Every newspaper columnist seems to have an “emergency” article up their sleeves to deal with the situation when there is nothing to write about. The piece runs through their thoughts about all the things they could write about, before arriving at a conclusion that there is nothing to be said, coincidentally just at the 1,200 word stage when the article is complete.
I sat down today in a spare moment and wondered what I could choose to write about. I struggled for about 5 seconds and came out with the list below.
I won’t guarantee to produce anything about any of them, but I will do my best.
If I have missed anything, or there are particular ones my reader would want me to write about, then put a note in the comments!
What is the Meaning of “Default” in the Mortgage Pre Action Requirements? -RBS v McConnell and NRAM v Millar – a decision of Sheriff Deutsch showing, yet again, that Scottish mortgage lenders have ignored the correct interpretation of the law, in good faith I am sure, in trying to re-possess people’s homes, and thoughts about what a court should do about the potential that an action is incompetent, even if no one appears to oppose it.
Criminal Appeals and the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission – The Al-Megrahi Case – latest developments
The “Double Jeopardy” Rule – which no longer exists in Scotland, and the manoeuvrings to bring back to court the “World’s End” case
The Legalities of Claims upon a Solicitors’ Client Account – the five parties contesting the Collyer Bristow £3.6 million to be heard starting at the end of March and some interesting connections
The Special Administration Regime for financial service companies – did you know Pritchards, Stockbrokers (Company Secretary Craig Whyte) is only the second UK company to enter the SAR?
The Effects of Articles of Association of a Limited Company – and how this relates to the SFL and SFA dealing with licence applications by existing football teams, and by new applicants.
What is “Disrepute”? – The SFA case against Craig Whyte and Rangers, to be heard on 29th March
Can a Company Demand Repayment of Funds Paid to a Trust, and which the Trust “Lends” to Company Employees?
The Rights of Minority Shareholders, taking the SPL as a case study
The Assignation of Future Rights in Scots Law. Is the view of the English courts, interpreting the Rome Convention, and generally followed by Scottish courts, that intimation of the future rights is necessary? Or is the Dutch view, that proper law of the assignation, rather than that of the contract for the original debt, governs the proprietary effects? Or is the view of the French courts, as adopted in the Guiliano-Lagarde Report on the Rome Convention, namely that the property laws of International Private Law apply correct? In other words, what about the case of Rangers Football Club PLC (In Administration) v Ticketus, presently ongoing at the Court of Session!
The Responsibilities of Company Directors and Company Secretaries – using as a study the differing views of Sir David Murray, Hugh Adam and Campbell Ogilvie, with a side order of Gary Withey.
How easy is it to Get Charity Law Wrong? The “Legends” Match, and “charitable donations by the Fighting Fund.
The Technicality of Appointment of Administrators, or the Duff & Phelps Hokey Cokey, as it will henceforth be known
What Do Duff & Phelps in New York think about what is happening n Glasgow?
Apart from all of the above, I really have no idea what to write about. A cup of tea, and maybe inspiration shall strike!
Random Thoughts Re Scots Law by Paul McConville 
More fire to your pen Paul, may it long continue.
How about a piece on countries that don’t have extradition treaties with the UK?
Decisions, decisions. So many things to investigate and write about. Too many for just one man. You need a group of legal volunteers/policy analysts to assemble these multiple issues. Is there a focal point for a truth think tank to be formed by ineternet brainpots to preempt any hoodwinking?
I really enjoyed reading your words and dry humour above during my morning tea (it is 10.45 am in NZ).
Thank you Paul. You brought a smile to my face
Go for it. Never have so many wanted to know so much about ‘the law’. Maybe we should be using ‘football’ as case studies in higher education … for all subjects 😉 Well done.
More on Duff & Phelps New York please.
Great work as always Paul.
A plan of how regular footy fans can use their status to get the football authorities to be open, transparent and responsible to the people who pay their wages.
We used to be lucky to get a negative RFC (IA) story once a season, now we get a new one every hour – the dam is well and truly burst. Keep up the excellent scrutiny Paul
would it be possible to squeeze in a paragraph about rfc going into administration for the second time and likelihood of being given a 25 point deduction?
droid raises an interesting point. I thought the point was that, in fact, they’ve technically not yet been in administration. So presumably the SPL should give them their 10 points back (which would keep off Motherwell – at least for a few days, see next para).
And then, if the court accepts D&P’s request to backdate the administration, then the SPL could re-impose the 10 point deduction, on a back-dated basis naturally, and we’d all be back to where we started. Or not.
Good man Paul. We live in interesting times. Keep her lit!
Lots of goodies to choose from there, Paul.
“The Responsibilities of Company Directors and Company Secretaries – using as a study the differing views of Sir David Murray, Hugh Adam and Campbell Ogilvie, with a side order of Gary Withey.”
This one seems to me to be a crucial issue. My (wholly unreliable) understanding is that the Co. Sec. is the director who has the greatest responsibility to ensure that every piece of business complies with whatever laws, rules, regulations or procedures are relevant. I also (wholly unreliably) understand that ignorance of the law is no defence in law. Where would that leave Mr. Ogilvie if it were to transpire that the EBT arrangements which came into force when he was the Company Secretary of Rangers FC (Pre-Administration) turned out to be illegal?