‘Highways England has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider if corporate manslaughter charges are appropriate following a smart motorway death.’
The Independent, 11th February 2021
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘A disabled woman whose brain was starved of oxygen after an operation to remove all her teeth would probably have survived if care home staff acted sooner, an inquest heard. Staff at Pirton Grange Care Home, near Worcester, failed to spot Rachel Johnston was developing hypoxia. A coroner concluded neglect contributed to her death just over two weeks after she was taken to hospital.’
BBC News, 11th February 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The Duchess of Sussex has won her high court privacy case against the Mail on Sunday, hailing her victory as a “comprehensive win” over the newspaper’s “illegal and dehumanising practices”.’
The Guardian, 11th February 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has only implemented four of the 29 recommendations suggested to it by the first part of the Grenfell inquiry, a new report has found.’
The Independent, 12th February 2021
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘It is one of the ironies of Brexit that the UK has effectively implemented many of the features of the 2019 EU Restructuring Directive[1], providing for restructuring plans with cross-class cram down and moratoria, before all of the remaining EU member states (although the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 was avowedly not the implementation of EU law). The EU member states are required to implement the Restructuring Directive by 17 July 2021, although to date only Germany, the Netherlands and Greece have done so and many more are expected to seek an extension of the deadline to July 2022.’
Wilberforce Chambers, February 2021
Source: www.wilberforce.co.uk
‘In the recent case of Bilta (UK) Ltd and others v SVS Securities Plc and others [2021] EWHC 36 (Ch) Mr Justice Smith considered an application on behalf of the Fifth Defendant, Traditional Financial Services (‘TFS’), for an adjournment 1 week before the commencement of a 5 week trial. The case was to be heard in the Rolls Building as part of the Financial List.’
St Ives Chambers, February 2021
Source: www.stiveschambers.co.uk
‘Welcome to the latest issue of Spire Barristers’ Public Law Newsletter covering news from around the web, practice updates and case reviews in Court of Protection and Public Law matters.’
Spire Barristers, 10th February 2021
Source: spirebarristers.co.uk
‘The continuing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is slowly but surely beginning to cast a shadow over personal injury claims. As the months have rolled on, viable businesses, starved of custom, are facing the prospect of being forced to cease trading. Those same businesses are the Defendants in many ongoing and pending claims. So, what happens when a Defendant becomes insolvent?’
St John's Chambers, February 2021
Source: stjohnsbuildings.com
‘Trees can provoke a surprising number of legal disputes which frequently lead to either civil or even criminal litigation.’
New Square Chambers, 1st February 2021
Source: www.newsquarechambers.co.uk
‘2020 saw the Employment Tribunal and higher courts give out fewer judgments due to the pandemic. However, all was not lost and there were still some key judgments shaping the employment sphere and that will no doubt be of interest to lawyers and HR professionals alike.’
St John's Buildings, 8th February 2021
Source: stjohnsbuildings.com
‘The Food Standards Agency (“FSA”) made three applications for the issue of a summons to commence proceedings against Bakers of Nailsea Ltd (“BNL”), the food business operator for an abattoir in Nailsea, near Bristol, for offences contrary to the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 (“the 2013 Regulations”).’
St Philips Barristers, 9th February 2021
Source: st-philips.com
‘On 5 February 2021, Master Cook handed down judgment in the case of Polmear and another v Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust [2021] EWHC 196 (QB), dismissing the Defendant’s application to strike out the claims and/or for summary judgment. He gave permission to appeal and made an order “leapfrogging” the appeal to the Court of Appeal, pursuant to CPR 53.23.’
No. 5 Chambers, 8th February 2021
Source: www.no5.com
‘Old Square Chambers’ Robin White and Sioban Calcott from Brethertons LLP have written an article on “Gender reassignment: expanding the protected characteristic” in the ELA Briefing 2021.’
Old Square Chambers, 9th February 2021
Source: oldsquare.co.uk
‘Employment tribunals were intended when first introduced in 1963 to be easily accessible, simple, and straightforward but have gradually taken on more of the appearance of courts. There was a somewhat naive belief in the beginning that justice in such tribunals could be achieved without the parties needing lawyers. The presiding officer was called a chair but is now a judge. And tribunals of course now deal with cases of great complexity, recondite legal areas and with millions at stake. A continuing fundamental difference from a court, however, is that the tribunal has no inherent jurisdiction but only what the dizzying array of statutes provide them.’
Littleton Chambers, 5th February 2021
Source: littletonchambers.com
‘Local Pensions Partnership Administration Ltd (LPPA) awarded a contract under a framework. Acquila Heywood Ltd (Acquila) issued proceedings challenging the award on various bases. LPPA then withdrew the award decision and replaced it with a second decision in which Acquila was again unsuccessful. Acquila did not issue proceedings in respect of the second decision or amend its existing claim. The court held that the automatic suspension which arose under regulation 95 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015), SI 2015/102 only prevented LPPA from awarding the contract pursuant to the first decision. Once that decision had been withdrawn and the bids re-evaluated, it served no further purpose. LLPA was therefore not required to refrain from entering into a contract pursuant to its second decision. LPPA’s application to lift the suspension pursuant to PCR 2015, SI 2015/102, reg 96(1)(a) was unnecessary.’
Henderson Chambers, 9th February 2021
Source: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk
‘As legal advisers our job starts long before the court room and it is where we do our most valuable work. A world in which people don’t experience discrimination is a world in which no discrimination claims are brought and a world in which considerable time, stress, cost etc. is saved. Ok, it is also a world in which our litigation practice suffers but let’s be honest, we are a long way from that world and we could get considerably closer to it without worrying too much about having to rethink our career choices.’
Littleton Chambers, 8th February 2021
Source: littletonchambers.com
‘In the February 2021 edition of the personal injury newsletter:
Tactical Management: Taking charge for claimants
As a claimant-only advocate, Bill Braithwaite QC explains exactly why he believes that lawyers who represent severely injured claimants should understand the importance of having complete control over the recovery, rehabilitation and litigation process.
Child’s Play: Gul v Mcdonagh ((2021) Ewhc 97)
Will Waldron QC considers the case of Gul v Mcdonagh ((2021) Ewhc 97), amongst others, in relation to the often tricky question of whether to concede some finding of contributory negligence in a case involving a child.
Second bite of the cherry? Abuse of process post-Poku
In this article, Helen Rutherford covers abuse of process in credit hire cases following Isaac Osei-Wusu Poku v Abedin.
Another Hurdle for Nervous Shock Claims
In Alcock v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police [1992] 1 AC 310, the House of Lords established 4 hurdles which a secondary victim must overcome in order to establish liability. Although a number of cases have tested the limits of these hurdles, an issue which has never previously been considered is whether a secondary victim must prove that his shock resulted from an appreciation that the primary victim is a loved one who had been or might have been involved in the incident. David Knifton QC considers this issue, with reference to the case of Young v Downey.’
Exchange Chambers, February 2021
Source: lexlinks.exchangechambers.co.uk
‘Dispute Resolution analysis: Barclays Bank plc successfully applied for summary judgment against Mrs Philipp (the claimant) in respect of her claim that Barclays breached its so-called Quincecare duty in failing to prevent the fraudulent dissipation of £700,000 following an authorised push payment fraud, ie a fraud where the victim is induced by the fraudster to authorise a payment instruction to transfer funds to the fraudster. The High Court determined that the claimant’s claim had no real prospects of success since the claim was dependent upon an impermissible and unprincipled extension of the Quincecare duty to situations where a bank acts on a customer’s authorised payment instructions. The duty was held to be confined to situations where an agent of the customer sought to misappropriate funds as had been the case in previously decided cases such as Singularis Holdings Ltd (In Official Liquidation.’
Forum Chambers, 2nd February 2021
Source: www.forumchambers.com
‘In D and F v Persons Unknown [2021] EWHC 157 (QB), handed down on 4th February, Tipples J granted an order permanently preventing the identification of two young women convicted of murdering Angela Wrightson.’
Doughty Street Chambers, 8th February 2021
Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk
© Inner Temple Library 2025