Blood Inquiry, Bitcoin Blunder & Lemon Juice

Welcome to weekly legal/business updates, sharing the latest developments and noteworthy events in the legal and business sectors

Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter and welcome! In today’s fast-paced world, it’s overwhelming to keep up. That’s why I’ve curated a weekly round-up of headlines that interest me. Stay informed, enhance your commercial awareness, and gain valuable insights. Sit back, relax, and let this newsletter be your companion in navigating news and knowledge.

High Court Hears Landmark Legal Aid Challenge Over School Exclusion Appeals

The High Court is hearing a landmark case concerning the lack of legal aid for appeals before the Independent Review Panel. The claimant’s solicitor, Sabrina Simpson has noted the following, “the Institute for Public Policy research estimates that 77% of children excluded from school have special educational needs and are seven times more likely to be excluded than their peers. Children from black Caribbean backgrounds are five times more likely to be excluded than their peers. Department for Education data published in July 2023 found that of the 18 ethnicity groups identified, white and black Caribbean pupils and black Caribbean pupils had the third and fourth highest permanent exclusion rates.” Therefore, this case is important for access to justice and representation. The hearing is ongoing.

You can find out more here.

'Catalogue of failures' caused infected blood scandal - inquiry

You may have heard about the infected blood scandal in the news recently. A public inquiry has now published the final report which details the failures. The inquiry started in 2018 to investigate the circumstances when men, women and children were given blood and infected blood products by the NHS. Solicitor Des Collins, legal adviser to over 1,500 victims and their families, said: 'Today is a momentous day and Sir Brian has done the whole infected blood community proud. His report is everything we were hoping for. It talks of wrongs committed systemically collectively and individually. It names and identifies where opportunities were missed, and mistakes made. It confirms there was indeed a cover up and that documents were deliberately destroyed.'

You can find out more here.

SRA Fines Firm £121k After Wrong Amounts Paid To Beneficiaries

A firm has failed for 8 years to pay the correct sums to beneficiaries of an estate, now being fined £121,000. The law firm had paid out incorrect sums meaning the client money was improperly withdrawn. The SRA have said that the harsh fine of 3.2% of the firms gross annual turnover is a “credible deterrent to the firm and others”.

You can find out more here.

Bitcoin Money Launderer

Jian Wen has been sentenced to more than 6 years in prison for her involvement in a money laundering arrangement. She attempted to buy multi-million-pound properties in London using Mishcon de Reya and failed their know your client questions. She laundered £809,832.54 worth of bitcoin from a fraudulent investment scam in China.

You can find out more here.

Unlawful Anti-Protest Legislation

The High Court has held that the government’s anti-protest legislation is unlawful. Campaign Group ‘Liberty’ brought four grounds to challenge the legislation and two have been upheld, deeming the regulations as unlawful. The government used its secondary legislation (a Henry V111 power) to amend the Public Order Act 2023 by changing the definition of the Act.  

You can find out more here.

Fun facts for your friends…

The 1867 Shipping Act ordered all registered ships to have lemon or lime juice on board to reduce vitamin deficiencies due to fresh fruit being rarely available on board.

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