The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – Pump Court Chambers
‘The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“the Scheme”) was announced by the government on 20th March 2020.’
Pump Court Chambers, 4th April 2020
Source: www.pumpcourtchambers.com
Day: 20 April 2020
University College London Hospitals Foundation Trust v MB [2020] EWHC 882 (QB): the unintended consequences of the stay of possession claims under Practice Direction 51Z – Falcon Chambers
‘Practice Direction 51Z was hastily brought into force on Friday 27 March 2020, after the Prime Minister’s televised instructions to the nation on the evening of Monday 23 March 2020 that everyone should stay at home in order to beat coronavirus. Practice Direction 51Z imposed a three-month stay on all Part 55 possession proceedings, which ensures that those who were facing the possibility of eviction from their home have some protection during the crisis. However, since the Practice Direction came into force, property practitioners have been grappling with the possibly unintended consequences that come from its very wide scope. This has been brought into sharp focus by the recent case of University College London Hospitals Foundation Trust v MB [2020] EWHC 882 (QB), in which PD51Z prevented an NHS Trust from obtaining a possession order to facilitate the discharge of a patient from hospital, in circumstances where her bed was needed for critically ill-patients, she was medically fit for discharge, and indeed she would be at less risk of infection from COVID-19 if out of the hospital. As this article explains, the NHS Trust in the UCLH case was able to obtain the relief it needed by the alternative route of an injunction, but the case nevertheless highlights that PD51Z may need to be revisited.’
Falcon Chambers, 15th April 2020
Source: www.falcon-chambers.com
Fully remote jury test a ‘success for open justice’ – Law Society’s Gazette
‘Campaign group Justice has run an experimental fully remote jury trial to test whether it could be a fair alternative to face-to-face hearings during the coronavirus lockdown.’
Law Society's Gazette, 20th April 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Civil Procedure, Human Rights and the Coronavirus (Part 2) – Blackstone Chambers
‘The first article in this mini-series addressed the current position taken by Courts, Tribunals and other relevant bodies and key issues for litigators. Following the present article, the final instalment will be entitled “Civil Procedure, Litigation and the Coronavirus”.’
Blackstone Chambers, 23rd March 2020
Frustration, Force Majeure and Covid-19 – Hardwicke Chambers
‘Frustration and force majeure are legal concepts very much to the fore during the Covid-19 pandemic. John de Waal QC and Tom Bell review how they apply to the current coronavirus situation.’
Hardwicke Chambers, 14th April 2020
Source: hardwicke.co.uk
DVSA told to act after Attleborough man killed by lorry – BBC News
‘A coroner has called for changes to HGV training after an 82-year-old pedestrian was hit and killed while standing in a driver’s blind spot.’
BBC News, 19th April 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
The implied term of trust and confidence & the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – Old Square Chambers
‘The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“the Scheme”) is a grant that, for those eligible, covers 80% of the usual monthly wage costs up to a ceiling of £2,500 per month plus associated employer NICs and employer pension contributions paid on the furlough pay up to the level of the minimum automatic enrolment employer contribution. Employees can be on any type of employment contract, including full-time, part-time, agency, flexible or zero-hour contracts. Foreign nationals are also eligible to be furloughed.’
Old Square Chambers, 14th April 2020
Source: www.oldsquare.co.uk
Charterparty Indemnity Clauses and Injunctive Relief – 33 Bedford Row
‘The case concerned the interpretation of an indemnity clause in an amended Shellvoy6 form Charterparty and whether the Claimant time charterers should be granted injunctive relief, in the form of security to be provided by the Defendant voyage charterers, so as to enable release of the MT “Miracle Hope” (the “Vessel”), which was under arrest in Singapore.’
33 Bedford Row, 7th April 2020
Source: www.33bedfordrow.co.uk
Union seeks legal immunity for NHS medics in pandemic – The Guardian
‘The NHS could be faced with billions of pounds of medical negligence claims if it does not grant some form of legal immunity to medics risking their lives during the pandemic, the government has been warned. The Medical Defence Union (MDU), which provides legal support to around 200,000 doctors, nurses, dentists and other healthcare workers, is calling for a debate over the need for emergency legislation.’
The Guardian, 19th April 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
Case Comment by Nathan Davis – Pwr and others v Director of Public Prosecutions [2020] EWHC 798 (Admin) – is an offence under section 13(1) Terrorism Act 2000 a strict liability offence? – Park Square Barristers
‘Pwr and others v Director of Public Prosecutions [2020] EWHC 798 (Admin) – is an offence under section 13(1) Terrorism Act 2000 a strict liability offence?’
Park Square Barristers, 9th April 2020
Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk
Coronavirus: Police fine three Londoners over 250-mile camping trip to Wales during lockdown – The Independent
‘Police in Wales have fined a group of Londoners who were caught camping around 250 miles from the capital during the lockdown.’
The Independent, 19th April 2020
Source: www.independent.co.uk
The impact of Coronavirus, part 3: the emergency criminal offences – 6KBW College Hill
‘The current pandemic has led to a flood of emergency legislation. This post deals with The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020 No. 350) made under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, which supplement the Coronavirus Act 2020. The Regulations are, as is now trite, the strictest control on peacetime life in the modern history of the United Kingdom, and they set out the limits of the “lockdown” and how it is to be enforced. This post aims to set out how the Regulations apply to individuals, and provide some analysis of their contents.’
6KBW College Hill, 6th April 2020
Source: blog.6kbw.com
UK courts told not to ‘overreact’ during coronavirus crisis – The Guardian
‘Courts must take care not to “overreact in unprecedented times”, a former director of public prosecutions has said, amid concerns that lengthy sentences being imposed during the coronavirus crisis could be excessive.’
The Guardian, 19th April 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
COVID-19 and Business Interruption Insurance – Thomas More Chambers
‘If you find the word “virus” in the Definitions section of a typical business insurance policy, it will likely refer to malware, trojans or spyware infecting a company’s computer system and not to Covid-19 or anything like it which infects people.’
Thomas More Chambers, 14th April 2020
Source: www.thomasmore.co.uk
Coronavirus: County lines drug dealers ‘stick out like a sore thumb’ during lockdown, say police – The Independent
‘The coronavirus pandemic could provide an unexpected opportunity for police forces to tackle county lines drug dealing as the lockdown means criminals “stick out like a sore thumb”, senior officers have said.’
The Independent, 20th April 2020
Source: www.independent.co.uk
