Human rights abuses

• This has been due to issues with some asylum accommodation contracts and, more recently, measures to limit the risk of spreading Covid-19.
• Many Members of Parliament are receiving correspondence from constituents asking about the use of hotels to accommodate people seeking asylum.
• The number of people seeking asylum being temporarily accommodated in hotels has risen since September 2019.
• It provides some background information about the policy on the use of hotels as asylum accommodation, the reasons why there has been an increase in the use of hotels, and the available data on how many people seeking asylum are being accommodated in this way.

• The Government presented the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill on 18 March 2020, thereby meeting its 100-day self imposed deadline.
• The Government presented the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill (Bill 117) on 18 March 2020.
• The main purpose of the Bill is to provide greater legal protections to Armed Forces personnel and veterans serving on military operations overseas.
• Framework of law governing armed conflicts There is a myriad of law that oversees the conduct of military personnel on operations overseas.
• As such Armed Forces personnel are not immune from prosecution for offences committed whilst serving on operations overseas.

Al-Sweady Inquiry

• The Al-Sweady Inquiry was launched by the Labour Government in 2009 following a judicial review brought by the uncle of Hamid Al-Sweady, claiming that his nephew had been unlawfully killed while in the custody of British troops.
• Other linked claims related to detention and mistreatment by British troops.
• The Report of the inquiry was published in December 2014.

Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT)

• Numerous legal claims also arose in relation to actions of British service personnel in Iraq between 2003-2009 more broadly.
• In 2010 the Government announced the establishment of the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) to sift through and investigate allegations and refer them for prosecution, where appropriate.
• Around 3,400 allegations of unlawful killings and ill treatment were received by IHAT.
• The decision in 2017 to strike off Phil Shiner allowed IHAT to dismiss many of the false allegations he submitted.

Service Police Legacy Investigations (SPLI)

Although IHAT was closed down, the legal obligation on the Government to investigate allegations of wrongdoing remained. In July 2017 the remaining Iraq legacy investigations were therefore taken over by the Service Police. As of 30 June 2020, the SPLI had closed, or was in the process of closing, 1,213 allegations, either on the grounds of proportionality or because of a lack of evidence.

Iraq Fatalities Investigations (IFI)

• The High Court indicated that the requirement could be met by holding inquisitorial inquiries modelled on coronial inquests.
• Iraq Fatalities Investigations was subsequently established.
• Cases are referred to it after it has been decided that there is no realistic prospect of a conviction.
• The investigations serve a purpose similar to a coronial inquest by providing the families of the deceased and the wider public with as much information as possible about the circumstances of the death.

Operation Northmoor

• There are three main facets to the Bill:
  1. It would create what has been termed a “triple lock”, to give personnel and veterans greater certainty that the pressures placed upon them during overseas operations would be taken into account when prosecution decisions for alleged historical offences are made. That lock would consist of: a presumption against prosecution for alleged offences committed more than five years ago; a requirement for prosecutors to give weight to certain matters when reaching decisions in such cases; a requirement to obtain the consent of the Attorney General, or the Advocate General in Northern Ireland, before any prosecution can proceed.
  2. It would introduce time limits on bringing civil claims in connection with overseas operations.
  3. It would place a duty on the Government to consider derogating from the European Convention on Human Rights in relation to significant overseas military operations. 
  • In 2014 an independent Royal Military Police led investigation (Operation Northmoor) was launched into allegations relating to UK detention operations in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2013.
  • By July 2017 investigations into more than 90% of those allegations had been discontinued because there was no evidence of criminal or disciplinary offence.
  • In July 2019 remaining investigations conducted under Operation Northmoor were brought to an end.
  • No case investigated as part of Operation Northmoor was referred for prosecution by the independent Service Prosecuting Authority.
  • Proposals under consideration have included replacing the Human Rights Act and derogating from the ECHR in future conflicts.
  • Neither did it address the issue of combat immunity, which will be the subject of separate legislation.
  • The exclusion of operations relating to Northern Ireland from the Bills provisions has also drawn criticism.

• Not only canissues like revenge porn and sextortion pose problems for teens who sext, they also have to worry about breaking the law.
• Farber shares her legal expertise on electronic bullying and harassment to make teenagers, parents, and educators aware that what's become normative digital behavior for many teens can have seriousand even criminalconsequences.
• With rapid advancements in technology, our laws related to sexting are often outdated or inadequate, especially with respect to minors.
• READERS' FAVORITE says, "Ice Queen is a suspenseful page-turner that takes on a heavy topic and places it into an engaging and suspenseful narrative to illustrate how dating in the digital age can come with unexpected consequences."

• OTTAWA, ON, July 29, 2020 /CNW/ - The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, today reaffirmed Canada's commitment to fighting human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and irregular migration as a series of initiatives were unveiled in Nigeria.
• UNODC will work with Nigeria to counter human trafficking and migrant smuggling operations by identifying and responding to these criminal activities, through improved data gathering and data analysis techniques.
• ARK will use its communication expertise to support Nigeria to enhance its human trafficking and irregular migration deterrence campaigns, through integrating and applying data analysis into its targeted messaging.
• Canada will continue to work alongside our partners and world leaders in fighting trafficking and smuggling operations to support safe migration, and strengthening data analysis and increasing awareness is a critical component of that."