News

Things to remember if you are approaching the end of your nonpractising period of pupillage: 

January 2009 saw the issue of the long-awaited Academic Common Frame of Reference (“ACFR”) (replacing the Draft CFR which came out this time last year). It is available on the Commission’s CIRCA database. The Commission is currently undertaking a pruning exercise to produce a “practical” version, on which there will be a White Paper consultation before the end of the year. The Bar will respond. 

Having considered the matter carefully, the Bar Council has taken the decision, in the interests of its members and of transparency, to register on the voluntary register of interest representatives of the European Commission. Its registration should cover the activities of members of the Bar attending events etc in Brussels on the Bar Council’s behalf. See: http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/index_en.htm 

The Bar Council’s International Committee is preparing to launch an India Interest Group, an informal body of barristers with a practice in relation to India or with a proven interest in establishing such a practice. It will initially meet twice a year, and aims to share expertise, inform the International Committee on business development in India, and arrange events to promote the business interests of the Bar in India.

By the time you read this, the European Parliament should have adopted further resolutions in support of the Commission’s “Think Small first” campaign to simplify the operating environment for SMEs, including the proposal creating the European Private Company statute; and an own-initiative recommendation requesting the Commission to issue a proposal to simplify the process of transferring a company seat 

The Bar Council and the Bar Human Rights Committee have expressed concern at reports of the arrest and detention of magistrate Livingstone Chipadze in Mutare, Zimbabwe, as a “serious breach” of the principle of judicial independence. 

• Council framework decision on the organisation and content of the exchange of information extracted from criminal records between Member States; and  
• Council Framework Decision on “in absentia judgments”, amending 5 existing decisions, including the EAW so as to enhance procedural rights. 

Court fees for child care proceedings could be abolished, following a recommendation in the Lord Laming report on child protection. 

The new EU regulation on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions and cooperation in matters relating to maintenance obligations ( Regulation (EC) No. 4/2009) was published in the Official Journal (L7/2009) and entered into force in January 2009. The UK government has formally applied to opt-in.
See: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:007:0001:0079:EN:PDF 

A fire has damaged the building housing the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal on Chancery Lane, resulting in all AIT hearings being cancelled for two days.