*The House of Commons is adjourned for Constituency recess and will return on 20 February. The House of Lords was adjourned on 16 February for Half Term recess and will return on 27 February.*
Mon 13/2/2012
Deportation: Judiciary
In Sonade, Harrison & Walker v Sec of St for the Home Department, the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) provided guidance on the application of human rights exceptions to the deportation of individuals who were married to British citizens or who had British children.
Judgment | UKHRB
Discrimination: Judiciary
In Bull and Bull v Hall and Preddy, the Court of Appeal upheld a ruling that a Christian couple had discriminated against Martin Hall and Steven Preddy on grounds of sexual orientation when they refused them a double-bedded room at their hotel.
Judgment | UKHRB
Criminal Records: Judiciary
In R (T) v (1) Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, (2) Sec of St for the Home Department, an Article 8 challenge to an enhanced criminal records regime has failed in the High Court.
Judgment | UKHRB
Secret Trials: Media
Sixty-five responses to the Justice and Security Green Paper consultation, which proposes introducing ‘Closed Material Procedures’ into civil courts, have been published on the consultation website. According to the site there are a potential twenty-five more to come.
Consultation | UKHRB
Extradition: Media
A former businessman will be extradited to the US within 10 days over charges of conspiring to sell batteries for Indian missiles after his plea to the ECtHR was rejected.
BBC
Deportation: Media
Abu Quatada has been released from Long Lartin top-security jail in Evesham. His six-year detention was ended last week after the EctHR ruled he could not be deported back to Jordon.
BBC | Guardian
Wed 15/2/2012
Protection of Freedoms Bill: House of Lords
Line by line examination of the Bill took place during the third day of report stage. The Bill now awaits a third reading.
Full transcript
Freedom of Information: Media
In Sugar (deceased) v BBC, the Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that an internal BBC report into its coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was ‘information held for purposes of journalism, art or literature’ and therefore need not be released to the public.
Judgment | UKHRB
Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill: House of Lords
Line by line examination of the Bill took place during the tenth committee stage. Further line by line examination is scheduled for 3 March.
Full transcript | BBC
Article 8: Judiciary
In Hardy and Maile v UK, a case involving a challenge to a proposed Liquid Natural Gas terminal at Milford Haven, the ECtHR has established a new interesting point about the reach of Article 8.
Judgment | UKHRB
Deportation: Media
Abu Qatada could be deported if Strasbourg is given’ watertight guarantees’ he will not be tried on evidence extracted under torture, Europe’s most senior human rights official has signalled.
Guardian
Thurs 16/2/2012
IRA Bombings: Media
Families of some of those killed by an IRA bomb 30 years ago have demanded a full public inquiry into the atrocity. Twelve members of the Irish Collie Club were killed at La Mon Hotel on the outskirts of east Belfast on 17 February 1978.
BBC
Deportation: Media
A serial offender who attacked eleven women in five years has been deported to his native Sierra Leone, the Home Office has said.
BBC
Extradition: Media
A date has been set for the extradition of a retired businessman wanted in the US to answer charges of conspiring to sell batteries for Iranian missiles.
BBC
Deportation: Media
Prince El Hassan of Jordan has urged Britain to ‘reach out’ to Jordan over the Abu Qatada case.
BBC
Fri 17/2/2012
Separation of Powers: Media
Sir Stephen Sedley has launched a stinging rebuttal to the speech of Lord Sumption in which the soon-to-be Supreme Court Justice rebuked the judiciary for failing to stay out of the political arena.
UKHRB
Tuition Fees: Media
Two teenagers have lost their legal battle against the raising of tuition fees. They claimed the decision to allow fees to rise breached human rights and equality laws.
BBC | Guardian
Religious Discrimination: Media
Christians who argue they should be exempt from equality laws are no different from Muslims who want to impose sharia law in the UK, human rights chief Trevor Phillips has said.
BBC
