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02 September 2019
Issue: 7854 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Criminal , Technology
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Future projects for law reform

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
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Kennedys—Milan Devani

Kennedys—Milan Devani

Chief information officer appointment strengthens technology leadership

Maguire Family Law—Hannah Barlow & Sophie Hughes

Maguire Family Law—Hannah Barlow & Sophie Hughes

Firm strengthens Wilmslow team with two solicitor appointments

DWF—Ian Plumley

DWF—Ian Plumley

Londoninsurance and reinsurance practice announces partner appointment

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Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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