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19 July 2024
Issue: 8080 / Categories: Legal News , Public , Constitutional law , Human rights
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NLJ this week: Mercer & the politics of the public inquiry

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The worlds of law and politics collide where public inquiries take place

In this week’s NLJ, Nick Wrightson, partner, Kingsley Napley, looks at the legal powers to compel witnesses—and the political realities that surround their use.

Wrightson looks at issues relating to former minister of state for veterans’ affairs Johnny Mercer, who gave evidence to the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan, in which he referred to information received in confidence.

The author also refers to issues surrounding the Covid-19 inquiry, in this topical article. He writes: ‘As public inquiries continue to proliferate, we can expect those conducting them to face more dilemmas over when to compel and when to look for another way to achieve what is required.’ 

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Hogan Lovells—Lisa Quelch

Hogan Lovells—Lisa Quelch

Partner hire strengthens global infrastructure and energy financing practice

Sherrards—Jan Kunstyr

Sherrards—Jan Kunstyr

Legal director bolsters international expertise in dispute resolution team

Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Corporate governance and company law specialist joins the team

NEWS

NOTICE UNDER THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925

HERBERT SMITH STAFF PENSION SCHEME (THE “SCHEME”)

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND BENEFICIARIES UNDER SECTION 27 OF THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925
Law firm HFW is offering clients lawyers on call for dawn raids, sanctions issues and other regulatory emergencies
From gender-critical speech to notice periods and incapability dismissals, employment law continues to turn on fine distinctions. In his latest employment law brief for NLJ, Ian Smith of Norwich Law School reviews a cluster of recent decisions, led by Bailey v Stonewall, where the Court of Appeal clarified the limits of third-party liability under the Equality Act
Non-molestation orders are meant to be the frontline defence against domestic abuse, yet their enforcement often falls short. Writing in NLJ this week, Jeni Kavanagh, Jessica Mortimer and Oliver Kavanagh analyse why the criminalisation of breach has failed to deliver consistent protection
Assisted dying remains one of the most fraught fault lines in English law, where compassion and criminal liability sit uncomfortably close. Writing in NLJ this week, Julie Gowland and Barny Croft of Birketts examine how acts motivated by care—booking travel, completing paperwork, or offering emotional support—can still fall within the wide reach of the Suicide Act 1961
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