Couple who discover migrant in motorhome are fined – BBC News
‘A couple who discovered a migrant had clung to the back of their vehicle all the way home from France have been issued a £1,500 fine.’
BBC News, 10th March 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘I’ve lost my work and been ostracised’: Oxford University accused of failing to act after ruling on ‘sham’ contracts – The Guardian
‘An academic who won a landmark court battle last year against Oxford University for employing her and her colleague on “sham” gig economy contracts has criticised the university for trying to brush their case under the carpet.’
The Guardian, 8th March 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
Alarm at plan for less-qualified probation staff to deal with sex offenders in England and Wales – The Guardian
‘Domestic abusers and sex offenders in England and Wales will be rehabilitated by less-experienced staff with fewer qualifications from June, prompting warnings from a watchdog that the plans must be closely monitored to ensure public safety.’
The Guardian, 10th March 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
English and Welsh councils to have greater powers to seize land for affordable housing – The Guardian
‘Councils and mayors will be granted greater powers to seize land to build affordable housing under the Labour government’s shake-up of planning rules this week. Local authorities in England and Wales will no longer need permission from central government to make compulsory purchase orders (CPOs), in a change that ministers hope will unlock vacant and derelict land.’
The Guardian, 10th March 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
Teacher helped pupils cheat their GCSEs by manipulating coursework to get them top grades – The Independent
‘A teacher allowed his GCSE pupils to cheat their exams by telling them how to boost their coursework grades after coming under “significant pressure” from his bosses to deliver top marks.’
The Independent, 10th March 2025
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Just Stop Oil co-founder Roger Hallam has sentence reduced after Court of Appeal win – The Independent
‘Six climate activists jailed for their roles in demonstrations, including co-founder of Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion Roger Hallam, have had their sentences reduced at the Court of Appeal.’
The Independent, 7th March 2025
Source: www.independent.co.uk
The Latest Developments in Matrimonial Finance – Becket Chambers
‘This article highlights some significant developments that impact financial settlements upon divorce. Whether you are a solicitor, barrister, or an individual navigating the complexities of separation, staying informed is crucial. This article provides an updated and legally accurate breakdown of the latest changes, particularly in light of the Law Commission’s Financial Remedies Scoping Report, published on 18 December 2024.’
Becket Chambers, 3rd March 2025
Source: becket-chambers.co.uk
Comprehensive new guidance on imposing community and custodial sentences – Sentencing Council
‘The Council has published a significantly revised version of the Imposition of community and custodial sentences guideline.’
Sentencing Council, 5th March 2025
Source: www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk
The dilemma of the deepfake: intellectual property and synthetic AI-generated content – Mills & Reeve
‘The use of AI to generate so-called “deepfakes” – artificial images of events that never happened, usually featuring the likeness of real people (most often celebrities) – has grown considerably in recent years. The use of AI-generated deepfakes by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, at the start of the recent AI Action Summit in Paris has renewed press and public attention to the associated problems’
Mills & Reeve, 5th March 2025
Source: www.mills-reeve.com
Tesla appeal dismissed in ‘5G vehicles’ patent pool case – OUT-LAW.com
‘Judges in England and Wales cannot step in to declare what constitutes fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms for licensing standard-essential patents (SEPs) unless businesses seeking that intervention have a legal basis for raising a claim in relation to those patents, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’
OUT-LAW.com, 7th March 2025
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
Seeking clarification of tenders – Local Government Lawyer
‘In the recent Optima Health v DWP case, the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court’s judgment and held that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had not exercised its discretion properly by excluding Optima from a mini competition under a framework and failing to seek clarification of perceived errors in Optima’s tender. The Court considered that DWP was obliged to seek clarification in the circumstances and that common sense is required when applying the public procurement rules to ensure a healthy and fair competition and permit the proper evaluation of the tenders. The Court warned against adopting a strict and over-literal approach which may lead to the exclusion of the best tender for no objectively justifiable reason.’
Local Government Lawyer, 7th March 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Placement of children abroad: consultation and consent – Local Government Lawyer
‘In January 2024 the President of the Family Division issued guidance on public law children cases with an international element. This refreshes and replaces the 2014 President’s guidance on the same topic. The guidance explains how to go about obtaining information (or other requests for co-operation) from other jurisdictions. The International Child Abduction and Contact Unit (ICACU) is the conduit for such requests where the request arises out of proceedings brought by an English local authority and the other country is a party to the 1996 Hague Convention.’
Local Government Lawyer, 7th March 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
High Court judge says children who crossed Channel in boat can be returned to France pending determination of their asylum claims – Local Government Lawyer
‘A judge has ruled that the operation of immigration and asylum law no longer prevents the High Court from implementing a decision to return a child to another State before their asylum claim here has been determined by the Home Secretary, provided that the “general principle of non-refoulement” is upheld.’
Local Government Lawyer, 6th March 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Court of Appeal rejects appeal over permanent exclusion, warns undue focus on public sector equality duty may risk ‘over-legalising’ decision-making process – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal brought on behalf of a 15-year-old boy, rejecting the submission that the decision to permanently exclude him from school was unlawful because the headteacher “failed to comply with the public sector equality duty (PSED)”.’
Local Government Lawyer, 6th March 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Legal Services Board plots ethics overhaul amid evidence standards are slipping – Law Society’s Gazette
‘Legal education, training and regulation must be strengthened to stem a decline in ethical standards, the Legal Services Board has proposed. The oversight regulator wants to initiate a “significant shift” in how lawyers’ ethics are taught, overseen and supported in workplaces. This fresh approach is on the back of a growing body of “substantial evidence” that lawyers are unaware of their ethical requirements or even actively ignoring them.’
Law Society's Gazette, 6th March 2025
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Claim against family law firm over alleged negligence reinstated by High Court – Law Society’s Gazette
‘A Chancery Lane firm that brought a claim for unpaid invoices totalling £91,000 could now face a potential negligence action after its former client’s counterclaim was reinstated by the High Court.’
Law Society's Gazette, 6th March 2025
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
SRA under fire for ignoring ‘legal intimidation’ tactics – Law Society’s Gazette
‘An MP yesterday criticised the Solicitors Regulation Authority for failing to sanction lawyers who were facilitating “legal intimidation” on behalf of a Russian warlord. Lloyd Hatton, a member of the all-party anti-corruption parliamentary group, said regulators were allowing lawyers to be used as “hired guns” by rich and powerful clients.’
Law Society's Gazette, 7th March 2025
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Tough controls considered to regulate private prosecutors – Ministry of Justice
‘Private prosecutions allow people to pursue justice where state prosecutors cannot, or choose not, to prosecute. However, the improper actions of some organisations have resulted in serious and often life-changing miscarriages of justice. Examples include the Post Office Horizon scandal, which saw failings in the prosecutorial practices leading to hundreds of innocent postmasters being wrongfully convicted.’
Ministry of Justice, 6th March 2025
Source: www.gov.uk
Commonhold reform: ‘a step forward but caution required in wave of property law reforms’ – OUT-LAW.com
‘The UK government has outlined plans to ban the sale of new leasehold flats in England and Wales in a move designed to embed a new commonhold model into the property market.’
OUT-LAW.com, 6th March 2025
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
Research Briefing: Crime and Policing Bill 2024-25 – House of Commons Library
‘The Crime and Policing Bill 2024-25 was published on 27 February 2025. The bill is listed for second reading on 10 March 2025.’
House of Commons Library, 6th March 2025
Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk
