From 7 August 2017 new court proceedings came into force meaning anyone entering court, including solicitors and barristers, are now being asked to sip the drinks they are carrying to prove they are not filled with harmful substances or alcohol. The rules will apply to all ‘customers’ who enter the building with an unsealed ‘drink…
The Government has confirmed details for a new pilot scheme to extend court opening times across England and Wales. Six courts have been selected for the trial, including Manchester, adding either an early or a late slot. The early session running from 8am to 10.45am and the later one from 4.30pm to 7pm. The trial…
A couple locked in a bitter dispute with their neighbours over a small wall came home to find a huge green lorry trailer parked right outside their home. Sophia and Gwyn Hughes said the huge container blocks out sunlight and obscures the view when they look out of their window. The trailer was positioned at…
A Los Angeles Superior Court jury ruled that Michael Jackson’s estate owes producer Quincy Jones $9.4 million in royalties and production fees from Billie Jean, Thriller and more of the star’s biggest hits. The award was short of the $30 million the producer sought in the lawsuit filed nearly four years ago, but well above the approximately…
Lego have threatened to sue a removals firm over the figures painted on the side of their vans. It claims Kwik Stix are infringing their copyright with the design and have ordered it to be removed within 28 days. Lego is demanding Kwik Stix removes anything on the internet that displays the logo, and which…
Former three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker has been declared bankrupt by the Bankruptcy and Companies Court. The bankruptcy application was made by Arbuthnot Latham, firm of private bankers. Becker’s lawyers asked for a final chance to pay with the funds from re-mortgaging a property in Majorca, however, the court registrar said there was not enough…
Organisations increasingly face investigation for corporate manslaughter and the number of convictions is expected to dramatically increase in the coming years. The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act (CMCHA) 2007 made it easier to secure convictions against organisations for their liability for workplace deaths. An organisation can be convicted of someone’s manslaughter if its mismanagement…
A new Pre-Action Protocol “PAP” for debt recovery claims will come into force on 1st October 2017. The protocol applies to any business, including sole traders claiming payment of a debt from an individual, including a sole trader. The PAP does not apply to business debts, unless the debtor is a sole trader. An individual…
Darryl White, the son of late singer Barry White, is suing his father’s estate and widow Glodean White to get a bigger share of the estate. Mr White Jnr alleges that he was never shown his father’s will and is now “almost broke and homeless” after payments made to him from the estate dried up.…
This took place in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA… A lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against, among other things, loss due to fire. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars, the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company. In his claim, the…