Viewpoint
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FeaturePutin and Russia must answer for war crimes in Ukraine
Human life has little to no value to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his cronies. The widespread war crimes and crimes against humanity that continue to be perpetrated by Russian forces in Ukraine are a testament to this. Those responsible, including Putin himself, must be held to account, no matter ...
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News
The crime of ecocide - where are we and next steps
In this guest feature, Robert Bray of the European Law Institute (ELI) takes a deeper dive at what has been done so far to add ecocide as an international crime. The proposal to classify ecocide as an international crime is gathering consensus at international and European level. Stop Ecocide International ...
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Human Rights Act reforms and the UK’s relationship with the European Court of Human Rights by Hazel Blake
As the deadline (8 March) for the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on reforms to the Human Rights Act (HRA) draws closer, the Law Society is busy preparing its analysis of the proposals. The breadth and weight of the proposals make it clear that Dominic Raab is serious about his intention ...
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Strengthening Cooperation during Public Health Emergencies by Dr Richard Mackenzie-Gray Scott
Dr Richard Mackenzie-Gray Scott is currently a research fellow at the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, part of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, where he is also a member of its equality, diversity and inclusion committee. In this article, Richard discusses how existing international frameworks ...
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Why the EU’s block on the UK’s accession to the Lugano Convention harms human rights by Daniel Leader
Daniel Leader, Barrister and Partner at Leigh Day, discusses the EU’s position on the UK’s proposed accession to the Lugano Convention, the importance of the convention in holding UK businesses accountable for human rights abuses committed abroad, and the problems with the current applicable jurisdiction rules, in the absence of ...
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Climate change and lawyers by Jonathan Goldsmith
Jonathan Goldsmith, Consultant in European and International Legal Services, Council Member of Law Society of England and Wales, Chair of IBA BIC’s International Trade in Legal Services Committee and Member of UK Delegation to the CCBE provides insight into what climate change means for the legal profession. This article discusses ...
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Supporting the Legal Profession in Afghanistan
Tony Fisher is the Chief Executive Officer and Partnership Member at Fisher Jones Greenwoods Solicitors and former Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Law Society of England and Wales. In this Viewpoint article, Tony provides a succinct overview of the Law Societies of Europe and Bar Associations’ approach ...
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Post-COVID Reforms to Financial Fair Play by Dr. Ryan Gauthier
Like all other areas of society, sport was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following an initial shutdown, professional sporting competitions began to re-open. Professional football was hit particularly hard as matches were eventually held in empty stadiums. With no fans buying tickets, merchandise, or confectionary items, amongst other impacts, ...
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The future of courts by Peter Nicholson
How will the pandemic experience and the rapid development of remote court hearings affect the future conduct of civil litigation? That was the subject of an important day-long conference organised in May by the Judicial Institute for Scotland, with top level presentations from across the Scottish (and the wider) legal ...
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A new ‘special relationship’ or a damage limitation exercise? EU–UK criminal justice cooperation after Brexit by Professor Valsamis Mitsilegas
This article comes from the Editorial written by Professor. Valsamis Mitsilegas for the New Journal of European Criminal Law. It examines the relationship between the EU and UK following the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and how criminal justice may be affected by the new provisions. Prof. Mitsilegas also ...
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Socio-economic diversity in the legal profession - a discussion with HHJ Brandon
HHJ Brandon currently sits as a Circuit Judge on the Northern Circuit based at Liverpool Crown Court and has done so since 1 April 2019. HHJ Brandon began her schooling at a comprehensive school in the North of England before studying Government and Law at the University of Manchester. After ...
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Governing law, enforcement of judgments and jurisdiction post Brexit – where are we now? by Anna Pertoldi
Anna Pertoldi, Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills and Member of the Private International Law Working Group provides a summary of the recent Law Society webinar (attended by over 200 people) on the enforcement of judgments and jurisdiction post-Brexit.
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‘Brexit Transition and the Rule of Law: An Uncertain New World?’ by Dr Oliver Garner
On Monday 9 November, the UK House of Lords voted to remove certain provisions of the UK Internal Market Bill. These clauses would permit government Ministers to legislate in breach of the Withdrawal Agreement. A former Lord Chief Justice and a former Lord Chancellor condemned the ‘emergency clauses’ as a ...
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Amanda Millar, President of the Law Society of Scotland, talks about her Presidency priorities
I took office on 1 June 2020 and I believe it is fair to say that so far, my presidency has been like no other in the Society’s 70-year history. Whereas there would previously have been a modest physical hand-over ceremony between predecessor and successor during the May meeting of ...
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Black Lives Matter and the legal profession by I. Stephanie Boyce
Deputy Vice President of the Law Society of England and Wales I. Stephanie Boyce shares her insights on diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and the Law Society’s activities to promote them.
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COVID-19, Brexit and the Resilience of the English & Welsh Courts - Elizabeth Williams, Stuart Doxford & Tom Bowen
The English Welsh courts have long been a key global venue for complex cross border litigation. The reasons for their popularity are many and varied, but one part of the equation was (and currently, by virtue of the Brexit transitional period, remains) the private international law framework embodied ...
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Will the UK rely more on private international law in the future? by Michael Clancy
Private International Law is a branch of law which is about to become more interesting for UK and EU lawyers in the post Brexit legal landscape. The deconstruction of the supranational legal order, to which the UK has belonged, and the reconstruction of the national legal order to include those ...
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Canada, the most European Country oustide of Europe! - By Sam Ayoub
Canada and the EU have a long history of economic co-operation. Comprising 28 Member States with a total population of over 500 million and a GDP of €13.0 trillion in 2012, the European Union (EU) is the world’s second-largest single market, foreign investor and trader. As an integrated bloc, the ...
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Back to the Future with the UK – EU future agreement
After three and a half years of negotiations on the Withdrawal Agreement and two extensions of the Article 50 process, the UK’s membership of the EU is now at an end.
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Michael O’Flaherty, director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, discusses the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union on its 10th anniversary
Michael O’Flaherty, director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, discusses the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union on its 10 th anniversary and offers insight into how the Charter’s full potential at national member state level can be realised
