i-law.com - Newsletter (Liability Risk and Insurance)

Max Re opens in Dublin

Max Insurance Europe Limited, a subsidiary of Max Re Capital, has received authorization to conduct non-life insurance business in Ireland from the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority (IFRSA). The insurer said that it intends to write..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Lack of liability insurers in Ireland

There are only two insurers in Ireland that are taking on new general liability business. This is according to evidence to the Oireachtas committee on Enterprise & Small Business given by the Professional Insurance Brokers’ Association...

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Deutsche Bank sues insurers over 9/11

Deutsche Bank has filed a lawsuit against insurers Allianz and AXA to force them to pay a claim relating to the collapse of the World Trade Center’s twin towers. The bank’s office building was damaged, and the bank says that the building..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Insurance agreements and fiduciary duty

The court found that the relationship between an underwriter and Names at Lloyd’s, or any similar relationship based on market agreements, was capable of binding the underwriter to behave with a fiduciary duty. The case involved a claim for..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

United sues AIG over BI loss

US air carrier United Airlines, the US airline, is suing a unit of AIG’ for $25mn to cover business interruption claims connected to the September 11 terrorist attacks. The airline says it is entitled to claim up to $25mn on a terrorism and..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Take the stress test

Lawyers and liability underwriters should take note of a 10 Step Stress Test, produced by accountants PKF. Not only because stress is becoming a major liability issue, but for their own sake’s, in what is, after all, a stressful line of..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Re/Insuring Asbestos Liabilities

25–26 September 2003 • Cafe Royal, London • Practical advice about cover, claims and exit strategies in the UK, US and Europe • Day one focuses on asbestos in the future – how to re/insure asbestos that still exists in..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Liability Insurance: The History of the Future

9–11 September 2003 • Queens’ College, Cambridge • The Tenth Liability Underwriters Group Conference • The programme includes Master Classes; Legal developments in Psychiatric Injury Litigation; Genetic Engineering and..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Personal Injury Awards in EU and EFTA Countries

Edited by: Marjorie Holmes and David McIntosh This latest edition of the invaluable guide to personal injury awards in Europe is once again packed full of information, case studies, and (new to this edition) easy to follow block graphs. The aim of..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Personal injury claims manual published

The second edition of the “Personal Injury Claims Manual” has been published by Sweet & Maxwell. The Manual, edited by Rebecca Herbert, “provides complete guidance on personal injury litigation together with a comprehensive..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Councils hit by CFAs

Councils’ budgets are being hit by the abolition of legal aid for personal injury claims and the consequent introduction of Conditional Fee Arrangements (CFAs), according to new research conducted by the Local Government Association (LGA) and..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Survey finds support for legal aid

Nearly nine out of 10 people believe the Government should provide adequate funds to ensure that everyone can get access to legal advice if they need it. This is the finding of a new ICM poll which also shows that people rate funding for civil legal..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Task Force on regulation of litigation and compensation

The Better Regulation Task Force is to carry out a study into the regulatory aspects of litigation and compensation. The study will look at the options for better regulation now and in the future, and in particular: whether the risk of litigation..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Personal injury claims down in the UK

The Law Society says that new figures reveal the perception of an increasing trend of people bringing injury claims is not backed up by facts. Latest Government statistics from the Compensation Recovery Unit, the Department of Work and Pensions,..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Accident Group revealed in documentary

A special investigator for Accident Group has told the BBC that fraudulent claims were much more widespread than previously thought. The investigator said in a BBC documentary “The Man That Made Accidents Happen” that he had been..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

No cover for Orange lodges

A number of Orange lodges in Northern Ireland are reported to be having problems in obtaining public liability insurance cover. Some lodges have apparently been unable to even get a quote from an insurer. An Ulster Unionist member suggested there..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

AXA UK boss attacks government on EL

AXA UK boss Peter Hubbard has been reported as criticising the Department of Work and Pensions over its attitude to the employers’ liability crisis. He was quoted as saying “We had expected more than just ‘we’ll look at the..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

WR Berkley in UK liability launch

A new company is to begin underwriting professional liability business in the UK. WR Berkley (Europe) is capitalised at £80mn ($133mn). The company is expected to begin by writing professional indemnity business, and then expand into general..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

ABI and BIBA in renewal good practice statement

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the British Insurance Broker’s Association (BIBA) have published a new Statement of Good Practice under which liability insurers will have to provide at least 21 days notice of their renewal..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Underwriter goes into solvent runoff

UK liability insurer, Underwriter Insurance, has ceased writing new business and gone into solvent runoff. The insurer said that the decision was taken after taking into account “action taken by the FSA in which the FSA and the company..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

FRC issues revised Combined Code

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has agreed the final text of a new Combined Code, which will come into effect for reporting years beginning on or after 1 November 2003. According to the FRC, the Code’s overall aim is to enhance board..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

FSA consults on new indemnity policy

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has published a consultation paper on its proposed personal indemnity insurance (PII) policy and rules for IFAs. The new rules will: Give firms the flexibility to combine PII policies with their financial..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Call for passive smoking Code of Practice

The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) is calling for the government to release a ‘best practice’ document on controlling passive smoking in workplaces. REHIS says its members have been waiting for four years for..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Possible link between breast cancer and shiftwork

A report published by the Health & Safety Executive has found that there is “appreciable” evidence of a link between breast cancer and shiftwork, though the evidence is not definitive. The research report “Shift work and..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Draft Dispute Resolution Regulations published

There is to be a radical overhaul of dispute resolution procedures following the publication of plans by Employment Relations Minister Gerry Sutcliffe. From October 2004, employers and employees will be required to follow a minimum three-stage..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Stress guides from HSE

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published two new research reports on stress prevention and rehabilitation. “Beacons of excellence in stress prevention” outlines criteria for best practice in stress prevention. These criteria..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Stress leading cause of long term sickness absence

Stress is still the most common cause of long-term sickness absence among non-manual workers and is alarmingly high in the public sector, according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). According to the survey,..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Stress at work can lead to heart attack

Workers exposed to stress for at least half their working lives are 25% more likely to die from a heart attack, and have 50% higher odds of suffering a fatal stroke. This is the conclusion of a study, the “modern workers health check”..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Worker deaths in construction industry

The Health & Safety Executive has revealed that 71 workers were killed in the construction industry last year (2002/03), the second lowest figure recorded. This compares with 80 fatalities in 2001/02 and 105 fatalities in 2000/01. The rate of..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Fatal injuries to workers down in UK

The number of fatally injured workers in the UK fell by 10% to 226 in 2002/03 from 251 in 2001/02, according to figures from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). The latest detailed statistics on fatal injuries in HSE and local authority..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Increase in liability premiums for US nuclear plants

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is amending its regulations to increase the secondary premium for liability insurance in case of a nuclear accident at a commercial nuclear power plant from $83.9mn to $95.8mn per reactor. In the US, under the..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Brit stops writing direct aviation risks

Brit Insurance has ceased underwriting direct aviation risks. These include airlines, general aviation and aviation product risks, with an estimated premium income of around £60mn. The company’s ceo was quoted in the press as saying the..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Compensation from British Airways

British Airways is giving an £80 flight voucher to passengers who suffered during the recent travel disruption caused by an industrial dispute. British Airways said that the vouchers are a goodwill gesture. They are on top of payments made for..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Aircrew not at risk from cosmic radiation

A study of 44,000 airline crew from eight European countries has found that cancer deaths among them are no higher than in the rest of the population. The study, revealed in New Scientist magazine, found a twofold increase in skin cancer deaths in..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Trouser accident caused ship to run aground

An accident involving a pair of trousers caused RMS Mulheim to run aground near Land’s End carrying 2,200 tonnes of shredded plastic waste. The accident involved a pair of trousers catching on a lever in the wheelhouse of the ship. An officer..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Tricolor being raised in parts

The salvage of the Tricolor, the freight ship which sank in the English Channel and has proved a danger to shipping, has begun successfully with one section already raised. The ship will be raised in nine sections, using special cutting cable and..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Low risk from GM but no blanket approval

A report by a panel of experts has found no scientific case for ruling out all GM crops and their products, but nor does it give them blanket approval. The GM Science Review Panel recently published the results of its independent review of current..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Skyrocketing fiduciary liability premiums

A survey carried out by the US Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) has found that the cost of fiduciary liability insurance continues to skyrocket. The RIMS Benchmark Survey is an industry survey of commercial insurance market..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Tort reform successes in 2003

To date, 2003 has been the most successful year for enactment of state civil justice reform legislation since 1995, according to the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA). At mid-year, 20 states already have enacted laws, while 19 laws were..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

US unions and musculoskeletal disorders

The latest issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine includes research which reveals workers at unionised workplaces were 5.7 times more likely to file a work-related musculoskeletal disorder claim for workers’ compensation than..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

US food labels to list trans fatty acids

The US Department of Health and Human Services has announced that food labels will be required to list the amount of unhealthy trans fatty acids, or trans fat, to give consumers better information when choosing their foods. The move will mean that..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

US bills to protect food industry from obesity lawsuits

A bill that would protect the food industry from lawsuits alleging obesity is caused by food manufacturers and sellers is being introduced into the US Senate. The move was welcomed by the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA). “It sounds..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Asbestos fund moving (slowly) forward

The US asbestos compensation fund bill is moving forward to the full Senate after the Senate judiciary committee voted in favour by 10-to-8. However, its future progress is said to be uncertain as neither the insurance industry, nor labour groups..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Drinks company in responsible drinking ad

In what will no doubt be the start of many similar campaigns, drinks company Diageo Great Britain has unveiled its first ever national TV campaign to promote responsible drinking. According to the company, the new advertising initiative..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

CryoLife reports on product liability cases

CryoLife, a US company involved in the processing and distribution of implantable living human tissues for use in cardiovascular and vascular surgeries, has announced that, to date, it has settled five product liability cases pending against it and..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Measles re-establishing in UK

Measles is in danger of re-establishing itself in this country and becoming an endemic disease, according to a study, carried out by a number of researchers from Royal Holloway University of London, Imperial College London and the Health Protection..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Increased breast cancer risk for HRT users

Current and recent use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer and that the risk goes up with duration of use. This is the result of the Million Women Study, funded by Cancer Research UK, the..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

SARS contained but not over

The global SARS outbreak has been contained according to the World Health Organization, though it stresses that the world is not yet SARS-free and warns that continued global vigilance for SARS is crucial for the foreseeable future. Taiwan is the..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Which? shocked by NHS Direct service

An undercover investigation carried out by Which? magazine has revealed that some NHS Direct staff are failing to spot potential emergencies and are leaving patients too long to get medical advice. In March this year, researchers made 33 calls to 11..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

BMA warns of legal action over junior doctors’ hours

The British Medical Association (BMA) has warned that three out of four hospitals are risking legal action because they have failed to meet a deadline on junior doctors’ hours. As from the start of August 2003, limits on hours, minimum rest..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Time extension but with conditions

The Court of Appeal allowed the claimant’s appeal in his personal injury claim which had been struck out by a lower court. The claimant had suffered an injury in 1998, but had not served a claim form until April 2001, and then without any..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Disclosure condition for second expert

Defendants in a personal injury claim who wanted to instruct a second expert after being dissatisfied with the report of a first expert who had examined a claimant, must disclose the first report as a condition of instructing the second expert. The..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Nightclub owner liable for doorman’s actions

The Court of Appeal found that a nightclub owner was personally liable for the actions of a doorman – vicarious liability was established. The case involved the stabbing of a man by the doorman. There had been a physical dispute between the..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Earnings lost means turnover

In the case of a self employed person, the phrase “compensation for earnings lost” in the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997, refer to turnover lost rather than actual income or net profits lost. The case involved a claim..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Tied-house beer agreements and competition

This case involved tied-house beer agreements, and the failure of a pub business. The claimant was seeking damages from the defendant companies for the failure of his pub business. The court ruled that where the existence of tied-house beer..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Bankruptcy court order cannot be challenged

A court order which stated that a trustee in bankruptcy had no interest in a right of action in negligence which the bankrupt intended to bring against her former professional advisers could not be challenged by the advisers. The House of Lords..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Final figure in valuation claim

This case involved a valuer being sued for negligence for incompetently assessing a valuation. However, the court found that a valuer was not negligent if the final figure fell within a range of figures which a reasonably competent valuer could have..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Disclosure of financial changes in freezing order

In this case, the claimant obtained a freezing order in his favour against the defendant in the sum of £180,000. The claimant’s cross-undertaking in damages was supported by his main asset, the equity in a flat worth £400,000. He..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Failure to stop employee’s sexual harassment

Employers are vicariously liable for the actions of their employees during the course of their employment, and compensation is unlimited in sex discrimination claims. An employment tribunal found a company had failed to take reasonably practical..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

No discrimination in sex change toilet case

The Court of Appeal ruled that there was no direct sex discrimination where an employee that was in the process of undergoing a sex change, but was still at the pre-operative stage, was banned from using female-only toilets, though allowed to use a..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Scope of protective equipment regulations

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 only concern risks which necessitated the protective equipment, and not other risks. This was the conclusion of the Court of Appeal, which ruled that there was no breach of duty by the..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Evans pays £7mn to Virgin radio

Broadcaster Chris Evans has been forced to pay £7mn to his former employer SMG plc, the owner of Virgin Radio, in relation to the recent legal action brought by Chris Evans. The amount covers all costs and damages. The judge in the case had..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Mistaken prescription

A woman has received £10,000 compensation from a medical centre after she was given anti-depressant tablets instead of the contraceptive pill. She subsequently gave birth. The mistake was only discovered when the women went to get a repeat..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Settlement in national origin discrimination lawsuit

A group of Hispanic employees of a Colorado casino who were verbally harassed and subjected to unlawful English-only rules have received a seettlement of $1.5mn. The national origin discrimination lawsuit was brought by the US Equal Employment..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Settlement for Paddington rail crash victim

A passenger involved in the Paddington rail crash has received a settlement of £88,000. The woman was travelling in the middle carriage of the Thames Train, and was knocked unconscious. She was dragged from the carriage by another passenger...

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Robber gets damages

The European Court of Human Rights has awarded £1,000 in damages and £7,000 costs to a convicted armed robber. The award was because the police had secretly filmed him without his permission. He had been imprisoned for five years for a..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

£3.3mn for trainee lawyer

..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Lorry driver wins damages

A lorry driver has been awarded damages of £452,000 after he was thrown from his lorry during a lifting operation at a docks, and suffered severe head injuries. The crane accidentally lifted his whole lorry instead of just the container on the..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Heart attack in ambulance

..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Council settles with excluded boy

A man with learning disabilities who was excluded from school and received no school education after the age of 14, has received a settlement of £115,000. The council settled the claim without any admission of liability. The claimant’s..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

“Drunk” man had blood clot on brain

West Yorkshire police are to pay £310,000 in compensation to a man who arrested for being drunk when in reality he was suffering from a blood clot on the brain. According to the man’s lawyers, the delay in providing treatment because of..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Director awarded £1mn

A City director has been awarded nearly £1mn in damages for wrongful dismissal. The judge ruled that the man’s boss had “an extremely dictatorial style” who used the “language of criminal intimidators.” The..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Equitable Life can sue Ernst & Young

The Court of Appeal has ruled that Equitable Life can sue its former auditor Ernst & Young for £2.6bn, on the grounds that it failed to warn the insurer that its guaranteed annuity rate contracts were unsustainable. The ruling overturned..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Law Society cleared of discrimination

The Employment Appeal Tribunal has cleared the Law Society of sex and race discrimination against its former vice-president. This reversed the original employment tribunal decision from three years ago. The former vice-president claimed that the..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Asbestos widow “too late to sue”

A woman left it too late to sue her husband’s former employers after his death from mesothelioma in 1999. The High Court ruled that she could sue for damages even though her claim was outside of the three year time limit, but this was reversed..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Shipman nurse to sue

Harold Shipman, and the Health Authority that he worked for, are being sued by the nurse who worked with him. The nurse is suing for £100,000 damages because of the stress she suffered working with Shipman. In one case, the nurse was asked by..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Former soldier’s claim dismissed

An employment tribunal has dismissed the sex discrimination claim of a former soldier. The soldier claimed she had been forced out of the Army after officers learnt that she had made a previous complaint that she had been sexually assaulted by a..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

MoD compensation claims on the up

The costs of compensation claims paid by the Ministry of Defence are on the increase, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). Sir John Bourn, head of the NAO, told Parliament recently that more can be done to keep down the cost of handling..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Children, not parents, can sue

The Court of Appeal has ruled that doctors and social workers can be sued by children who have been wrongly diagnosed as suffering from child abuse, but parents cannot sue. The case involved three families who were wrongly accused of child abuse. A..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Paddington rail crash damages

Thames Trains is to be sued for damages by an employee over the Paddington rail crash. The man was ordered to be the company liaison officer after the rail crash, but suffered depression and post traumatic stress disorder, and has not been able to..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Pensions misselling claims ruling

A House of Lords decision in the case of Lloyds TSB General Insurance Holdings and others v Lloyds Bank Group Insurance Company Limited , means that the claimant is not entitled to aggregate £125mn in pension misselling claims. According to..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

A prisoner sues Prison Service

A prisoner is suing the Prison Service over a journey from prison to court which he claims infringed his human rights by being too hot, and by being handcuffed to a prison officer. He is believed to be claiming around £50,000. The prisoner is..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

RAF in sexist and lewd behaviour

A female RAF officer has won her sex discrimination case against the RAF at an employment tribunal. She claimed she was forced to leave the service after complaining about lewd and sexist behaviour by her male crew. The tribunal threw out eight of..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

Government to fund Omagh legal action

The Government is to help to fund a private legal action against Real IRA suspects by the families of the victims of the Omagh bombing. The families are claiming £10mn in damages against five suspects. The Government are providing £800,000..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003

The return of personal responsibility?

The problems in the US over tort reform and the medical malpractice crisis have not surprisingly had an impact in the UK, generally along the lines of “Let’s not go down that road.” But we are already half way down the road, with..

Online Published Date: 01 September 2003

Appeared in issue: 158 - 01 September 2003