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Sensitive evidence

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:45:00 +0000

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Friday, February 3, 2012 - 08:45

Use of secret evidence in civil cases could render some claims untriable

The use of secret evidence in civil cases could render some claims untriable, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, David Anderson QC, has said.

Giving evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights on the Justice and Security Green Paper last week, Anderson spoke about the impact on civil justice of closed material procedure (CMP), under which sensitive evidence can be excluded. The Green Paper proposes introducing legislation to make CMPs more widely available in civil proceedings.

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Issue: Vol 162, Issue 7499

Reforms put environment at risk

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000

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Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 09:00

Costs changes could hamper environmental justice

The Environmental Law Foundation (ELF), backed by senior counsel, says proposals to abolish the right to recover after-the-event premiums will price claimants out of civil justice and breach international law.

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Issue: Vol 162, Issue 7499

Slater & Gordon acquires RJW

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:55:00 +0000

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Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 08:55

Buyout by world's first publicly listed law firm

Employment and personal injury firm Russell Jones & Walker (RJW) has been bought by Australia’s Slater & Gordon Lawyers, the world’s first publicly listed law firm.

The acquisition should be completed by April. RJW’s equity partners have taken “a substantial proportion” of their consideration as ASX shares in Slater & Gordon. Its principals and senior management have said they will remain in place for at least three years.

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Issue: Vol 162, Issue 7499

Jackson delayed to 2013

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:50:00 +0000

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Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 08:50

Update on timetable for Legal Aid, Sentencing & Punishment of Offenders Bill

Lord Wallace, the Advocate General for Scotland, has confirmed that, subject to Parliamentary approval, the implementation of the Jackson reforms will be postponed until April 2013. They were originally due to come into effect in October this year.

In a statement in the House of Lords on the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill this week, Lord Wallace said: “These proposals will require the making of new regulations and changes to the Civil Procedure Rules.

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Issue: Vol 162, Issue 7499

PRIME time for finance

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:50:00 +0000

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Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 08:50

Panel of Recognised International Market Experts in Finance opens for business

A new tribunal of experts in global financial disputes has officially opened for business and is attracting interest among legal professionals across the world.

PRIME Finance—also known as the Panel of Recognised International Market Experts in Finance—held its opening conference, sponsored by LexisNexis, at the Peace Palace in The Hague last month.

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Issue: Vol 162, Issue 7499

Sweet victory

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:40:00 +0000

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Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 08:40

Medicinal properties of Manuka honey recognised in IP law

The famous medicinal properties of Manuka honey have been recognised in intellectual property law. The Court of Appeal upheld the right of Apimed Medical Honey Ltd, a subsidiary of Comvita, to patent the use of the honey in wound dressings (Apimed Medical Honey Ltd v Brightwake Ltd [2012] EWCA Civ 5).

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Issue: Vol 162, Issue 7499

Community spend

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:30:00 +0000

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Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 08:30

Should CIL fund the roll-out of superfast broadband?

Local authorities are divided on the use of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to fund the roll-out of super-fast broadband, say solicitors Malcolm Dowden and Jen Hawkins in NLJ. Some want to fund broadband, others prefer to leave it up to communications companies.

Dowden and Hawkins argue that, whatever the local authority’s viewpoint, any decision must be based on “robust evidence” to avoid the risk of legal challenge.

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Issue: Vol 162, Issue 7499

Information block

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:10:00 +0000

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Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 08:10

Information requests mishandled regularly

Consumers are wrongly being denied the right to access information held about them by companies and public bodies, Information Commissioner Christopher Graham has said. More than a third of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) data protection casework in the last year involved complaints about mishandled access requests, he said.

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Issue: Vol 162, Issue 7499

Finding the remedy for implants

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

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Thursday, January 26, 2012 - 11:30

Law commissioner advocates breach of contract as solution to implant scandal

Breach of contract could be the best remedy for the PIP breast implants controversy, according to law commissioner David Hertzell.

About 40,000 women in the UK have PIP (Poly Implant Prosthèse) implants, which were filled with industrial-grade silicone gel instead of the more expensive medical-grade variety. French doctors have recommended their removal, and discussions are taking place in the UK over who is responsible, what should be done and what type of legal claim might be appropriate. The manufacturers of PIP implants are no longer in business.

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Issue: Vol 162, Issue 7498

Silver lining for Quindell

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

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Thursday, January 26, 2012 - 11:00

Listed company buys PI firm in bid to create ABS

Personal injury firm Silverbeck Rymer is to be sold to a listed company in a £19.31m deal to create an alternative business structure (ABS).

Quindell Portfolio Plc will partner Silverbeck in providing personal injury services to the UK insurance-claim market.

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Issue: Vol 162, Issue 7498

Overpayment victory for LSC

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:50:00 +0000

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Thursday, January 26, 2012 - 10:50

LSC wins legal action on solicitor overpayments

The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has won three test cases against solicitors to recover approximately £250,000 in overpayments.

About 35 cases stayed pending the outcome of these test cases will now be brought forward, which could see the LSC reclaiming about £30m from legal aid solicitors, although no official figures have been released.

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Issue: Vol 162, Issue 7498

Lawyers pessimistic about the future

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:40:00 +0000

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Thursday, January 26, 2012 - 10:40

Despite bonuses lawyers feel their glass is half empty

City lawyers have expressed pessimism about the future—despite receiving bumper bonuses and a salary rise.

On average this year, City lawyers received bonuses of about £35,500 or nearly a third of the average salary, up from a quarter of the average salary last year.

Base salaries rose four per cent to £111,000. This compares with a two per cent salary rise among accountants. The vast majority (86.5%) of lawyers feel their job is secure.

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Issue: Vol 162, Issue 7498