News & Events
News & Events
After a 3 year battle, the HSE finally offered no evidence against Balticare Ltd, the sister company of Balticare Aircoil Ltd (a manufacturer of cooling towers in the USA), at Shrewsbury Crown Court. The HSE, had been alleging design faults on the FXV and CXV Evaporative Condensers installed in the UK from the late 1990’s and despite the fact that there had never been any outbreak of legionella and against a background of substantial co-operation by Balticare, decided to charge the company with breaching Section 6(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The case was vigorously contested and included an abuse of process application; however shortly before the listed hearing the HSE abandoned their position accepting that…
News 1 Oct, 2013
Richard Lissack QC and Nicholas Hill successfully defend an international property management company (with over 1,100 sites in the UK) against a prosecution brought by the London Borough of Havering. The case, listed across two weeks at Snaresbrook Crown Court, concluded after two days following cross-examination of the Prosecution’s expert Consultant Engineer, the Prosecution accepting that they no longer had a realistic prospect of securing a conviction. The case was based on an alleged breach of s4 of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 following serious injury to a 12 year old boy resulting from his deliberate misuse of a flying escalator installation. The Defence case was founded on three principal arguments: (i) that the prosecution was…
News 10 Sep, 2013
Three members of the Outer Temple Health & Safety team are currently engaged in the three month inquest arising out of the July 2009 tower block fire at Lakanal House, Camberwell, South London, in which six residents tragically died. Ben Compton QC and James Leonard, leading Robert Dickason, represent two of the construction companies involved.
News 13 Feb, 2013
Ben Compton QC secures acquittal for Anna Ryder Richardson on a section 37 Health & Safety at work charge when a falling tree, at her wildlife park in Pembrokeshire, fell and severely injured a little boy and his mother.
News 14 Nov, 2012
Outer Temple Chambers has been recommended as a Top Tier Set in Health & Safety. The chambers also received 8 recommendations in the following practice areas: banking and finance, clinical negligence and healthcare, crime, employment, fraud: crime, pensions, personal injury and professional discipline and regulatory law. 14 QCs are listed in the “Leading silks” list, The Legal 500 United Kingdom 2012’s guide to outstanding silks nationwide.
News 19 Sep, 2012
Ben Compton QC and Will Young have recently agreed to act pro bono for Friends of the Earth, the Soil Association and Pig Business in opposing a planning application for a US style mega pig farm in South Derbyshire to be built within 150 yards to HM prison Foston Hall, and a residential housing estate in South Derbyshire. The case has attracted considerable media attention due to the size of the farm (some 25,000 pigs) and the serious health concerns raised by those living and working in the nearby community. Further information can be found at: The Guardian (10 Feb) Town kicks up a stink over ‘Titan’ pig farm: The Independent (11 Feb, p.26) Human rights claim against Foston pig farm: MeatInfo.co.uk (13 Feb)
News 14 Feb, 2012
