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The Advertising Standards Agency ruled in favour of Cancer Research, upholding its complaints about a series of posters commissioned by tobacco giant Gallaher Group. The ads claimed that Government plans to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes would result in an increase in black market trade in counterfeit tobacco products by making brands easier to fake. It was held that the claim that the black market in tobacco was “booming” would be misunderstood – although it remained a problem, trade in illicit tobacco had declined significantly in the last decade. Also, the advert’s assertion that unpaid revenue on counterfeit cigarettes had cost the public purse £3bn in the past year was shown to be misleading – the £3bn figure related to HMRC’s combined upper estimates for cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco.
The Bar launched its first ever nursery at Smithfield House, which will offer flexible childcare facilities near the Inns of Court at special rates for all members of the Bar, as well as chambers staff and Bar Council employees. It will be open from 7am until 7pm in order to accommodate those whose practice involves travelling to courts across the country.
Agriculture minister David Heath announced plans to ban circuses from using wild animals. The draft Wild Animals in Circuses Bill was introduced in Parliament on Tuesday, and proposes to allow a two year “grace period” for circuses to find suitable care for the animals before introducing a blanket ban.
Cardiff Employment Tribunal dismissed a claim for discrimination on the grounds of race from a Liberian-born job applicant who was denied a job interview by Virgin Atlantic. The claimant argued that when he reapplied with a British-sounding name he was offered an interview. The Tribunal held that the claimant had not merely changed his name in the false application; it was an entirely different application designed to meet the employer’s criteria for the role.
Finally, on Wednesday New Zealand’s House of Representatives passed a bill allowing same-sex marriage. Those in the public gallery were so delighted they burst into the traditional Maori love song “Pokarekare Ana”:
