Double successes for Anthony Haycroft defending in the General Medical Council
Anthony Haycroft has had back to back successes in the General Medical Council. In both cases the Panel accepted Anthony Haycroft's submissions that the doctor's fitness to practice was not impaired. In the first case a Specialist Registrar in obstetrics failed to act during a difficult labour leading to a delayed birth. The baby suffered epileptic fits and died as a young child. The doctor retained as a General Practitioner. The Panel accepted this was a single tragic episode in difficult circumstances and there was no risk of repetition. The Panel did not consider even a warning was necessary. Anthony Haycroft was instructed by Christine Freedman of the MDU and the case was very similar to GMC v Assam, another case of Ms Freedman. more »
Court of Appeal gives sentencing guidelines in FSA's first insider dealing case
Michael Bowes QC appeared for the Respondent (FSA) in an appeal against sentence by Christopher McQuoid. In March 2009 McQuoid and Melbourne (his father in law) were found guilty of insider dealing which resulted in a net profit of nearly £50,000. McQuoid appealed against his sentence of 8 months' imprisonment. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, holding that immediate imprisonment was appropriate and the sentence was as merciful as possible. The Court stated that insider dealing was a species of fraud and cheating and prosecution in open court was appropriate. The Court gave guidance on the relevant factors in sentencing for offences of insider dealing. more »
Radio 4 debates on ownership of body parts
Charles Foster appears on the Radio 4 Law in Action programme on 23 and 25 June 2009, taking part in a discussion about the ownership of body parts. The programme focusses in particular on the impact of the Court of Appeal case of Yearworth (in which Outer Temple Chambers' Nicolas Stallworthy appeared). Yearworth, Foster suggests, marks a significant departure from the old and suffocating maxim 'there is no property in a corpse.' It shows that the common law is sufficiently innovative and elastic to cope with the rapidly multiplying dilemmas created by medical advance. more »
R (on the application of Debbie Purdy) v DPP in the House of Lords
Charles Foster and Ben Bradley, instructed by Penningtons, Basingstoke, represented the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (who have a general interest in pro-life issues) who intervened in the case of Debbie Purdy. more »
Claimant pays indemnity costs after failing to beat Part 36 offer
Outer Temple Chambers' barrister James Aldridge represented the Defendant in an employer's liability claims case involving a shoulder injury sustained by the Claimant, an airport baggage handler, in the course of lifting a heavy bag from a conveyor. more »
