Month: October 2017

31.10.17

#MeToo, naming and shaming: a risky business?

“#MeToo”: Five letters that have been tweeted millions of times in the past month, and demonstrate the enormous power of social media and how it can bring about change for the good.  The feeling of solidarity is a cathartic experience for many who have been the victim of sexual abuse, harassment or other forms of…

26.10.17

Incompetent prosecutors cost us far more than money

Friday 20 October saw a pretty brutal broadside by the Times newspaper against the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Referring to CPS insiders’ claims largely from 2-3 years ago, The Times laid the following charges: (1) That the CPS entrusted certain ‘senior’ level Prosecutors with very serious criminal trials despite it being clear those Prosecutors were…

20.10.17

Solicitors Regulation Authority revisits Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal costs order

In 2010 Richard Brickley was suspended from pratice by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (‘SDT’) for three months following breaches of the Solicitors Accounts Rules.  Mr Brickley was also ordered to pay the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s costs for their investigation and subsequent application to the Tribunal, amounting to just over £24,000. Enforcement of the costs order…

19.10.17

Harassment and privacy claims arising from dating apps

If one recent survey is to be believed, nearly a quarter of Britons use dating apps.  A dating app is a smart phone application which typically allows the user to search or “swipe” through other singles – often presented like a never-ending deck of cards. If the user swipes right, this indicates that they ‘like’ the person….

Uber v TfL: Could Uber seek judicial review on the grounds of political interference

Brett Wilson LLP solicitor Thomas Burton Wills asks whether TfL’s decision not to renew Uber’s private hire vehicle operator licence can be challenged on the grounds of political interference with supposedly independent decision-makers. The decision of TfL not to renew Uber’s operator licence for private vehicle hire in London is undoubtedly a momentous one, which many will…

12.10.17

Fines for data breaches and the General Data Protection Regulation

Much has been made of the imposition of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), to be integrated into UK law via the Data Protection Bill (“DPB”), in anticipation of its coming into force on 25 May 2018. The rationale behind the GDPR is to provide a legal framework that acknowledges the sensitivity of personal data…

Conviction quashed of a ‘flasher’ who was identified via Facebook gossip

A man convicted of indecent exposure has had his conviction quashed following a successful appeal to the Crown Court to have evidence of his identification via social media excluded.  The 22 year old butcher’s assistant had been accused of indecently exposing himself and chasing after the two female victims as they walked home from a…

Brett Wilson LLP and its lawyers recommended in Legal 500 directory

Brett Wilson LLP has been ranked in the 2017 edition of the Legal 500 as a leading firm in the fields of Reputation Management, White Collar Crime/Fraud and General Crime.  The latest edition was published on 11 October 2017 and marks the sixth consecutive year that Brett Wilson LLP has featured in the directory. Partner…

SRA investigation: Leigh Day’s Firing Squad draws a blank

Over two months after the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal cleared Leigh Day’s Martin Day, Sapna Malik and Anna Crowther of all 21 disciplinary offences, their 214 page judgment has finally been published.  In essence, these three solicitors stood accused of pursuing their ‘al-Sweady’ claims on the basis that their Iraqi clients were innocent civilians whilst at the…