Shoppers ‘ripped off’ by MasterCard stand to gain £400 compensation in record class action – Daily Telegraph

‘Shoppers have been ripped off by as much as £400 each due to unfair chip and pin charges in shops, lawyers preparing a historic class action case against MasterCard have claimed.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 6th July 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Bar chairman warns on post-Brexit practising rights – Legal Futures

‘The ramifications of leaving the European Union are likely to be wide-ranging and could restrict the ability of barristers to practise outside England and Wales, the chairman of the Bar Council has warned.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 6th July 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Speech by Lady Justice Arden DBE: Is Commercial Arbitration the Future of Commercial Justice? – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘Is Commercial Arbitration the Future of Commercial Justice?’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary,  5th July 2016

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Britain will still be bound by international courts under any serious trade deal, MPs warned – The Independent

‘Britain would still be bound by the judgments of international courts under any serious international free trade agreement with other countries, a leading legal academic has warned MPs.’

Full story

The Independent, 5th July 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

MasterCard faces £19bn lawsuit over claims it ripped off shoppers – The Independent

‘MasterCard is facing a claim of up to £19 billion in damages in a UK collective action over card charges that were passed on to shoppers.’

Full story

The Independent, 6th July 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Has the rule of law ever been more important? – Legal Futures

Posted July 5th, 2016 in brexit, EC law, judiciary, news, referendums, rule of law by sally

‘Post-Brexit the separation of powers could be said to be all that is holding this nation together. The Executive is in tatters and Parliament has entered a hiatus without an effective opposition. The only element of our constitutional framework which carries on without pause is the judiciary. It’s a moving proposition to think that those who daily work in courts and public services decimated by cuts are the ones who right now form the only fully functioning element of government.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 4th July 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Brexit: Legal steps seek to ensure Commons vote on Article 50 – BBC News

‘A law firm is taking action to ensure the formal process for the UK leaving the EU is not started without an act of Parliament.’

Full story

BBC News, 4th July 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

What now for human rights in the UK post-Brexit? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted July 5th, 2016 in bills, brexit, constitutional reform, courts, EC law, human rights, news, treaties by sally

‘Theresa May, expected to shortly emerge as the “stop Boris” prime ministerial candidate in this post-referendum world, kept her head down during the Brexit campaign apart from one notable intervention.’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 4th July 2016

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Pressing the Red Button on Rights – UK Human Rights

Posted July 5th, 2016 in EC law, human rights, news, treaties by sally

‘Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) is the red button for the nuclear option of withdrawal from the EU, and in its design, it was never really, truly envisioned to be pressed. Without testing, and without precedent, we are left with no idea of the potential fallout of pressing that red button. Compared to the quasi-constitutionism of Article 2 TEU evoking the values ‘common to the Member States’ of ‘pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between men and women’; or the brutal legalism of Title VII of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) on competition, tax and the approximation of laws; Article 50 TEU is anaemic. It is, essentially, a button triggering a countdown clock, which is on a comparable level of advancement to the 1980s floppy disk.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 4th July 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Goluchowski v District Court in Elblag, Poland ; Sas v Circuit Court in Zielona Gora, Poland and another [2016] UKSC 36 – WLR Daily

Goluchowski v District Court in Elblag, Poland; Sas v Circuit Court in Zielona Gora, Poland and another [2016] UKSC 36

‘In each case the requested person, a Polish national was convicted of serious offences in Poland and sentenced to a term of imprisonment. In the first case the sentence was suspended but later activated because the requested person failed to adhere to the terms of the suspension. In the second case the requested person, with regard to two relevant sentences, had been (i) on release pending an unsuccessful appeal and (ii) on conditional early release which had been revoked because of breaches of the applicable conditions. In each case the requested person was required to surrender himself to the Polish authorities to serve the outstanding sentence but failed to do so. Various summonses and arrest warrants were issued in Poland which failed to achieve the apprehension of the requested persons and, upon discovering that the requested persons were in England, European arrest warrants were issued and served on the appropriate authorities.’

WLR Daily, 30th June 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Criminal proceedings against Kossowski (Case C-486/14) – WLR Daily

Criminal proceedings against Kossowski (Case C-486/14)

‘The accused fled from Germany to Poland after being accused of committing a criminal offence in Germany, and a criminal investigation was initiated against him in that state. The Polish authorities subsequently arrested the accused with a view to the enforcement of a term of imprisonment to which he had been sentenced in Poland in a different case. Subsequently, the Polish authorities opened an investigation procedure against the accused, accusing him of an offence based on his actions in Germany but decided eventually to terminate the criminal proceedings for lack of sufficient evidence. The Higher Regional Court, Hamburg, hearing an appeal brought by the Hamburg Public Prosecutor’s Office against that decision, took the view that under the German law, the evidence against the accused was sufficient to justify the opening of trial proceedings before the Regional Court, Hamburg, and the acceptance of the indictment for the purposes of those proceedings, unless that was barred by the principle of ne bis in idem (protection from multiple prosecutions in different member states) laid down in article 54 of the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 between the Governments of the States of the Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders (1995) (OJ 2000 L239, p 19) (the “CISA”) and article 50 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Accordingly, the Hamburg court referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union for a preliminary ruling a number of questions on the interpretation of those provisions.’

WLR Daily, 30th June 2016

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

In re D (A Child) (Recognition of Foreign Order) (Reunite Child Abduction Centre and another intervening) – WLR Daily

In re D (A Child) (Recognition of Foreign Order) (Reunite Child Abduction Centre and another intervening)

‘In litigation in Romania concerning the care and custody of a 10 year-old child born to Romanian parents who had lived most of his life with his mother in England, the Bucharest Court of Appeal awarded custody of the child to his father. The father obtained an order in the High Court for recognition and registration of that decision under article 21(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 concerning jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and matters of parental responsibility. The mother appealed to a High Court judge pursuant to article 33 of the Regulation. The judge, allowing the appeal, refused recognition of the Romanian court order under article 23(b) on the ground that the order had been made without the child having been given an opportunity to be heard. The father, having unsuccessfully appealed to the Court of Appeal, obtained leave for a further appeal to the Supreme Court. Upon the mother challenging the father’s right to a further appeal, the Supreme Court convened a preliminary hearing to determine whether it had jurisdiction to proceed with the appeal.’

WLR Daily, 29th June 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Brexit legal challenge launched as businesses move to block EU exit without Act of Parliament – The Independent

‘A group of businesses has launched a legal challenge to prevent the Government from launching Brexit without a formal Act of Parliament.’

Full story

The Independent, 4th July 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Re D (A Child): a decision of its time? – Family Law Week

Posted July 1st, 2016 in children, custody, divorce, EC law, enforcement, jurisdiction, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘Katy Chokowry and Nicholas Anderson, barristers of 1 King’s Bench Walk, explain the rationale of the Supreme Court’s judgment in Re D (A Child) and consider the lessons that survive form the Court of Appeal’s judgment.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 30th June 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Trade bodies publish new market abuse guidance to replace Model Code – OUT- LAW.com

‘Guidance and specimen policy documents to help quoted companies comply with new market abuse rules when dealing in shares have been published by the UK’s main trade bodies for governance professionals and general counsel.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 29th June 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Ewan Smith: What Would Happen if the Government Unlawfully Issued an Article 50 Notification without Parliamentary Approval? – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted June 30th, 2016 in constitutional reform, EC law, news, parliament, treaties by sally

‘In “Pulling the Article 50 ‘Trigger’: Parliament’s Indispensable Role” Nick Barber, Jeff King and Tom Hickman argued that it is Parliament, and not the government, who get to decide whether to trigger an notification under Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union. I agree with them.’

Full story

UK Constitutional Law Association, 30th June 2016

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

BREXIT: UK net neutrality guidance could differ from the EU’s, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 29th, 2016 in brexit, EC law, internet, news, referendums, telecommunications by sally

‘The UK could set out its own guidance on net neutrality in light of the country’s decision to leave the EU, an expert has said.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 28th June 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

What is article 50? – video explainer – The Guardian

Posted June 29th, 2016 in brexit, EC law, news, referendums, treaties by sally

‘The only legal way for a Brexit – or for any member state to withdraw from the European Union – is by triggering an obscure and controversial clause in the Lisbon Treaty: article 50. It gives the departing country two years to negotiate the terms of its withdrawal and has never been used before. Tom Clark explains how it works’

Video

The Guardian, 29th June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Would a second EU referendum be undemocratic? – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted June 29th, 2016 in EC law, news, referendums by sally

‘It is only four days since the UK public narrowly voted to leave the European Union. A lot of people are now arguing for a second referendum. But would that be democratic?’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 28th June 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Brexit: the fallout – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted June 29th, 2016 in brexit, EC law, international relations, news, referendums by sally

‘An ironic Gallic shrug to the question on all our lips: OK so what now? The referendum debate is just getting under way. It may seem a little late but the chanteuse has yet to enter the stage to sing the final aria so nothing is concluded. Real politick has yet to stamp its mark on the concept of exiting the EU. In the meantime the Gods are laughing at the mayhem caused within the establishment by the vote.’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 28th June 2016

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk