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22 October 2021 / John Cooper KC
Issue: 7953 / Categories: Features , Profession
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Screen matters

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61721
John Cooper QC casts a legal eye over this year’s BFI London Film Festival

The BFI London Film Festival returned this month in full throttle after last year’s COVID-19 affected event. Once again it will accurately predict the films which will make the headlines in the next 12 months and I was intrigued to be invited to reflect on the festival’s offerings this time around, with particular reference for NLJ to legal related subjects. Of course, the depiction of crime and how the criminal justice system works has always provided rich pickings for filmmakers and dishes out no end of opportunities for suspense and drama.

Hinterland

Hinterland left an indelible effect upon my senses. Not only was it a truly suspenseful story, it was filmed as if every frame was a sumptuously crafted portrait. Based around the serial killing of German soldiers returning from the First World War after two years in a Russian POW camp, two characters stand out who could probably demand a TV series of their own. Perg,

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NEWS
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NLJ this week: Divorce ‘nuclear weapon’ freezes assets but entangles outsiders
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 
NLJ this week: What counts as ‘rent’? Court says labour alone won’t do
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
NLJ this week: Freed but failed—justice system leaves the innocent empty-handed
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’
NLJ this week: Clarity on whistleblowing, settlements and tribunal limits
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’ 
NLJ this week: Family law urged to ditch adversarial instincts
Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
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