‘International courts and arbitral tribunals need a “breathing space” if they are not to be overwhelmed by a wave of commercial cases due to the pandemic, a group of senior retired judges said today.’
Law Society's Gazette, 27th April 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Solicitors are not immune from receiving fixed penalty notices for breach of lockdown restrictions, which raises the entirely new question of whether that is reportable to the SRA. Ordinarily the SRA is not overly interested in fixed penalty notices but these are not ordinary times.’
Law Society's Gazette, 27th April 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Following last week’s moratorium imposed by the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to credit card debts, overdrafts and personal loans, the FCA is imposing a similar moratorium on hire-purchase (annoyingly referred to by the trendy term ‘rent-to-own’), high-cost short-term credit (payday loans), buy-nowpay-later deals (BNPL) and pawn agreements.’
Henderson Chambers, 24th April 2020
‘The Chief Coroner Guidance (numbers 34 and 35) has made it clear, as with other jurisdictions, that no physical hearing should take place unless it is urgent and essential business and it is safe for those involved.’
Parklane Plowden, 24th April 2020
Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk
‘The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created uncertainty across the world of professional football for players, clubs and fans alike. Almost all domestic football leagues have been suspended for the past several weeks (save for holdout Belarus, which has continued to hold professional matches in front of fans). As the lockdowns in European countries have been extended, many have speculated about the possible need to cancel domestic seasons outright. However, a vexed question has remained about the effect any such cancellation might have on one of the most prestigious and lucrative elements of the sport: qualification for European competitions.’
Littleton Chambers, 24th April 2020
Source: littletonchambers.com
‘A High Court judge has narrowly allowed a case to survive despite a wait of almost three years following the identification of a party. Solicitors for the claimant in Gregory v H J Haynes had applied for the limitation period to be extended after a fruitless search for the defendant’s insurer had taken them past the initial three-year limitation date.’
Law Society's Gazette, 28th April 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘On 16th April 2020, Sir Andrew McFarlane handed down a case management judgment on a public law case which may have significant implications for case management decisions until court services return to normal. The case in question was on the issue of fabricated or induced illness and the issue was whether the final hearing should proceed remotely. The Mother opposed the local authority care plan. It was listed for a fifteen day hearing addressing whether she had harmed her seven year old daughter. Despite the coronavirus pandemic both the Father and the local authority supported the hearing continuing remotely. The Mother’s Solicitors’ had assumed it would proceed with plans to take instructions by Zoom or in between each piece of evidence. There were to be three expert witnesses.’
No. 5 Chambers, 24th April 2020
Source: www.no5.com
‘A few weeks before the lockdown, one of the most important UK labour law cases of the last decade was heard by the Supreme Court. Royal Mencap Society v Tomlinson Blake has not attracted the attention paid to the Uber litigation, also to reach the Supreme Court later this year. Yet Mencap will have significant ramifications for a segment of the British workforce at the front line of the coronavirus response, namely care workers.’
Oxford Human Rights Hub, 27th April 2020
Source: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk
‘MPs are to try to outlaw the courtroom murder defence of “rough sex gone wrong” during parliamentary debates on the domestic abuse bill, as cases of domestic violence soar during the coronavirus lockdown.’
The Guardian, 28th April 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Going through a divorce can be an overwhelming process whereby those involved are seeking answers and security during a time of uncertainty. Questions often asked by divorcing spouses signing up to spousal maintenance orders in favour of their soon-to-be former spouse may be, “what happens if they cohabit? How does cohabitation affect divorce settlement? Surely I will not have to continue to pay maintenance in these circumstances?”. And the answer is that you might. Cohabitation after divorce and cohabitation before divorce is final do not necessarily have bearing on spousal maintenance payments, division of goods, or their rights in a divorce, unless clearly stipulated in your court order.’
St Paul's Chambers, 23rd April 2020
Source: www.stpaulschambers.com
‘In Episode 109, Emma-Louise Fenelon speaks to Kiran Barhey about the most recent edition of the Quarterly Medical Law Review, a new resource for practitioners looking to stay up to date in medical law.’
Law Pod UK, 28th April 2020
Source: audioboom.com
‘The basic ingredients for proprietary estoppel are well known, and many property practitioners would feel comfortable in spotting an estoppel when it has arisen. However, there is a shadowy question that is often avoided – assuming the estoppel is established, what is the actual result? After all, that is what the client will be most interested in!’
St Ives Chambers, 23rd April 2020
Source: www.stiveschambers.co.uk
‘This is an interesting case concerning whether the steps taken by the Appellant were sufficient for him to establish that he had remedied his material breach of contract.’
Park Square Barristers, 27th April 2020
Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk
‘In the recent case of T&P Real Estate Limited v The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Sutton [2020] EWHC 879 (Ch) Deputy Master Bowles described the background to the claim, and the application before him, as “…for a non-planner, not wholly straightforward”. In fairness, even for a planner, the subject matter of the claim is not uncomplicated involving as it did consideration of the interpretation, and effect of, an Article 4 Direction made in relation to the exercise of permitted development rights.’
No. 5 Chambers, 24th April 2020
Source: www.no5.com
‘As a consequence of the admitted negligence of the Whittington Hospital in failing to detect signs of cancer, the claimant developed cancer of the cervix for which she required chemoradiotherapy treatment that led to infertility. The claimant decided to have their own biological children by surrogacy. The experts for the parties agreed that on the balance of probabilities the claimant would achieve two live births from her 12 cryopreserved eggs. If her cryopreserved eggs do not result in 3-4 children, the claimant intends to use donor eggs. Her first choice of surrogacy is California, primarily because surrogacy is lawful and binding there. She claimed damages in respect of the expenses of four pregnancies either in California or the UK using her own eggs and, if necessary, donor eggs.’
UKSC Blog, 27th April 2020
Source: ukscblog.com
‘This short article looks at some of the lessons which can be learnt from disputes between solicitors wanting to be active in key roles in group litigation, in particular from the recent TCC decision in Lungowe v. Vedanta (27 March 2020).’
Six Pump Court, 24th April 2020
Source: www.6pumpcourt.co.uk
‘In this post I analyse some of the contradictions present in the current penal response to Covid-19 in England and Wales, represented in a recent Crown Prosecution Service press release. Coercive criminal law measures which clearly and proportionately penalize those who endanger emergency workers, or engage in fraudulent conduct, may be justified. But civil liberties must be considered on both sides. I challenge the punitive narrative which celebrates sending those convicted of coronavirus crimes to prisons where Covid-19 has the potential to be rampant. The rights to life and health of offenders—put at risk in overcrowded prisons—must also be considered.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 28th April 2020
Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org
‘Insurers, law firms and suppliers have agreed a ‘statement of intent’ to keep non-MedCo medical examinations and rehabilitation going remotely during the Covid-19 crisis.’
Litigation Futures, 27th April 2020
Source: www.litigationfutures.com
‘The recent judgment in R(Idolo) v London Borough of Bromley [2020] EWHC 860 (Admin) provides an important discussion of the positive duties of the state under Article 8 ECHR – and specifically, the issue of when an Article 8 breach may arise in the absence of any failure of a local authority to carry out statutory duties. Arianne Kelly discusses the case and its practical implications following the amendments that the Coronavirus Act made to the Care Act.’
Coronavirus: Guidance for Lawyers and Businesses, 27th April 2020
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