VE Day: Council duties under the Armed Forces Covenant
As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Geoff Wild, Legal & Governance Consultant, looks at the duties of councils under the Armed Forces Covenant.
Gender-critical social worker awarded over £50k
29/04/2024 A social worker who faced disciplinary action following complaints about her gender critical beliefs will be awarded over £50,000. |
Trade union law ‘nullifies’ right to strike, court rules
18/04/2024 UNISON has welcomed a landmark Supreme Court ruling that found UK trade union law ‘encourages and legitimises unfair and unreasonable conduct’ by employers. |
‘Illiberal’ bill banning boycotts of Israel passes Commons
11/01/2024 A bill aimed at banning local authorities from boycotting Israel has passed the Commons despite being branded as ‘illiberal and draconian’. |
Implementing the new voter ID requirement
18/12/2023 Baroness Drake, chair of the House of Lords Constitution Committee, discusses how implementation of the new voter ID requirement could be improved. |
Barge death concerns
18/12/2023 Concerns over conditions inside some asylum accommodation intensified last week, after the death of an asylum seeker onboard the Bibby Stockholm barge. |
Mayor of London criticised for Saudi ads
13/12/2023 Mayor Khan has been criticised after Saudi adverts appeared on the TfL Network despite advertising restrictions on countries with poor human rights records. |
Councillors urge Government to respect Rwanda ruling
16/11/2023 Nearly 130 councillors have urged the Government to respect the Supreme Court’s ruling on its controversial plans to send people seeking asylum to Rwanda. |
Council accused of menopause ‘discrimination’
02/10/2023 Employment tribunal will today begin the first case in Britain where a worker will argue that menopause symptoms amount to a disability under the Equality Act. |
Government failing to protect disabled people
17/08/2023 The UK and Welsh governments are failing to protect disabled people from discrimination and the situation is worsening due to the cost-of-living crisis. |
Councils slammed over '47-year negligence' after Uber court case
02/08/2023 A union representing private hire drivers has claimed victory in a court case that has clarified the legal status of ride-hailing services and their drivers. |
Court clarifies council obligations under Human Rights Act
18/05/2023 There is no requirement for children to be in the care of a local authority for the obligations under the Human Rights Act to arise, Court of Appeal rules. |
Government launches £500,000 know-your-rights scheme
19/04/2023 Social housing tenants in seven cities are to be offered a place on a Government-funded training scheme aimed at helping them hold their landlords to account. |
Notts council urged to end twinning with Chinese city
14/02/2023 Campaigners have published an open letter calling on Nottingham City Council to end its relationship with a city in China. |
Ombudsman urges councils to adopt ‘rights-based mindset’
01/12/2022 Human rights should be at the centre of all council services, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said. |
Council cancels event over feminist writer’s views on trans rights
27/06/2022 Feminist writer Julie Bindel has threatened to sue Nottingham CC after the council banned her from giving a talk because of her views on transgender rights. |
One in three UK adults face homelessness, Amnesty warns
07/06/2022 The right to housing should be protected in law, human rights groups says as nearly one in three adults report they are concerned about homelessness. |
Queen’s Speech: Mental health laws to be overhauled
10/05/2022 Government will reform mental health laws to make it harder to detain people and to stop the disproportionate use of the laws against BAME communities. |
Call for clarity on local government's use of Hikvision surveillance cameras
26/04/2022 Local government minister, Michael Gove, has been urged to clarify his position on buying surveillance cameras from tech company Hikvision. |
Government launches Liberty Protection Safeguards consultation
18/03/2022 Government has launched a consultation on Liberty Protection Safeguards to ensure the freedom of people who may need decision-making assistance is protected. |
County council ends contract with Russian-owned Gazprom
02/03/2022 Suffolk County Council has decided to end its contract with the Russian-owned energy supplier Gazprom in response to the invasion of Ukraine. |
Human rights group warns of ‘uninhabitable’ temporary accommodation
18/01/2022 Children in London growing up in ‘uninhabitable’ temporary accommodation due to Government-imposed austerity and the housing crisis, human rights group warns. |
Report criticises 'destitution by design' policy
11/10/2021 A new report has called for a step-change in the way asylum seekers are supported in Scotland. |
Vulnerable children ‘detained unlawfully’ in Scotland
07/06/2021 Vulnerable children in Scotland may have been detained unlawfully in secure accommodation, a new investigation has revealed. |
Trade union calls for higher human rights standards in PPE
26/01/2021 A local government trade union has called for new laws to stop PPE being supplied by companies that exploit workers. |
Brighton councillors criticise arms manufacturer for ‘deadly bombs’ used in Yemen
02/10/2019 Councillors in Brighton have called on the Government to stop a local business from manufacturing ‘deadly bombs and weapons’ after the company was named in a UN report. |
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Facing up the future?
27/09/2019 Sue Chadwick urges local authorities to think hard before using Automatic Facial Recognition technology on publicly owned land and buildings. |
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Grenfell residents had human rights breached, watchdog warns
13/03/2019 The residents of Grenfell Tower had their human rights breached by the council and public services before the fire started, a watchdog has warned. |
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Council’s decision not to allow a barrier around Muslim grave ‘fair’, court rules
23/01/2019 A court has ruled that Walsall Council’s decision not to allow a Muslim man to install a marble edge around his father’s grave was ‘appropriate and fair’. |
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Councils criticised for banning anti-abortion protests
30/05/2018 Councils wanting to restrict protests outside abortion clinics have been challenged by a group of campaigners, including human rights activist Peter Tatchell. |
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Councils threaten to ‘divide' migrant families, report says
09/04/2018 Local authorities often threaten to take children into care if their parents do not have the proper documentation to remain in the country, human rights groups warn. |
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Human rights watchdog launches Grenfell fire inquiry
11/12/2017 The harm suffered by those who survived or witnessed the Grenfell Tower fire may constitute ‘inhumane and degrading treatment’, according to human rights watchdogs. |
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Councils complicit in ‘human rights violations’, disability organisations say
21/08/2017 Deaf and disability organisations have accused the Government and local authorities of human rights violations due to policies which prevent disabled people living independent lives. |
