Author: sally

‘EU competition appeals typically involve applications by private businesses to annul decisions made by the European Commission. Moreover, these appeals are first assigned at random to a chamber, with a judge then designated as the rapporteur who will be most closely involved with the case. Using hand-collected original data on the background characteristics of EU judges and on competition judgments by the General Court between 1989 to 2015, we find that the legal origins of judges bear a statistically significant correlation with case outcomes and that the rapporteur plays a crucial role in the decision-making process. In particular, if a rapporteur comes from a country whose administrative law has a strong French influence, the decision is more likely to favor the Commission than if he is from any other EU country. These results are robust to alternative political ideology variables, including left-right politics and a preference for European integration.’

Date: 19th January 2017, 6.00-7.00pm

Location: Edmond J. Safra Lecture Theatre, Strand Campus, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS

Charge: Free, registration required

More information can be found here.

‘The Competition and Markets Authority, prompted by concerns raised by interested parties that the legal services sector might not be working as well as it should, launched a study into the legal services market in January 2016 focusing on individual consumers’ and small businesses’ experience of purchasing legal services in England and Wales. In its interim report, the CMA found some important problems in the functioning of the market to the detriment of consumers. The final report, which is due by the 12 January 2017 statutory deadline, will explore in full the hurdles to competition in the legal services market and make proposals for the appropriate remedies as well as recommendations for the regulatory framework of the legal services market. This will be the first public discussion of the report, which is likely to make a significant impact on a market with an annual turnover of £11-12 billion.’

Date: 19th January 2017, 6.30-8.00pm

Location: Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House

Charge: Free, registration required

More information can be found here.

‘In broad terms, the defence of therapeutic privilege excuses a medical practitioner from having to make the sort of disclosure about the risks associated with a medical treatment or procedure which the law would otherwise require, because it is reasonably considered that such disclosure would harm the patient’s health or welfare.’

Date: 19th January 2017, 6.00-7.00pm

Location: UCL Pavilion (Main Quad), Gower Street, London WC1H 6BT

Charge: Free, registration required

More information can be found here.

‘This event will provide the opportunity to hear leading experts consider the challenges and opportunities for rule of law oversight in the EU and the role of various EU institutions, including an analysis of the Commission’s new Rule of Law Framework and the Council’s new Rule of Law Dialogue. In addition, country experts will assess the situation in selected member states, with a particular focus on developments in Hungary and Poland. Speakers will also consider what lies ahead, amid recent calls for a new binding EU mechanism to monitor the state of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights in the member states.’

Date: 16th January 2017, 4.00-7.00pm

Location: British Institute of International and Comparative Law, Charles Clore House, 17 Russell Square, London WC1B 5JP

Charge: See website for details

More information can be found here.

‘The United Nations Human Rights Council has recently declared that ISIS violence against the Yazidi religious minority constitutes a case of “ongoing genocide”. Dr Valeria Cetorelli will present the first survey evidence on the number and demographic profile of Yazidis killed and enslaved by ISIS.’

Date: 11th January 2017, 6.30-8.00pm

Location: Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House

Charge: Free, registration required

More information can be found here.

‘Patricia Scotland, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, PC, QC is a British barrister who served as the Attorney General for England and Wales and Advocate General for Northern Ireland. At the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, she was elected Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations and took office on 1 April 2016 as the first woman to hold the post. She is the current Chancellor of the University of Greenwich.’

Date: 24th January 2017,

Location: Lecture Theatre Queen Anne 080, University of Greenwich, Park Row, London SE10 9LS

Charge: Free, registration required

More information can be found here.