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Crime brief: 4 November 2022

04 November 2022 / David Walbank KC
Issue: 8001 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice , Criminal
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Equality before the law: David Walbank KC examines a case which tested the limits of this most fundamental legal doctrine
  • Equality before the law.
  • Ex-monarch sued for harassment. 
  • Doctrine of state immunity. 

From day one of their legal studies, it is drummed into students that ‘all are equal before the law’. But does that actually mean anything? In the next two ‘Crime brief’ pieces, we will look at two very different cases, each of which demonstrates that it is very much more than a highfalutin phrase.

Harassment allegations

Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn v De Borbon y Borbon [2022] EWHC 668 (QB) concerned a civil action in harassment brought by the estranged lover of an ex-king and prompted consideration of the doctrine of state immunity.

Corinna zu-Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (pictured) is a German-born Danish entrepreneur with homes in Monaco, Switzerland, London and Shropshire. In the mid-2000s, she became the mistress of Juan Carlos I, the King of Spain, but five years later, their relationship ended in acrimony. When, after four decades

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NEWS
Lawyers have expressed dismay at the Chancellor Rachel Reeve’s decision to impose a £2,000 cap on salary sacrifice contributions
NLJ is inviting its readers to take part in this year’s annual reader research, a short survey designed to help shape the future direction of the magazine. The questionnaire consists of just eight quick questions and offers an opportunity for legal professionals to share their views on the content, coverage and issues that matter most to them.
The Law Society has urged regulators not to ban the term ‘no win no fee’, as the profession contemplates measures to prevent a disaster like the SSB Group collapse from happening again
The legal profession's leaders have mounted a robust defence of trial by jury, following reports that Justice Secretary David Lammy is considering restricting it to rape, murder, manslaughter and other cases that are in the public interest
CILEX (the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives) has been granted permission to appeal Mazur, a decision which has caused consternation among litigation firms
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