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Articles by Peter Wickham
Newcastle's losing its living heritage . . . and paying for it Original
The facade of Newcastle's Ocean Baths. Newcastle is on the verge of losing one of its most authentic public places - and paying handsomely for it. Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue reading All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia The City of Newcastle's Stage 2 redevelopment plan for the ocean baths threatens to erase the open-air experience that defines the site's cultural heritage.
CLIMATE LITIGATION: SCOTTISH COURT QUASHES CONSENTS FOR NORTH SEA OIL AND GAS FIELDS (via Passle)
The Court of Session in Scotland (Scotland’s supreme civil court) has quashed decisions by the previous UK Government to grant consent for the development of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields in the North Sea.
Climate Litigation: Scottish Court Quashes Consents for North Sea Oil and Gas Fields
The Court of Session in Scotland (Scotland’s supreme civil court) has quashed decisions by the previous UK Government to grant consent for the development of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields in the North Sea.
Economist weighs in on airport project
The Virgin Islands government has been assessing the case for the expansion of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island (yet again!). But it seems to be making the same mistakes as previous administrations.
First English judgment on LIBOR transition - Standard Chartered PLC v Guaranty Nominees Ltd & others
On 15 October 2024, the High Court handed down its judgment in Standard Chartered PLC v Guaranty Nominees Ltd & others, a case under the Financial Markets Test Case Scheme relating to the transition from LIBOR to alternative benchmark rates.
Hague Judgments Convention: UK joins new regime to simplify cross-border enforcements of judgments
The UK has ratified the 2019 Hague Judgments Convention. When it comes into force for the UK next July, it will make it significantly easier to enforce a wide range of English court judgments in 28 countries – including all bar one of the EU’s member states – and vice versa. UK participation in the Convention will restore a level of reciprocal enforcement with the EU not known since the end of the Brexit transition period.
Disputes Briefcase Need-to-know disputes updates for General Counsel and their teams - July 2024
Introduction Welcome to Slaughter and May’s Disputes Briefcase, a regular digest of key developments in litigation and arbitration, produced by members of our market-leading disputes team. Previous editions of Disputes Briefcase are available here. The Disputes Briefcase team would welcome any thoughts and feedback. DISPUTE RESOLUTION UNDER A LABOUR GOVERNMENT The King’s Speech on 17 July set out the new Government’s legislative agenda for the next year.
Class Actions: United Kingdom - England & Wales
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Class Actions: Editors' Preface
"Class actions and major group litigation can be seismic events, not only for the parties involved but also for whole industries and parts of society..."
Council must stop dragging chain on heritage application for Newcastle ocean baths Original
On March 10, 2022, to quote from a letter by a CN officer defending CN intentions for Stage 1 works at NOB: "We are proceeding with works to examine the requirements to nominate the site to be listed on the State Heritage Register, noting the prerequisite of a Notice of Motion from Council to proceed with any application." On March 17, 2022, the executive director Heritage NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet writes to the acting manager of assets and projects at City of Newcastle explaining...
Friends of Newcastle Ocean Baths outline their proposal for historic pool's crucial next stage of restoration Original
Planning the next stage of the restoration of Newcastle Ocean Baths begins soon, what will the City of Newcastle (CN) put on the table this time? Here is Friends of Newcastle Ocean Baths Incorporated's (FONOB) vision. Our submission is cost-effective, preserves the cultural and heritage value of the baths, while meeting the contemporary expectations for inclusiveness by returning the ladies change rooms to the northern enclosure, and allowing for both open change rooms and lockable family rooms.
Spotlight: class action procedure in United Kingdom (England & Wales)
All questions Procedure i Types of action available As noted in Section I, the regimes available for English class or group actions broadly fall into two categories: opt-in procedures and opt-out procedures. ii Commencing proceedingsRepresentative actions As noted above, not only can representative actions be utilised for any type of claim, but there are also no requirements pertaining to the number of representees, be they claimants or defendants.
Why the open-air change rooms at Newcastle Ocean Baths are worth celebrating Original
To quote Dr Peter Hobbins, University of Sydney: "Spanish flu, the pandemic that killed between 50-100 million people worldwide, made landfall in Australia by 1919. About a third of all Australians were infected and nearly 15,000 people were dead in under a year . . ." "I am writing with my strong support for the proposal to maintain outdoor change facilities at the Newcastle Open Baths.
Dead pool not an option for beloved city baths
Friends of Newcastle Ocean Baths (FONOB) was compelled this week to apply to Heritage NSW for an urgent Interim Heritage Order (IHO) to prevent significant changes by City of Newcastle (CoN) that pose an immediate, irreversible and unacceptable threat to the unique cultural heritage of our much loved and revered ocean baths.
Part 5: Understanding The Camera Histogram
Many photographic enthusiasts have discovered the value of reviewing the histogram whilst working in the field. The histogram is the graph of the tonal range which one can make visible when reviewing your photographs on the camera. By Peter Wickham. The first step is to know how to see the historgram graph next to the photo being reviewed in the viewfinder. To do this, select a photo stored on your camera’s flash drive and view it in the LCD monitor. Next, find a button marked ‘INFO’ or ‘DISPLAY’.
Part 4: Understanding Focus, Lighting & Background
In this 4th part of the photography series, I will discuss a few common problems that people often experience with their photographs and provide solutions to overcome these. By Peter Wickham. Unsharp Images More than likely the camera was hand-held and the shutter speed insufficient, resulting in camera shake to manifest as a blurred photo. Any movement that occurs while the shutter is open will manifest as a blur.
Class action procedure in United Kingdom (England & Wales) | Lexology
All questions Procedure i Types of action available As noted at Section II, the regimes available for English class or group actions broadly fall into two categories: the older opt-in procedures, and the more recent opt-out procedure. ii Commencing proceedingsRepresentative actions As noted above, not only can representative actions be utilised for any type of claim, there are also no requirements pertaining to the number of representees, be they claimants or defendants.
The Class Actions Law Review in United Kingdom (England & Wales) | Lexology
All questions Introduction to class actions framework Group litigation has been available in the English courts for over a century and is an established part of modern English civil procedure, with several significant cases passing through the courts each year. However, it is only in the past three years that true 'opt-out' class actions, as lawyers from the United States (US) would recognise them, have become available; and only then in the context of certain competition law claims.
Recent class actions law developments in United Kingdom (England & Wales) | Lexology
All questions The year in review The past 12 months have seen several further significant developments in relation to class and group actions. i Opt-out class action proceedings The English courts have continued to deal with issues arising from two cases where the opt-out class action procedure for competition cases has sought to be used. Walter Hugh Merricks CBE v.
Part 3: Understanding Exposure
The single most important element in photography is light, as it is the capturing and recording of light that creates truly stunning photographs. By Peter Wickham. The amount of light allowed to be captured is called the exposure and therefore too much light results in over-exposure and too little results in under-exposure. There are three elements to exposure (no more and no less), these being: Aperture (the size of the hole in the lens, or f-number.
Photography. Part 2 - Depth Of Field
in Photography 5,410 Views Understanding Depth Of Field Whilst there are many technical aspects relating to this subject, Depth Of Field (DOF) relates basically to the area in the photograph which will be acceptably sharp. By Peter Wickham. There is an area in front of your point of focus and an area behind the point of focus which is acceptably sharp as it fades to being out of focus.
PETER WICKHAM: May’s big step
POLITICOS ACROSS EUROPE were stunned two weeks ago when British Prime Minister Theresa May suddenly announced a snap election one morning after a Cabinet meeting. This was a surprising move largely because it was the one action that she ruled out in repeated statements that assured an election was not necessary and would be a distraction from their Brexit negotiations.
PETER WICKHAM: The French vote
IT IS CURIOUS that in the same week the United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May announced an early snap election, the French voted in the first round of their presidential poll. The French electoral process is naturally less familiar to us in the Anglophone Caribbean; however, the electoral system and this particular election should intrigue us for several reasons.
PETER WICKHAM: DLP’s approach to candidate selection
THE DEMOCRATIC LABOUR PARTY’s decision to ditch three of its candidates has brought the party’s approach to candidate selection into focus. The most striking feature of the announcement was the replacement of these candidates presented as a fait accompli by the general council as distinct from the approach taken by the Barbados Labour Party which held “primary-like” nominations where the branches were given the opportunity to express their support for the candidate.
PETER WICKHAM: Time for reform?
AS ELECTIONS APPROACH both here and in Grenada it is unsurprising that discussions about electoral reform have also come to the fore and recently one professional I regard highly questioned my silence on these matters. This is a reasonable question, which is also to some extent unfair since I have touched on these issues quite frequently in the past as a careful reading of previous articles would demonstrate.
PETER WICKHAM: What nonsense?
THE PROVOCATIVE HEADLINE of last Monday’s DAILY NATION brought to mind the extent to which the media continues to have an unhealthy fascination with the “G” word coupled with the fact that the religious right seems able to command front page coverage even when based on the most ridiculous statements.
PETER WICKHAM: Local election politics
LAST WEEK LOCAL elections were held in the island of Barbuda to elect six out of nine persons to the their Council, which manages the affairs of that island with a population of roughly 1 000 voters. The “government” of Barbuda comprises this council which is led by the MP, elected nationally and is comparatively less complex and devolved than arrangements that manage islands like Nevis or Tobago.
PETER WICKHAM: Political women
THIS MARCH, WE have been reflecting on issues that impact on the welfare of women in several ways that range from the #LifeInLeggings march to the provocative public lecture given by former Government Minister Elizabeth Thompson. She reflected on her life in politics under the rubric Nasty or Nice: Women In Politics Leadership and Life.
PETER WICKHAM: Moral minimum
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, former Trinidad and Tobago prime minister Basdeo Panday uttered the now famous statement that “politics has a morality of its own” and as much as commentators were critical of the circumstances giving rise to such a statement, we must admit that it is easily one of the most honest admissions that a Caribbean leader has made.
PETER WICKHAM: NDC’s challenge
THE RECENT RELEASE of the CADRES Grenada political opinion poll which put the governing New Nation Party (NNP) well ahead of the Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and projected a swing of four per cent in favour of the NNP should not have been surprising when one considers the recent electoral history of Grenada. The NDC has now been in this peculiar position twice in fifteen years, first in 1999 and again in 2013 under different leaders.
PETER WICKHAM: Life after being Prime Minister
THE AMERICANS HAVE developed a tradition I rather admire regarding the treatment of people who attain the highest office in their country, that of president. That individual can remain for only two consecutive terms and thereafter must retire, but gets to hold onto his title “Mr President” which costs the American taxpayer nothing but accords that individual a level of dignity and respect for the remainder of his/her life.
PETER WICKHAM: Policy discussion
IN RECENT TIMES, it has often been said that one of the Opposition’s shortcomings was its unwillingness or inability to articulate alternative policy options. This type of discussion appeals to thinkers who are anxious to compare and contrast approaches and to move away from the current situation where Government is expected to have all the answers.
PETER WICKHAM: Building bridges
ON TUESDAY OF this week, I was privileged to witness the opening of the Caribbean’s newest airport on the neighbouring island of St Vincent. It was attended by what was easily the largest group of people ever assembled on that island, along with guests like myself from across the region who wanted to demonstrate our support for this venture by our presence.
PETER WICKHAM: Island politics
THE HEADLINE is deliberately misleading as I propose to speak about an emerging trend in the politics of places that are for the most part not islands, in a geographical sense, but are nonetheless framing their politics in a manner that is reminiscent of an island orientation. Top of the list is the United Kingdom which, under the leadership of Theresa May, qualifies for this top spot for reasons including the fact it is the only one in the group that is a geographic island.
PETER WICKHAM: Another sex scandal
IT IS ALWAYS fascinating how politics repeats itself across this region and sadly the more unsavoury aspects are replicated with slight differences from time to time. During the 2015 St Vincent and the Grenadines election campaign, I penned an article that spoke to similar issues, and expressed the view that in the final analysis these scandals say more about the individuals promoting them than the politicians they target.
PETER WICKHAM: Alternative facts
I AM GRATEFUL to Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway for coining a phrase that would allow me to avoid the laws of defamation, as I cannot accuse any person in the public sphere of telling lies! Such assertions aside, we continue to have a major problem in Barbados regarding our understanding of the true state of the economy and it forces us to come to the conclusion that one of the sides is presenting “alternative facts”.
PETER WICKHAM: Assessing our leaders
SOME MONTHS AGO, I commenced a reflection on the types of approaches that can be taken to assess our leaders and noted the extent to which there were qualitative and quantitative criteria that could be used. Naturally the qualitative approaches are more substantive and in due course I will attempt an assessment of the legacy of Prime Minister Freundel Stuart compared with that of his predecessors.
PETER WICKHAM: Well done, Obama!
LIKE MOST POLITICOS, I was transfixed by the Chicago farewell address of President Barack Obama delivered last Tuesday and immediately commenced a reflection on the extent to which his presidency will be distinguished from that of his successor and indeed his predecessors. The former consideration is quite easy especially as the new president provided a foretaste of his approach to business within 24 hours of Obama’s address.
PETER WICKHAM: Selling citizenship (again)
A SHORT AND almost inconspicuous postscript to Ricky Singh’s weekly “Our Caribbean” advised readers that after 32 years that contribution which also appears in at least two other regional papers was ending. This finale and the void it creates is worthy of comment especially as I have always admired and indeed aspire to Singh’s intimate familiarity with the politics of this region.
PETER WICKHAM: Political 2017
2017 IS LIKELY to be a relatively quiet year politically in this region as there is only one scheduled election in the Cayman Islands. Politicos in the southern and eastern Caribbean tend not to pay too much attention to the politics of the Cayman Islands, largely because of its status as a British Overseas Territory.
PETER WICKHAM: Leggings and eggplants
YET AGAIN I am faced with the daunting task of engaging readers on Christmas Day, which is challenging when one considers that this type of discourse is not exactly high on the list of priorities for traditional readers on this day. The topic I have settled upon is one that is seasonal to some extent, since this is after all the time when we are supposed to spread joy, goodwill and hopefully reflect on the way we treat others.
PETER WICKHAM: Royal nonsense
IN THE PAST, I have frequently disagreed with David Comissiong and on one occasion our disagreement regarding his Commission on Pan African Affairs was played-out in these pages. I have never doubted Comissiong’s sincerity or his commitment to the causes he supports but like so many others I have found him to be misguided from time to time. This was not the case last week, however, and I feel compelled to speak of my support for his comments as vociferously as I have condemned him in the past.
PETER WICKHAM: On Western values
I RECENTLY POSTED on one social media site, an article which spoke to the banning of corporal punishment in France with the caption: “How do we get this to happen in Barbados”, and the responses were numerous and predictable. The majority were supportive of my known abhorrence of corporal punishment; however, one commentator, who is a popular media personality, criticised my haste to adopt “Western values”.
PETER WICKHAM: Castro, Grenadian democracy
RECENTLY I HAVE been somewhat perplexed as I consider the state of our world as elections and referenda alike have produced results that appear inconsistent with developmental prudence and common sense. There have perhaps been several earlier indicators of this trend; however, the British Brexit vote presents itself as a notable instance where the public acted in a way that appeared inimical to its own best interest.
PETER WICKHAM: Congrats, Barbados
THIS WILL, OF course, be the last occasion afforded me to comment on our 50th anniversary and to congratulate Barbados on this major achievement. It is unfortunate but not entirely surprising that this anniversary has become politicised when one considers the prevailing environment. Certainly, a milestone like our golden anniversary should be a moment for national celebration.
PETER WICKHAM: Plebiscites, Public Competence 2
THE PREVIOUS VERSION of this article sought to build a case against the referendum on the basis that people often “get it wrong” because they are unable to appreciate the complexity of the issues. This argument would, of course, imply that elections are the preferred poll in which the public should participate, while leaving more complex and sensitive decisions for elected politicians.
PETER WICKHAM: Hate Trumps love
LIKE SO MANY other analysts, I have been somewhat shell-shocked by the results of Tuesday’s election which I reasonably believed Hillary Clinton would have won. The bases of my support have been well documented and now that she has lost, there are several perspectives that must be explored in this and other post-mortems.
PETER WICKHAM: Plebiscites and public competence I
RECENT POLITICAL EVENTS are such that we have now become very familiar with the “plebiscite” or “Referendum” which seeks the public’s opinion on a vote of national importance. There are, of course, several types of referenda and these have been liberally used to facilitate decision making in both ancient and modern times. Referenda can be regular as in the case of Switzerland or ad hoc as in the case of the UK Brexit vote.
PETER WICKHAM: Political ring-fencing
THE IDEA OF maintaining what can be referred to as a “political ring-fence” around certain members of this administration recently came to mind on account of a conversation I had with one senior member, and I thought the issue worthy of this public reflection.
PETER WICKHAM: Ganja Politics 2
THE RECENT UWI marijuana symposium organised by Dr Alana Griffith presented the opportunity for extensive reflection on the issue of decriminalisation from different perspectives and CADRES was anxious to engage with stakeholders on one of the political aspects.
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