Mark Blake spared jail after leaking stories to newspaper – BBC News
‘An ex-official who leaked stories about an immigration centre has been spared jail to care for his two children.’
BBC News, 21st September 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Women jailed for stealing friend’s rare teddy bears worth £37k and selling them on eBay – Daily Telegraph
‘Rachel Reynolds and Claire Cunningham take around 100 of the Steiff toys and sell them for fraction of value on internet auction site.’
Daily Telegraph, 21st September 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Judge bemoans lack of success fee competition in PI – Litigation Futures
‘The fact that competition over success fees has not developed, as Lord Justice Jackson hoped it would, is down to both consumer ignorance and solicitors’ reluctance to do it, according to the judge who last month cast doubt on the widespread personal injury charging model.’
Litigation Futures, 22nd September 2015
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
The Pregabalin Trial: Generics (UK) Ltd v Warner-Lambert Company LLC – NIPC Law
‘According to drugs.com, pregabalin is an anti-epileptic drug which works by slowing down impulses in the brain that cause seizures. A European patent for the drug was granted to Warner-Lambert Co, LLC (“Warner-Lambert”)(now a subsidiary of Pfizer Inc.) under EP number 0 641 330. That patent expired on 17 May 2013 but was extended by a supplementary protection certificate (“SPC”) until 17 May 2018. That SPC was allowed to lapse on 14 Oct 2013 and Warner-Lambert’s data exclusivity in respect of the data used to obtain the marketing authorisation for prehabalin expired on 8 July 2014. Since then anybody has been free to make, import or sell pregabalin for treating epilepsy and generalized anxiety disorder in the United Kingdom and several companies including some of the parties to these proceedings have done just that.’
NIPC Law, 18th September 2015
Source: www.nipclaw.blogspot.co.uk
Judge withdraws from BA case after airline loses his luggage – The Guardian
‘A judiciary watchdog is investigating a high court judge who complained about his luggage going astray on a flight booked with British Airways while he was overseeing a case involving the airline.’
The Guardian, 21st September 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
UK regulator Ofcom backs BBC in Russian TV case – BBC News
‘The BBC has won a case against Russian TV channel RT, which claimed the corporation faked a report on Syria.’
Full story
BBC News, 21st September 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
New Freedom of Information review will shut down access, campaigners warn – Daily Telegraph
‘Over 140 organisations have written to the Prime Minister expressing ‘serious concern’ at his review of the Freedom of Information rules.’
Full story
Daily Telegraph, 22nd September 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
SDT throws out allegations of forgery against fee-earner – Legal Futures
‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has thrown out charges brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) against a non-qualified fee-earner, deciding he had no case to answer and that the regulator should pay costs as a reminder to keep cases under review as they progress.’
Legal Futures, 22nd September 2015
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
What happens when you ask to see CCTV footage? – The Guardian
‘In Britain and other EU countries, people have the right to see footage of themselves recorded on CCTV cameras. Yet when one university researcher set out to test this, many operators were less than forthcoming.’
Full story
The Guardian, 22nd September 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
No rush for more women at the top of the legal profession, says senior judge – Daily Telegraph
‘Lord Sumption claims rushing to achieve equality could damage the judiciary.’
Full story
Daily Telegraph, 21st September 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
No human rights in EEA appeals says Upper Tribunal – Free Movement
‘The Upper Tribunal has issued the much awaited case addressing whether human rights grounds can be argued in an EU rights of residence appeal.’
Free Movement, 21st September 2015
Source: www.freemovement.org.uk
Judge who fell asleep in rape trial guilty of ‘serious misconduct’ but keeps job – Daily Telegraph
‘Barristers confronted Recorder Cattan with their suspicion that he had fallen asleep while an under-age victim was being cross-examined.’
Full story
Daily Telegraph, 21st September 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
High court to decide if bridge is a sport – The Guardian
‘A high court judge has been asked to decide whether bridge is a sport after it was refused recognition by Sport England.’
The Guardian, 22nd September 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Media and privacy law – Law Society’s Gazette
‘The spring of 2011 saw a rise in hysteria over privacy law. Superinjunctions were being simultaneously dismantled using the ancient protections afforded to debates in parliament, and more modern protections of anonymous postings on social media.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 21st September 2015
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
MoJ consults on costs protection in environmental litigation – Litigation Futures
‘The government has launched a consultation on steps to bring the UK into line with recent judgments of the European Court of Justice on costs protection for certain environmental challenges.’
Litigation Futures, 21st September 2015
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
EVENT: Discrimination Law Association Annual Conference 2015
‘Book soon to secure a place at this year’s DLA conference.
2015 is the 50th anniversary of the first Race Relations Act, the 40th anniversary of the Sex Discrimination Act and the 20th anniversary of the first Disability Discrimination Act as well as the 20th anniversary of the Discrimination Law Association. We are using this year’s conference to remind ourselves of past struggles and celebrate the rights we have won but also to consider the task ahead to retain, develop and expand those rights.
The keynote speaker, Judge Brian Doyle, President of the Employment Tribunals of England and Wales, will address issues of employment discrimination and what the future may hold for users and equality practitioners of the Tribunals. Other speakers include Geoffrey Bindman QC, Jenny Earle, Professor Anna Lawson and Karon Monaghan QC.’
Date: 26th October 2015
Location: Baker & McKenzie, 100 New Bridge Street, London EC4V 6JA
Charge: See website for details
Is equity release still a dirty word? – BBC News
‘Whether you’re considering a cruise, a new kitchen, or just giving money to the children, the thought of liberating that cash from the value of your house is enticing.’
BBC News, 19th September 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
The legal situation if someone has oral sex with a dead animal – The Independent
‘Sexual activity with an animal is covered in UK law by Section 69 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Under this law a person is said to have committed an offence if they intentionally have sex with an animal.’
The Independent, 21st September 2015
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Child sex abusers can be punished more severely when their victims are Asian, court rules – The Independent
‘A paedophile who sexually abused two children could be given a harsher sentence than usual because of the Asian community his victims were from, a judge has ruled.’
The Independent, 18th September 2015
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Spanking images ex-teacher jailed – BBC News
‘A retired teacher who was caught with indecent images on his computer of boys being spanked has been jailed.’
BBC News, 18th September 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
