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03 October 2014
Issue: 7624 / Categories: Legal News , Insurance / reinsurance , Personal injury
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Too powerful?

Insurers in the motor insurance sector may be exerting an unconstitutional influence

The Department for Transport (DfT) “gives every appearance of being browbeaten by the powerful insurance lobby,” argues solicitor Nicholas Bevan, who campaigns for greater protection for road users, in this week’s NLJ.

Bevan cites legislation and Motor Insurers Bureau agreements that he claims are “peppered with serious Community law breaches” and asks whether the insurance industry, like bankers pre-2008, are “thought to be too powerful to confront”. Why, he asks, were DfT officials unable to explain in a recent case why they authored a clause in 1999 that breached Directives?

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Gateley Legal—Caroline Pope & Bob Maynard

Gateley Legal—Caroline Pope & Bob Maynard

Construction team bolstered by hire of senior consultant duo

Switalskis—four appointments

Switalskis—four appointments

Firm expands residential conveyancing team with quadruple appointment

mfg Solicitors—Claire Pope

mfg Solicitors—Claire Pope

Private client team welcomes senior associatein Worcester

NEWS
What safeguards apply when trust corporations are appointed as deputy by the Court of Protection? 
Disputing parties are expected to take part in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), where this is suitable for their case. At what point, however, does refusing to participate cross the threshold of ‘unreasonable’ and attract adverse costs consequences?
When it comes to free legal advice, demand massively outweighs supply. 'Millions of people are excluded from access to justice as they don’t have anywhere to turn for free advice—or don’t know that they can ask for help,' Bhavini Bhatt, development director at the Access to Justice Foundation, writes in this week's NLJ
When an ex-couple is deciding who gets what in the divorce or civil partnership dissolution, when is it appropriate for a third party to intervene? David Burrows, NLJ columnist and solicitor advocate, considers this thorny issue in this week’s NLJ
NLJ's latest Charities Appeals Supplement has been published in this week’s issue
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