On Friday 21st September the Prime Minister, Theresa May, gave a short statement as an update on the negotiations between the UK and the European Union (EU) regarding Brexit. The statement itself has caused frustration amongst the general public, regardless of whether they voted to remain in or leave the EU. The speech ran for a mere 7 minutes and made for painful viewing as the PM failed to give any insight beyond abstract or vague points. The PM has essentially hinted that

There are constant developments arising from Brussels as the European Parliament vote on matters which often have a direct impact on its citizens. The European Parliament recently voted (Wednesday 12th September) to pursue disciplinary action against the country of Hungary . This is unprecedented. The basis of this vote was the severe allegations against Hungary, specifically that it has breached the European Union's (EU) core values. Whilst this initial vote is concerning

There has recently been much debate over a prospective Copyright Directive (the Directive) within the jurisdiction of the European Union (EU). The full name of the Directive is: Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market 2016/0280 . The most recent draft, including commentary on the amendments can be found here . This particular proposal has been the subject of much criticism and controversy. The intention behind the controversial Directive is to update online copyri

In August, Newell Legal reported on the developments in UK divorce law that arose from a Supreme Court judgment . In that case, the Supreme Court ruled that the Claimant wife, Mrs Tini Owens, could not divorce her husband. She argued that she wanted to escape her loveless marriage, but was told that she would have to wait until a period of five years had elapsed as he did not consent to the divorce. Mrs Owens will be able to obtain a divorce in 2020. Within that article, Newe

A common misconception surrounding the law of contract is that there needs to be a written agreement or signature in order for there to be a valid contract. This is a myth that needs to be debunked. It is misleading and wholly incorrect in the legal arena. Whilst there are, of course, exceptions whereby contracts are required to be in writing, it would be unwise to accept this as a general principle applicable to every type of contract. One should exercise a level of caution

Judicial Review (JR) is rarely far from centre stage in the legal news. It is a mechanism to hold governmental bodies accountable for their decisions and actions. Recently, there has been some debate over the entire costs regime that is found within JR. In litigation, the general rule is that the winner of the case has their legal fees paid for by the losing side. However, if a Claimant fails to consider methods of reaching settlement before pursuing a JR claim, they may be o

Advances in technology over the last few decades have enabled users to share information more freely. As a result of a few clicks, users are able to find information on almost any topic, including another’s past conduct. In 2018, the average citizen is able to access the Internet through their smartphone, tablet, laptop or a combination thereof. The availability of such information has led to interesting issues, subject to intense debate. One such issue is whether there is a

The topic of human rights can pose complicated questions. Recently, it has produced increasingly complex answers. Whilst human rights are universal in the sense that everyone has their own fundamental rights, their implementation and challenges at domestic level differ. The reasoning for this is clear; many societies have specific views of particular issues, systemic anomalies or constitutional and political methods to address those issues when they arise. There is, however,

The Grenfell Tower fire started in the early hours of 14th June 2017 . The tragedy caused 72 deaths, with a further two people dying at a later stage in hospital from their injuries. The incident has been scrutinised since its occurrence and has been the subject of fierce debate. Many have argued that the tragedy was the result of a systemic failure on the part of the Conservative government. Amongst the tragedy and the anger aimed at the government, there has been much solid

The prison system has come under intense fire recently. Questions have arisen as to whether it is effective in reforming inmates. Newell Legal has previously published an article about the pilot scheme that the criminal legal system is testing in an attempt to alleviate some of the pressure on the system. Coincidentally, that scheme is being carried out in Birmingham, which is at the centre of a new fiasco. It appears that the cracks within the system have become noticeable