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The European Council, meeting in late October, agreed to add a protocol to the Lisbon Treaty which will allow the Czech Republic to opt out of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, just as the UK and Poland have done. This will mean that the Charter applies only to EU, and not national, legislation, in those Member States. Left with no valid excuse not to, the Czech President signed the Treaty on 3 November, bringing the ratification process to completion in all 27 Member States. Thus, the Treaty of Lisbon should enter into force by the year’s end.
The European Council, meeting in late October, agreed to add a protocol to the Lisbon Treaty which will allow the Czech Republic to opt out of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, just as the UK and Poland have done. This will mean that the Charter applies only to EU, and not national, legislation, in those Member States. Left with no valid excuse not to, the Czech President signed the Treaty on 3 November, bringing the ratification process to completion in all 27 Member States. Thus, the Treaty of Lisbon should enter into force by the year’s end.
Update from the Chair of the Bar
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, discusses the upcoming changes to pensions and Inheritance Tax and the potential impact on your financial future
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
The Chief Legal Officer to the Metropolitan Police, barrister Brett Welch, tells Anthony Inglese CB about his mission and the work to turn the Met around
Barrister apprenticeships – shortly to provide the fourth pathway to the Bar – are an ideal opportunity to support local talent and ‘grow your own’, say Tim Coulson and Dr Jane Dennehy
Oliver Lewis spotlights an overlooked yet rapidly evolving area of law – coercive and controlling behaviour within care contexts
