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29 April 2021 / Roderick Ramage
Issue: 7930 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice
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Law in 101 words

47611
Snippets from The Reduced Law Dictionary, by Roderick Ramage

Animal welfare

The Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act 1822 was the start of our animal welfare legislation. In R v Burns (1822) the MP Richard Martin (‘Humanity Martin’), who had promoted the Act, prosecuted Mr Burns and obtained a conviction for beating a donkey. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 applies to all vertebrates (other than man) except those in the wild, introduces a duty of care on persons to ensure the needs of any animal for which they are responsible, creates an offence for failing to do so, enables preventive action before animal suffering occurs, amends and strengthens the law against animal fighting.

Automated facial recognition (AFR)

Edward Bridges claimed that South Wales Police (SWP) used AFR unlawfully. He claimed that the use of AFR was contrary to (1) ECHR art 8.1, (2) the data protection legislation and (3) the public-sector equality duty under the Equality Act. The Divisional Court did not agree, but in R v SWP (2020) the CA upheld

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Cripps—Radius Law

Cripps—Radius Law

Commercial and technology practice boosted by team hire

Switalskis—Grimsby

Switalskis—Grimsby

Firm expands with new Grimsby office to serve North East Lincolnshire

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

Slater Heelis—Will Newman & Lucy Spilsbury

Property team boosted by two solicitor appointments

NEWS
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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