News & Events

News

Naomi Ling wins compensation for police officers caught by pensions tax trap

The High Court has today allowed an appeal from the Pensions Ombudsman in the case of five police officers who were hit with a massive pensions tax when they accepted offers of civilian employment within a month of retirement before the age of 55. The officers lost their protected pension age and their lump sums and pensions were deemed unauthorised payments. The High Court found that the pensions administrators should have known that this would be the case but had nevertheless sent the officers misleading information suggesting that their lump sums would be tax free. The pensions authorities are now liable to compensate the police officers for their losses. This is an important case relating to the duty of pensions…

News 11 Jul, 2019

James Counsell QC successfully defends NHS Foundation Trust in high value spinal injury case

James Counsell QC has successfully defended Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in a complex spinal injury case, involving a young woman who suffered a serious spinal injury in a road traffic accident in October 2011, after which she was taken to the Trust’s hospital. She subsequently brought successful proceedings against the negligent driver of the car which collided with the car in which she was a back seat passenger, wearing a lap seat belt, and claimed damages for her injuries which included paraplegia. That claim was settled by the motorist’s insurers in March 2015 for a lump sum payment of £3 million, together with a very substantial periodical payment, making a total claim, capitalised at current rates, given her…

News 10 Jul, 2019

Outer Temple offers tenancy to three pupils

We are delighted to announce that tenancies have been awarded to current pupils Carin Hunt, Jeremy Scott-Joynt and Patrick Tomison. All three have a further two months of pupillage to complete, and will start the next stages of their careers as full tenants of Outer Temple in September 2019. We’d like to extend a very warm welcome to Carin, Jeremy and Patrick, and wish them every success moving forwards with us! James Counsell QC, Head of Pupillage said: “Carin, Jeremy and Patrick have now been with us for nearly a year and have impressed all with whom they have worked, both within chambers and in their own advocacy work.  We are certain that they will have hugely successful careers at…

News 5 Jul, 2019

Serco DPA puts individuals, and corporate parental responsibility, in the spotlight

The possibility of individual prosecutions of senior executives for corporate white-collar crime has arisen once more as a result of a Deferred Prosecution Agreement reached between a subsidiary of multinational outsourcing specialist Serco Group plc (Serco Group) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). The DPA, the fifth to be agreed in the UK, also heralds the likelihood that in future parent companies may be expected not just to take responsibility for wayward subsidiaries, but may need to extend remediation group-wide if a DPA is to be in the public interest. SGL agreed to pay a fine of £19.2 million, and the SFO’s costs of £3.7 million. Serco agreed to implement wide-ranging compliance changes across not just SGL but the entire…

News 4 Jul, 2019

John McKendrick QC and Chloë Bell to advise the Inter-American Development Bank

John McKendrick QC and Chloë Bell are instructed to advise the Inter-American Development Bank in respect of legal and regulatory issues arising from their work in Jamaica on state modernisation. John and Chloë will be in Kingston during the week of 8 July 2019 to assist in a workshop with senior Government officials and will hold meetings with the IDB and other experts. Outer Temple barristers John and Chloë both work in the area of constitutional law and Chloë is a former judicial assistant to Lord Mance and, was involved in Privy Council matters. John has carried out development work for the IDB in the past and has a long history of working in the Caribbean.

News 4 Jul, 2019

Michael Bowes QC acts for Serious Fraud Office in Serco Deferred Prosecution Agreement

Michael Bowes QC has been acting for the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in relation to the Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) agreed with Serco Geografix Limited (SGL), which was approved by Mr Justice William Davis at Southwark Crown Court on 4 July 2019. The DPA followed SGL self-reporting to the SFO. The undertakings given by Serco Group plc broke new ground in the development of DPAs. Mr Justice William Davis stated in his judgment, “Without the undertakings given by the parent company it is very unlikely that the goals of a DPA could have been achieved in the circumstances of this case. This is the first occasion on which undertakings of the kind made by Serco Group PLC have been by…

News 3 Jul, 2019

Andrew Short QC, Lydia Seymour and Naomi Ling successful in public sector pensions age discrimination claim

The Supreme Court today refused permission to the government to appeal in the cases of McCloud and Sergeant relating to age discrimination in the judges and firefighters’ sector pension schemes. The Court of Appeal held in December 2018 that the age protection given to those within 10 years of retirement when public sector pensions were changed from a final salary to a career average basis, was discriminatory on the grounds of age and that the government had acted irrationally in offering it. This decision will have a major impact on the provision of pensions in the public sector. Andrew Short QC’s specialist practice centres on pensions, employment, and general commercial work. He has acted in many of the leading cases…

News 27 Jun, 2019

Paul Rogers in landmark torture appeal hearing in Supreme Court

Paul Rogers appears on behalf of the Crown, as Respondent in a landmark interlocutory appeal hearing before the Supreme Court today and tomorrow (24th and 25th June 2019). The appeal centres on the definition and scope of the international crime of torture under the universal jurisdiction provisions of section 134 Criminal Justice Act 1988. The specific issue is what is the correct interpretation of the term ‘person acting in an official capacity’ in section 134(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988? In particular, does it include someone who acts otherwise than in a private and individual capacity for or on behalf of an organisation or body which exercises or purports to exercise the functions of government over the civilian population…

News 24 Jun, 2019

Naomi Ling acts successfully for the Lord Chancellor & Lord Chief Justice in magistrate’s EAT appeal

Naomi Ling has successfully defended an appeal in the EAT from a magistrate, who was removed from judicial office having made comments on BBC television that he believed that it was best for a baby to be adopted by a man and a woman. The magistrate, Richard Page, appealed on the basis that he had been victimised for making a complaint of discrimination on the ground of religion and belief, and that his removal was a breach of his A10 right to freedom of expression. Naomi acted for the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice, who removed him from office on the basis that as a judge who heard adoption approval applications, he had compromised his judicial impartiality. A link…

News 20 Jun, 2019

Lydia Seymour on 2015 public sector pension changes

Lydia Seymour will be speaking at the UCL Pensions Law: Policy & Practice Conference on 20th June 2019 in London. The conference is being jointly organised by The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Slaughter and May, and the UCL Faculty of Laws and Lydia’s talk will explore: the background to the 2015 public sector pensions changes; the Court of Appeal’s decisions in the judges’ and firefighters’ age discrimination challenges, and the policy issues which arise. Please click here for further information about the conference. Lydia’s practice includes all aspects of ‘black letter’ pensions law, including: de-risking, rectification, withdrawal arrangements in multi-employer schemes and trustee duties. Her clients include the Pensions Regulator, employers, trustees, trade unions and individuals. To instruct Lydia, please…

News 18 Jun, 2019

Advocate of the Year – Claire van Overdijk shortlisted in 2019/20 STEP Private Client Awards

We are delighted to announce that Claire van Overdijk has been shortlisted in the 2019/20 STEP Private Client Awards ‘Advocate of the Year’ category. Award  winners will be announced at the black-tie dinner and awards ceremony, hosted by a celebrity speaker, on 25th September 2019 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel, London, UK. Claire van Overdijk serves as Deputy Chair of the STEP Mental Capacity Global SIG Steering Committee, Secretary of the Court of Protection Barristers Association, and a committee member of COPPA (London).

News 17 Jun, 2019

Outer Temple walks ahead for the London Legal Support Trust

We’re revving up and raring to go! A team of walkers from Outer Temple are due to take part in the London Legal Walk 2019 today – to raise well-needed funds that provide access to justice. Each year, thousands of lawyers take on the challenge and walk 10km to raise money for the London Legal Support Trust. The Trust distributes monies to the Bar Pro Bono Unit, the Free Representation Unit and other legal law charities to provide support to the poorest and most vulnerable people who need legal assistance. Members of chambers are always prepared to provide free legal advice in appropriate circumstances. They regularly assist clients, who cannot obtain public funding and cannot afford to pay for legal…

News 17 Jun, 2019

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