Cases involving trees require specialist arboricultural advice
Almost everyone likes trees. They provide many benefits, from the aesthetic to biodiversity and from cleaning the atmosphere to providing timber. However, they can become problematic when things go wrong.
Although relatively rare, trees can cause personal injury and death when they fail and this often results in legal proceedings. As recently as 17 June three young boys aged 9 were crushed when a tree fell on them at Wandsworth Cricket Club. There have been a number of key legal cases involving tree related injuries in recent times including Poll v Bartholomew (2006) EWHC (QB) Bristol which was the case that prompted the establishment of the National Tree Safety Group (NTSG) to develop a common sense approach to tree risk management and balance the risks posed by trees against the environmental benefits they provide.
The quality of expert witness reports in the family courts was put in the spotlight at a Westminster Hall debate on 24 May.
Head of the Civil Service Sir Bob Kerslake has announced that the new Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice will be Ursula Brennan. Sir Bob said her previous experience of working as a Director General at the Ministry of Justice will prove invaluable in helping the department deliver its ambitious agenda for reform. She moves after four successful years at the Ministry of Defence – first as Second Permanent Secretary and then as Permanent Secretary since November 2010.
One of the areas of practice attracting much attention in the world of the expert witness is also, according to reports in the legal press, attracting the attention of money launderers. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is an area of increased risk from criminals laundering money, as is litigation, the Law Society has warned.
Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have shown how a promising new class of drugs might be used to treat aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer, according to a study published in Nature.