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June 24th, 2005:

MR JUSTICE LADDIE

THE JUDGEMENT AND ETHICS OF THE SHELL SMART TRIAL CONTROVERSIAL JUDGE, MR JUSTICE LADDIE, HAS BEEN CALLED INTO QUESTION BY HIS EXTRAORDINARY RESIGNATION

COMPILATION FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2005 AND UPDATED FROM TIME TO TIME THEREAFTER WITH EARLIER AND LATER INFORMATION

Legal Week: Top judge accused of bias in landmark patent appeal: 2 May 2002

The Times: 16 May 2006: Added commentary: “ShellNews.net: Sir Hugh Laddie was the Judge for the Donovan -v- Shell U.K. Limited “Shell Smart” trial at the Royal Courts of Justice. At the time, he was still a High Court Judge known as Mr Justice Laddie. He  resigned from being a Judge in controversial circumstances. By coincidence or otherwise, this was subsequent to a letter of complaint sent by Alfred Donovan to the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer.”Times: Definitely no regrets: there is life beyond the High Court read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

The Independent: John Walsh: Tales of the city

The Independent: John Walsh: Tales of the city

“What is one to make of the behaviour of Sir Hugh Laddie, better known as Mr Justice Laddie…”

Posted Friday 24 June 2005

Where will it end? Ambition, ties and socks are all being left behind in the pursuit of fun

What is one to make of the behaviour of Sir Hugh Laddie, better known as Mr Justice Laddie, an awesomely distinguished, vertiginously eminent senior judge at the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice? He has done a runner. He has legged it. Bored with judicial protocol, enervated by the daily wrestling-match with arcane questions of copyright and “intellectual property” (his special subject), he has chucked it all in, to join a firm of solicitors as a consultant. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

The Guardian: Boredom forces judge to quit

The Guardian: Boredom forces judge to quit

Clare Dyer, legal editor

A high court judge who is leaving the bench to join a firm of solicitors because he is bored with judging took fellow judges by surprise yesterday.

Mr Justice Laddie has risked the disapproval of the legal establishment by breaking the unwritten convention that the bench is a life sentence ended only by retirement or death.

Yesterday his resignation was the talk of the inns of court where judges meet for lunch. One appeal court judge said: “For some of the old school people at Lincoln’s Inn, saying he was going to join a firm of solicitors was a double insult.” read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Daily Telegraph: Boredom, comedy, high drama – what more could a judge ask for?

Daily Telegraph (UK): Boredom, comedy, high drama – what more could a judge ask for?

Friday 24 June 2005

By Tom Utley

(Filed: 24/06/2005)

Anybody who has sat through a long court case will have a great deal of sympathy with Mr Justice Laddie, who looks like a jolly sort of fellow from his photograph. He is the High Court judge who announced this week that he was resigning from the Bench because he no longer found the work “stimulating”. At the age of 59, he plans to join a firm of solicitors, because he thinks that working with a team will be more fun than sitting in lonely judgment in the Chancery Division, as he has done for the past 10 years. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

The Washington Post: Shell shareholders to back unification

Another dampener on Shell’s biggest corporate overhaul since the two holding firms tied up in 1907, is a spat over the rights to the web domain “royaldutchshellplc.com.” Disgruntled shareholder Alfred Donovan beat Shell to register the domain name. Shell has sued Donovan for the rights to the domain but while the matter plays out, Donovan uses the site to lambaste Shell management.

The Washington Post: Shell shareholders to back unification

Friday 24 June 2005

All Reuters News DUBLIN (Reuters) – Royal Dutch/Shell shareholders are expected to vote overwhelmingly in favor of scrapping the oil giant’s century-old dual-listed structure on Tuesday.

Shell hopes the unification of its Dutch and British parent companies will improve management efficiency and accountability, areas on which the firm needs to reassure investors after a damaging reserves overbooking scandal last year.

“It’s what investors have been calling for. Hopefully it will sail through … we hope it’s going to augur a new era,” said Richard Lewis, who manages $8 billion, including Royal Dutch shares, for New Star Asset Management in London. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Daily Express: Shell Chief’s scientific outlook

Daily Express: Shell Chief’s scientific outlook

Friday 24 June 2005

City & Business Editor: Stephen Kahn: email: [email protected]

Article by Andrew Johnson

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Jeroen van der Veer is to beef up Shell’s science and technology work as part of moves to show there is life after the oil giant’s disastrous recent past.

Outlining where he would like the company to be in 1o years, van der Veer said innovation would play a crucial role in giving it a competitive edge.

The move comes ahead of the company’s annual meeting on Tuesday, when shareholders are expected to rubber-stamp a revamp of Shell’s three-board, two company structure to a single board and company. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Nigerian Ogonis say Shell threatens peace move

Reuters: Nigerian Ogonis say Shell threatens peace move

Friday 24 June 2005

LAGOS, June 23 (Reuters) – An ethnic Ogoni group from Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta accused Shell on Thursday of undermining a new government initiative to reconcile Ogoni communities with the oil multinational.

The local unit of Royal Dutch/Shellwas forced out of Ogoniland in 1993 by protests and attacks against installations over Ogoni demands for a bigger share of oil profits and anger at environmental damage.

Earlier this month President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed a Catholic priest as a mediator to try to bring about a reconciliation. Shell says it will only resume production in the Ogoni area if the communities agree. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Globe & Mail (Canada): Shell grabs more B.C. land

Globe & Mail (Canada): Shell grabs more B.C. land

24 June 2005

By PATRICK BRETHOUR

Continuing to ramp up its exploration efforts, Shell Canada Ltd. has snapped up the biggest share of British Columbia’s annual sale of oil and gas rights.

The Calgary-based energy company said yesterday it spent $85-million for 23,379 hectares in northeastern British Columbia, which will double the size of its exploration area for non-conventional natural gas.

Shell has abandoned its previous aim of stabilizing its conventional production and reserves in Western Canada and is instead now actively and aggressively exploring, a message the head of the company repeated this week. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Reuters Canada: Shell Canada pays C$85 mln for B.C. acreage

Reuters Canada: Shell Canada pays C$85 mln for B.C. acreage

Friday 24 June 2005

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Shell Canada Ltd. has acquired a large tract of land in northeastern British Columbia for C$85 million ($69 million) as it looks to repeat recent gas drilling success, the company said on Thursday.

Shell Canada, the country’s No. 2 oil producer and refiner, said it picked up 58,000 acres in the Deep Basin area and it expects to start drilling next winter.

The company has been boosting exploration efforts in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and in 2004 made a large gas discovery after reexamining lands it has drilled for years. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

The Hague proves a stumbling block

Financial Times: The Hague proves a stumbling block

Friday 24 June 2005

By Clay Harris

Mary Jo Jacobi, Royal Dutch/Shell’s vice-president for external affairs since 2001, plans to leave in the autumn. She has taken on new UK commitments this year, including appointment as a civil service commissioner and marriage to Patrick Jephson, former private secretary to Diana, Princess of Wales.

Jacobi helped to design the new corporate affairs directorate in the unified group on which investors will vote next week. She has decided, however, not to stay, because that would mean moving to The Hague. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
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