Month: June 2019

28.06.19

Lexis Nexis interview: Law surrounding non-consensual intimate images to be reviewed

Brett Wilson LLP partner Iain Wilson and other lawyers are interviewed about the Law Commission’s upcoming review.   The Ministry of Justice has asked the Law Commission to review laws around the making and sharing of non-consensual intimate images in an effort to ensure that ‘protections keep pace with emerging technology’. The review intends to…

21.06.19

Solicitor struck off for “deliberately and excessively” overcharging clients

Solicitor Keith Smart has been struck off the roll by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (‘SDT’) after a finding that he had ‘deliberately and excessively’ overcharged his clients and failed to follow the regulator’s accounting procedures. The Solicitors Regulatory Authority (‘SRA’) had cause to investigate Mr Smart (who was working as a sole practitioner and COLP…

19.06.19

Supreme Court confirms defamation is no longer actionable per se

In Lachaux v Independent Print Ltd & Anor [2019] UKSC 27 the Supreme Court sought to clarify the meaning of section 1(1) of the Defamation Act 2013.  The Supreme Court was unequivocal in its rejection of the Court of Appeal’s interpretation of section 1(1) and its endorsement of Mr Justice Warby’s analysis of the law…

18.06.19

Defamation claims up by 70% in 2018

Inforrm, the leading independent media law blog, reported last week that judicial statistics for 2018 show a 70% increase in the number of defamation claims issued. 265 defamation claims were issued in London in 2018, compared with 156 in 2017.  This is the second year in a row which has seen a dramatic increase, and the figures…

Man who threw milkshake over Nigel Farage ordered to pay compensation

A man who threw a milkshake over Nigel Farage has received a 12 month Community Order plus 150 hours unpaid work.  He was also ordered to pay Mr Farage £350 in compensation to cover the cost of cleaning of the suit and damage to a lapel microphone. The incident took place during a walkabout on…

Solicitor sanctioned for inadvertently aiding fraudulent football club bid

Richard Quinn of Riley Hayes Solicitors has been fined £5,000 by the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal (‘SDT’) for making reckless misrepresentations in a letter utilised in a fraudulent bid to purchase Hartlepool United Football Club (‘HUFC’). The investigation into Mr Quinn’s conduct followed the conviction of ‘Mr M’, a business man and former director of Swindon…

Solicitor struck off the roll for “effectively stealing” from counsel and experts

A sole practioner and solicitor since 1998 has been struck off the roll by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (‘SDT’) having retained funds owed to experts and counsel, over a number of years. The Solicitors Regulatory Authority (‘SRA’) investigated Martyn Brown after questions were raised following the filing of a Qualified Accountant’s Reports.  An inspection was…

14.06.19

Lexis Nexis interview: Using the GDPR in a privacy claim

Information Law analysis: Iain Wilson, managing partner at Brett Wilson LLP, comments on the utility of the GDPR in privacy cases in light of the recent case brought by the Duke of Sussex, which was settled out of court. How can someone use the GDPR to battle an invasion of privacy? Where private information is…