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04 March 2022 / David Locke
Issue: 7969 / Categories: Opinion , International , Constitutional law
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Sidelining the legal system

73775
Never take our liberties for granted, says David Locke

Imagine a hypothetical scenario: In London this week, a demonstration is taking place against a government ‘vaccine passport’ policy arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is causing local inconvenience, but it is peaceful and some of the demonstrators have even brought their children and pets along. A woman watching the news at home is sympathetic to the aims of the protestors, which are neither illegal nor immoral, and contributes a small sum of money to their campaign using a popular online crowdfunding website. For that matter, many other people make contributions and the total donations are reaching £7.5m. A young couple who own a small independent coffee shop in the locality of the demonstration are also sympathetic. They give the protesters free coffee and let some of them huddle inside the premises from time-to-time, because it is bitterly cold outside given the time of year.

Imagine then the response of the government is as follows: legislation which has been on the books

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

mfg Solicitors—Deborah Bufton

mfg Solicitors—Deborah Bufton

Law firm boosts residential property team with new associate appointment

Flint Bishop—Russell Bainbridge

Flint Bishop—Russell Bainbridge

Flint Bishop lands corporate partner from Knights amid Sheffield growth drive

Bird & Bird—Huw Edwards

Bird & Bird—Huw Edwards

Bird Bird appoints expert tech patent litigator as new partner in London

NEWS
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

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