Legal news in brief - 30 April 2012
Posted: 30 April 2012
by James Daniels
The head of a major mobile phone operator has blamed repeated threats of legal action for the delay in bringing 4G mobile phone services to the UK.
Everything Everywhere, a company formed by a merger between T-Mobile and Orange in 2012, is to launch the ‘4GBritain’ campaign, designed to promote high speed 4G services, which are available in countries such as Germany and the US, and would allow significantly faster internet access for mobile device users than current 3G networks.
However, Britain has lagged behind other countries, despite being a lucrative market for mobile phone services, which Ofcom has blamed on the ever-present threat of litigation from different mobile phone operators, who are fiercely divided on how 4G services should be rolled out.
Talking to the BBC, chief executive of Everything Everywhere Olaf Swantee said that he was “surprised at how often lawyers are used to resolve problems here."
Everything Everywhere says that other companies will join the 4GBritain campaign, but some have already moved to distance themselves. However, Mr Swantee is keen for all mobile phone operators to band together. "Any litigious behaviour that delays 4G further would not be good."
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A man has been ordered to repay over £5,494 within six months or face imprisonment, to victims of a Wills scam that he carried out.
Walter Ventriglia conned a number of people by writing to them and claiming that their Wills would become invalid if he did not modify them, charging as much as £60 to those who he tricked.
The ruling was made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, which allows for the civil recovery of ill-gotten gains from criminal activity. Mr Ventriglia was already given a 14 month jail sentence for his fraudulent behaviour back in August.
In addition to repaying his £5,494 loot, Mr Ventriglia was also told to pay £240 to witnesses who had paid for unnecessary Will alterations.
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A high court judge is to begin a public campaign this week, in order to stem the tide of divorce and family breakdown, which he called “one of the most destructive scourges of our time.”
Sir Paul Coleridge's actions will launch the Marriage Foundation, an independent organisation which will promote marriage as the best and most stable option for families and children. Other supporters include a number of senior lawyers and the Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks.
Sir Coleridge hopes that the campaign will change attitudes towards marriage across society, adding that divorce has become too easy an option, and the stability of family life has been eroded away as a result.