Covid-19 will have “major impact” on £700m medico-legal market – Litigation Futures

‘The medico-legal and insurance services (MLIS) market had an estimated turnover of £700m last year but the coronavirus will have a “major impact”, a report has warned.’

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Litigation Futures, 16th July 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

EP 119: Death and Dying in the age of Covid-19 – Sarah Wootton and Lloyd Riley – Law Pod UK

Posted July 17th, 2020 in coronavirus, news, podcasts by sally

‘Rosalind English talks to Sarah Wootton and Lloyd Riley of the campaign group Dignity in Dying about how the pandemic has brought the mode of dying to the centre of public discourse.’

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Law Pod UK, 13th July 2020

Source: audioboom.com

Top GC defends in-house lawyers’ approach to ethics – Legal Futures

Posted July 15th, 2020 in coronavirus, legal aid, legal profession, legal services, news, regulations by tracey

‘A leading general counsel has attacked the assumption that in-house lawyers “leave their morals at the door” when they join their companies.’

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Legal Futures, 15th July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Guidance for litigants in person on remote hearings in the Family Court – Resolution

‘With the advent of the global pandemic hearings in the Family Court are increasingly being held remotely by telephone or on video conferencing software. This guide is designed to help you through the process and includes helpful information on how to prepare for the hearing, how to join a hearing and what to do during the hearing.’

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Resolution, 14th July 2020

Source: https://resolution.org.uk/

Angry Bar Council mocks Buckland over profession’s support – Legal Futures

Posted July 14th, 2020 in barristers, civil justice, coronavirus, criminal justice, delay, news, working time by tracey

‘The Bar Council has come out fighting after the Lord Chancellor told the Today programme that there was “a lot of support” from the legal profession for extending court sitting hours to help recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.’

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Legal Futures, 14th July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘More and more’ victims dropping out of prosecutions as court backlog mounts during coronavirus – The Independent

Posted July 14th, 2020 in coronavirus, criminal justice, delay, news, prosecutions, victims by tracey

‘“More and more” victims are dropping out of court cases as delays mount amid an increasing backlog, a leading expert has warned. Dame Vera Baird, the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, told The Independent changes to hearings caused by the coronavirus pandemic were partly to blame.’

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The Independent, 14th April 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

5SAH Business Crime – July 2020 Update – 5SAH

‘Featuring the following articles and videos from our barristers who are experts in the field of Business Crime and Proceeds of Crime work:
– 5SAH Video: Asset Tracing & Recovery – Tool Kit for Businesses – Post Covid19: Webinar featuring Gary Pons & Jonathan Benton
– David Stern features in Butterworths Journal of International Banking & Financial Law – May 2020 Edition on Cum-Ex.
– New Role for Private Prosecutions in the Wake of Covid 19: Counsel Magazine: Kevin Dent QC and Jeremy Asher.
– Dishonesty? Ghosh, Ivey got a surprise for you! (R v Barton): John Oliver and Alexa Le Moine for Lexis Nexis.’

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5SAH, 6th July 2020

Source: www.5sah.co.uk

Covid 19: The impact of the crisis on competition law and tax issues in sport – Blackstone Chambers

Posted July 13th, 2020 in chambers articles, competition, coronavirus, news, sport, taxation by sally

‘The Covid 19 epidemic and consequential lockdown measures have had a disastrous impact on the seasons of winter and summer sports alike. To take but one example, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club has said that it envisages a loss of revenue of £200 million, prompting it to seek funds from the Covid Corporate Financing Facility. The combined impact on Premier League revenues as a whole is predicted in the Deloitte Annual Report for 2019-2020 to be around £1 billion. This article considers the potential impact of the Covid crisis on competition law and tax issues for sports clubs and regulatory bodies. It reflects some thoughts I gave for a Blackstone Chambers Sports Webinar on 25 June 2020.’

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Blackstone Chambers, 2nd July 2020

Source: www.sportslawbulletin.org

The impact of COVID-19 on sentencing – Park Square Barristers

‘This article reviews two Court of Appeal cases which have considered the effect that COVID-19 can have in sentencing in cases where the custody threshold has been passed. In summary, the cases make clear that the adverse effects the pandemic has had on prison life is a relevant factor a sentencing court can take into consideration in deciding: 1) whether to impose a suspend a sentence; and 2) the length of any immediate custodial sentence.’

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Park Square Barristers, 3rd July 2020

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

Barristers plead with peers for government Covid support – Legal Futures

‘Criminal defence barristers have made a desperate plea to peers for government support to survive the Covid-19 crisis, with solicitors agreeing that the profession was in dire straits.’

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Legal Futures, 13th July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Redundancy: Principles and Calculations Revisited – 33 Bedford Row

Posted July 10th, 2020 in chambers articles, company law, coronavirus, employment, news, redundancy by sally

‘This article has been prepared by two barristers at 33 Bedford Row outlining the basic principles in relation to redundancy as well as calculation of any redundancy payment.’

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33 Bedford Row, 30th June 2020

Source: www.33bedfordrow.co.uk

Mediating in the Time of Corona – Doughty Street Chambers

Posted July 10th, 2020 in chambers articles, coronavirus, dispute resolution, news by sally

‘The colossal impact of Covid 19 and the steps taken to address it are leading to a ‘plethora of defaults’ warns Mario Draghi. This emerging increase in disputes arises from circumstances like contractual failures in supply chains, disputed insurance claims, insolvency issues from business failures, employment losses and property disputes e.g. between landlords and tenants.’

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Doughty Street Chambers, 1st July 2020

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

The end of the jury trial as we know it? – 6KBW College Hill

‘The Secretary of State for Justice recently confirmed that the government is considering whether to introduce primary legislation to suspend jury trials for offences triable either way as a way to address the backlog of criminal cases arising from the public health crisis. This development has caused alarm amongst practitioners who might be hoping that Humphreys J was right when he said: “I cannot bring myself to believe that there are any persons other than the inmates of a lunatic asylum who would vote in favour of the abolition of trial by jury in serious criminal cases” (Do We Need a Jury? [1954] Crim LR 457).’

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6 KBW College Hill, 30th June 2020

Source: blog.6kbw.com

Damaged by COVID-19 – What losses will be recoverable? – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted July 10th, 2020 in chambers articles, contracts, coronavirus, damages, news by sally

‘The normal rule for breach of contract is that losses are assessed as at the date of breach (The Golden Victory [2007] 2 AC 353.) However, this has never been an immutable rule, and the law in this area was significantly recast in the case of W Nagel (A Firm) v Pluczenik Diamond Company [2018] EWCA Civ 2640.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 29th June 2020

Source: hardwicke.co.uk

The Care Quality Commission: an essential guide to its powers and processes – Henderson Chambers

‘The Care Quality Commission (“CQC”) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England at a time when this sector faces unprecedented scrutiny. However, the CQC’s role and purpose is not well understood. This note provides an essential guide to H&S and regulatory practitioners on the CQC’s powers and procedures in anticipation of widespread enforcement action as the COVID 19 emergency eases.’

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Henderson Chambers, 25th June 2020

Source: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk

Ronan Cormacain: “Social Distancing” of Emergency Legislation during the Covid-19 Pandemic – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted July 10th, 2020 in constitutional law, coronavirus, emergency powers, news by sally

‘Ordinary legislation is different in its content and method of enactment from emergency legislation. But the risk is that the longer the Covid-19 pandemic continues, the less distinct these two types of law become, and that emergency legislation becomes the new normal. The structural solution proposed to this problem is “social distancing” of emergency legislation – that emergency laws are kept separate and distinct from ordinary laws. The more we conceive of them as abnormal, the more we maintain a gap between them and our ordinary laws, the easier it will be to dump emergency laws when the pandemic is over, and the less chance they will be used for illegitimate purposes.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 10th July 2020

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

PI lawyers and insurers expect dip in RTA claims – Litigation Futures

‘Personal injury (PI) law firms and insurers expect a dip in workload over the next six months as a result of Covid-19 but expect the market to have recovered by the end of 2021, a survey has suggested.’

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Litigation Futures, 10th July 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Proposal To Scrap Juries ‘Shocking’ Amid Black Lives Matter Movement – Each Other

‘Proposals to scrap juries for some trials to reduce court backlogs would remove the “only part of the criminal justice process” proven not to discriminate against minority ethnic groups, a legal expert has warned.’

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Each Other, 9th July 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

Is COVID-19 a Barder Event? Considering the enforceability of financial settlements in light of COVID-19 – Thomas More Chambers

‘The potential short and longer-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis upon the global and national economy are now well-known. Financial remedy practitioners have been anticipating a number of queries from clients potentially seeking to make an application to set aside their concluded financial settlements, because of the effect current events have had or may have upon their finances. Questions therefore arise about whether or not the effects of COVID-19 are capable of being treated as a Barder Event by the family courts, and thus to act as a basis to revisit final financial remedy orders.’

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Thomas More Chambers, 6th July 2020

Source: www.thomasmore.co.uk

London councils call on government to suspend NRPF immigration status – The Guardian

Posted July 9th, 2020 in benefits, coronavirus, homelessness, immigration, local government, London, news by sally

‘London councils have called on the government to suspend the controversial “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF) immigration status during the coronavirus pandemic to prevent a rise in homelessness.’

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The Guardian, 8th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com