Tag Archives: cultural property

Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill scrutinised by Lords at Committee Stage

Posted on: July 4, 2016 by Emily Gould

It was heartening to see the strong support for the Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill 2016 when it was debated at the Committee Stage in the House of Lords last week (28 June). The Lords discussed at length, and with some passion, the amendments tabled by a number of peers. The proposals for changes came […]

Brexit and the changes to ‘art law’

Posted on: June 29, 2016 by Alexander Herman

Of course we need to mention the very real possibility of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union following last Thursday’s referendum vote. We held a class on Saturday as part of our Diploma in Art Profession Law and Ethics (with some sad faces in the room, it should be said) and listed off a number of instruments and regulations in […]

Good news as UK to finally adopt Hague Convention

Posted on: May 19, 2016 by Alexander Herman

At long last… It was announced in the Queen’s speech yesterday that the UK Parliament would see the introduction of a bill to ratify the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. This is a positive sign and one that had been hinted at (with little more) by […]

Conviction at last under 2003 Act

Posted on: May 11, 2016 by Alexander Herman

An important piece of legislation, brought into force around the time of the UK’s accession to the UNESCO 1970 Convention in 2002, has at last been used as the basis for a conviction. The statute, the Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003, sets out an offence for dishonestly dealing in tainted cultural objects. The term ‘tainted’ for […]

New Sentencing Guidelines show their teeth

Posted on: April 20, 2016 by Emily Gould

It was heartening to read the report by Cahal Milmo in the i newspaper last week about the first application of the new Sentencing Guidelines for theft offences. The guidelines urge courts to take into account the special nature of heritage assets when sentencing offenders for theft crimes, giving official recognition to the devastating harm […]

2016 IAL Diploma course begins next month

Posted on: January 15, 2016 by Ruth Redmond-Cooper

The Institute of Art & Law’s Diploma in Art Profession Law and Ethics course (DipAPLE) is set to begin next month, comprising seven monthly sessions running from February to July 2016. DipAPLE, which has been running for ten years, is an intensive and interactive course open both to lawyers and professionals from the art market or museum […]

Five Motunui Panels at last returned to NZ tribe

Posted on: September 8, 2015 by Alexander Herman

Following up on a post from last year, the five Motunui panels that had been illegally exported from New Zealand back in the 1970s have finally made the journey back to the tribal lands from which they came. The panels have been with the people of the Te Atiawa since March 2015, having been earlier kept at the Te Papa […]

Behind the scenes of the Subhash Kapoor operation

Posted on: July 30, 2015 by Ruth Redmond-Cooper

An interesting and in-depth article appeared last week in the New York Times about Subhash Kapoor’s antiquities smuggling operation. This involved looted antiquities that had been taken from a number of cultural and religious sites throughout India, then sold to unsuspecting buyers. These were buyers of importance, including the National Gallery of Australia, which had purchased […]

DipIPC in less than a week, and other June events

Posted on: June 3, 2015 by Ruth Redmond-Cooper

The Diploma in Intellectual Property and Collections (DipIPC) course, aimed at art/museum professionals and legal practitioners, will begin in London in one week. This three day course (10-12 June) will cover art, copyright, moral rights, the new UK legislation, orphan works, licensing and international dealings with art. For more information, click here. And there will be two […]

International Art Transactions: 13 May 2015 seminar

Posted on: March 31, 2015 by Ruth Redmond-Cooper

On Wednesday 13 May 2015 from 2-5.30 pm there will be an Institute of Art & Law seminar in association with Maurice Turnor Gardner LLP held at the firm’s London offices in Milton Street EC2Y 9BH. The seminar will explore the legal issues surrounding international art transactions, covering questions of title, customs duties and freeports, working with foreign […]