The Sunday Law Review: 7th to 13th December

Welcome to this weekly column dedicated  to looking at what happened in the business of law, legislative changes, activity in law firms and lawyers in the news within UK as reported by legal publications throughout the previous week.

As this is the final review of the year, Christmas and New Year's greetings too all our readers. May the new year bring you peace, justice and prosperity.

While Britain still awaits the publication of the Chilcot report on Iraq, the biggest ripples were caused across the pond this week. The publication of the Senate’s intelligence committee's report into CIA use of torture since 9/11, confirmed that 20 “enhanced” interrogation methods were authorised by the White House during the Bush presidency. Less well known is that 54 other countries, including British territories, were induced to collaborate. References to Britain’s intelligence agencies were deleted at their request and Prime Minister David Cameron has said that British agents had been given new guidance on how to behave. The Senate report on rendition contrasts with renitent UK, whose judge-led inquiry was shut down by the very same Prime Minister. The Foreign Office has released a list that reveals senior ministers and diplomats met members of the Senate intelligence committee at least 24 times from 2009 while the report was being compiled.  

Same-sex couples who have civil partnerships have finally been granted the ability to convert them into marriages, if they so desire. While same sex couples can now enter into either civil partnerships or marriages, heterosexual couples are as yet not allowed to register a partnership. 

Barrister Dean Dunham has been appointed an ombudsman as a retail watchdog set up to resolve disputes between shops and customers. This is a voluntary service for retailers and can be used by consumers after they have made a complaint to the company and the issue remain unresolved. Shoppers who could not afford a lawyer could now use the watchdog instead. 

And finally, before we jump into the meaty substance of what happened in the business of law this week, a wine review in the legal magazine Counsel, aimed at barristers, had offered drinks suggestions for "Christmas in tough times". Lawyers living in "times of austerity" are being advised to buy their festive bubbly at at budget supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl.

Requests for inclusion within the 'Lawyers, Law Firms, Chambers & ABS in the news this week' section below by law firms and legal professionals should be emailed to features@sundaylawreview.com.



The most interesting articles on developments, compliance, business of law within UK or as well as international developments of interest to UK law firms and legal practitioners: 
 

Interviews, features on lawyers and obituaries: 



 Interesting articles involving the study of law and legal cases, legal training, pupillage, associates, legal academia, publications on law and law students: 


  • New Bar leader: young barristers should take place of paid McKenzie Friends | Legal Futures http://t.co/N2loqbC0ys
  • Cardiff Law students bag first win for university pro bono projects as murder conviction is overturned: http://t.co/pIqyDgzLKu
  • 17 City firms offering hungry vac schemers and law student liggers the best and worst of nosh: http://t.co/zGaxfqwzbm

Recommended Articles of this week:

The UK and international articles of the week are pieces selected by @TheLawMap tweeting team based on recommendations from friends and followers of LawNewsIndex.com daily law news blog.


Lawyers, Law Firms, Chambers & ABS in the news this week: 
 
Friday 12th December
Thursday 11th December
Wednesday 10th December
Tuesday 9th December
Monday 8th December

 

We would like to thank all the publications cited in this week's column. Please notify via @TheLawMap Twitter handle of any errors or omissions.

 

TheLawMap Publications at a glance: 
LawNewsIndex.com - Daily Law News Archive
SundayLawReview.com - Weekly Law Business News Blog
Saturday Law Interview - Weekly interview with a legal mind on Law, Life & Society
Wig - Daily Newspaper Focusing on Law & Society
MetaLawIndex - Informal 'unrelated to Law' Blog chronicling thoughts behind the scene at LawNewsIndex & Twitter

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The Sunday Law Review: 30th November to 6th December

Welcome to this weekly column dedicated  to looking at what happened in the business of law, legislative changes, activity in law firms and lawyers in the news within UK as reported by online legal publications throughout the previous week. 

The former Attorney General Dominic Grieve MP appears to be a lonely voice in the Conservative party advocating Britain to remain within the ECHR, citing that opting out of the European court of human rights will have devastating consequences for the UK.

Last week there was a very interesting blog by Professor Richard Moorhead, Director of the Centre for Ethics at UCL discussing the effect of litigants-in-person on the length of hearing times. While the timing was not in question in a hearing before Lord Justice Lewison this week, the litigant-in-person in question, the orthopaedic surgeon Amgad Nakhla was praised by the learned judge for “mastery of the papers” and “formidable cross-examination.”

The diversification of the English language since the advent of mobile phones came into focus this week as the prosecuting Barrister Mark Paltenghi  had to translate the text message exchanges of four youths are accused of driving around their neighbourhood in Dagenham, firing at people's houses with an air rifle. So the question remains, do you understand text-speak? 

The end of the week saw Mr Justice Collins quashing the ban on prison books imposed by the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, who was ordered to amend his policy on what can be sent to prisoners. This ban has been overturned thanks largely to the campaign by the chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, Frances Cook. Many authors including the likes of JK Rowling, Ian McEwan and Philip Pullman cheered the high court judgement. 

Requests for inclusion within the 'Lawyers, Law Firms, Chambers & ABS in the news this week' section below by law firms and legal professionals should be emailed to features@sundaylawreview.com.



The most interesting articles on developments, compliance, business of law within UK or as well as international developments of interest to UK law firms and legal practitioners: 
 

Interviews, features on lawyers and obituaries: 


  • The in-house interview: Hyperion GC Will Bloomer - A Profile | The Lawyer http://t.co/qk3Ea3wQwy
  • My legal life: Roger Burlingame, Partner, Kobre & Kim (London) - a profile | Law Gazette http://t.co/PwoELoCijj 
  • Interview: Simon Cliff - Manchester City Football Club’s first general counsel - a profile | Law Gazette http://t.co/b0kpOwYotV
  • TheLawMap interview featuring Barrister Martin Cole, coach and mentor to lawyers discussing stress for legal professionals | SaturdayLawInterview.com

Interesting articles involving the study of law and legal cases, legal training, pupillage, associates, legal academia, publications on law and law students: 



Recommended Articles of this week:

The UK and international articles of the week are pieces selected by @TheLawMap tweeting team based on recommendations from friends and followers of LawNewsIndex.com daily law news blog.


Lawyers, Law Firms, Chambers & ABS in the news this week: 
 
Friday 5th December
Thursday 4th December
Wednesday 3rd December
Tuesday 2nd December
Monday 1st December

 

We would like to thank all the publications cited in this week's column. Please notify via @TheLawMap Twitter handle of any errors or omissions.

 

TheLawMap Publications at a glance: 
LawNewsIndex.com - Daily Law News Archive
SundayLawReview.com - Weekly Law Business News Blog
Saturday Law Interview - Weekly interview with a legal mind on Law, Life & Society
Wig - Daily Newspaper Focusing on Law & Society
MetaLawIndex - Informal 'unrelated to Law' Blog chronicling thoughts behind the scene at LawNewsIndex & Twitter

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