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Derby crushing death: three companies fined
Crushing death: three companies fined Health and Safety Executive v Punchards Haulage Limited, VTK Structures Ltd and Hanson Packed...

Robert Spicer
Dec 13, 20151 min read
Wigs and gowns: is justice inferior in tribunals where fancy dress not worn?
Those who argue in favour of separate court dress for advocates – wig, gown and bands – must deal with the fact that there are no dress...

Robert Spicer
Dec 12, 20151 min read
Care scalding death: Scottish housing association fined for health and safety breach
Care scalding death: £75,000 fine Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service v Ark Housing Association Limited (2015) Edinburgh Sheriff...

Robert Spicer
Dec 9, 20151 min read
Illegal gas boiler installation: health and safety prosecution
Illegal gas boiler installation: fitter and engineer fined Health and Safety Executive v Michael Birch and Peter Hopper (2015) Bodmin...

Robert Spicer
Dec 4, 20151 min read
Rule against perpetuities: mental torture for students?
The rule against perpetuities This is a sort of mental torture for law students and a means of generating income for practitioners. It is...

Robert Spicer
Dec 3, 20151 min read
Res ipsa loquitur: judicial criticism of maxims dressed up in Latin
The use of legal Latin has been the object of sustained judicial criticism. Examples of this in the context of health and safety are the...

Robert Spicer
Nov 30, 20151 min read
Worker suffers severe cement burns: successful health and safety prosecution
Cement burns: £14,000 fine Health and Safety Executive v DLP Services (Northern) Ltd (2015) Sefton magistrates’ court, November 25 DLP...

Robert Spicer
Nov 28, 20151 min read
Litigants in person
Litigants in person Most intelligent, reasonably articulate, literate and averagely educated people can make a start on legal proceedings...

Robert Spicer
Nov 27, 20151 min read
Hartlepool Dock death fall: £400,000 fine
Fall death: £400,000 fine Health and Safety Executive v PD Teesport Ltd (2015) Teesside Crown Court, November 23 PD Teesport Ltd has been...

Robert Spicer
Nov 26, 20151 min read
Bad English: Orwell’s principles and Parliamentary draftspersons
Orwell’s principles of good English could profitably be adopted by Parliamentary draftspersons, who do not need to be legally qualified,...

Robert Spicer
Nov 25, 20151 min read
The mystery of the gavel – yours for £85
The Mystery of the Gavel A gavel is a small wooden mallet with a matching block. It can be bought from a specialist legal accessories...

Robert Spicer
Nov 24, 20151 min read
Eructation
Eructation In Ng v Director of Public Prosecutions (2007), Ng argued that an intoximeter reading had been affected by eructation, in...

Robert Spicer
Nov 23, 20151 min read
Worker killed by HGV at commercial vehicle site:employing company fined £166,000
Fatal crush injuries: £166,000 fine Health and Safety Executive v Imperial Commercials Ltd (2015) Warwick Crown Court, November 19...

Robert Spicer
Nov 22, 20151 min read
Manchester care home dangerous excavation: public report to HSE: work stopped
Unsafe care home excavations: £2000 fine Health and Safety Executive v Brierstone Ltd (2015) Trafford magistrates’ court, November 13...

Robert Spicer
Nov 17, 20151 min read
Albert Camus on Charity: Pro bono heroes?
Camus, The Fall This is the story of a successful barrister who appears to be the epitome of good citizenship and decent behaviour....

Robert Spicer
Nov 16, 20152 min read
Wrexham crushing death:health and safety prosecution:£180,000 fine
Death from crushing injuries: £180,000 fine Health and Safety Executive v Morgan Technical Ceramics Ltd (2015) Chester Crown Court,...

Robert Spicer
Nov 15, 20151 min read
Alternative legal practice
Alternative practice The practice of law in an alternative way attempts to address the fact that the poor are denied justice and to...

Robert Spicer
Oct 29, 20152 min read
Death of psychiatric patient: health and safety prosecution: Scottish Health Board fined
Death of psychiatric patient: Scottish Health Board fined Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service v NHS Ayrshire and Arran (2015)...

Robert Spicer
Oct 28, 20151 min read
Ogden Tables: knowledge of age: unintentional racism?
The Ogden Tables These Tables took their name from Michael Ogden QC who was the chair of the working party which first drew them up. They...

Robert Spicer
Oct 27, 20152 min read
Banning things never works. Main example: alcohol prohibition in the United States
At midnight on January 16, 1920, alcohol was criminalised in the United States of America. The Volstead Act, the Eighteenth Amendment to...

Robert Spicer
Oct 27, 20152 min read
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