December 2009

Trafigura: the UN report, and free expression

December 18, 2009

In my last post, I linked to a UN report about the adverse effects of the movement and dumping of toxic and dangerous products and wastes. The Special Rapporteur visited Ivory Coast as part of his efforts to examine the effects of dumping from the Probo Koala. That report is below. But it’s worth quoting [...]

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Trafigura v BBC: settlement and statement

December 17, 2009

Index on Censorship are reporting that the BBC have settled with Trafigura in their libel case – that would explain the “disappearance” of the videos. Here’s the joint statement in court. Here’s Trafigura’s new page, and here’s Carter-Ruck’s. I don’t think this is the end of the matter, though. Settling and apologising is one thing; [...]

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R (E) v JFS: something has gone wrong

December 16, 2009

The Supreme Court has given judgment today in this case about the admissions policy of JFS school, a state secondary school that has been educating Jewish children in London since 1732. M’s father, E wanted M to go to the school: but he wasn’t given a place because according to Orthodox Jewish principles, M is not recognised [...]

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Ladele v Islington and “religitigation”

December 16, 2009

I must record that Lillian Ladele has lost her appeal in the religious discrimination case she brought against her employer, Islington Council, some time ago. She’s the registrar who, having been designated a civil partnerships registrar, refused to carry out civil partnership ceremonies because her Christian beliefs were opposed to them. She claimed Islington had [...]

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Trafigura all over again

December 16, 2009

I’ve written about Trafigura before. Now they’re at it again, apparently – it’s reported that the BBC has pulled from its website Liz McKean’s original report about the dumping of toxic waste in Ivory Coast in 2006. That move may be part of settlement discussions between Trafigura and the BBC, which it is suing for [...]

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Those RBS bonuses: why is there even a row?

December 4, 2009

As is well known, the directors of RBS threatened to resign if Alistair Darling blocks the bonuses they want to pay their traders; apparently they’ve had legal advice that this would breach their fiduciary duties – though the row has already cooled, with the directors caving in. I must say, I found the legal advice [...]

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The perfectly fit Attorney General

December 3, 2009

Afua Hirsch wrote in yesterday’s Guardian that the role of Attorney General is unfit for purpose and unsustainable: In many ways the problem is as simple as this: the job description just does not work. The attorney general is tasked with the provision of independent advice to the government as its chief legal adviser, alongside [...]

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Michael White on John Demjanjuk

December 2, 2009

Michael White, writing on the Guardian’s website, argues that John Demjanjuk, currently on trial in Munich, should not be. Demjanjuk is accused of involvement in the murder of thousands at the Sobibor death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland during the war; Michael White’s argument is that it was all a long time ago, there’s nothing more [...]

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