header-logo header-logo

Future projects for law reform

02 September 2019
Issue: 7854 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Criminal , Technology
printer mail-detail
The use of technology in business and the protection of victims of abusive online communications are the law reform priorities of the next appointees to the Law Commission.

Professor Penney Lewis of the Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London will replace Professor David Ormerod QC as the Commissioner for Criminal Law. Professor Sarah Green of Bristol University will replace Stephen Lewis as the Commissioner for Commercial and Common Law.

Both women will begin their roles at the Commission in January 2020.

Professor Lewis said she was ‘particularly excited’ to begin work on improving protection for ‘the growing number of victims of hate crime, offensive and abusive communications and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images’. She will also lead on the confiscation of the proceeds of crime.

Professor Green highlighted the need for law reform to keep up with technological advances. ‘The work the Law Commission is undertaking on such matters as intermediated securities and smart contracts can help unlock obstacles to business, which will be especially important in the trading environments of the future,’ she said.

Sir Nicholas Green, Chair of the Law Commission, said: ‘The pool of candidates for the two positions was exceptionally strong.’

Issue: 7854 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Criminal , Technology
printer mail-details

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
back-to-top-scroll