Fire Bridges Union wins permission to challenge govt’s pension reforms via judicial review July 5, 2022 Public sector workers’ unions have been given permission to challenge a UK government’s pensions policy through a judicial review. A coalition of unions, led by the UK’s Fire Brigades Union (FBU), will be allowed to challenge the government’s decision to force members to pay for changes to public sector pensions schemes, instead of footing the [...]
Forklift maker Manitou infringed JCB’s patent, UK High Court rules July 5, 2022 French forklift manufacturer Manitou infringed JCB’s intellectual property rights through its use of patented stability control systems in its “telehandler” machines, a UK High Court has said. The British heavy vehicle manufacturer is now seeking costs and damages from Manitou, after the court said the French firm infringed JCB’s patent by using patented safety control [...]
Nigeria blocked from appealing High Court’s £1.4bn JP Morgan ruling July 5, 2022 A High Court has blocked the Federal Republic of Nigeria from appealing the court’s decision last month to dismiss its $1.7bn (£1.4bn) claim against JP Morgan, over claims the bank acted negligently by paying $875m into a bank account linked to a convicted money launderer. The High Court said Nigeria had “no real prospect” of [...]
Bird & Bird hands staff £1,000 each to deal with UK’s cost-of-living crunch July 5, 2022 London law firm Bird & Bird is set to pay £1,000 bonuses to more than 300 of its staff to help them deal with the cost-of-living crisis. The law firm said it will give £1,000 “cost of living allowance” payments to all employees who earn less £50,000 per annum this month, to help them manage [...]
MoJ denies telling court staff to hand over names of striking barristers July 4, 2022 The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has denied telling court staff to name striking barristers, after the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) threatened legal action over claims that any such instruction would breach UK data protection laws. An MoJ spokesperson said any claims the Justice Secretary or the MoJ told court staff to report the names of barristers who fail [...]
Covid loan fraudsters should turn themselves in to avoid harsher penalties, lawyers say July 4, 2022 Individuals who defrauded the government’s Covid support schemes should consider turning themselves in to avoid even harsher penalties, amid a far-reaching crackdown on those responsible for making fraudulent claims, lawyers have said. The comments come after figures from the UK’s Insolvency Service showed the executive agency has struck off a total of 179 company directors, [...]
UK Foreign Office to pay £423,000 to settle whistleblower’s employment claim July 4, 2022 The UK government has agreed to pay £423,000 to settle an employment lawsuit brought forward by one of its former prosecutors, over claims she was pushed out of her job at the Foreign Office, after she sought to blow the whistle on corruption involving suspected Kosovo criminals and officials from the EU. International prosecutor Mariah [...]
Wirecard’s finance chief admits forging documents after facing pressure from KPMG July 4, 2022 Wirecard’s former head of accounting has admitted forging documents, after coming under pressure to provide evidence of transactions during a special audit by KPMG. Wirecard’s ex-chief financial officer, Stephan von Erffa, told prosecutors he falsified the documents, after coming under pressure from the auditor to provide evidence of a €50m payment, according to sources speaking [...]
Angry Criminal Bar chairman warns crime victims ‘won’t see their day in court’ as govt refuses to negotiate with striking barristers July 4, 2022 The Chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, Jo Sidhu QC, has warned that “those victims of crime and defendants who want to prove their innocence won’t see their day inside court”, as he said the Government “refuses” to sit down and negotiate with striking barristers. Strike action over pay and conditions within the criminal legal [...]
Payday: City law firm hikes starting salary for junior lawyers to £120k July 2, 2022 Square Mile law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has boosted its starting salary for junior lawyers to £120,000, as the City pay battle wages on. The firm has hiked pay for junior lawyers by 24 per cent, in a bid to compete with other law firms also increasing staff pay. The increase comes as Bank of [...]