Shared Ownership, assured shorthold and long leases. The mess continues. – Nearly Legal

Posted June 4th, 2024 in landlord & tenant, leases, news, repossession by sally

‘Sovereign Network Homes v Ms Vanessa East, Claim Number H01W1247 (13 May 2024, Central London County Court). This was a county court appeal of a first instance decision to allow an application to suspend a warrant, and vary a possession order, (Ms East had applied to set aside the possession order), obtained by Sovereign Network against its shared ownership lessee, Ms East.’

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Nearly Legal, 3rd June 2024

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

“No vision” on use of AI by family justice system – Legal Futures

Posted June 4th, 2024 in artificial intelligence, family courts, news by sally

‘There is currently “not a vision” for how people in the family justice system, clients and professionals, can “safely harness” the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI), the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory has found.’

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Legal Futures, 4th June 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Members of Britain’s biggest benefit fraud gang jailed for a combined total of more than 25 years – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted June 4th, 2024 in benefits, fraud, gangs, imprisonment, news, sentencing by sally

‘Five members of an organised criminal gang, which falsely claimed more than £53 million in Universal Credit in the largest benefit fraud in England and Wales, have been jailed.’

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Crown Prosecution Service, 30th May 2024

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Charging disabled persons for services – Local Government Lawyer

‘A recent challenge to Birmingham City Council’s policy to charge disabled persons for services at the statutory maximum has failed. Joe Thomas explains why.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 31st May 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council and Official Solicitor fail in appeal over administration of covert medication to young woman – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has dismissed appeals brought by a local authority and the Official Solicitor challenging final declarations made by a Court of Protection judge that it was in a young woman’s best interests to cease to be given covert medication, and to leave her current placement to return to live with her mother.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 31st May 2024

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ethnicity attainment gap evidence should be ‘wake up call’ for the sector – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 4th, 2024 in diversity, legal education, minorities, news, racism, reports, solicitors by sally

‘Students from minority groups have often experienced racism and teachers’ low expectations of their capabilities. They do not see themselves reflected in the staff teaching at law schools and universities. Their learning is affected by microaggressions and bias in the classroom. With their confidence and self-belief knocked, they find it harder than white students to get legal work or paid training – not helped by recruitment processes that focus on exam results without looking at the story behind the grades.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 4th June 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Winning defendants lose out on 25% of costs after mediation refusal – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 4th, 2024 in costs, county courts, dispute resolution, news, penalties by sally

‘Successful county court defendants who had flatly rejected offers to mediate have been denied some of their costs as a penalty.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 4th June 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Police trainer took own life after Met’s actions made mental health worse, inquest finds – The Guardian

Posted June 4th, 2024 in inquests, London, mental health, news, police, suicide by sally

‘A Metropolitan police trainer took her own life after the actions of her employer made her mental health worse, an inquest has found.’

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The Guardian, 3rd June 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Fraudster who fled abroad given extra jail time – BBC News

‘A fugitive who went on the run while on trial for fraud six years ago has been given additional jail time.’

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BBC News, 3rd June 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Man handed ban over Champions League pitch invasion – BBC News

Posted June 4th, 2024 in football banning orders, guilty pleas, internet, news, public order, sport by sally

‘A 29-year-old man who tried to invade the pitch at the Champions League final at Wembley has been banned from football matches in the UK for three years.’

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BBC News, 3rd June 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Coroner calls for change after baby’s choking death – BBC News

Posted June 4th, 2024 in accidents, children, inquests, news, reports by sally

‘A coroner has written to the Department for Education calling for changes to early years framework following the death of a nine-month-old baby who choked at nursery in Kent.’

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BBC News, 3rd June 2024

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Domestic violence victims left open to attacks as restraining order breach prosecutions plummet for abusers – The Independent

Posted June 4th, 2024 in domestic violence, news, prosecutions, restraining orders, victims by sally

‘Thousands of vulnerable women face the threat of a violent domestic abuser returning to the household, with convictions for breaches of restraining orders plummeting, The Independent can reveal. Analysis of Ministry of Justice data shows convictions for breaches dropped by 44 per cent between 2018 and 2023.’

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The Independent, 3rd June 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Tribunal cases to rise as UK firms push back on remote working, experts say – The Guardian

Posted June 4th, 2024 in coronavirus, employment, employment tribunals, flexible working, news by sally

‘Lawyers and HR experts expect an increase in employment tribunal cases as companies increasingly clamp down on working from home and staff become resentful that the flexibility they have enjoyed since the pandemic is being slowly rolled back.’

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The Guardian, 4th June 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

More trauma for rape victims as court backlog doubles in two years due to lawyer shortage – The Independent

‘Court backlogs for rape prosecutions have soared to a record high, with the number of cases doubling in two years and victims facing “devastating” waits for justice.’

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The Independent, 2nd June 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Crime and punishment: how 14 years of Tory rule have changed Britain – in charts – The Guardian

‘“Justice delayed is justice denied” goes the old legal maxim – one that has captured the state of the court system in England and Wales in recent years.’

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The Guardian, 2nd June 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK GDPR and changes to pending legislation – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted June 3rd, 2024 in bills, brexit, data protection, EC law, news by sally

‘The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill was due to enter the report stage in the House of Lords on 10 June. It may, among other things, make changes to the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR). I say ‘may’ because just after I wrote this, Rishi Sunak called a general election. However there is still a chance of it passing (see later), so let us for now proceed on this basis.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 29th May 2024

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Washed-up: Angus McCullough KC comments on the long-awaited HMG response to Ouseley on Closed Proceedings – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted June 3rd, 2024 in closed material, delay, government departments, news, reports by sally

‘The Government’s response to the delayed Ouseley report was finally published on 29 May 2024, the last day before the dissolution of Parliament. In this piece a leading Special Advocate describes that response as underwhelming, especially after so long.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 30th May 2024

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Court as a last resort! – Kingsley Napley Family Law Blog

‘How you approach resolving a dispute with your ex-partner, whether regarding finances or your children, is an important first step in your case and can set the tone moving forward.’

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Kingsley Napley Family Law Blog, 29th May 2024

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

Asylum seekers report widespread abuse in Home Office accommodation – The Guardian

‘Hundreds of complaints about ill treatment from staff looking after asylum seekers in hotels and other accommodation have been lodged with the Home Office, a Guardian investigation has found.’

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The Guardian, 3rd June 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Online Safety Act not ‘job done’, Molly Russell’s father warns next government – The Independent

‘Seeing the Online Safety Act as a “job done” would be a “disaster”, a bereaved father has said as he called on the next government to commit to updating legislation to tackle harms affecting children.’

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The Independent, 3rd June 2024

Source: www.independent.co.uk