Former Barclays boss accused of ‘funnelling funds’ to Qatar | Harvard law students ramp up protest against ExxonMobil climate firm | and more….

Former Barclays boss accused of ‘funnelling funds’ to Qatar

The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales is hearing accusations against Thomas Kalaris, former chief executive of Barclays wealth and investment management, that he proposed two separate illegal deals that allegedly disguised the true nature of £322m in payments to Qatar in 2008.

Harvard law students ramp up protest against ExxonMobil climate firm

Harvard Law students have disrupted a recruiting event for Paul Weiss, the law firm representing ExxonMobil in climate lawsuits, in an escalation that might open a new front in climate activism in the legal world. The students say the law firm has cultivated liberal reputation despite representing oil and tobacco companies and big banks.

Sexual misconduct cases at record high in legal profession in England

The number of reports of sexual misconduct in the legal profession in England have more than doubled in the last five years and have reached a record high, according to newly released figures pertaining to reports of sexual misconduct to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Climate refugees cannot be sent back home, United Nations rules in landmark decision

Refugees fleeing the effects of the climate crisis cannot be forced to return home by their adoptive countries, a United Nations panel has ruled, in a landmark decision that could open the door to a flood of legal claims by displaced people around the world.

While the judgment is not binding, it does emphasise that countries have a legal responsibility to protect people whose lives are threatened by the climate crisis.
 

In first, Japan court uses remote link to sentence Philippine nationals amid decline in number of interpreters

A video link system between two different courts was used for interpretation for the first time in Japan to hand down rulings to foreign defendants, in an effort to compensate as the number of court interpreters shrinks. The Yamagata District Court gave suspended sentences to two women from the Philippines for violating Japan’s immigration law.

Uttam Galva counters Deutsche’s $20-million recovery plea at NCLT

Uttam Galva Steel has challenged Deutsche Bank’s application at the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for the recovery of $20 million (Rs 142 crore). The Singapore branch of Deutsche Bank had given a $20 million credit facility to Uttam Galva on May 2, 2013.

Supreme Court forms committee to draft mediation law, will send to government

The Supreme Court has, through a unique step, set up a panel to firm up a draft legislation to give legal sanctity to disputes settled through mediation, which would then be sent to the government as a suggestion from the apex court. The panel, to be headed by mediator Niranjan Bhat, will recommend a code of conduct for mediators, who are legal experts.

NCLAT stays NCLT ban on ex-banker’s appointment as resolution professional

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) last week stayed a recent order by the National Company Law Tribunal, which prohibited appointing a former bank official as independent resolution professional (IRP) of a bankrupt company because of the possibility of “bias”.

Opinion of hand-writing expert — Court must see that such evidence is corroborated by either direct or circumstantial evidence

Hon’ble Justices R.Banumathi and A.S. Bopanna [14-01-2020]

The Hon’ble SC, while confirming the conviction of the appellant-accused under Sections 467 and 468 of the Indian Penal Code, held that he had forged the signature of the complainant’s son.
The evidence of hand-writing experts in the present case is only a corroborative piece of evidence. Expert opinion must always be received with great caution. It is unsafe to base a conviction solely on opinion of the hand-writing expert without substantial corroboration.
The approach of a court while dealing with the opinion of a handwriting expert should be to proceed cautiously, probe the reasons for the opinion, consider all other relevant evidence and decide finally to accept or reject it.
 

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