News & Events
News & Events
The UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry has now officially opened, headed by Baroness Heather Hallett who has appointed 50 junior Counsel to the legal team including OTC’s Paul Livingston and Joshua Cainer. Baroness Hallett launched the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on 21st July 2022 and opened its first investigation into the preparedness of the UK for a pandemic. Baroness Hallett also set out the timetable for the first 12 months of the Inquiry saying, “It’s time for facts, not opinions – and I will be resolute in my quest for the truth. The Inquiry is already gathering evidence and I will be holding public hearings next year.” The next 12 months sees Module 1 looking into the UK’s preparedness for a pandemic.…
Covid-19, News, Inquests & Inquiries during Covid-19, Public Law 29 Jul, 2022
Paul Livingston is Junior Counsel to the Brook House public inquiry, set up to investigate mistreatment of individuals detained at Brook House IRC in 2017, as shown on BBC Panorama’s “Under-Cover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets”. Hearings began earlier today with an opening statement from Brian Altman QC, Leading Counsel to the Inquiry.. Chaired by Kate Eves, The Brook House Inquiry is a public inquiry set up to investigate the decisions, actions and circumstances surrounding the mistreatment of individuals who were detained at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) shown in the BBC Panorama programme “Under-Cover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets”, aired on 4 September 2017. The Inquiry will consider allegations of mistreatment at Brook House relating to the period from April 2017 to…
News, Public Law 23 Nov, 2021
A recent Employment Tribunal judgment found that two Uber drivers should be regarded as ‘workers’ under the relevant legislation and therefore were entitled to rights such as holiday pay and the minimum wage. Paul Livingston looks at the importance of this decision. This judgment, which included quotes from Shakespeare and Milton, is seen by many as an important step forward for the protection of those individuals working in the ‘gig economy’. Uber unsuccessfully tried to argue that it was merely a technology platform and that the drivers were therefore self-employed, something which the Tribunal regarded as “faintly ridiculous” and “a pure fiction”. However, contrary to various sources, the Tribunal did not find that the drivers were ‘employees’, but instead placed…
News, Employment 1 Nov, 2016
