News & Events
News & Events
In a hearing this week before the SDT Marcus Nickson, a prominent clinical negligence practitioner in the north west, was charged with allegations that included the dishonest misappropriation of substantial sums in respect of costs from damages awards for clients. The principal issues before the Tribunal were the level of involvement of Mr Nickson in costs issues in the firm of KJ Commons and co, and whether he had been dishonest. Whilst widespread other serious breaches were admitted, Mr Nickson was acquitted of all dishonesty allegations, which were the principal contested issues. Mr Nickson had been in partnership with Kevin Commons, the solicitor who was murdered in the notorious mass killings by Derrick Bird in Cumbria in June 2010, and…
News 15 Jul, 2016
The client (“Mr S”), a dental technician, faced charges including dishonesty in fitness to practise proceedings before the Professional Conduct Committee (“the Committee”) of the General Dental Council (“the GDC”). He was alleged to have acted beyond the permitted scope of practice by having undertaken various tasks in making “copy dentures” for a patient, without a prescription or other appropriate input from a dentist and/or a clinical dental technician. Gabor Bognar, instructed by the Bar Pro Bono Unit, represented Mr S at the misconduct hearing which took place between 31st May and 3rd June 2016. The GDC pursued the proceedings against Mr S notwithstanding that the patient who had triggered the investigation withdrew his complaint. Consequently, the prosecution’s evidence was…
News 7 Jul, 2016
On 9 June 2016, James Counsell represented the Bar Standards Board in disciplinary proceedings brought against employment barrister, Damian McCarthy, for dishonestly forging client care letters when acting for a public access client. The hearing that took place over four days was the second time that a tribunal has disbarred Mr McCarthy for these actions. He was first disbarred in 2011 in earlier proceedings in which James was not involved. That disbarment was overturned by the Court of Appeal in 2015, due to a procedural error made by the BSB during the original disciplinary tribunal. The 2016 independent tribunal found both allegations proved and disbarred Mr McCarthy from practising as a barrister. Click here to read more about the case.
News 24 Jun, 2016
James Counsell acted for the Bar Standards Board in disciplinary proceedings against former Recorder and barrister, Constance Briscoe, arising out of her involvement in the Chris Huhne / Vicky Pryce speedings points investigation, which led to all three being convicted of perverting the course of justice and receiving sentences of imprisonment. A five-person Disciplinary Tribunal of the Council of the Inns of Court, at a hearing on 15 April 2016, heard that Ms Briscoe had made two statements to the police which contained deliberately false information in order to hide the fact that she had been involved in setting up meetings and agreeing a contract between newspapers and her friend Vicky Pryce and to give the impression that she was…
News 25 Apr, 2016
EU law junior Miranda de Savorgnani is interviewed by LexisPSL, on the impact of EU reform negotiations could have on competitiveness and regulation in the UK. Miranda has a strong background in EU law, having been an EU competition law associate at Stibbe law firm in Amsterdam for three years prior to coming to the Bar, where she represented multinationals in EU Commission cartel investigations, merger notifications and litigation before the EU General Court. Since becoming a tenant at OTC, she has worked with Stewarts Law LLP on a competition follow-on damages claim by a consortium of UK retailers against Mastercard and Visa for inflated interchange fees. Miranda is also competition counsel in potential follow on proceedings in relation to…
News 18 Feb, 2016
James Leonard, led by Ian Stern QC (2 Bedford Row), represented Dr Errol Cornish in a landmark corporate manslaughter case, against an anaesthetist and NHS trust. The trial collapsed in the third week of the hearing at Inner London Crown Court. The Jury were instructed by Mr Justice Coulson, to acquit both defendants on Thursday, having ruled the day before that they had no case to answer. It was the first time a health service body had been prosecuted, following the introduction of the offence. There will be no appeal. James Leonard was instructed by Richard Privett and Sam Flew of Radcliffes Le Brasseur.
News 29 Jan, 2016
James Counsell represented the Bar Standards Board (BSB) in disciplinary proceedings brought against a Bahamas based barrister for dishonestly declaring he had a degree from the University of London when he did not. After a two-day hearing on 2 and 3 November 2015, an independent disciplinary tribunal ordered that the barrister, Mr Shavon Bethel, should be disbarred from the Bar of England and Wales. This decision followed the BSB taking enforcement action against Mr Bethel after it had emerged that he had falsely claimed to have been awarded an LLB law degree by the University of London. To back up this claim, Mr Bethel produced fake degree certificates dated March and July 2005. Mr Bethel made the false claim in…
News 27 Nov, 2015
Fiona Horlick appeared for the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) in a recent disciplinary hearing involving allegations brought by IFoA against two scheme actuaries. The facts involved their misconduct in relation to three pension schemes including breaches of the pensions legislation in relation to scheme actuary work, breaches of the TASs and incompetence in relation to their work. Both were expelled from membership.
News 19 Jul, 2015
Outer Temple has been recommended as a Top tier set in Business & Regulatory Crime, by the Legal 500.
News 16 Oct, 2014
Outer Temple is delighted to announce that James Leonard has won the accolade of ‘Professional Discipline Junior of the Year 2014’, at the Chambers Bar Awards. Ben Compton QC was nominated as a ‘Silk of The Year’ and Stephen Climie was shortlisted as a ‘Health & Safety Junior of the Year’ . On Wednesday 1st October, Outer Temple was shortlisted as a candidate for the Legal 500 Awards in the category ‘Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence Set of the Year’, a category it won in 2013.
News 2 Oct, 2014
John successfully acted for EDI Plc resisting an appeal against a decision to strike out and grant summary judgment against a counterclaim for damages in the case of DCAS Business School v EDI Plc [2013] EWHC 3378 (QB). At the relevant time EDI Plc was a private company that acted under a statutory scheme as quasi regulator of providers of national vocational qualifications. DCAS Business school, which purported to offer such qualifications, counterclaimed against EDI in breach of contract and in negligence for the manner in which EDI regulated DCAS’s business. DCAS claimed it had suffered significant financial loss. EDI applied to strike out the counter claim and sought summary judgment. This was granted. DCAS appealed to the High Court.…
News 11 Nov, 2013
We are delighted to announce that last night (3 Oct 2013) at the Chambers & Partners UK Bar Awards, Outer Temple was declared ‘Personal Injury / Clinical Negligence Chambers of the Year’ and that David Morris was awarded ‘Professional Discipline Junior of the Year’. The Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence teams earlier this month won the inaugural Legal 500 UK Award 2013 confirming Outer Temple’s dominance in this area of law. Outer Temple was also a finalist in the category Professional Discipline Set of the Year, a category won in 2012.
News 3 Oct, 2013
