Landlords call for new housing court to speed up justice
November 4th 2019The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is calling for a new housing court to speed up justice for landlords and tenants. The association says that under Civil Procedure Rules, repossession claims should only take about nine weeks, but official figures show they’re taking an average of more than 22 weeks. It believes that the government’s proposal to abolish Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions will add to the number of cases going through…
Doctor hired through her company still classed as a ‘worker’
October 28th 2019A doctor who provided services through her own company has been classed as a “worker” for employment law purposes, giving her various rights and protections. Reshma Narayan was registered with Community Based Care Health Ltd as a “duty doctor” and worked regular shifts on a 12-week rota at a single NHS medical practice. She was not obliged to accept work and Community was not obliged to provide any. She took…
Sisters lose shares in farm after father dies without making a Will
October 24th 2019The granddaughters of a farmer have lost their shares in his farm because of complications that arose when their father died without making a Will. The grandfather had died in 1992, leaving behind a wife and four children. His Will stated that the farm was to be left to his wife and two of his sons as tenants in common. The Will added that in order to receive their share…
New rules to ensure large firms pay promptly come into effect
October 21st 2019New rules that mean large companies could lose lucrative government business if they don’t pay their suppliers on time have now come into force. The rules, effective from 1 September, mean companies must pay 95% of their invoices within 60 days or run the risk of losing out on major government contracts. This will be particularly beneficial for small businesses, which are an important part of the supply chain. The…
The second edition of our Agricultural News is now live …
October 15th 2019“Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter. We live in ‘interesting times’, and our job as lawyers is to guide you through them and to help you avoid the pitfalls along the way. Please excuse me for giving a huge congratulations to our whole team, including the unsung support staff, on having their skills and service recognised nationally – more on that below. I hope you will find that…
Manager unfairly dismissed after ‘seriously flawed’ investigation
October 14th 2019By Joanne Stronach Head of Employment & HR A council manager who was unfairly dismissed has been awarded £100,618 compensation and reinstated in his job. Mr J Thornhill had worked at Camden Borough Council for 37 years. In 2017, the council was ordered to pay compensation over the mishandling of the tendering process for a contract to provide street lighting. It was Thornhill’s job to assess the requirements in the…
Help to Buy scheme is not delivering expected value, say MPs
October 9th 2019By Elizabeth Crouch Head of Residential Conveyancing The value of the government’s Help to Buy scheme has been called into question by MPs on the Public Accounts Committee. They say much of the money invested could have been better spent elsewhere. The Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme was introduced in April 2013 by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (the Department) to address a fall in property…
Rise in probate fees on hold after recent turmoil in parliament
October 2nd 2019By Sian Rae Solicitor The proposed increase in probate fees has been put on hold due to the recent turmoil in parliament. It’s not clear if or when the increases will take effect. Currently there is a flat fee of £215, or £155 if a solicitor is involved. The government had planned to introduce a banded system that caps the fee at 0.5% of the value of the estate, up…
Pub manager was sexually harassed by ‘jovial’ co-worker
September 30th 2019by Joanne Stronach Head of Employment & HR A pub manager has won a sexual harassment claim after a senior co-worker engaged in ‘poor taste humour’. The Employment Tribunal judge said the case showed that a person’s dignity can be violated even when there is no ‘malicious intent’ on the part of the perpetrator. Ms J Prewett had worked for Greene King for 23 years. She was manager of the Big…
NHS director ‘was not discriminated against’ over religious beliefs
September 23rd 2019by Joanne Stronach Head of Employment & HR An NHS director who was suspended after he made controversial comments based on his religious beliefs has failed with his discrimination claim. Richard Page was a non-executive director of an NHS and social care trust, and held a position as a lay magistrate in the family court. He was a practising Christian and had strong views against same-sex couples being suitable adoptive parents.…
