Blog
Kingsley Napley’s Medical Negligence Team ‘walks together’ with the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity
Sharon Burkill
6 April 2018
Think before you tweet - the perils of social media for the legal profession
A lawyer’s brand and reputation is often heavily influenced by how they engage in public environments, including their use of social media. Just one ill-judged remark can have serious reputational, legal and regulatory ramifications. This blog will focus on the regulatory consequences of social media use.
5 April 2018
Caution Needed - Private Prosecutions and Criminal Cautions
A simple caution is an out-of-court disposal intended for low level, mainly first time, offending. Accepting a caution has never been a straightforward decision however, one significant benefit was the reassurance that – in the usual course of events - a person would only be prosecuted for an offence when they had been issued with a simple caution, if...
3 April 2018
The appeal has been granted: Dr Bawa-Garba’s case in action
Dr Bawa-Garba was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter in November 2015, following the sad death of a young boy from sepsis. Whilst issues arose from Dr Bawa-Garba’s practice on the day in question, some systemic failures were present. These included Dr Bawa-Garba having recently returned from 14 months’ maternity leave and being left in charge of an acute ward, her working an extensive shift without respite and the lack of permanent nursing staff.
22 March 2018
Post-Brexit language testing for EEA qualified healthcare professionals
On March 7 2018, the House of Commons Library published a Briefing Paper outlining the language testing requirements imposed upon healthcare professionals who qualified outside of the UK. Proficiency in English is one of the skills that healthcare professionals that work within the UK need to possess. However, the UK’s ability to regulate the standard of language skills held by applicants who originate from within the EEA has been hindered due to its membership with the EU.
15 March 2018
DPP consent in private prosecutions
Private prosecutions, once a “historical right” that was “rarely exercised” (according to Lord Wilberforce in Gouriet v Union of Post Office Workers (1978)), are now thoroughly integrated into our criminal justice system. Whether the result of dwindling CPS resources (see blog by David Sleight CPS and police struggle under the load of sex abuse investigations) or because of the public’s increased familiarity with the process from high-profile convictions such as ‘King Con’ or the Surfthechannel pirate, the number of private prosecutions being brought is on the rise.