(with apologies to Charles Dickens) Sarah Harris, Henry Goodwin and Ashley Winton update the perennial themes of Scrooge to a 21st century setting where Scrooge is struggling to stay relevant….. Published shortly before Christmas in 1843, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was an instant hit in 19th century Britain, telling the salutary tale of Ebenezer…
The Basics and Beyond Rónán Kennedy reviews a book aimed directly at the legal professional who needs to understand the technology they advise on. Those who work in law and technology are sure to encounter some aspect of hardware or software that they do not understand, either because it is new or because they simply…
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Over the last decade there has been a rapid increase in investment and influence in genomic technologies in a range of sectors. The technology offers well-known benefits in areas like advanced disease treatment and personalised healthcare, and there is a drive to deliver a genomic-focused healthcare system. However, the rapid growth of applications in sectors…
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Mauricio Figueroa summarises the key points from the SCL AI Conference hosted by Herbert Smith Freehills on 8th October. Practitioners, lawmakers, academics, trainees, in-house lawyers, and civil society representatives gathered at Herbert Smith Freehills’ offices in London for the annual Society for Computers and Law AI conference. The event brought together experts to explore the…
UK law New rule restricting broadcast ads for qualifying cryptoassets in force The Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) has published a new rule that explicitly bans ads for certain types of cryptoasset products from being broadcast to mainstream, non-specialist audiences. These products were already subject to such a restriction under rule 14.5.4 of the…
The Information Commissioner’s Office has published its annual report for 2023-24. This article sets out the highlights. The ICO commits to four “enduring strategic objectives”: Investigations The ICO concluded 285 civil investigation cases and 80 incidents in 2023-24. Five prosecutions and five cautions were brought for ‘unlawfully obtaining’ offences under the Data Protection Act. These…
EU Law European Commission reports on Enforcement and Modernisation Directive compliance The European Commission has reviewed the Enforcement and Modernisation Directive which updated various EU consumer laws to reflect the digital world and to improve enforcement. The Commission found that all member states have introduced the required minimum fines of 4% of global turnover (or…
UK law Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill The Bill received its third reading in the House of Lords on 10 May 2024. The Bill now goes to the Commons for consideration. Its key focus is to establish a framework for the regulation of AI in the UK, including placing AI regulatory principles on a statutory footing…
UK law Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024 receives Royal Assent The Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024 has received Royal Assent. It updates the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 with the aim of ensuring that the UK’s investigatory powers framework remains fit for purpose in the face of evolving threats. It follows the Home Secretary’s statutory report…
Following consultation, the UKJT has published its Legal Statement on Digital Assets and English Insolvency Law. This is the third Legal Statement issued by the UKJT. The first was its Legal Statement on the Status of Cryptoassets and Smart Contracts. published in November 2019. The second was its Legal Statement on the Issuance and Transfer…
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