Compensation for Bombing of Plane

Libya provided FF 200m ($31m/£50m) to compensate families of those killed in the bombing of a UTA DC-10 over Niger on a flight from Brazzaville (Congo) to Paris on 19 September 1989. 170 people were killed. A Paris court sentence 6 Libyans in absentia in March for placing the bomb on the plane. The French Foreign Ministry said that the sum was "an acknowledgement by the Libyan authorities of the responsibility of their citizens in accordance with the rulings of French justice".

(Originally posted by John Downes)

Sex Tourism Charge

Philip Williams from Edinburgh has been charged with having sex or perfomring sexual acts with under age children whilst working as a school teacher in Cambodia. The case has been raised under a law introduced in 1992 which enables the Scots courts to hear cases of child sex abuse committed whilst the accused was abroad.

(Originally posted by John Downes)

Lockerbie: Update

The trial of the two men accused of the Lockerbie bombing is now scheduled to take place on 4 February 2000. Permission has been given to extend the 110 day rule whereby the accused must be brought before a Scottish court within 110 days of being charged. The extension was agreed because of the complexities of the case. The case will take place at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands which, for the purpose, will become Scottish territory and the case will be tried according to Scots law. The accused attempted to have the Sunday Times held in contempt of court, arguing that an article in the paper would jeopardise a fair hearing of their case. However, this was rejected by the High Court in Edinburgh on the grounds that, since the case would be before three judges rather than a jury, the accused would suffer no prejudice.

(Originally posted by John Downes)

Conviction for Sex Tourism

John Arthur Lee has become the first person to be sentence in Australia for sexual abuse of children abroad. His conviction was secured under a law passed in 1994 which enabled authorities to prosecute for sex abuse crimes committed abroad. Lee was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment on one count of sexual intercourse and four counts of indecent relations with under age girls. There were no witnesses or testimony from the victims. The court relied entirely on a series of pornographic photographs and undeveloped film which Lee had taken whilst in Cambodia. Although his face did not appear in the photogrphs he was identified from them by forensic experts.

(Originally posted by John Downes)

Warsaw Convention

On 22 April 1999 Mr Justice Howitt in the English High Court ruled that the EC Regulation on Passenger Liability is in conflict with the Warsaw Convention obligations of the UK and thus concluded that the Regulation was "in suspense". The Regulation imposed stricter obligations on air carriers than those provided under the Warsaw system.

(Originally posted by John Downes)

Package Travel Directive

The Package Travel (Amendment) Regulations 1998 were introduced to deal with the anomaly in the UK's implementation fo the Package Travel Directive. Article 4 of the Directive requires the organiser to provide the consumer, before the contract is made, with, inter alia, general information on passports and visa requirements applicable to nationals of Member States. Article 3 also requires such information to be contained in any brochures. The UK Regulations only required information for British citizens. The amendment extends the provision to cover all European Ecomonic Area citizens, i.e. EU citizens and citizens of Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

(Originally posted by John Downes)

Competition

British Airways has been fined Euro 6.8m (£4.45m / $7.12m) by the EU for breach of EU competition rules. British Airways offered extra commission to travel agents who promoted its tickets over those of its rivals. This created an illegal barrier to airlines wishing to compete with BA's dominant position.

(Originally posted by John Downes)

Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea (UK Carriers) Order 1998

This Order increses the limit of liability of UK sea carriers to 300 units of account per passenger.

(Originally posted by John Downes)

Travel Agents Provide Poor Advice

A report by the Consumers' Association, following tests of 240 travel agents throughout the UK, found that more than 2/3 failed to find the chapest fare available for a flight between London and Paris. They also failed to give advice on safety in Jamaica despite the information being available from the Foreign Office. The Consumers' Association say that the report highlights the poor level of advice on offer from travel agents. Despite this, ABTA point out that a MORI poll concluded in 1998 that 92% of holidaymakers rated the travel agnecy they most recently used as either 'very good' or 'fairly good'.

(Originally posted by John Downes)

European Airlines Improve Financial Performance

A Commission report (The European airline industry: from single market to worldwide challenges) issued on 21 May states that European airlines have improved their financial performance in response to market liberalisation. It also states that fares have been brought down by 10-24% as a result of competition. The Commission says that further streamlining of the regularory regime is necessary however, with bilateral agreements between Member States and non-EU countries hampering further restructuring.

(Originally posted by Jason Campbell)

Potential Growth in EU Tourism Employment

A Commission Communication of 28 April reports that 2.2m-3.3m extra jobs could be created in the EU by 2010, if a positive climate for investment is encouraged. The Commission proposes a three stranded strategy - better use of information, easier information facilities, and structured consultation with relevant bodies. 9m jobs in the EU are in the tourism industry, in 2m businesses. It generates 5.5% of overall GDP, 6% of employment and 30% of external trade in services. [IP/99/267]

(Originally posted by Jason Campbell)

Aircraft Noise and the Council of the EU

Europe's proposal to ban planes fitted with 'hush kits' from flying in the EU after April 2002 has been postponed until the end of April in order to allow negotiation between the Commission and the US, after the US threatened to ban Concorde in retaliation.

(Originally posted by Jason Campbell)

English High Court Clears Payment for Airport Slots

The High Court in London ruled on Thursday, 25 March, that EU Regulations do not prevent money being paid as part of an exchange of takeoff and landing slots between airlines. BA had exchanged slots with KLM, paying compensation to the Dutch airline in recognition of the greater value of its slots. The judgment does not however go so far as to permit airlines to sell their slots outright - a pair of takeoff and landing slots at Heathrow being estimated as being worth up to £3m ($5m)

(Originally posted by Jason Campbell)

Tsunami Recovery Program

The World Travel and Tourism Council has reported that the economic slump in South East Asia led to a loss of approximately 2m jobs in the industry and at least $7billion. At the ASEAN meeting in Singapore, the Minister for Trade and Industry. Lee Yock Suan, urged the public and private sectors to work closely together to promote the region's attractions, as tourism is critical to the region's recovery.

(Originally posted John Downes)

Government

In February, the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament voted to legalise brothels for the first time since 1912. Whilst prostitution was already legal, brothels were merely tolerated. Those promoting the new law argued that it would make it harder for criminals to use sex clubs as a cover and for illegal immigrants to work there.

(Originally posted by John Downes)

Jamaica

The Jamaican army is to be deployed at tourist resorts to crack down on crime and harassment of tourists. The measure followed a recommendation from the Jamaican Hotel and Tourist Association. The Opposition has criticised the measure as detrimental to the country's image and point to a dramatic decrease in the number of crimes against tourists in the last 6 years.

(Originally posted by John Downes)

China and Cambodia

The Chinese and Cambodian Governments have signed two accords, one on economic co-operation, the other on tourism. This followed the visit of Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen, to Beijing in March.

(Originally posted by John Downes)

British Dependent Territories

The UK Government has announced that it intends to give citizens of the British Dependent Territories the right of abode in the UK. This will apply to approximately 150 000 people in the following territories: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Pitcairn Island, Saint Helena and its dependencies and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The people of the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar already have this right. In exchange, these territories will have to change some of their laws to meet international standards on law enforcement co-operation, money laundering, transparency and independent financial regulation. They will also have to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights.

(Originally posted by John Downes)

Heathrow Airport Extension

The four-year public enquiry into the building of a fifth terminal at Heathrow Airport ended on 17 March 1999. The cost of the enquiry is estimated at £80m ($128m), with over 700 witnesses and yet a decision on whether to go ahead with the terminal will not be made until after the report is submitted in March 2001. The earliest possible date for completion of the terminal is 2006.

(Originally posted by John Downes)

Lord Denning

Lord Denning, of Jarvis v Swan Tours fame, died at the age of 100 on 5 March 1999. He was one of the best known and, for many, greatest English judges of the twentieth century. He was famed for his clear, succinct style in giving judgement. He described his approach to his role, "If there is any rule of law which impairs the doing of justice, then it is the province of the judge to do all that he legitimately can to avoid that rule – or even to change it – so as to do justice in the instant case before him. He need not wait for the legislature to intervene".

(Originally posted by John Downes)