Alex Blair

Comms

See below the news and media items Alex has coordinated through his communications and human rights work. NOTE - these pieces are not written solely by Alex nor are they his intellectual property.

BBC News •

Awaab’s Law: Why so many UK homes still have a mould problem

Kyle (not his real name) had been living in his three-bedroom house in Greater Manchester with his pregnant wife and two children for a few weeks when he first noticed the mould in the bedroom.He wiped it away but when it returned quickly, he realised there was a serious problem."It spread through the bedrooms and all through the walls,” he recalls. “Plug sockets used to blow because the water had gotten into them.”Clothes, toys, beds and televisions had to be thrown away. The family ended up sl...
Garden Court North Chambers •

Georgia Barter’s inquest concludes in finding of unlawful killing resulting from domestic abuse

Georgia Barter died at Kings College Hospital on 26 April 2020, after being violently assaulted by her partner on or around 5 April 2020 and taking a fatal overdose. She had been subjected to around a decade of domestic abuse by her partner.

The inquest into Georgia’s death found that she was unlawfully killed and died as a result of domestic abuse. This...
The Guardian •

Legal challenge to Palestine Action ban can go ahead, court rules

A legal challenge to the ban on Palestine Action can go ahead next month after the court of appeal rejected the Home Office’s attempt to block the case.In a blow to the government, on Friday, three judges, led by the lady chief justice, Sue Carr, upheld Mr Justice Chamberlain’s decision to grant the Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori a judicial review of the group’s proscription under the Terrorism Act.The ban, the first on a direct action group, came into effect on 5 July, categorising it...
The Guardian •

Georgia’s story: how a domestic abuse victim’s suicide was ruled an unlawful killing by her partner

On 26 April 2020 Georgia Barter, a long-term victim of domestic abuse, died in hospital after taking a fatal overdose of painkillers. Last week, in an extraordinary verdict, a coroner ruled that Georgia, 32, was unlawfully killed by her abusive partner.A court heard how GPs, nurses and police officers all had chances to intervene in Thomas Bignell’s violent campaign against Georgia, but failed to do so.At the conclusion of the hearing, there were gasps in the courtroom. It is believed to be only...
BBC •

BBC Radio 4 - The Law Show, How can avoidable deaths be prevented?

Hundreds of recommendations are made following inquests and public inquiries like the one into the Grenfell fire. Yet no system is in place to ensure future deaths are prevented.The phrase “State related deaths” might mean little to the average person, but it's an umbrella term referring to a death in custody or a mental health setting. It also applies to situations when people have taken their own lives while in the armed forces or even to disasters like Grenfell or Hillsborough....
Manchester Evening News •

'No one in this country should have to live in a home that leaves them sick'

Four and half years after Awaab Ishak died aged two due to mould at his home in Rochdale, change is finally coming. The first measures under Awaab's Law will come into force in October with MPs due to debate the new rules on Monday (July 21). Christian Weaver, a barrister at Garden Court North Chambers, represented the Ishak family during the inquest into Awaab's tragic death. He continued to represent the family throughout the campaign that followed - to make Awaab's Law a reality. He joined th...
Daily Mirror •

Pandemic saw 'generational slaughter' as virus swept through care homes

Bereaved relatives have described their heartbreaking final moments with loved ones in care homes during the pandemic.

The Covid-19 Inquiry heard from families and care workers how the virus swept through homes “like wildfire”. Care workers held up iPads and got elderly people to touch the screen during video calls with loved ones when they couldn’t say their final goodbyes in person. The latest module on the care sector will hear testimony from bereaved families who were unable to see loved on...
The Guardian •

UK must impose sanctions on Israel to meet legal obligations, say more than 800 lawyers

The UK must impose sanctions on the Israeli government and its ministers and also consider suspending it from the UN to meet its “fundamental international legal obligations”, more than 800 lawyers, academics and retired senior judges, including former supreme court justices, have said.In a letter to the prime minister, they welcome Keir Starmer’s joint statement last week with the leaders of France and Canada warning that they were prepared to take “concrete actions” against Israel. But they ur...
Currents by New Internationalist •

Will the UK government have to stop arms sales to Israel?

A judicial review over the UK government’s arms sales to Israel drew to a close today in London’s Royal Courts of Justice. The case, brought by Palestinian organization Al-Haq and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), casts scrutiny over UK's role in the production of F-35 fighter jets.

Described by manufacturer Lockheed Martin as ‘the most lethal’ fighter jet in the world, F-35's and their UK-made components have been directly tied to civilian casualties in Gaza.
The Mill •

How a Manchester mental health ward neglected a suicidal patient

Dear readers — today’s story covers the inquest into the death of Charlotte Sophia Parry, a 27-year-old who tragically took her own life while on an acute psychiatric ward in Wythenshawe in 2022. The inquest looked at whether neglect by Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust contributed to Charlotte’s death. The piece features references to suicide and self harm and discretion is advised. If you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned that someone you know may be, find help here.We have...
The Guardian •

Covid inquiry: ex-minister defends VIP contract lane despite ‘one or two crooks’

A former minister behind the controversial VIP lane for supplying personal protective equipment during the pandemic said “some crooks” were probably awarded contracts, but defended the scheme as necessary to plug shortages.Lord Agnew, who was a Cabinet Office minister responsible for procurement during the pandemic, accused the Covid inquiry of having a “misconceived obsession with the high-priority lane”.In a robust evidence session at the inquiry on Tuesday, Agnew said it was “bollocks” to sug...
BBC News •

University of Cambridge Gaza injunction bid worries legal centre

A legal organisation that offers help to rights campaigners has criticised the University of Cambridge's attempts to prevent protesters causing disruptions.Last week, a High Court judge granted an injunction, applied for by the university, aimed at preventing pro-Palestinian demonstrators from disrupting a graduation ceremony.The European Legal Support Centre (ELSC), external has said the injunction the university sought was "broader" than comparable orders and would prohibit a "wide array of co...