The Supreme Court has held the government acted unlawfully in suspending disability living allowance (DLA) from a very sick child treated in hospital for more than 84 days, which caused the parents financial hardship. In Cameron Mathieson (a deceased child) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2015] UKSC 47, [2015] All ER (D) 90 (Jul) the court held there had been a violation of the boy’s human rights. The boy’s father, Craig Mathieson, commented that the decision was a ”fantastic legacy” for Cameron. About 500 families are expected to seek the reinstatement of their DLA payments following this case.
16 July 2015
Disability living allowance suspension unlawful
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Flint Bishop—Charlotte Harris
Sheffield expansion continues with appointment of commercial property partner
Browne Jacobson—Paul Duggan
Browne Jacobson strengthens banking and finance practice with latest partner appointment Paul Duggan
Ward Hadaway—Chris Piggott
Employment partner joins Ward Hadaway
NEWS
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners
Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.
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