Employers told to do more to ensure workers receive full holiday pay entitlement
A new government campaign has been launched urging employers to do more to ensure correct payment for annual leave and to improve awareness among employees of their holiday pay entitlement. The responsibility to ensure the correct calculation and payment of workers’ holiday pay lies with employers, but recent figures show an alarming number of employees […]
Leaseholders Pursuing Claims Against Conveyancers Over Ground Rent Advice
Growing numbers of UK leaseholders are taking legal action against conveyancers over legal advice they received when purchasing their leasehold house. Leaseholders who believe they were not clearly informed of the risks of leasehold ownership or that they were buying a leasehold property at the point of purchase are now seeking compensation from their legal […]
Future of McKenzie Reforms Remain Unclear
The government has been called on by the Judicial Executive Board (JEB) to rule on the future role and status of McKenzie Friends in court proceedings. The use of McKenzie friends has risen notably in line with the number of litigants in person under the Legal Aid reforms of 2013 under the Legal Aid, Sentencing […]
First Time Buyers Make Up Biggest Part of UK Property Market For First Time in 25 years
First time buyers are making up the biggest part of the UK housing market for the first time in almost a quarter of a century, according to the latest Halifax First-Time Buyer Review. The number of first-time buyers has gone up two per cent in the last 12 months, continuing an upward trend over the […]
Millions of UK Adults Prepared to Contest Family Wills at Court, Says Research
12.6 million Brits said they would contest a loved one’s will if they were unhappy with how the estate had been divided, according to research by Direct Line Life Insurance. The poll looked at responses from across the UK, with those most willing to dispute in Southampton (31%), London (29%) and Norwich (29%). Whether the […]
Updated guidance published on age discrimination in the workplace
New age discrimination guidance for employers has been published to help businesses tackle the root causes of discriminatory acts in the workplace. In the 27-page document, ACAS provides best practice guidelines for the prevention of age discrimination in the workplace and highlights potential pitfalls in recruiting, training, performance management and dismissal in terms of the […]
Fine for H Samuel Over Unfair Pricing Promotions Online
High Street jewellery chain H Samuel has been fined £60,000 after pleading guilty to 17 breaches of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations. The company, owned by Signet Trading Limited, was investigated by the trading standards service of Torfaen Council in Wales for use of unfair pricing promotions online. The breached related to sale […]
High Court Rules in Accordance With Certified Copy of Will Where Original May or May Not Have Been Destroyed by Deceased
The High Court has ruled that an estate be administered in accordance with a certified copy of a will against a claim of revocation of the original by destruction. In Blyth v Sykes, the court considered how to deal with the presumption of revocation of a will by destruction when the original will cannot be […]
Cohabitants Warned Not to Fall Foul of Common Law Marriage Myth
A recent survey has revealed common law marriage remains a commonly held myth. 46% of the public believe that cohabiting couples form a common law marriage, according to the British Social Attitudes Survey 2019, conducted by The National Centre for Social Research. This figure increases to 55% among those with children, whereas 41% of households […]
Single Parents of Surrogate Children Granted New Rights to Apply for Parental Orders
Single parents of surrogate children are now permitted to apply for parental orders following a welcome change in the law. Under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (Remedial) Order 2018, the rights of single parents have been brought in line with those of couples in being able to apply for parental responsibility where there […]
Changes to UK Immigration Rules January 2019
In its Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, the Government has laid down the latest changes affecting UK immigration policy. New Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme for Non-EU workers 2019 will see the introduction of a new two-year pilot scheme for seasonal employment in the horticultural sector. The scheme will initially be trialled with selected operators, […]
Immigration Health Surcharge has Doubled
From today, the UK’s immigration health surcharge has been doubled from £200 to £400 per visa applicant per year. The increase also applies to those eligible for the discounted rate, which has risen from £150 to £300. This affects students and those on youth mobility schemes. The new rates apply to all relevant applications made […]
Is it Illegal to Deny Prisoners Legal Aid?
Refusing prisoners legal aid in both England and Wales which would enable them to question the way in which they are held could be illegal according to the Court of Appeal. The Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prisoners’ Advice Service (PAS) charities have both been given permission by senior judges to put forward […]