In defence of the jury trial – Attorney General’s Office
‘Speech on the jury system and the challenges it faces, given as part of Politeia’s justice series.’
Attorney General’s Office, 12th December 2013
Source: www.gov.uk/ago
Aylesbury Vale District Council v Call a Cab Ltd and another – WLR Daily
‘Although the language of section 45(3) of the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1976 made it a mandatory requirement that a local authority should give notice to each parish council in order to pass a resolution, if there was substantial compliance with the statutory provision, the resolution was not invalid.’
WLR Daily, 12th November 2013
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Court of Appeal decision on limitation periods could have adverse consequences for contracting parties, says expert – OUT-LAW.com
‘A recent court decision which changed the point at which the six years within which a contractor must begin litigation in the courts starts to run could lead to uncertainty for the successful party to an earlier adjudication, an expert has said.’
OUT-LAW.com, 12th December 2013
Source: www.out-law.com
Asda car park death: Alan Watts guilty of manslaughter – BBC News
‘A man has been jailed for five years for punching and killing another man during a row over a disabled space in a supermarket car park.’
BBC News, 12th December 2013
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Sons of man who left fortune to BNP in court battle to claim money – Daily Telegraph
‘When English man died in Spain he bequeathed his entire estate worth £389,000 to the British National Party, court hears.’
Daily Telegraph, 12th December 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Exclusive: High Court grants first post-Mitchell relief from sanctions – Litigation Futures
‘The relationship between justice and procedure “has not changed so as to transform rules and rule compliance into trip wires”, the High Court said this week in the first significant post-Mitchell ruling where relief from sanctions was granted.’
Litigation Futures, 13th December 2013
Source: www.litigation.com
FGM: Britain’s first ever criminal charges could be brought as cases reopened – Daily Telegraph
‘Home Office minister Norman Baker welcomes the development which could see charges brought for the first time against doctors and other individuals suspected of involvement in female genital mutilation.’
Daily Telegraph, 12th December 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Trial judge rebukes David Cameron over remarks about Nigella Lawson – The Independent
‘The jury in the trial of two former personal assistants accused of defrauding Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi has been told to disregard comments made by the Prime Minister David Cameron about the Domestic Goddess author.’
The Independent, 12th December 2013
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Official watchdog says university sex segregation plans ‘not permissible’ – Daily Telegraph
‘Exclusive: The Equality and Human Rights Commission steps into the row over controversial guidelines which said gender segregation on campus should be allowed.’
Daily Telegraph, 12th December 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Deprivation of Liberty: current approach leaves vulnerable clients with limited protection, writes Laura Davidson – No. 5 Chambers
‘In P and Q v Surrey County Council & Others [2011] EWCA Civ 190, the Court of Appeal approved Parker J’s suggested new “relative normality” test for assessing whether or not someone was being deprived of their liberty. If someone’s disabilities and difficulties necessitate assistance which is a significant interference in their life regardless of where they reside, then they are living a relatively normal life ‘for them’. Thus the circumstances are unlikely to amount to a deprivation. This concept purports to emanate from Engel v Netherlands (1976) 1 EHRR 647, despite its focus on the limitations of the army regime upon a soldier’s lifestyle, rather than a person’s individual characteristics (see ‘Turning back the clock’, SJ Vol. 156, No. 22, 10-13).’
No. 5 Chambers, 9th December 2013
Source: www.no5.com
Lawyers want whistleblowing rules simplified – No. 5 Chambers
‘The Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) has called for changes to the law on whistleblowing.’
No. 5 Chambers, 4th December 2013
Source: www.no5.com
Gay discrimination and Christian beliefs – Bull v Hall in the Supreme Court – Legal Week
‘The recent confirmation by the Supreme Court that it was unlawful discrimination for Christian hotel owners to refuse a double-bedded room to a same-sex couple was of considerable interest as the latest in a string of high-profile cases involving religious belief and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation (and the first such judgment involving the highest court in the land).’
Legal Week, 12th December 2013
Source: www.legalweek.com
Case Law developments on recusal – No. 5 Chambers
‘The circumstances in which a Judge or a Tribunal Member might be requested or required to recuse themselves is considered by Gemma Roberts together with the relevant case law.’
No. 5 Chambers, 4th December 2013
Source: www.no5.com
EVENT: IALS – Scrutiny of terrorism laws: searchlight or veil?
‘Organised by the Statute Law Society (www.statutelawsociety.org) and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.
Speakers: David Anderson QC, Brick Court Chambers and the Government’s Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation.’
Date: 24th February 2014, 6.00-7.00pm
Location: Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Charles Clore House, 17 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DR
Charge: Free, registration required
More information can be found here.
EVENT: UCL CLP – Charitable Purposes and Activities
‘When determining whether a civil society organisation has charitable status, the orthodox position has it that the activities carried on in pursuit of its purposes are not relevant, save in very limited circumstances. This lecture will consider the extent to which this is correct, and whether the reluctance to consider the nature of the activities carried on by a potential charity should be revisited in light of the regulatory consequences of charitable status, outside of which the legal definition of charity has no real meaning.’
Date: 6th February 2014, 6.00pm
Location: UCL Faculty of Laws, Bentham House, Endsleigh Gardens, London WC1H 0EG
Charge: Free, registration required
More information can be found here.
309 offences including ‘incorrigible rogue’ taken off statute book – Daily Telegraph
‘”Being an incorrigible rogue”, under the Vagrancy Act 1824, is one of 309 offences to be repealed and removed from the statute book in the year up until May.’
Daily Telegraph, 12th December 2013
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
EVENT: IALS – Human Rights Lawyering in Europe: A Comparative Analysis of Human Rights Lawyers and Access to Justice in England and Wales and Germany
‘The professional attitude towards promoting national and international justice differs strongly between English and German lawyers: In England and Wales, legal professionals are highly committed to providing free legal assistance to disadvantaged groups while in Germany there is a lack of legal practice of human rights law and defence of those in need. The seminar therefore aims to analyse under which prerequisites legal professionals are able and willing to practice human rights law and support the rights of those in need at domestic and international level from a comparative view.’
Date: 20th January 2014, 6.00-7.30pm
Location: Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Charles Clore House, 17 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DR
Charge: See website for details
More information can be found here.
Government publishes TUPE amendment regulations – No. 5 Chambers
‘As predicted in our autumn newsletter, the Government has now published its proposed amendments to TUPE.’
No. 5 Chambers, 4th December 2013
Source: www.no5.com
Corporate failure and its implications for professionals advising before insolvency – 11 Stone Buildings
‘Professional negligence cases frequently deal with claims that arise after an insolvency occurs. During a recent 11 SB insolvency seminar, Lexa Hilliard QC focused on problems that can arise for accountants and solicitors prior to a company entering into a formal insolvency process. This is an area that has attracted little attention but it can be full of pitfalls that we professionals ignore at our peril. In
this ‘Insider’ she summarises herthoughts on what is becoming a very topical issue.’
11 Stone Buildings, December 2013
Source: www.11sb.com
What role does mediation play in social housing? – Hardwicke Chambers
‘At a case management hearing in the LVT (as it then was) back in March 2013, the chair said that, whilst normally he would direct that the parties to that dispute should attempt mediation, he was aware that it was “usually pointless” doing so where public funds are at stake as public bodies generally cannot justify the arbitrary reductions that can be necessary for a mediation to succeed, and fear creating some form of precedent. Misguided as I thought the chair was, it did seem likely that he might have been speaking from many years of experience.’
Hardwicke Chambers, 3rd December 2013
Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk
