News & Events
News & Events
The Port of London Authority (“the PLA”) have been acquitted at Snaresbrook Crown Court of a serious maritime safety offence arising out of the sinking of the Chiefton tug and death of a crew member on 12 August 2011. The prosecution accused the PLA of failing to adequately and safely plan the tow of the Skyline Barge by the Chiefton and Steven B tug boats during a passage down the River Thames between 9 August and 12 August. The PLA maintained that in the particular circumstances the risk of the Chiefton sinking was not a material risk and in any event, the evidence showed the PLA had done all that was reasonably practicable to make the passage safe. After a…
News 2 Dec, 2019
We are delighted to announce that Justina Stewart, Nick Johnson QC and Sophie O’Sullivan have joined Outer Temple Chambers, providing strong additions to our Commercial and Business Crime teams. Justina Stewart is a commercial and chancery barrister, with a particular focus on banking, financial services, regulatory, company, insolvency, civil fraud and business crime, and related professional negligence. Justina works in the UK and internationally. Ranked as a Leading Junior in Banking and Finance and Insolvency, Justina has been described in the directories as “a force to be reckoned with” who is “far more financially literate than most barristers”. Before coming to the Bar, Justina was an international investment banker, working with top-ranked corporate finance teams on complex transactions, predominantly in…
News 29 Nov, 2019
Outer Temple Chambers was again the sponsor of the Annual APIL Accidents Abroad Seminar held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel on Friday 22 November 2019. The Conference brought together specialists in cross-border personal injury litigation from across Europe and was chaired by Gerard McDermott QC and Sarah Crowther QC. The morning session commenced with Ian Denham and Dan Clarke presenting on the recent demise of Thomas Cook. They discussed the options faced by injured customers of the defunct tour operator as well as the proposed compensation fund suggested by the previous government. This was followed by a panel of Gerard McDermott QC, Sarah Crowther QC, Ian Denham and Dan Clarke taking questions from delegates on issues arising from both the…
News 28 Nov, 2019
Patrick Sadd will be a guest speaker at the Road Transport Conference on Thursday 28th November 2019. As a leading barrister in the UK in European road transport regulation, Patrick will be presenting on AdBlue, as the DVSA begins a nationwide crackdown on truck emission cheats The conference brings together Operators, Transport and HR Managers, driver agencies and consultants who support businesses and drivers to share legal updates. Crown Court Judge, Christopher Donnellan QC will also be giving an insight into corporate manslaughter. To instruct Patrick or find out more, contact Graham Woods or Chris Rowe on +44 (0)20 7353 6381.
News 27 Nov, 2019
We are delighted to announce that Andrew Short QC has been shortlisted for ‘Employment silk of the Year’ at the Legal 500 UK Awards 2020. Andrew Short QC is at the forefront of equal pay claims in the private sector, including Brierley v Asda, Sainsbury’s and Thandi v Next Retail Limited. His multi party and pensions knowledge has resulted in instructions on behalf of hundreds of judges and thousands of firefighters in successful discrimination challenges to public sector pension reform, including McCloud v Lord Chancellor & Ministry of Justice and Sargeant v LFEPA. Read more about Andrew contact Nick Levett (+44 (0)20 7427 4908) or or Adam Macdonald (+44 (0)20 7427 4906).
News 27 Nov, 2019
On 18 November 2019 the Chancellor of the High Court, Sir Geoffrey Vos, launched the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce’s Legal Statement on Cryptoassets and Smart Contracts which he described as a ‘watershed for English law’. Outer Temple Chambers’ Andrew Spink QC, Stephen Butler and Chloë Bell comment on the statement and offer some preliminary thoughts on its impact and scope, which can be read here.
News 25 Nov, 2019
Following John McKendrick QC and Alex Haines’ successful sanctions seminar – in conjunction with Central America’s largest law firm Consortium legal – in Managua on 30 August 2019, the Association of Certified Sanctions Specialists (ACSS) has published their article The ‘Nica Act’: The Nexus, Effect, and Long-Arm Reach of US Sanctions Against Nicaragua on its website. The Nicaraguan Human Rights and Anticorruption Act of 2018 (NHRACA) seeks to hold violators of human rights and corrupt actors in Nicaragua accountable. It also instructs the US president to impose individual sanctions on members of the Nicaraguan government deemed responsible for human rights violations against the post-April 2018 protesters, as well as current and former Nicaraguan government officials involved in significant acts of…
News 22 Nov, 2019
Ian Johnston, a Professional Associate member at OTC, today addressed the Global Financial Risk Management Conference at the Lujiazui Financial City in Shanghai. Ian shared his views on the international regulatory framework and the opportunities for cooperation amongst industry, academia and regulators. Ian also commented on the common issues faced by international financial centres, drawing on his experience as a former CEO of the Dubai FSA, regulator of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The Lujiazui Financial City is a Special Financial Zone in Shanghai. Both Shanghai and the DIFC feature in the top 10 financial centres on the Global Financial Centres Index. Ian Johnston has recently retired as Chief Executive of the Dubai Financial Services Authority and is a Professional Associate at Outer Temple…
News 21 Nov, 2019
Alex Haines has recently been instructed in a case before the African Union (“AU”) Administrative Tribunal which is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The roles and structure of African International Organisations are often misunderstood. This article clarifies some of these distinctions. The African Union The AU is a continental union and regional organisation – equivalent to the European Union – consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African continent. In 2001, the AU was created to replace the Organisation of African Unity (“OAU”) and it was officially launched in 2002. The evolution of this institution was the outcome of a consensus by African leaders that there was a need to refocus attention from the…
News 18 Nov, 2019
On 20 November 2019 Peter Linstead has been invited to address the DIFC Academy of Law on the new DIFC Employment Law of 2019. This two hour lecture given together with Stephenson Harwood will provide a comprehensive overview of the new Law. Peter Linstead has unique insight into the Law having advised the DIFC Authority on aspects of its drafting. The new Law is an important development in terms of the importance of the DIFC as a base for commerce and international business. You may book online to attend the event here.
News 18 Nov, 2019
We are delighted to have been awarded ‘Employment set of the Year’ at the Chambers & Partners UK Bar Awards 2019. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all our clients for providing such fantastic feedback. We are so proud to be Employment Set of the Year and would like to say congratulations to the Employment Team and the clerks for such a well-deserved success. Should you wish to join our Employment Team, we would love to hear from you. To enquire about tenancy at Outer Temple Chambers, please contact Rebecca Priestley, Chief Executive, or Nick Levett, Practice Director on +44 (0)20 7353 6381 for a confidential conversation.
News 15 Nov, 2019
The DIFC has issued its proposals for replacing the existing end of service gratuity regime with a mandatory workplace savings schemes into which employers must (and employees may) contribute. Following the announcement by the DIFC Authority to introduce the DIFC Employee Workplace Savings Scheme (DEWS) on Wednesday 1 January 2020, Jersey Finance in association with the Outer Temple Chambers and Stephenson Harwood will hold a two-hour seminar during which the new proposed structure, the DEWS draft legislation, employers’ options in terms of providers, and some practical recommendations for DIFC businesses will be discussed. On Monday 18th November, members of Outer Temple Chambers (drafters of the legislation) alongside a panel of experts from the DIFC Authority and Stephenson Harwood law will…
News 14 Nov, 2019
