Sir Geoffrey Palmer QC, law reform expert and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, will deliver the 2015 Scarman Lecture in celebration of the Law Commission’s 50th anniversary. Sir Geoffrey has served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General, was President of the Law Commission of New Zealand between 2005 and 2010, and was responsible for the Constitution Act 1986, the Bill of Rights and other important laws. He publishes widely and practises in Wellington as a QC. His lecture is at Middle Temple Hall, London, on 24 March at 6pm.
22 January 2015
Scarman lecture
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Penningtons Manches Cooper—Jean-François Le Gal
Penningtons Manches Cooper strengthens international disputes team with appointment of leading arbitration partner
Shakespeare Martineau—Aaron Sanders & Kate Saunders
Shakespeare Martineau strengthens trust and estates disputes team with new appointments
Bellevue Law—Shannon Moore
Bellevue Law strengthens employment disputes and international advisory capability with senior associate appointment
NEWS
Developers in areas with poorly performing councils can apply directly to the Planning Inspectorate for permission under section 62A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
When does a solicitor’s retainer become a contentious business agreement? The Court of Appeal’s decision in Broadfield Law UK LLP v Barnes shows that listing hourly rates alone will not do, leaving firms and clients uncertain about their rights over bills
MPs cannot simply resign their Commons seats. Instead, they take a nominal Crown office, usually the Chiltern Hundreds or Manor of Northstead, which disqualifies them from sitting
A divorced woman has secured funding to participate in her former husband’s inquest after the Legal Aid Agency reconsidered repeated refusals
The Thirlwall Inquiry has exposed a ‘complete failure’ to protect babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital, but its recommendations must now be put into practice
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