I was granted a year’s study leave to work on my book, Academic Freedom and the Law, spending time in Germany and the United States. Nobody at UCL questioned whether it was appropriate for a professor of media law to write on academic freedom, although there is no close link between these subjects. Earlier in … Continue reading Academic Freedom – by Eric Barendt
Introduction In an earlier entry on this blog, Natalie Sedacca and Avril Sharp outlined the horrifying circumstances in which many domestic workers, as victims of human trafficking or ‘modern slavery’, often find themselves. My concern, in this entry, is with something more basic. That is domestic workers’ and other migrant workers' immigration status. Labour migration schemes tend … Continue reading Labour Migration, Skills and Discrimination – by Dáire McCormack-George
This blog post presents some key findings and initial analysis of an empirical study on the impact of differential permission to work on migrant domestic workers in the UK. The study sought to address the effect of the denial of permission to work to some domestic workers who have been identified as potential victims of … Continue reading Dignity, not destitution: the impact of differential rights to work for migrant domestic workers – by Natalie Sedacca and Avril Sharp
Freedom of association is a foundational principle of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Not only is this principle recognised in the ILO Constitution, first established as Part XIII of the Treaty of Versailles, a century ago; but it is integral to the tripartite structure of the ILO which relies on collective worker and employer organisations … Continue reading Protecting the right to strike in the ILO and the European Court of Human Rights: the significance of Appn No 44873/09 Ognevenko v Russia – Tonia Novitz
Last October, the President of the Supreme Court, Lady Hale, gave a lecture in the University of Oxford on the topic of ‘Equality and Human Rights’. After her eloquent and pellucid lecture, Lady Hale agreed to take a few questions from the large and appreciative audience. Following a few polite queries that produced thoughtful responses, … Continue reading A missing layer of the cake with the controversial icing – Hugh Collins
The UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and leading authority globally in international human rights law, Professor Philip Alston of NYU, published a statement on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, following his official visit in the United Kingdom in November 2018, with a full Report to follow in spring 2019. Alston’s statement on poverty-related policies … Continue reading Work, Human Rights, and Extreme Poverty in the UK: On the Occasion of the Visit of the UN Special Rapporteur, Philip Alston – Virginia Mantouvalou
Last month Refugee Action published a report setting out the case for reforming the current restrictions on asylum seekers’ freedom to work in the UK. Supported by a coalition of over 80 NGOs, think tanks, businesses and faith groups, the ‘Lift the Ban’ campaign proposes two specific legislative changes. First, to give the right to … Continue reading Lift the Ban: A Right to Work for Asylum Seekers – Emmeline Plews
Last week, the Grand Chamber of the CJEU handed down its fourth case on religious discrimination under the Equal Treatment Directive in employment and occupation: IR v JQ. It is a welcome exposition of limitations on the ability of ethos organisations - those founded on a particular religion or belief - to discriminate against workers. … Continue reading Discrimination and privacy in religious workspaces: a welcome ruling on “ethos organisations” – Katy Sheridan
On 30 July 2018, the Government announced a review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA) to be led by Frank Field MP, Baroness Butler-Sloss, and Maria Miller MP. In the announcement, it was stated that modern slavery is a horrendous crime, causing harm that can be compared to homicide, and that it is very … Continue reading The UK Modern Slavery Act 2015: A ‘Splendid Piece of Legislation’? – Virginia Mantouvalou
Social media posts are often spontaneous and thoughtless, but many people are dismissed because of what they post on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. A woman employed by a US government contractor lost her job because she was photographed extending her middle finger at the motorcade of President Trump when she was away … Continue reading ‘I Lost my Job Over a Facebook Post: Was that Fair?’ Virginia Mantouvalou
