20 January 2023
Gender recognition and the risk of encouraging a constitutional crisis
This week it was announced that the UK Government has blocked the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill (“the Bill”) from receiving Royal Assent by invoking its powers under section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998. As well as causing disappointment and heart ache for trans people and allies who had welcomed the Bill, some say it also risks encouraging a constitutional crisis. But why is the bill so controversial and what is section 35?
13 January 2023
The Covid-19 Inquiry – How Might You Get Involved?
The UK-wide public inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic is now getting into gear and it is expected to begin hearing evidence this summer. The inquiry is an important opportunity to secure political accountability and useful and timely recommendations for the future. Covid-19 has affected all of us, so the inquiry is likely to be especially long running and wide ranging. There will be a particular focus on the health and care sector, so readers of ‘The Carer’ may well have a role to play.
11 January 2023
Prince Harry Going to Court and Five other Public Law Developments to Look Out for in 2023
Six Public Law developments to look out for in 2023, including - The Prince Harry JR, Covid-19 Inquiry, Brexit, The Bill of Rights Bill, Rwanda Flights Litigation and the Russian Sanctions Litigation.
15 November 2022
No time to waste in safeguarding children online
As the government tweaks the Online Safety Bill, Emily carter highlights the importance of making progress in the New Law Journal.
14 October 2022
Case note – the time limit for bringing a judicial review claim: Arnold White Estates Limited v The Forestry Commission [2022] EWCA Civ 1304
CPR 54.5 provides that judicial review proceedings must be started “promptly” and “in any event not later than 3 months after the grounds to make the claim first arose”. Delay in bringing a claim can be a basis upon which permission to proceed with a claim can be refused or on which, even if permission has been granted, relief can be refused. It is therefore of great importance to claimants to ensure that claims are issued in time. The Court of Appeal has recently considered – and firmly rejected – a claimant’s attempt to ‘manufacture’ a new decision of a public body (i.e. create new “grounds to make the claim”) as a way of setting a new limitation period and so avoiding being out of time to bring a claim.