Legal News Articles
Researchers investigate link between Down’s syndrome and Alzheimer’s (31 July 2014)
Researchers at Birkbeck College in London are to investigate a link between Down’s Syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease. Read more...
Lee Rigby killer renews conviction and sentencing appeals, after first stage of appeal fails (31 July 2014)
A panel of Appeal Court judges is to hear renewed applications from Michael Adebolajo, who is trying to get his conviction and sentence for the killing of Fusilier Lee Rigby quashed by the court. Read more...
Training to help police spot mental disorders in gang members and victims (31 July 2014)
The Home Office has awarded £460,000 to the Metropolitan Police to help train police officers, doctors and teachers in how to recognise the symptoms of mental health conditions in gang members and gang victims. Read more...
UK government restricts benefit claims from EU migrants to three months (30 July 2014)
Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that benefits eligibility for EU migrants in the UK is to be cut from six months to just three months of claiming, unless migrants have a credible prospect of getting a job in the UK. Read more...
Conservative London Assembly Members urge councils to build “infill homes” on redundant land (30 July 2014)
A new report by Conservative Party London Assembly members says that another 10,000 homes could be built in London if unused plots of land on London council estates were developed. Read more...
Ringleaders of Royal Marsden accounts fraud jailed (30 July 2014)
An accounts administrator who embezzled more than £600,000 from the Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital has been jailed for four years. Read more...
Identification of migrants who die trying to reach Europe “a moral and legal responsibility” (29 July 2014)
Human rights experts are calling for more support for families whose loved ones disappear or are killed while trying to reach Europe. Read more...
Research suggests one in five parents may have mild to moderate mental health condition (29 July 2014)
Research by AXA PPP healthcare has found that as many as one in five parents may have a mild to moderate mental health condition, including anxiety, depression or stress as a result of the guilt they feel at leaving their children in someone else’s care. Read more...
Help for Heroes charity fraudster “can expect prison sentence” (29 July 2014)
A bogus charity collector has been convicted of profiting by £300,000 from collecting money which he told the public was for the Help for Heroes fund to help wounded and disabled soldiers. Read more...
BA pilots may have died from “fume events” poisoning (29 July 2014)
A British Airways (BA) pilot who died in 2012 at the age of 43 after alleging that poisonous fumes on the flight deck had caused his ill-health, may be proved right after new research published in the Journal of Biological Physics and Chemistry examined his claims. Read more...
Government “committed” to allowing children their say in care proceedings (28 July 2014)
Minister of State for Justice and Civil Liberties Simon Hughes MP has said that the government is committed to making sure children have more of a say in care proceedings – and that local authorities, the Children and Court Advisory and Support Services (Cafcass) and the head of the Family Division of the court, Sir James Munby, would be working together to make sure “the wishes and feelings” of children in family hearings were listened to. Read more...
Child abuse witness “failed by mental health services and legal system” (28 July 2014)
A coroner has ruled that a violinist who died from an overdose after giving evidence in a child sex abuse case was failed by NHS mental health services – and is calling on the legal system to do more to support vulnerable witnesses. Read more...
Supreme Court to rule on rights of Nigerian girl trafficked into UK as domestic worker (28 July 2014)
The Supreme Court is to rule this week on whether an illegal immigrant who was trafficked into the UK as a domestic help is entitled to compensation, after she claimed for unfair dismissal, breach of contract, unpaid wages and holiday pay, as well as dismissal on racially discriminatory grounds at an Employment Appeal Tribunal. Read more...
Weekend riot at failing prison “resulted from staff shortages” (28 July 2014)
A riot at a failing prison occurred over the weekend when 120 prisoners refused to return to their cells. Read more...
Elderly under fire for “bed blocking” housing market (28 July 2014)
The government’s English Housing Survey has revealed that 79% of older people are homeowners – many having lived in their homes for decades after bringing up families. Read more...
Mobile phones to be removed from drivers involved in RTAs (28 July 2014)
Police officers have been ordered to remove mobile phones from drivers who are involved in a car crash, in a bid to cut the number of road traffic accidents (RTAs) which are caused by motorists using their handheld mobile phones or texting while behind the wheel. Read more...
CAB dealing with more evictions among rental tenants (28 July 2014)
Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) says that it has seen a 38% rise in the number of rental tenants who seek advice as a result of eviction, despite not being in arrears with their rent. Read more...
How to claim compensation for package holiday accidents (28 July 2014)
Holidaymakers who book package holidays and suffer injuries as a result of the negligence of another party are protected under the Package Travel Regulations 1992 – and can usually claim compensation for their holiday injuries. Read more...
Citizens’ victory as 200 peaceful protesters prevent eviction of cancer patient by HM Treasury’s bailiffs (25 July 2014)
A 63-year-old prostate cancer sufferer whose house was due to be repossessed has kept his home thanks to the actions of 200 strangers – who prevented the eviction by protesting peacefully outside the property. Read more...
Former local mayor convicted of failing to advise DWP of change in circumstances (25 July 2014)
A former mayor of Eastwood in Nottinghamshire has been convicted of disability benefit fraud. Read more...
NHS spends 10% of budget on mental health – despite government pledge for parity with other NHS services (25 July 2014)
Figures on NHS spending on mental health services show that mental health care is receiving just 10% of NHS spending – and some health trusts are spending as little as 6% on local mental health services. Read more...
How to make a claim for holiday illness (25 July 2014)
Every year thousands of holidaymakers have their holidays ruined as a result of falling ill with preventable illnesses on package holidays. Read more...
Former immigration minister’s cleaner deported as illegal immigrant (24 July 2014)
A woman who worked as a cleaner to the former Immigration Minister Mark Harper has been held at Yarl’s Wood immigration detention centre pending deportation since last Friday (18/07/14). Read more...
Son of murdered West Midlands couple detained under Mental Health Act (24 July 2014)
A 23-year-old man has been released from hospital and immediately detained under the Mental Health Act, after both his parents were found dead at their home in Solihull, West Midlands. Read more...
Home Office clampdown on students and post-study workers applying to switch into Tier 1 (23 July 2014)
On 11 July 2014, the Home Office released a new Statement of Changes (HC 532)in the Immigration rules, bringing in a sudden and quite shocking change with regards to students and (post-study workers wishing to apply to switch into the Tier 1(Entrepreneur) category. Read more...
UK government pledge to end FGM and forced marriage “within a generation” (23 July 2014)
Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to bring an end to female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage and child marriage within a generation. Read more...
Serious Fraud Office to investigate FX rate rigging allegations (23 July 2014)
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has announced a criminal investigation into the alleged “rigging” of the UK currency market. Read more...
“Midlife stopgap” tenants changing the face of rental sector (23 July 2014)
New research by Experian has revealed that after students, middle-aged workers and divorced Britons are the largest group of people renting homes in the UK. Read more...
Children’s mental health taskforce launched by Care Minister (21 July 2014)
The government has launched a new child mental health taskforce in response to NHS England findings that young people with mental health conditions are being “inappropriately treated” because of lack of support in communities. Read more...
26-week care proceedings target is working – but social workers are feeling “overworked” (21 July 2014)
The results of a survey by the Victoria Climbié Foundation (VCF) suggest that social workers are likely to struggle to meet their commitments under the Children and Families Act which became law in April. Read more...
MoD under fire for asking wounded soldier to return £11,000 compensation “because of mistake” (21 July 2014)
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is demanding the return of £11,000 paid out to a soldier whose arm was shattered in Afghanistan – because the ministry claims it “made a mistake”. Read more...
True level of knife crime in schools may be being masked because teachers do not report every incident. (21 July 2014)
There are fears that the true level of knife crime in schools may be being masked because teachers do not report every incident. Read more...
More help in Herts for professionals working with children with mental health conditions (21 July 2014)
A new website has been launched to help adult professionals in Hertfordshire spot the signs of mental health conditions in children and young people. Read more...
Nano fingerprint powder can reveal the finer details of a criminal suspect – including sex, diet and drug use (21 July 2014)
Researchers at the University of Newcastle have developed a nano powder, which will enable fingerprints to disclose the sex of a suspect, as well as what they have eaten and drunk – and whether they may have fired a gun recently or handled explosives. Read more...
Ex-wife fined for assaults on former husband (21 July 2014)
A woman who attacked her husband at the breakfast table after he allegedly announced he wanted a divorce left him needing 13 stitches, a court has heard. Read more...
Lewisham Council to sell off £20% of new homes built to reinvest in social housing (21 July 2014)
Lewisham Council in southeast London is to sell off 20% of the new social housing homes it has built in the borough to private buyers. Read more...
Immigration report rewritten by Tories because it was too “pro-Europe”, claims Cable (21 July 2014)
Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable has accused the Conservative Party of rewriting a report on immigration, because Conservative ministers felt it was too “propagandist” and “pro-Europe”. Read more...
Norfolk & Suffolk cuts to mental health beds “may lead to serious consequences”, says UNISON (21 July 2014)
A BBC Freedom of Information request has revealed that Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) has cut 100 beds in the last four years in a bid to slash £40 million from its budget. Read more...
Roofing contractor prosecuted after unauthorised gas work put lives of elderly couple at risk (21 July 2014)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a roofing contractor, after elderly householders were put at risk when work on their chimney stack proved faulty. Read more...
Manchester Samaritans receiving more calls from mental health patients in evenings and at weekends (18 July 2014)
The Samaritans phoneline in Greater Manchester has revealed that its staff have had to deal with a huge increase in calls from mental health patients who have no one else to turn to in the evening and at weekends. Read more...
Adopted woman who has lived 40 years in UK “must take naturalisation test” to become British citizen (18 July 2014)
A woman from York who was born in the US but adopted by a British couple at the age of three has been told by the Home Office that she has to go through the process of naturalisation to become a British citizen. Read more...
Think thank proposes capping child benefits to first four children (18 July 2014)
Right-of-centre think tank the Policy Exchange has suggested that in order to cut another £1 billion off the UK’s welfare benefits bill, claims for child benefit should be limited to the first four children in any family. Read more...
UK needs to improve record on LGBT asylum applications, says leading immigration barrister (17 July 2014)
Immigration barrister S Chelvan of No5 Chambers has told The Guardian that too many LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) asylum seekers in the UK are being put in an “intolerable” position by having to prove their sexuality when they claim asylum. Read more...
NCA nets 660 suspected paedophiles in covert operation (17 July 2014)
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has announced that 660 suspected paedophiles have been arrested in police raids, with some of those arrested described as having had “unsupervised access” to children in the course of their employment. Read more...
Inquest told marine died in fall on Special Forces selection exercise because map did not show 100-foot drop (16 July 2014)
An inquest at Caernarfon in North Wales has heard how a Royal Marine on a Special Forces selection exercise in Snowdonia slipped and fell 100ft down a gorge because the drop was not marked on the marines’ training maps. Read more...
59% of tenants “struggling to pay rent” after Bedroom Tax (16 July 2014)
A report by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has found that more than half of all tenants in receipt of housing benefit are struggling to pay their rent after having their housing benefit cut. Read more...
Presumption of Death Act 2013 to come into force from October (16 July 2014)
The government has announced that the Presumption of Death Act 2013 will come into force from 1 October, giving the relatives of missing persons who are presumed to have died more power to keep their loved ones’ affairs in order. Read more...
CPS to prosecute over alleged £400,000 benefit fraud (15 July 2014)
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced that 24 benefit claimants are to stand trial after being charged with benefit fraud amounting to nearly more than £400,000. Read more...
Holidaymaker narrowly escapes injury after hired sunbed bursts into flames (15 July 2014)
A woman who hired a sunbed for her home to prepare for her holiday in Gran Canaria is counting the cost after the sunbed caused a major fire. Read more...
Slow down in construction sector may delay interest rate rise (14 July 2014)
An unexpected contraction in the output of the construction sector may mean that the Bank of England will delay raising interest rates until 2015. Read more...
Four-year-old removed from mother’s care, after family court hears catalogue of physical and sexual abuse (14 July 2014)
A hearing of the Family Division in Milton Keynes has ruled that a four-year-old girl must be removed from the care of her mother, after the judge heard evidence that the child had suffered repeated physical and sexual abuse at home. Read more...
Appeal Court rules Minimum Income Requirement for non-EEA spouses “lawful” (14 July 2014)
A challenge to the government’s rules on minimum income thresholds for Britons wishing to bring a spouse or partner to live in the UK has been rejected by the High Court. Read more...
Gate installation company fined after automatic school gate traps boy (14 July 2014)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has successfully prosecuted a Leicestershire firm, after a young boy got his head trapped in an electronic gate at a primary school. Read more...
Fears that new “turbo roundabout” will increase motorcycle accidents (14 July 2014)
A new turbo roundabout due to be built at Union Street and Tavistock Street in Bedford may lead to the deaths of more motorcyclists, according to former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik. Read more...
Seven-year jail term for farmer who masterminded red diesel fraud (14 July 2014)
York Crown Court has sentenced a farmer to seven years in jail for masterminding a fraudulent scheme to evade tax and duty on fuel. Read more...
26 years minimum for “depressed” husband who killed wife who left him (14 July 2014)
A man who killed his wife by shooting her in the back before turning the gun on himself has been jailed for a minimum of 26 years. Read more...
NHS England announces 50 more beds for young mental health patients (11 July 2014)
NHS England has announced that it will be increasing the number of beds for young adults and children requiring mental health services by 50. Read more...
Brother of Irish MEP denies child sexual abuse allegations (11 July 2014)
A woman who alleges she was sexually abused as a child and teenager by the brother of Irish MEP and former singer Dana Rosemary Scallon has claimed that his sister has known of the abuse for 30 years. Read more...
Former crime boss unable to pay £750,000 Confiscation Order on grounds of poverty (11 July 2014)
Former crime boss Terry Adams has asked for a £750,000 Confiscation Order issued in 2007 under the Proceeds of Crime Act to be written off, on the grounds that he is now too poor to repay the money. Read more...
“Loom band craze” resulting in injuries to children (11 July 2014)
GPs and parents are warning of the dangers of elasticated “Loom bands”, after a boy was accidentally blinded in one eye when his brother pinged one of the bands near his face. Read more...
High Court ruling may set precedent for reporting divorce hearings (10 July 2014)
A High Court ruling means that the divorce proceedings involving hedge fund tycoon Sir Christopher Hohn, 47, and his wife can be publicised. Read more...
West Midlands councils on alert for Right-to-Buy fraud (10 July 2014)
Local Authorities in the West Midlands have launched investigations into Right-to-Buy fraud, after it emerged 205 applicants who bought their council houses under the Right-to-Buy scheme in Sandwell and Dudley had previously been in receipt of housing benefit. Read more...
£67,000 fine after agricultural worker is killed in “preventable” accident (10 July 2014)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a turfing company based in East Yorkshire, after an employee died when the key safety system on a turf harvester was deliberately bypassed. Read more...
Four-month jail term for care home worker who abused 92-year-old dementia patient (10 July 2014)
A care home worker who was filmed abusing a 92-year-old dementia patient who was entirely dependent on her has been jailed for four months at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Read more...
Motorist jailed for knife attack after near miss with another car (10 July 2014)
Snaresbrook Crown Court in Essex has handed down a six-year jail term to a driver who stabbed another motorist in the face, after their vehicles narrowly missed colliding with each other. Read more...
BMJ survey shows GPs are seeing workloads increase because of housing and debt crisis (9 July 2014)
Research by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has found that GPs are increasingly dealing with patients’ worries over housing, unemployment and debt. Read more...
“Ban the Booster” campaign launched by child car seat manufacturer (9 July 2014)
Car child seat manufacturer Britax has launched a campaign to urge parents not to use booster seats in cars, over fears their use could result in injury to children. Read more...
Nurse-led mental health triage scheme piloted for police in south London (9 July 2014)
Police stations in south London are piloting a new scheme under which police officers will be able to access phone advice from mental health nurses, to offer people who are suffering breakdowns better care. Read more...
Migrant workers - at risk of exploitation in UK (9 July 2014)
The government’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has found that migrant workers have not affected the job opportunities or pay of native workers in the UK – but migrant workers often face exploitation because enforcement agencies are not able to tackle the issue of migrant workers trapped in low-paid jobs in Britain. Read more...
Family Division can forcibly take pregnant woman for Caesarean (9 July 2014)
Family Division rules police can forcibly enter pregnant woman’s home and take her to hospital for Caesarean section Read more...
Lib Dem MP to chair All-Party inquiry into immigration detention (8 July 2014)
Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather is to chair an inquiry into immigration detention, which will hear evidence from former detainees. Read more...
HSE prosecutes unregistered gas fitter over dangerous boiler installation (8 July 2014)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted an unregistered gas fitter, who carried out work illegally on a gas fired central heating system, leaving it in a dangerous state. Read more...
Government’s Legal Aid reforms result in fewer publicly funded cases (3 July 2014)
New figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) show a significant fall in the number of Legal Aid cases since reforms to Legal Aid were introduced in April 2013. Read more...
Bradford child protection services see cases “double” in one year (3 July 2014)
The number of child protection cases in Bradford has almost doubled within a year. Read more...
Passer-by who confronted Lee Rigby’s killers is detained under the Mental Health Act (3 July 2014)
A 49-year-old woman who stood up to the two men who killed Fusilier Lee Rigby outside Woolwich Barracks last year has been detained under the Mental Health Act. Read more...
Tougher sentences for fly tippers introduced (2 July 2014)
From Tuesday (01/07/14) courts in England and Wales adopted new guidelines on fly tipping, which could mean larger fines and prison sentences for those convicted of dumping rubbish. Read more...
Tory MP suggests house hunters out-priced in London should try Manchester (2 July 2014)
The Conservative MP for Croydon South, Sir Richard Ottaway, has suggested that those who are unable to afford to buy a home in London should get on a train and go to Manchester. Read more...
Social workers “acted unlawfully” by failing to apply for care order (2 July 2014)
A mother whose nine-year-old son was illegally withheld from her by social workers is seeking compensation from Anglesey County Council in North Wales. Read more...
Violent public order offences in Manchester City Centre escalate as a result of 24/7 licensing (1 July 2014)
Police in Manchester say that they can no longer guarantee the public’s safety in Manchester City Centre after midnight – and are blaming New Labour’s policy on relaxed licensing and its promotion of a 24/7 society. Read more...
Rolf Harris convictions may lead to indecent assault compensation claims from victims (1 July 2014)
Entertainer and painter Rolf Harris may be facing a flood of claims for compensation, after he was found guilty of 12 charges of indecent assault on young girls on Monday (30/06/14). Read more...
Immigration Office refuses kidney donor entry to the UK (1 July 2014)
The brother of a seriously ill kidney patient has been prevented from entering the UK to donate one of his kidneys to his brother. Read more...
Ministers to review corporate criminal liability, in bid to reduce fraud (1 July 2014)
Government ministers are considering fining companies which fail to prevent rogue employees from carrying out financial fraud. Read more...
HSE launches campaign to highlight construction workers’ accident and disease risks (1 July 2014)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a campaign to target unsafe working practices on construction sites. From 23 June, HSE inspectors have been making spot checks on construction sites to uncover risks to construction workers. Read more...