Europe

French Judge Orders Man to Pay Ex-Wife $14K for Lack of Lovemaking

A judge in southern France has ordered a 51-year-old man to pay his ex-wife about $14,000 in damages for providing too little sex during their 21-year marriage. The man, identified as Jean-Louis B., was fined under a civil code provision stating that married couples must agree to a “shared communal…

Sep 6, 2011 11:32 AM CDT

3M Sues DC Law Firm Chief, Says He Ran Defamation Campaign Under Guise of Seeking $30M Settlement

A well-known Washington, D.C., lawyer whose practice combines litigation and media relations work on behalf of clients has been sued by a major corporation for defamation, along with other defendants including his law firm. 3M Company contends in a federal lawsuit (PDF) that Lanny Davis “orchestrated” a “conspiracy” on behalf…

Aug 31, 2011 11:40 PM CDT

PI Jailed for Phone Hacking Sues News Corp., Says UK Tabloid Reneged on Promised Legal Fees Payment

A private investigator at the center of the ongoing international probes over alleged widespread phone hacking by a British tabloid of celebrities, crime victims and others has sued the newspaper’s United States-based parent company, News Corp. Glenn Mulcaire alleges in a lawsuit he filed Wednesday in the U.K.’s High Court…

Aug 19, 2011 1:42 PM CDT

Around the Blawgosphere: ‘Vaporizing’ Labor Law Statutes; Is Being an ‘Evil Empire’ Really So Bad?

Last Friday at Overlawyered, Cato Institute senior fellow Walter Olson posed this question: “If I could press a button and instantly vaporize one sector of employment law …” noting that he explains how he himself would answer that question on a symposium at Reason.com. What would he vaporize? Age discrimination.…

Aug 19, 2011 1:30 PM CDT

New Website Debuts Featuring Searchable Records of 240 Years of Trials at the Old Bailey

Thanks to powerful digital tools and an international team of researchers, a detailed history of hundreds of years of British criminal trials can be quickly scanned and categorized as never before. A new searchable website contains records of nearly 200,000 trials at the Old Bailey, the principal criminal court in…

Aug 18, 2011 11:51 PM CDT

‘Shopped’ by Mom, UK Man, 18, Gets 28 Months for Stealing Vodka and 3 Shoes, Swigging Booze in Riot

Reportedly “shopped” to police by his mother after she saw a photo in a national newspaper showing her son looting in Manchester last week, a British teenager didn’t have it easy in Manchester Crown Court either. After a lecture from the judge, Michael Fitzpatrick, 18, was sentenced to two years…

Aug 18, 2011 8:14 PM CDT

In UK First, Attorney and Spouse Say Law Firm Forced Them Out Due to Caste Discrimination

In what is being billed as a first-of-its-kind case, a man and a woman of Indian descent have made a wrongful dismissal claim against a British law firm, saying they were forced out of their jobs due to caste discrimination. After practice manager Vijay Begraj, 32, who is a Dalit,…

Aug 17, 2011 7:49 PM CDT

‘Smoking Gun’ Letter Redacted By News of World Publisher Said Editors Knew of Phone Hacking in 2007

Updated: Contradicting claims by other News Corp. employees and even publisher Rupert Murdoch and his son James that they were unaware until later of alleged widespread telephone hacking at the News of the World, a former reporter for the British tabloid has contended in a letter that the intrusions were…

Aug 16, 2011 4:51 PM CDT

London Courts Pull All-Nighters as Police Arrest 922 People as Young as 7 in Riots

Deluged with a flood of arrestees from widespread rioting after a controversial police shooting this week, at least three criminal courts in London stayed open all night to process the cases, with the help of volunteer prosecutors. At last report, 922 individuals—some as young as 7 years old—had been arrested…

Aug 11, 2011 4:15 PM CDT

Should There be a ‘Right to be Forgotten’ on the Web?

A closely watched court case in Spain involving 90 individuals who want Google to stop indexing their names is spurring debate about whether information on the Web should have a life cycle. Among the 90 who’ve managed to win the support of the Spanish government is a domestic violence victim…

Aug 10, 2011 8:00 PM CDT

UK Official Calls for BlackBerry Ban to Help Control London Rioting

As authorities in London struggle to regain control after three days of rioting and looting following a controversial police shooting, at least one official is calling for a temporary shutdown of BlackBerry service, to prevent participants from instant-messaging their plans to each other and circumventing police. However, the messages, which…

Aug 9, 2011 4:04 PM CDT

Paul McCartney Says His Voice Mail May Have Been Hacked by UK Paper Competing with News Corp.

Ratcheting up an ongoing scandal over claimed widespread hacking into the voice mail of celebrities and others by British journalists, famed pop singer and songwriter Paul McCartney says he was apparently victimized and plans to pursue the issue when he completes his current U.S. tour. However, the former Beatle says…

Aug 4, 2011 10:31 PM CDT

Some Firms Housing Busy Lawyers On Site in Sleeping Pods

Lawyers working night and day on big corporate cases in London have little time for personal routines, including going home for a good night’s rest or a few minutes of shuteye. Instead, many are taking up residence in rooms at their firms, some of them reportedly in the style of…

Aug 4, 2011 3:00 PM CDT

Family Wary of Russia’s Decision to Reopen Tax Case of Lawyer Who Died in Custody

Russian officials announced they are reopening a criminal tax evasion case against a lawyer who died in custody two years ago after he accused police officials of corruption. Prosecutors in Russia say the decision could result in clearing Sergei L. Magnitsky’s name. But Magnitsky’s family is wary of the news.…

Aug 4, 2011 12:56 PM CDT

Partner Exits Over Alleged Financial Irregularities Involving as Much as $1M

Another partner has left a major London-based law firm in the wake of alleged financial irregularities. Peter Lloyd-Cooper, a London commercial litigator, was suspended from Kennedys in May, reports Legal Week. As much as $1 million may be at issue. Hat tip: New York Lawyer (reg. req.) Related coverage: ABAJournal.com:…

Aug 2, 2011 7:35 PM CDT