School of Law

Time 11:00-12:00

Title of event : “Climate litigation against banks”

Bio

Prof. Dr. Danny Busch holds the Financial Law Chair and is the founding Director of the Financial Law Centre (FLC) at Radboud University, Nijmegen. He is a Senior Research Fellow of Harris Manchester College and a Fellow of the Commercial Law Centre, University of Oxford. Professor Busch is a Deputy Justice in the Amsterdam Court of Appeal (Commercial Law Division) and a Member of the Appeals Committee of the Financial Services Complaints Tribunal (KiFiD, the body for alternative dispute resolution in the Dutch financial services sector). He holds or has held invited Professorships at Université de Nice Côte d’Azur, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano and Università degli studi di Genova. Professor Busch is founding editor of the Oxford EU Financial Regulation Series (OUP) and of the EBI Studies in Banking and Capital Markets Law (Springer Nature Group). He is extensively engaged in the provision of training to attorneys-at-law, financial regulators and financial professionals. After having graduated with highest honours in Dutch law from Utrecht University in 1997, he was awarded the degree of Magister Juris in European and Comparative Law by the University of Oxford (St. John’s College) in 1998. From 1998 until 2001 he held the position of lecturer and researcher at the Molengraaff Institute of Private Law in Utrecht. In 2002 he defended his PhD in Utrecht (Indirect Representation in European Contract Law (Kluwer Law International 2005)). From 2002 until 2010 he was an attorney-at-law (advocaat) with the leading Dutch international law firm De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek in Amsterdam where he practised banking and securities law (both the private and public law aspects).

Event time: 13:00 - 14:30

Title: ‘Private Nuisance and Private Spaces: Reflections on Fearn v Tate’

Abstract 

The recent and controversial decision of the UK Supreme Court in Fearn v Tate Gallery has caused many to question the nature of the law of private nuisance. To many commentators, it has seemed that Fearn expanded the law into new territory, opening up a wide sphere of potential future liability. Many have also felt that the decision is inconsistent with the proper foundations of the law, in particular with the idea that the task of the law is to protect rights incidental to property. This talk questions both of these views. It argues that the scape of Fearn is much narrower than sometimes appreciated. Moreover, it maintains that Fearn helps to reveal a most fundamental aspect of the right that lies at the heart of the law of private nuisance. 

Bio

Professor Beever is currently Professor of Law at the Auckland University of Technology. He has previously held positions at the Universities of South Australia, Ottawa, Southampton, Durham and Auckland and at the Max Plank Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Hamburg. He has written or taught in the areas of tort law, contract law, the law of unjust enrichment, legal theory, philosophy of law, jurisprudence, comparative law, political philosophy and the philosophy of Immanuel Kant.

Event time: 15:00 - 16:00 (online)

Title: Are there Ever ‘Vulnerable Investors?

Abstract 

Many jurisdictions around the world draw a line between investors on the basis of financial means - providing higher levels of protection to those with less money to invest. Whilst this initially appears to be justified, recent events have called into question whether this approach is justified and whether higher-income individuals also need additional protection. The increased cost of living, increased life expectancy and frequency of fraudulent investment scams challenge the traditional distinction between 'sophisticated' and 'unsophisticated' investors. Some jurisdictions have responded to this challenge by increasing the level of means, creating an 'opt-in' system or utilising other forms of protection, but they do not appear to be sufficient responses. This paper questions whether a return to the traditional distinction of consumer and investor is a better way to respond and ensure adequate protection for those making important investment decisions about their ongoing retirement and living costs.

Event time: 6pm - 7pm

In Conversation with Akua Reindorf (KC), Annie Powell and Professor Jo Phoenix: the implications of the Phoenix judgement.

In 2021, Professor Phoenix took her former employer (The Open University) to an employment tribunal for discrimination, harassment, bullying and constructive dismissal on the grounds of her gender critical beliefs. In 2024, the judgement was published and Professor Phoenix won a decisive victory. Overall, the tribunal found 2 acts of direct discrimination, 388 acts of harassment, wrongful and unfair constructive dismissal and post-employment victimization.

This is an In Conversation style event in which Akua Reindorf (KC and author of the Reindorf Report), Annie Powell (Partner, Leigh Day) and Professor Jo Phoenix will discuss the Phoenix -v- The Open University Employment Tribunal judgement and its implications for universities. The discussion will be chaired by Professor Devenney (Head of the School of Law, University of Reading) and opened by Professor Robert van de Noort (VC, University of Reading).

Please note: Only one ticket can be booked at a time.