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22 April 2010
Issue: 7414 / Categories: Blogs
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Law in 101 words

Snippets from The Reduced Law Dictionary by Roderick Ramage

Christmas tree and limitations

Mr McGhie’s chronic back pain began when he moved a Christmas tree in 1995. Then in 1998 he moved at his request from an office to an outdoor job and soon suffered a back injury at work, for which he started proceedings in 2003. The limitation period is three years, but the judge excluded it under the discretionary power in the Limitation Act 1980, s 33. In McGhie v British Telecommunications [2005], the CA held that the judge had failed to apply the tests of balance of prejudice, proportionality and strength of the claim. It was not proper to exercise the discretion.

Definition of beer

For taxation (not drinking), “beer” includes ale, porter, stout and any other description of beer, and any liquor which is made or sold as a description of beer or as a substitute for beer and which [is] of a strength exceeding 0.5% but does not include black beer the worts whereof before fermentation were of a specific gravity

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Harper James—Lottie Hugo

Harper James—Lottie Hugo

Commercial law firm announces appointment of corporate partner

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Partner joinscorporate and finance practice in British Virgin Islands

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Firm strengthens children department with adoption and surrogacy expert

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
The winners of the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2026 have now been announced, marking another outstanding celebration of excellence, innovation, and impact across the legal profession
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’
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