Liverpool Law Jan 2017

PI
General Committee
Meeting with MPs
Friday 25 November
The political landscape looked
very different when we met
Justin Madders MP (Ellesmere
Port and Neston) and Luciana
Berger MP (Liverpool
Wavertree), compared with our
last meeting on 22 April,
following the Brexit vote and
changes of Prime Minister and
Justice Secretary. Nevertheless,
many issues previously discussed
still needed attention.
George Howarth MP (Knowsley)
and Maria Eagle MP (Garston
and Halewood), had planned to
attend but indicated that they were
unable to join us. Those not
attending are sent Minutes so that
they are aware of our
campaigning. Brexit was naturally
on the Agenda, but there was little
substantive progress that we could
review. Our meeting took place
between the High Court decision
and the start of the Supreme court
hearings, and the MPs indicated
that any Government Bill – ahead
of triggering Article 50 – was not
expected to be published before
the Supreme Court’s decision is
announced on the Appeal.
There was no lack of other
matters to discuss. Certain issues
remained as work in progress. The
proposed increase on Probate Fees
– on which Naomi Pinder (LLS
Non-Contentious Business
Committee Chair) and I had
lobbied – had been the subject of
Parliamentary questions laid by
George Howarth which, when
answered unsatisfactorily, led him
to seek a Westminster Hall debate.
Entry into the ballot for Debate
choices had been unsuccessful.
Bill Chandler’s briefing from the
LLS Non-Contentious Committee
on Land Registry privatisation had
assisted the MP’s and the
withdrawal of that proposal was
noted. The subject of McKenzie
Friends was noted for future
mention.
A development on the very day of
the meeting was that the Labour
Party’s review of Legal aid by
Lord Bach had just been
published, and Chris Topping as
Chair LLS Access to Justice
Committee, coupled this point
with reference to Amnesty
International’s adverse criticism of
Legal aid provision in this
Jurisdiction. Luciana Berger asked
for feedback on the Bach Report,
so LLS are encouraged to send
their views to the Society.
Kirsty McKno as Chair of the
Civil Litigation Committee
provided an update on the
proposed exchanges in Soft Tissue
injury claims and the Small
Claims PI limit, supplemented by
Stewart McCulloch in his LLS
Public Relations role, highlighting
a number of practical issues not
addressed by the Government.
The two MPs offered to write
Parliamentary questions and plans
for further liaison – including
perhaps with Louise Ellman MP
(Chair of the Commons Transport
Select Committee) were discussed.
This is a crucial topic and LLS
members are encouraged to
oppose the plans.
The two MPs each referred to
particular issues raised by their
Constituents. Justin Madders
referred to Leasehold owners
facing extortionate Ground Rents,
and asked if LS members could let
him have evidence of these
difficulties to support his
campaign for reform. Luciana
Berger asked for examples of
online fraud in her campaign to
protect IT users, and also referred
to those who cannot manage to
enforce Judgments in matters such
as Boundary disputes which I
suggested could be achieved via
use of Legal Expenses Insurance
in Household policies.
Our next meeting with the MPs is
likely to take place in March 2017.
Apart from Brexit, there should be
no shortage of other key issues
affecting our Clients and us, so
please let me know if you want us
to raise particular points with our
area’s MPs or to provide useful
evidence to support the
Parliamentarians’ work .
Jeremy Myers
LLS Parliamentary Liaison
Officer
Meet the new Director of
Liverpool Law Society
Gaynor Williams of Bennett
Williams was elected to the
General Committee of Liverpool
Law Society at the AGM,
becoming a Director of the
Society.
Gaynor is from the Wirral, or as
she says ‘over the water” and
specialises in debt recovery,
business disputes and insolvency.
Gaynor began her legal career
with Thomas Higgins Solicitors in
Wallasey and then Bermans in
Liverpool. In 2012 Gaynor and
Richard Bennett set up Bennett
Williams, a niche commercial law
firm specialising in debt recovery,
commercial dispute resolution and
insolvency law. Since the launch
of the firm almost five years ago
they have won a number of
accolades, including a Liverpool
Law Society Legal Award and a
Wirral Chamber of Commerce
Award.
Gaynor says that she joined the
General Committee of Liverpool
Law Society because she wants to
become more involved in the work
of the Society and is interested in
regulation issues.
Gaynor is married and has three
children ages 14, 22 and 25. She
enjoys running with her two dogs
most days. She says “Running
helps to clear my head and keeps
me fit.”
University of Liverpool
Law School Drinks
On 24th November LLS members were
invited again to the beautiful
surroundings of the School of Arts
library on Abecromby Square for the
School of Law and Social Justice’s
annual drinks reception. It was a shame
that there were not more representatives
from LLS, due to a clash with other
events but there was a good turnout from the School of Law.
Prof Debra Morris shared the School’s successes over the last year and
plans for the future including the building of an entirely new School of
Law on the city campus which will be able to offer state of the art
facilities and training for law students coming to Liverpool (a far cry
from my endless hours in the moot room I am sure).
The reception was open to students, academic staff and employability
and careers staff and there was lively discussion about every subject
from Brexit to training contracts, apprentices and access to justice, to
the Investigatory Powers Bill and everything in between.
It was a great event to strengthen ties between the professional and the
academic sides of the law in Liverpool. If we are to continue to
promote Liverpool as a centre of legal excellence we want some of the
best and the brightest students to stay here, either as practitioners or to
continue research into important legal and social issues. Events such
as this are key to strengthening the links between the present and
future members of the society.
Nina Ferris
Hill Dickinson LLP
www.liverpoollawsociety.co.uk
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