‘Sue Brookes, Senior Associate with Mills & Reeve LLP analyses the news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during December 2017.’
Family law Week, 10th January 2018
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
‘Bitcoin is a form of digital currency developed in 2009. It is created and held electronically in a decentralized system meaning that no one and no government controls it. Bitcoins aren’t printed but are ‘mined’ by both people and businesses using software that solves complex mathematical problems. Prone to volatility, Bitcoin hit the news last month after it reached an all-time high then dropped in value by almost 20% in a time period of only 90 minutes. Despite its erratic nature, the interest and investment in Bitcoin is rapidly growing and with more people holding Bitcoin, it is likely to be a far more common asset in divorce proceedings. Further, the extra privacy given to Bitcoin holders, as opposed to those who hold money in a bank, has led to many discussions on whether it will be the case that non-disclosers in divorce proceedings will increasingly try to hide assets through Bitcoin.’
Family Law, 11th January 2018
Source: www.familylaw.co.uk
‘Two children have been taken from the care of their mother, who has a learning disability, after a judge said “kisses and cuddles are not enough”.
BBC News, 10th January 2018
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘There will be a “significant increase” in targeted stop and searches by police in London as part of efforts to combat rising violent crime, Sadiq Khan has said.’
The Independent, 10th January 2018
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘A French businessman wanted for questioning in relation to an inquiry into the alleged illegal financing of Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential election run by the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi has been granted £1m bail by the high court in London.’
The Guardian, 10th January 2018
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘An NHS investigation has been launched following the deaths of six patients when hospital staff accidentally switched off their oxygen cylinders. A safety alert has been issued after watchdogs uncovered more than 400 incidents in which cylinder controls were wrongly operated – including 24 cases where patients came to “moderate or severe harm”.’
Daily Telegraph, 10th January 2018
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘Conviction thought to be the first of its kind as prosecutors did not have to prove harassment happened on multiple occasions.’
The Independent, 10th January 2018
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘A bigamist who was caught out when his wife saw him on live television with another woman has been jailed.’
BBC News, 10th January 2018
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Separating couples now typically spend £14,561 on lawyers and lifestyle costs, plus an additional £35,000 to rent or £144,600 to buy new property.’
The Independent, 11th January 2018
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘The Foreign Office turned down a request from the Ecuadorian government to grant Julian Assange diplomatic status, amid reports the WikiLeaks founder may have received citizenship from the Andean country.’
Daily Telegraph, 11th January 2018
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘Lawyers for victims of the serial sex attacker John Worboys reacted with anger after it emerged they have not been consulted on the terms of his release licence, which are due to be discussed on Thursday.’
The Guardian, 10th January 2018
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Peers have backed a proposal that would require Theresa May to proceed with the second stage of the Leveson inquiry.’
BBC News, 10th January 2018
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘In December 2017 there was a considerable outcry following the case of Liam Allan, a middle class white man studying criminology who had been charged with rape. Crucial material was not disclosed or properly reviewed by the police which totally undermined the case against the defendant and the case was dropped. The Director of Public Prosecutions apologised, an enquiry into disclosure is to follow, the police were slammed, and the issue was raised with the Prime Minister in the House of Commons. Even the Daily Mail got in on the act and other cases have also been dropped since.’
Legal Voice, 10th January 2018
Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk
‘Less than 24 hours after the prime minister handed the justice brief to solicitor David Gauke as part of a cabinet reshuffle, the new lord chancellor says he has begun the process of making parole decisions more transparent.’
Law Society's Gazette, January 2018
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘The FDAC National Unit (NU) coordinates quarterly meetings for all FDAC substance misuse workers, to provide a forum for discussing issues arising from working in FDAC, which is a very different experience to working within adult treatment services. Issues that arise include being part of a multi-disciplinary team, working within the tight timescales of care proceedings, and the need to focus on the welfare of the child and the child’s timescales rather than solely on the parent/s. Issues relating to testing are also discussed regularly.’
Family Law, 9th January 2018
Source: www.familylaw.co.uk
‘The government is to amend the data protection bill to protect security researchers who work to uncover abuses of personal data, quelling fears that the bill could accidentally criminalise legitimate research.’
The Guardian, 9th January 2018
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Under the headline ‘Jamie and Louise Redknapp’s divorce papers to be kept secret as a judge blocks the release of documents’ the Transparency Project reported last week-end that the Press were complaining a London court had ‘blocked the release of papers that would normally be made public and he has not given a reason why’. The Daily Mail, TP said, had complained: ‘A judge has thrown a blanket of secrecy over the’ couple’s divorce.’
Transparency Project, 9th January 2018
Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk
‘A decision letter sent by the London Borough of Hillingdon to an applicant for housing “suffers from very serious defects”, Nicklin J has said in the High Court.’
Local Government Lawyer, 10th January 2018
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) has decided against striking off a solicitor it found had forged correspondence and lied to both her client and her employer, after finding that a root cause of her misconduct was the firm’s culture and the pressure it exerted on her to meet billing targets.’
Legal Futures, 10th January 2018
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
© Inner Temple Library 2025