Lawford Kidd's Blog

Appearing before the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee this week, the Rt Hon Lord Gill, Lord President of the Court of Session, criticised the current civil justice system for wasting public money, stating:

“Public money is being inefficiently spent in the present system” and “[in] many cases, the legal costs have already outstripped the value of the case before the lunch adjournment, and that just can’t go on”.

Defending the Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill, which Lord Gill suggests is “probably 50 years overdue”, he continued:

Just over ten years after hand-held mobiles were banned at the wheel, Brake is renewing its call to ban hands-free kits, as a Brake and Direct Line survey reveals that almost half (45%) of drivers admit to chatting when driving.

While the use of hand-held phones by drivers has dropped, hands-free use has risen, likely to be linked to the mistaken belief that it is a safe alternative.

For the past ten years, Brake believes that the lack of a total ban has left many drivers unaware that using a hands-free mobile at the wheel is just as risky as using a hand-held. According to the survey, three in ten (32%) don't know that any type of phone use while driving is dangerous.

The controversial Courts Reform (Scotland) Bill introduced by Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, on 6 February 2014 continues to receive criticism – and not just from Scotland’s personal injury lawyers.

The Bill, which enacts the recommendations of Lord Gill's review of the civil court system in Scotland, proposes the creation of a Specialist Personal Injury Court as well as an increase in the limit of private jurisdiction in the Court of Session from £5000 to £150,000.

Such proposals have caused great concern, not least to Scotland’s personal injury lawyers, many of whom appose the changes. It seems now that members of the public are also concerned.

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) has launched a two year Europe-wide campaign to tackle stress at work.

The prevalence of work-related stress in Europe is startling, says EU-OSHA. Its latest pan-European opinion poll revealed that 51% of workers find work-related stress to be common in their workplace and four in ten workers think that stress is not handled well in their organisation.

However, EU-OSHA believes that together employers and workers can successfully manage and prevent work-related stress and psychosocial risks, and the Healthy Workplaces Campaign aims to help companies do just that.

Moves to improve the compliance and traceability of medical devices took a step forward this week, when MEPs approved at first reading proposals to ensure stricter monitoring and certification procedures.

Issues surrounding medical devices have been in the spotlight over recent years, following scandals over breast and hip implants.

The proposed legislation seeks to increase patient safety and to strengthen traceability from producer to patient, without creating additional burdens for innovative small manufacturers.