High Court judge Mr Justice Fraser has warned of ‘draconian’ costs penalties should two parties in litigation continue to refuse to cooperate. He said both sides in Bates & Ors v Post Office Ltd had rebuffed efforts to manage the case in a cost-effective and efficient way. The case involves sub-post masters pursuing action against…
Monarch Airlines has lost its High Court battle against Airport Co-ordination Limited’s (“ACL”) decision not to allocate certain take-off and landing slots to Monarch for next summer. Monarch wanted to exchange with other carriers to raise cash for creditors. The slots cover Manchester, Gatwick, Birmingham, Luton and Leeds-Bradford airports. The airline ceased trading last month…
A proposal to make 13 the age of consent for signing up to online services such as social media platforms has come under fire in parliament. The House of Lords was holding its first debate on the Data Protection Bill, to ensure that the UK’s data protection regime aligns with that of the EU following…
Detailed plans for the flexible operating hours scheme have been published, as the Government continues with plans to change how courts work. The pilot scheme, which will be held in 11 courtrooms in England and Wales, is intended to create a system where people work different, but not extended, hours. HM Courts and Tribunals Service…
A multi-purpose high technology court complex will replace all of the City of London’s courts apart from the Old Bailey under plans announced by HM Courts and Tribunals Service. The aim is to preserve London’s position as an international dispute resolution centre. The court will specialise in fraud, economic and cyber-crime and will also take on…
The problem of businesses falling victim to rogue debt collection agencies seems to be a continuing problem over the past twenty years with scores of companies being “taken for a ride”. The media recently ran stories highlighting the problem of UK’s rogue Debt Collection firms that purport to be professional yet charge their clients for…
The Intellectual Property (Unjustified Threats) Act 2017 came into force last week. It could help intellectual property owners assert rights more freely. The act curtails a legal remedy available to a party threatened with IP infringement. From now on parties cannot be held liable for making an ‘unjustified threat’ merely by asserting their ownership. The act…
The Lord Chief Justice has told MPs that further court closures are almost certain as the justice system moves towards a digitised future. Lord Thomas said the closures are politically controversial but may be necessary to best deploy resources. The Government has almost finished its programme of 86 closures of courts and tribunals throughout England…
According to a survey being conducted by former magistrate Penelope Gibbs, director of charity Transform Justice, nearly three-quarters of respondents say video-link hearings in England and Wales have had a negative impact on participation for defendants who do not speak English well or at all, and for unrepresented defendants. Sir James Munby, president of the…
US aircraft manufacturer Boeing has won a victory in a 13 year-long dispute with European rival Airbus. The World Trade Organization has reversed, on appeal, a ruling that Boeing received some state aid to help build its newest aircraft, the 777X. However, Airbus said, “the ‘game’ is far from over” as other complaints over alleged…