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…
A planning dispute going back almost 60 years, over a rutted country lane deep in Somerset, has finally been resolved. After a battle, believed to be one of the longest in British legal history, the lane outside a cottage once occupied by siblings Archie and Ivy Peppard will be removed as a right of way…
New Balance has won a record payout in a Chinese trademark case after three local shoemakers were found to have infringed the brand’s “N” logo. A Chinese court awarded the US sportswear firm more than 10 million yuan (£1.2m). It is believed to be the highest award to a foreign company in a trademark dispute…
Peter Smythe, a 74 year old pensioner, appeared in court accused of leaving his neighbour Nigel Clark with a fractured nose and eye socket after hitting him with a leaf blower outside their homes during a dispute over a boundary ditch. Clark told the court he and his wife, Hervor, were hoping to buy Peter…
New figures released by the Ministry of Justice show that in April to June 2017 mortgage possession proceedings increased by 17% on the same period in 2016 to 5,186. This is still considerably short of the peak during the financial crisis from April to June 2009, when claims reached 26,419 over the three-month period. Since the…