News & Events
News & Events
On 1 April 2014, a new and improved criminal cartel offence will be introduced in the UK by virtue of s47 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (ERRA13). By removing the requirement for an individual to have acted dishonestly in relation to commercial arrangements which involve deliberate price-fixing, market sharing, bid-rigging and limiting output, the new offence should make it easier for the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) and Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to launch prosecutions of individuals involved in prohibited hardcore cartels. However, by omitting to change the cartel offence so that it embraces corporate criminal liability as well, the question remains: Could the CMA or SFO charge a company with cartel crime? Just as I set…
News 26 Mar, 2014
Michael Uberoi recently concluded two lengthy Hearings in the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service. 1) In GMC v Dr S, Michael represented a GP who had been convicted of injecting his wife with heroin, and driving while under the influence of alcohol. The doctor was suspended for 9 months (the GMC had argued for erasure). Michael was instructed by Simpson & Marwick, Edinburgh. 2) In GMC v Dr M, Michael (instructed by Carson McDowell, Belfast) defended a doctor who was charged with attempting to dishonestly manipulate the outcome of Patient X’s benefits assessment, by lying to the medical assessor about her knowledge of Patient X, and lying about Patient X’s symptoms. The Doctor was released from proceedings after Stage 2, after…
News 20 Mar, 2014
Robert Rhodes QC is appointed as an Arbitrator to the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution’s Global Panel of Distinguished Neutrals.
News 18 Mar, 2014
It has just been announced that Outer Temple’s Patrick Sadd and Harriet Jerram have been appointed Counsel to the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry to look into child abuse on Jersey following the scandal that broke in 2007 when former residents of a children’s home on the island, Haut La Garenne, came forward to disclose the abuse to which they had been exposed. When the story broke it received world-wide coverage and caused public disquiet and concern in Jersey. The States established a Redress Scheme. In 2012 the States agreed to an independent inquiry being set up. The terms of reference set by the States of Jersey are wide ranging. Crucially, the Inquiry will hear the accounts of many victims of…
News 13 Mar, 2014
Judgment was handed down on 3 March in Vann & Others v Ocidental-Companhia de Seguros SA in which Gerard McDermott QC acted as Leading Counsel for the Claimants. Click here to read more and download the judgment.
News 12 Mar, 2014
Judgment was handed down by The Honourable Mr Justice Globe in the case of Ceri Leigh v The London Ambulance Service in which Christopher Gibson QC was representing the Claimant.
News 25 Feb, 2014
We congratulate Richard Hitchcock on his appointment to the Queens Council.
News 19 Feb, 2014
United States of America v Nolan [2014] EWCA Civ 71 (04 February 2014) www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2014/71.html On the 4th February 2013 the Court of Appeal handed down its latest judgement in the long running collective redundancy consultation case of USA v Nolan, in which Mark Mullins of Outer Temple Chambers, instructed by Thompsons Law on behalf of the GMB, continues to represent Mrs Christine Nolan. The decision confirms that public sector workers in the UK have statutory redundancy protection (with those in “crown employment” excluded and covered by voluntary arrangements). The USA has sought permission to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. The important question of when the obligation to consult over collective redundancy arises (‘the Fujitsu issue’) is to be…
News 5 Feb, 2014
Tom Gibson recently wrote an article – ‘A Costs Budgeting Horror Story’ – about a (true) story of a costs budget being struck out for a technical error in an early post-Jackson personal injury case. The article was published in PI Brief Update and is available at http://www.pibriefupdate.com/content/law-journal-summaries/news-category-2-53514/2250-a-costs-budgeting-horror-story-tom-gibson-outer-temple-chambers Since the article was published, several other stories of costs budgets being struck out – or not struck out – for exactly the same technical error (with a budget’s statement of truth wording) have emerged from county courts around the country. With several appeals currently in progress, 2014 looks set to be a busy year for early post-Jackson case law.
News 22 Jan, 2014
Between 13 and 15 January, John was working in El Salvador as a guest of the British Embassy. He made a number of presentations on the rule of law, anti corruption measures, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and the EU Central America Association Agreement. He met with the Minister of Public Works, the Presidential Sub-Secretary responsible for transparency and many other state and civil society representatives. John also gave a presentation to the British School in San Salvador. John’s visit attracted significant press attention, on television, radio, the newspapers and on twitter. http://www.laprensagrafica.com/2014/01/15/reino-unido-dio-ponencia-sobre-ley-antisobornos http://elmundo.com.sv/britanicos-instan-a-pais-a-crear-ley-antisoborno https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.587970051280269.1073741864.228023930608218&type=1 Tweets by UKinElSalvador http://www.laprensagrafica.com/2014/01/20/reino-unido-sugiere-a-el-salvador-ley-antisobornos http://www.elsalvador.com/mwedh/nota/nota_expansion.asp?idCat=75293&idArt=8479877 John continues his time working in the Caribbean, travelling to Port of Spain as a guest of the British High…
News 21 Jan, 2014
Patrick will be discussing ‘A case study in abuse, looking at the critical role of the expert witness’.
News 21 Jan, 2014
The two Outer Temple Barristers are instructed by CMS Cameron McKenna partner Neil Smith in Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund Trustee Ltd v (1) Stena Line Ltd (2) P&O Ferries Ltd (3) Sealion Shipping Ltd (4) International Marine Transportation Ltd (5) Terence Brown. This mammoth case concerns the £272m pension deficit liabilities belonging to the Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund (MNRPF). At the heart of the dispute is how that liability should be apportioned between the participating employers of seamen employed in the British Merchant Navy. Around 240 employers have joined the MNRPF since its inception in 1978, including oil majors and the main players in the shipping industry, such as Stena and P&O. The proceedings concern the introduction of…
News 6 Jan, 2014