe being physically held down on tables in make-shift theatres, and having their genitalia cut with sharp implements. Anaesthetic is rarely used.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 25th November 2013

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

One in 10 women have been forced into sex against their will, Lancet study says – The Guardian

Posted November 26th, 2013 in consent, news, rape, reports, women by tracey

‘One in 10 women in Britain admit they have been forced into having sex against their will, the most comprehensive survey of Britons’ sexual behaviour for decade reveals today, prompting a warning from researchers that sexual coercion may have become “normalised”. The findings from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal) survey, which questioned 15,000 people aged 16 to 74, also show that the proportion of women saying they have been victims of sexual coercion is more than double that of those who say they have been victims of rape.’

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The Guardian, 26th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Child-on-child abuse shocking, children’s commissioner report says – BBC News

Posted November 26th, 2013 in child abuse, children, gangs, inquiries, news, rape, reports, sexual offences, social services by tracey

‘ “Shocking” sexual violence is being carried out by children against other children as young as 11, according to an official report. The Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England said the perpetrators could be 12 or 13, and rape is seen as “normal and inevitable” in some areas, especially among gangs.’

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BBC News, 26th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

RBS appoints law firm Clifford Chance to examine small business allegations – The Guardian

Posted November 26th, 2013 in banking, law firms, news, reports, small businesses by tracey

‘Royal Bank of Scotland has appointed the law firm Clifford Chance to examine damaging allegations that the bailed-out bank is deliberately wrecking viable small businesses to make a profit. The move came as Sir Andrew Large said in a report commissioned by the bank that RBS had left itself open to accusations of conflict of interest by small firms placed in its restructuring division because of its opaque management structure.’

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The Guardian, 25th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

CQC report says hospital care has not improved since Mid Staffs scandal – The Guardian

Posted November 22nd, 2013 in elderly, health, hospitals, news, quality assurance, reports by tracey

‘Hospitals have made no improvement in patient safety or treating the ill with dignity and respect despite the concerns triggered by the Mid Staffordshire scandal, according to the independent healthcare regulator. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) also found no improvement in hospitals monitoring and assessment of the quality of care they are providing.’

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The Guardian, 21st November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk