Legal News

BHP bid for Rio is under attack from Europe and Japan

Posted on November 04, 2008
BHP Billiton?s $78 billion ($£48.7 billion) hostile bid for Rio Tinto came under fire yesterday from competition regulators in Europe and Japan amid concern that the deal would result in higher iron ore, steel and copper prices.

DNA hunt could identify killer who struck in 1946

Posted on November 04, 2008
Detectives are using DNA material stored for six decades to try to trace the relatives of a man who raped and murdered a schoolgirl in 1946.

Virgin and Sky make peace over channel deal

Posted on November 04, 2008
BSkyB's news and entertainment channels will return to Virgin Media later this month after the two companies patched up their 18-month-old quarrel over fees.

Simon Morris: 'the FSA is a very effective regulator'

Posted on November 03, 2008
Recent events have shown the limitations of regulation. The FSA?s prohibition of short selling of financial stocks didn?t work. The banks? share prices continued to fall.

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Conservatives warn against 'politically correct' prosecutions

Posted on November 03, 2008
Bar Conference 2008: Too many solicitors are no good in court, say barristers | Lord Bingham: 'no reason' to exclude Sharia | Law could become the preserve of privileged few once more | How healthy is the Bar? Times Law Panel give their views | Is the Bar becoming a two-tier profession?

Lord Bingham: 'no reason' to exclude Sharia

Posted on November 03, 2008
Bar Conference 2008: Too many solicitors are no good in court, say barristers | Conservatives warn against 'politically correct' prosecutions | Law could become the preserve of privileged few once more | How healthy is the Bar? Times Law Panel give their views | Is the Bar becoming a two-tier profession?

In court today: Paulo Jorge Nogueira da Silva, Angela Gordon and Junaid Abuhamza

Posted on November 03, 2008
Chester Crown Court

Times writer Camilla Cavendish grabs Paul Foot award for journalism

Posted on November 03, 2008
Camilla Cavendish, The Times? columnist, has won the Paul Foot award for journalism for her work calling for greater openness in family courts to prevent miscarriages of justice.

Law firms braced for poor results and job cuts

Posted on November 02, 2008
Britain?s leading law firms are bracing themselves for the release of gloomy half-year results this week with early signs showing that the recent boom in commercial legal services has ended abruptly. Only two leading firms, Lovells and CMS Cameron McKenna, are projecting double-digit revenue growth for the six months to October 31, in contrast to the last full-year results released in July, when many City firms reported increases of between 10 and 30 per cent.

Tribunal service reform to create 2,700 new judges

Posted on November 02, 2008
The number of judges in England and Wales is likely to increase dramatically under a radical shake-up of the tribunals service that takes effect from today.

Too many solicitors are no good in court, say barristers

Posted on November 02, 2008
A furious row has erupted with barristers blaming solicitors for what they say are appalling standards of advocacy in criminal trials.

Jack Straw makes clear Sharia principles subject to English law

Posted on October 31, 2008
Jack Straw last night made clear that Sharia principles will always be subject to English law.

Lazard Capital Markets pays $3m to settle probe into client inducements$

Posted on October 31, 2008
Lazard Capital Markets, a privately-owned broker spun off from Lazard, the investment bank, and four former employees have agreed to pay more than $3 million ($£1.9 million) to settle civil charges after it was accused of paying improper inducements to attract business from a fund manager.

How healthy is the Bar?

Posted on October 31, 2008
Is the Bar becoming a two-tier profession? | This year's conference highlights | A word from Tim Dutton, QC, the chairman

Law could become the preserve of privileged few once more, says Bar

Posted on October 31, 2008
Cuts in funding for the courts or legal aid fees risk damaging the diversity of the legal profession, the courts and the judiciary, according to the Bar chairman.

Sir Ken Macdonald: the QC who came to the prosecutors? defence

Posted on October 30, 2008
He has been an outspoken and robust holder of the post. So Sir Ken Macdonald, QC, was unlikely to end with a whimper. True to form, his final speech just days ago was a forceful attack on ministers? plans for a new super database and the dangers of expanding state surveillance and growth of the security State.

Lawyer of the Week: Jonathan Crow

Posted on October 30, 2008
Jonathan Crow, QC, of 4 Stone Buildings, acted for the Government in its successful appeal against a previous court decision that the former residents of the Chagos Islands could return there after 35 years in exile. The House of Lords ruled that the Foreign Secretary was entitled to take into account ?the possibility the Chagossians would call on the UK to support the economic, social and educational advancement of the residents?.

How small law firms can survive the storm

Posted on October 30, 2008
The public may believe that lawyers thrive in bad as well as good times. But it is becoming clear that some smaller firms will not survive the turmoil of the downturn.

In the City: when is it wise to take a stand?

Posted on October 30, 2008
Knocked down or out?

A John McCain victory would set back constitutional law for a generation

Posted on October 30, 2008
There are many reasons to hope that Barack Obama will be elected on Tuesday as the next president of the United States. Some of those reasons concern legal issues. He supports the recognition of the legal right of terrorist suspects to receive a fair hearing of the charges against them and he would abandon torture as a method for trying to protect the nation?s security.

Is the Bar becoming a two-tier profession?

Posted on October 30, 2008
Barristers meet this Saturday for their annual conference facing an uncertain future. Or do they? With the courts? cash crisis and squeeze on public funds, criminal and family barristers have never felt as vulnerable. Meanwhile, their ?fatter? commercial colleagues thrive...

MSP with Parkinson?s tries to legalise assisted suicide

Posted on October 30, 2008
An attempt to legalise assisted suicide was made at the Scottish Parliament last night.

Tuckers Solicitors receives £9m for one year's legal aid work

Posted on October 30, 2008
A solicitors? firm reaped gross earnings of nearly £9 million from defending cases on criminal legal aid in one year, according to new figuers released today.

Tajik president accused in £90m aluminium fraud case

Posted on October 30, 2008
The President of Tajikistan was today accused of involvement in a multimillion-pound aluminium fraud that has led to one of the most expensive lawsuits in British history.

Eversheds partners face six-month wait for share of profits

Posted on October 30, 2008
Top partners at Eversheds, the UK?s eighth biggest law firm by turnover, have been told that they will not receive their regular share of the firm?s profits for the next six months.

Roman Arkadievich Abramovich: the judgment in full

Posted on October 30, 2008
Neutral Citation Number: [2008] EWHC 2613 (Comm)

Iceland hires Lovells as legal showdown looms

Posted on October 30, 2008
A legal showdown between the Icelandic Government and HM Treasury looked likely today as it emerged that senior officials in Reykjavik have hired one of London?s top law firms.

Senior OFT lawyer to join Clifford Chance

Posted on October 30, 2008
Clifford Chance, the world's largest law firm by revenue, has strengthened its competition litigation practice with the hire of a senior lawyer from the Office of Fair Trading.

MS sufferer Debbie Purdy loses legal battle on assisted suicide

Posted on October 29, 2008
A woman suffering from multiple sclerosis today lost her landmark legal bid to clarify the law on assisted suicide.

Bar Conference 2008: what's on

Posted on October 29, 2008
Lord Bingham of Cornhill is the guest speaker at this year's Bar Conference which takes place on Saturday November 1 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

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