EC law – Page 58 – Current Awareness

In re S (A Child) (Abduction: Hearing the Child) – WLR Daily

Posted December 9th, 2014 in appeals, child abduction, children, custody, EC law, law reports, treaties by sally

In re S (A Child) (Abduction: Hearing the Child) [2014] EWCA Civ 1557; [2014] WLR (D) 522

‘Where the court was exercising it’s inherent jurisdiction relating to the abduction or retention of a child where neither the Hague Convention on the International Aspects of Child Abduction 1980, nor article 11(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 (“Brussels II revised”) applied, the same principle of effective access to justice for a child as applied to cases involving the Convention and the Regulation was engaged and the court was obliged to consider whether and how to hear the child concerned.’

WLR Daily, 4th December 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Legal challenge to Government’s £2.5bn subsidy scheme for fossil fuel industry – The Independent

Posted December 6th, 2014 in EC law, energy, news, state aids by sally

‘The Government may be forced to suspend a £2.5bn annual subsidy scheme designed to keep the lights on as cheaply and as greenly as possible following a legal challenge in the European Court of Justice, which claims it amounts to an “unlawful subsidy” for the fossil fuel industry.’

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The Independent, 5th December 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Dalsouple Societe Saumuroise du Caoutchouc v Dalsouple Direct Ltd and another – WLR Daily

Posted December 4th, 2014 in consent, EC law, law reports, news, standard of proof, trade marks by sally

Dalsouple Societe Saumuroise du Caoutchouc v Dalsouple Direct Ltd and another [2014] EWHC 3963 (Ch); [2014] WLR (D) 511

‘A person consenting to the registration of a trade mark for the purposes of article 4(5) of Parliament and Council Directive 2008/95/EC must unequivocally demonstrate his intention to renounce his rights. An express statement of consent would satisfy that requirement.’

WLR Daily, 1st December 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

The Judiciary, the Executive and Parliament: Relationships and the Rule of Law – Speech by Lord Chief Justice

Posted December 3rd, 2014 in assisted suicide, constitutional reform, criminal justice, devolution, disclosure, EC law, electronic mail, judicial appointments commission, judiciary, lord chancellor, parliament, rule of law, select committees, speeches, Supreme Court by sally

The Judiciary, the Executive and Parliament: Relationships and the Rule of Law (PDF)

Speech by Lord Chief Justice

Institute for Government, 1st December 2014

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

European court: asking asylum seekers to prove sexuality is breach of human rights – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 3rd, 2014 in asylum, EC law, homosexuality, human rights, news, proof by sally

‘European Court of Justice rules accepting video evidence in asylum cases that hinge on sexuality is a breach of human rights.’

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Daily Telegraph, 2nd December 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Why domestic Aarhus rules are not wide enough to comply with the Convention – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted December 2nd, 2014 in appeals, costs, EC law, environmental protection, human rights, judicial review, news, planning, treaties by sally

‘Back to Aarhus and the constant problem we have in the UK making sure that the cost of planning and environmental litigation is not prohibitively expensive.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 1st December 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Music bodies launch legal challenge against new UK private copying rules – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 28th, 2014 in artistic works, compensation, copyright, EC law, judicial review, licensing, news by sally

‘A number of UK music industry bodies have launched a legal challenge against newly introduced UK rules that enable consumers to make private copies of lawfully acquired copyrighted material without be held as copyright infringers.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 27th November 2014

Source: www.out-law.com

Let Me Stop You There… The test for lifting injunctions in public procurement challenges – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted November 27th, 2014 in advertising, EC law, injunctions, news, public procurement, regulations, tenders by sally

‘If you’ve seen an advert in the last few years warning you to submit your tax return on time, telling you not to drink and drive, or asking you to consider joining the armed forces, chances are that the company responsible was Group M UK Limited. That company has been at the heart of an important recent case concerning the test for lifting suspensions of contracts in public procurement challenges.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 21st November 2014

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Enforcement of Standard Essential Patents and Abuse of a Dominant Position – Zenith Chambers

Posted November 27th, 2014 in EC law, enforcement, injunctions, news, patents by sally

‘Advocate General Wathelet has delivered his opinion on a reference from the Regional Court of
Dusseldorf for a preliminary ruling on issues concerning the application of Article 102 TFEU to the
enforcement of standard essential patents (SEPs) using injunctions. The opinion, if followed by the
Court of Justice, will be important for future patent litigation and commercial negotiations over the
enforcement of SEPs.’

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Zenith Chambers, 21st November 2014

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk

Statelessness, deprivation of nationality, and EU Citizenship…what is B2 in the Supreme Court really all about? – Free Movement

Posted November 26th, 2014 in citizenship, EC law, news, terrorism, United Nations by sally

‘Many practitioners are concerned about the increasing use of draconian powers to deprive people of their citizenship and the related “evil of statelessness” (which is the subject of the UNCHR’s latest campaign.) Last week, a 7-member Supreme Court panel heard the latest round of arguments on these issues in the case of Secretary of State for the Home Department v B2. The appeal comes in the wake of government proposals to limit the right of British Citizens to return to the UK following suspected terrorist activity abroad. It could have profound implications for the government’s approach to “British jihadis”.’

Full story

Free Movement, 26th November 2014

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

President’s Guidance on the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit (ICACU) and its role – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted November 20th, 2014 in child abduction, EC law, family courts, foreign jurisdictions, international law, news by sally

‘Sir James Munby, President of the Family Division issued guidance on the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit on 10 November 2014.’

Full guidance

Judiciary of England and Wales, 19th November 2014

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

EU court rules UK government must clean up dangerous air pollution – The Guardian

Posted November 20th, 2014 in EC law, environmental protection, news, pollution by sally

‘The government will be forced to urgently clean up illegal air pollution in British cities following a ruling on Wednesday in the European court of justice. It is likely to see many diesel cars and heavy goods vehicles restricted from city centres within a few years.’

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The Guardian, 19th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bankers’ bonus cap: UK to get signal in battle with EU – BBC News

Posted November 20th, 2014 in banking, EC law, news, remuneration by sally

‘The UK government is due to receive an indication on whether its battle to overturn an EU law on bankers’ pay is likely to succeed. A legal adviser at the European Court of Justice will give his opinion of the government’s objections to the law.’

Full story

BBC news, 19th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Software patents – the lines of communication are no clearer – Technology Law Update

Posted November 19th, 2014 in appeals, computer programs, EC law, news, patents by sally

‘Patents for computer programmes are not patentable in Europe. That seems like a simple statement. But a recent high level decision shows that it is far from simple to apply.’

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Technology Law Update, 18th November 2014

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

L v M (R and another intervening) – WLR Daily

Posted November 18th, 2014 in children, custody, EC law, jurisdiction, law reports by sally

L v M (R and another intervening) (Case C-656/13) EU:C:2014:2364; [2014] WLR (D) 480

‘Article 12(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003 allowed, for the purposes of proceedings in matters of parental responsibility, the jurisdiction of a court of a member state which was not that of the child’s habitual residence to be established even where no other proceedings were pending before the court chosen. Article 12(3)(b) meant that it could not be considered that the jurisdiction of the court seised by one party of proceedings in matters of parental responsibility had been “accepted expressly or otherwise in an unequivocal manner by all the parties to the proceedings” where the defendant in those proceedings subsequently brought a second set of proceedings before the same court and, on taking the first step required of him in the first proceedings, pleaded the lack of jurisdiction of that court.’

WLR Daily, 12th November 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Dano v Jobcenter Leipzig – WLR Daily

Posted November 18th, 2014 in benefits, EC law, freedom of movement, law reports, social security by sally

Dano v Jobcenter Leipzig (Case C-333/13) EU:C:2014:2358; [2014] WLR (D) 477

‘Article 24(1) of Parliament and Council Directive 2004/38/EC, in conjunction with article 7(1)(b), and article 4 of Regulation No 883/2004 (as amended by Regulation No 1244/2010) allowed legislation of a member state under which nationals of other member states were excluded from entitlement to certain “special non-contributory cash benefits” within the meaning of article 70(2) of Regulation No 883/2004, although those benefits were granted to nationals of the host member state who were in the same situation, in so far as those nationals of other member states did not have a right of residence under Directive 2004/38 in the host member state.’

WLR Daily, 11th November 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Cartiera dell’Adda SpA v CEM Ambiente SpA – WLR Daily

Posted November 18th, 2014 in company directors, criminal records, EC law, law reports, public procurement, tenders by sally

Cartiera dell’Adda SpA v CEM Ambiente SpA (Case C-42/13) EU:C:2014:2345; [2014] WLR (D) 468

‘Article 45 of Parliament and Council Directive 2004/18/EC of 31 March 2004 on the co-ordination of procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts (as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1177/2009 of 30 November 2009), read in conjunction with article 2 of the Directive, and the principle of equal treatment and the obligation of transparency did not preclude the exclusion of an economic operator from a procurement procedure on the ground that the operator had failed to comply with the requirement laid down in the contract documentation to annex to his bid, on pain of exclusion, a statement that the person designated as the operator’s technical director had not been the subject of criminal proceedings or a conviction, even where, at a date after the expiry of the deadline for submitting bids, such a statement had been provided to the contracting authority or it was shown that the person in question was identified as the technical director in error.’

WLR Daily, 6th November 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund v Verband Österreichischer Banken und Bankiers – WLR Daily

Posted November 18th, 2014 in children, collective agreements, EC law, law reports, part-time work by sally

Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund v Verband Österreichischer Banken und Bankiers (Case C-476/12) ECLI:EU:C:2014:2332; [2014] WLR (D) 467

‘The principle pro rata temporis applied to the calculation of the amount of a dependent child allowance paid by an employer to a part-time worker pursuant to a collective agreement pursuant to clause 4.2 of the Framework Agreement on part-time work.’

WLR Daily, 5th November 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Status: The Court of Appeal’s Decision in Halawi v World Duty Free [2014] EWCA CIV 1387 – Littleton Chambers

Posted November 17th, 2014 in appeals, EC law, employment, news, religious discrimination, substitution by sally

‘Fashions are a feature of so much in life, and employment law is no exception, where for the moment at least: Status is in vogue. In recent years the appellate courts have considered a range of relationships, and been asked to answer the question: what is the legal characterisation of the claimant’s relationship with the respondent? The question is put more specifically in each case; was the claimant an employee, a worker, an office holder, or truly self-employed as an independent provider of services? But this is merely to particularise the general question: what is the claimant’s status?’

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Littleton Chambers, 31st October 2014

Source: www.littletonchambers.com

Colm O’Cinneide and Kate Malleson: Are quotas for judicial appointments lawful under EU law? – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted November 17th, 2014 in diversity, EC law, equality, judicial appointments commission, judiciary, news, proportionality, quotas by sally

‘In April 2014 Sadiq Khan, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, asked Karon Monaghan QC and Geoffrey Bindman QC to review the options for a future Labour Government to improve diversity in the judiciary. On November 6th their report, entitled “Judicial Diversity: Accelerating change”, was published. Starting from the premise that “[t]he near absence of women and Black, Asian and minority ethnic judges in the senior judiciary is no longer tolerable”, it proposes a range of recommendations designed to speed up the glacial pace of change. Perhaps the most controversial of these is for the introduction of a quota system for women and BAME candidates. The report reviews the use of quotas in other UK institutions as well as their use in judicial appointments processes around the world, before addressing the question of whether such quotas would be lawful under EU law. This is a key question: EU law casts a long shadow in this context, as the Monaghan and Bindman report makes clear, given that any legislation enacted in Westminster to give effect to a quota system in the process of judicial appointments must conform to the requirements of EU law.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 12th November 2014

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org