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Human rights/equalities

This category contains 135 posts

Lee Marsons: Developing an Ombuds Human Rights Practice

The core function of public services ombuds is to investigate complaints from individuals about “maladministration” by public bodies which has caused injustice. But ombuds have developed several other important functions designed to improve people’s experiences of public services. For example, as seen in the Council of Europe’s 2019 Venice Principles, ombuds are developing a role … Continue reading

New report calls for transformative change to child services

Koldo Casla and Lyle Barker (University of Essex) Creating a social security system that guarantees the essentials in life, regulating for-profit children’s homes, and extending peer-parent support are among a list of recommendations researchers believe could help to eradicate the “toxic culture” of England’s Child Protection Services. The call comes from the team behind Human Rights … Continue reading

The own-initiative follow-up report by the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman into Personal Independence Payments

Robert Thomas (Professor, University of Manchester) In 2021, the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman published the report of its own-initiative investigation into Personal Independence Payments (PIP). It is a huge juggernaut of a report full of meticulously detailed case-studies, findings and recommendations about the administration of PIP in Northern Ireland (NI). The Ombudsman made an … Continue reading

How the UK’s Illegal Migration Bill turns its back on persecuted LGBT people

As Human Rights Watch’s 2020 global report on LGBT rights illustrates, LGBT people still face significant prejudice, discrimination, and even violent persecution around the world. For LGBT people able to flee, the right to seek asylum offers the hope of safety. But under the Government’s Illegal Migration Bill – which imposes a ban on seeking … Continue reading

Pay to prove that you are a child: the government consults on fees for age assessment appeals to the Immigration and Asylum Chambers

By Jonathan Collinson (University of Huddersfield) The government has launched a consultation on the fees payable by applicants who lodge certain kinds of appeals in the Immigration and Asylum Chambers (IAC): the administrative tribunals responsible for hearing appeals against decisions of the Home Office in immigration and asylum matters. The consultation proposes fees – payable … Continue reading