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14 January 2022 / Ed Cracknell
Issue: 7962 / Categories: Features , Property , Drones
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Drone regulation is not a zero-sum game

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Ed Cracknell charts a flight path for drone regulation
  • Considers the many uses for drones now and in future.
  • Looks at existing case law and statute such as the Civil Aviation Act, and suggests nuisance rather than trespass may provide property law protection.
  • Sets out parameters and direction for government regulation as usage of drones increases.

It is often assumed that regulation is the enemy of business and innovation. Too much regulation may add significantly to the cost of running a business, disproportionately affecting small firms, and discouraging new players from entering the market. A reputation for over-regulation may make a country less attractive for inward investment, affecting its international competitiveness—not something the UK can afford to risk in the post-Brexit environment.

But done well, regulation can provide certainty, create a level playing field, and ensure high safety standards are maintained. A report published recently by the Regulatory Horizons Council (RHC) argues that regulation can position the UK as a world leader in testing, developing and deploying

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

London Solicitors Litigation Association—John McElroy

Fieldfisher partner appointed president as LSLA marks milestone year

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Kingsley Napley—Kirsty Churm & Olivia Stiles

Firm promotes two lawyers to partnership across employment and family

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Foot Anstey—five promotions

Firm promotes five lawyers to partnership across key growth areas

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
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