Part 36: no presumption in favour of indemnity costs on late acceptance – Hailsham Chambers

Posted August 7th, 2018 in costs, delay, indemnities, news, part 36 offers, time limits by sally

‘Where a defendant accepts a claimant’s Part 36 offer after expiry of the 21 day period, many claimants (and legal commentators) have argued that the claimant should be entitled to recover indemnity costs from the expiry of the relevant period, just as they would if the case had gone to trial and the same result had been achieved. This argument has been particularly attractive to claimants where fixed costs apply, as an order for indemnity costs will allow the claimant to recover more than fixed costs. A number of County Court Judges and District Judges have accepted this argument in PI actions to which fixed costs apply.’

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Hailsham Chambers, 23rd July 2018

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High Court dismisses legal challenge to local government reorganisation in Dorset – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 7th, 2018 in boundaries, judicial review, local government, news by sally

‘A High Court judge has rejected a legal challenge brought by Christchurch Borough Council over local government reorganisation in Dorset.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 7th August 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘Same-roof’ rule in criminal injuries compensation – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 7th, 2018 in child abuse, criminal injuries compensation, domestic violence, news by sally

‘JT was born in 1963. She was the victim of repeated sexual assaults by her stepfather between the ages of 5 and 17 and made an application to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority following his conviction in 2012.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 6th August 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Leave.EU parts ways with Mishcon de Reya amid legal challenge – The Guardian

Posted August 7th, 2018 in elections, expenses, law firms, legal representation, news, referendums by sally

‘The elite London law firm Mishcon de Reya and Arron Banks’ pro-Brexit Leave.EU campaign have parted ways in the midst of Leave.EU’s legal challenge to a ruling it broke electoral law, the Guardian has learned.’

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The Guardian, 7th August 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

High Court judge quashes decision by council to cut SEND budget by £5m – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 7th, 2018 in budgets, local government, news, special educational needs by sally

‘A High Court judge has quashed Bristol City Council’s decision to reduce spending on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by £5m.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 6th August 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Recent Statutory Instruments – legislation.gov.uk

Posted August 7th, 2018 in legislation by sally

The Home Loss Payments (Prescribed Amounts) (England) Regulations 2018

The Combined Authorities (Spatial Development Strategy) (Amendment) Regulations 2018

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Final Presidential words on transparency – Transparency Project

Posted August 7th, 2018 in family courts, judges, news, private hearings, reporting restrictions by sally

‘Sir James Munby, who retired as President of the Family Division at the end of July, has attracted a good deal of media attention over the years and has been innovative and enthusiastic about constructively engaging with the media. He was vocal as early as 2013 (in a speech to the Society of Editors) about his wish for the family courts and the Court of Protection to become more open and the important role of the media (the press in particular) to make the workings of the family justice system accessible to the public. Although the government had seemingly thrown in the transparency towel after the failed legislation of 2010, he was determined to address the perceived problem of lack of confidence in “secret” family courts.’

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Transparency Project, 6th August 2018

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Fire safety duties for insolvency practitioners – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 7th, 2018 in fire, health & safety, insolvency, news by sally

‘When a business goes into insolvency, insolvency practitioners may become responsible for fire safety. Those responsibilities will change if the Hackitt Review’s post-Grenfell recommendations are implemented, particularly if the insolvency involves buildings where people sleep.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 7th August 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

High Court hosts new mega-money Russian dispute – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 7th, 2018 in choice of forum, freezing injunctions, news, Russia by sally

‘Another high-profile foreign dispute, this time related to a stake in a Russian fishing company valued at more than a billion pounds, has opened in the High Court – though the relevance of England and Wales as a jurisdiction has again been called into question.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 7th August 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

UK human rights panel to investigate police use of child spies – The Guardian

Posted August 7th, 2018 in children, intelligence services, news, police, select committees, spying by sally

‘Parliament’s joint committee on human rights has been asked to investigate the use of child spies by the police and security services, after peers discovered powers covering the practice hidden in obscure secondary legislation.’

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The Guardian, 7th August 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Appeal judges reject criminals’ “cynical” attempt to blame barrister – Legal Futures

Posted August 7th, 2018 in barristers, confiscation, money laundering, news by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has rejected what it described as a “cynical” attempt by two men convicted of money laundering to blame their barrister for confiscation orders made against them.’

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Legal Futures, 7th August 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Kieran Wilson on Case Management, Lists of Issues, and the Need to Know Your Case From the Start – Littleton Chambers

Posted August 7th, 2018 in case management, employment, employment tribunals, news by sally

‘Case management is not typically regarded as the most glamorous aspect of litigation. This is understandable, since parties’ eyes are often fixed on the drama and stakes of the final hearing.’

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Littleton Chambers, 26th June 2018

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

BAILII: Recent Decisions

Posted August 7th, 2018 in law reports by sally

Court of Appeal (Civil Division)

The Competition And Markets Authority (CMA) v Concordia International RX (UK) [2018] EWCA Civ 1881 (07 August 2018)

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Knagg & Ors, R v [2018] EWCA Crim 1863 (07 August 2018)Knagg & Ors, R v [2018] EWCA Crim 1863 (07 August 2018)

High Court (Administrative Court)

Wakenshaw, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary Of State For Justice [2018] EWHC 2089 (Admin) (07 August 2018)

Aslam, R (On the Application Of) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2018] EWHC 2123 (Admin) (06 August 2018)

High Court (Chancery Division)

Saeed & Anor v Ibrahim & Ors [2018] EWHC 1804 (Ch) (03 August 2018)

Source: www.bailii.org

Scottish independence as a protected philosophical belief? McEleny – Law and Religion UK

Posted August 7th, 2018 in equality, news, political opinion discrimination, Scotland by sally

‘The Herald reports that an employment tribunal has ruled that belief in an independent Scotland is a philosophical belief similar to a religion and is protected under equality legislation.’

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Law and Religion UK, 7th August 2018

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Judge calls for investigation into colleagues over race discrimination case – The Guardian

Posted August 7th, 2018 in judges, judiciary, news, race discrimination, racism by sally

‘A judge is calling for an investigation into colleagues who tried to suspend him over remarks he made about racism and the judiciary after receiving a formal apology over the matter.’

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The Guardian, 7th August 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

BBC’s Panorama broke Ofcom rules by naming ‘anonymous’ teenager – BBC News

Posted August 7th, 2018 in anonymity, BBC, media, news, secure training centres, young persons by sally

‘The BBC’s Panorama broke broadcasting rules by mistakenly revealing the first name of a teenager who was meant to be anonymous, TV watchdog Ofcom has said.’

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BBC News, 6th August 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Analysing and Pleading Whistleblowing Claims Following the Court of Appeal’s Decision in Kilraine – Littleton Chambers

Posted August 7th, 2018 in employment tribunals, news, pleadings, whistleblowers by sally

‘As most employment lawyers will testify, whistleblowing claims are easy to allege, but hard to prove and even harder to win.’

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Littleton Chambers, 16th July 2018

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

Appeal judges refuse compensation for schizophrenic who killed mother – Litigation Futures

‘The Court of Appeal has unanimously rejected a compensation claim brought by a schizophrenic woman who stabbed her mother to death.’

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Litigation Futures, 7th August 2018

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Government to face IWGB union in landmark court case for outsourced workers’ rights – The Independent

‘The government is taking on a union in court in a landmark case that could have huge ramifications for the UK’s army of 3.3 million outsourced workers, many of whom have fewer rights and face worse pay and conditions than in-house colleagues doing the same jobs.’

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The Independent, 7th August 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

The Perils of Unsigned Contracts of Employment and of Rushing to Court – Littleton Chambers

Posted August 7th, 2018 in contract of employment, injunctions, news, restrictive covenants by sally

‘There are numerous important lessons to be learned from the judgment in Tenon FM Limited v Cawley which was handed down orally on Wednesday 25th July 2018 by HHJ Bidder QC sitting as a Judge of the High Court but the main ones are:

1. Do not underestimate the difficulty of persuading a Court, even at the interim stage, to enforce restrictive covenants in a contract which the employee has not signed;

2. Where an employer is seeking to enforce restrictive covenants which it has introduced after the commencement of the employment, make sure its evidence in support sets out the consideration that was provided in respect of the same; and

3. Absent any real urgency, give the employee a genuine opportunity to respond to the employer’s concerns before issuing proceedings.’

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Littleton Chambers, 26th July 2018

Source: www.littletonchambers.com