'A Pound of Topside Beef and Some Conveyancing Advice, Please'
UK - Seeking legal advice may be as easy and convenient as buying a pound of minced beef from a supermarket once reforms, that will allow lawyers to work from anywhere including supermarkets, are implemented later in September. Presently, the rules state that all lawyers must work from a registered firm or be employed inhouse for a large company. These rules will change once the proposed reforms are approved by the Law Society's governing council in March. (Source: straitstimes.asia1.com.sg.)
Indemnity Principle Abandoned
UK - Master of the Rolls, Lord Phillips, and the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine,
are ditching the indemnity principle, leading to fears of spiralling costs of
losing court actions. The principle states that the loser has to pay the winning
client's lawyers a pre-set rate costs that have been agreed by the winning
client before the trial. The principle was hence abolished as it conflicts with
conditional fee arrangements, which is on a 'no win, no fee' basis. (Source:
www.TheLawyer.com.)
Radical Marriage Reforms
UK - Fancy getting married in the London Dungeon or London Zoo? All possible
once marriage reforms are implemented. To encourage Britons to get married,
instead of co-habiting, the new rules will allow weddings to take place at any
time and any place which provides safe public access, and also allow local
council officers as well as church officials to perform marriages. Despite this,
the Church of England believes that 'many people will still want a traditional
church wedding'. (Source: straitstimes.asia1.com.sg.)
Get In on the Action
US, Washington - A class-action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of all those
killed in the September 11 terrorist attack on World Trade Center. The driving
force behind such a class-action is to strip Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda
organisation of the financial means to carry out further attacks. Hence, the
plaintiffs are seeking an award of US$1bn in compensatory damages and US$100bn
in punitive damages. (Source: www.cnn.com.)
Damages for Disruption in Train Schedule
Moscow - The country's railways have had to pay US$400 in damages to a Russian
family after an unprecedented ruling by a court in Perm of the Urals. The
damages were awarded for cancelled services and long waits caused during the
visit by North Korean leader, Kim Jong Il in July and August last year. (Source:
straitstimes.asia1.com.sg.)
A Struggle to Be Heard
Indonesia - A new oil and gas bill, to be passed into law next month, has faced
considerable opposition by the Consultative Forum of Oil Producing Regencies.
Legislator Julius Bobo, of the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle faction,
said the Forum's demands, for a role in formulating the national oil and gas
policy and in supervising the implementation of the policy, would not be
accepted as 'the country will be in disorder' if all regency administrations
acted that way. (Source: www.indonesian-observer.com.)