The ARCH Blog (Free subscription) | 2 hours ago
Ed Balls pointed at Haringey again yesterday: There is “clear evidence” mistakes were made “singly and collectively” in the Baby P case, according to Children’s Minister Ed Balls. Shouldn’t he wait for the results of the inquiries, or is he tacitly acknowledging they’re more about damage limitation than substantive analysis? Perhaps it was yesterday’s Ofsted report pointing [...]
PJH Law - Employment Law Blog (Free subscription) | 3 hours ago
I was reading through my Gazette yesterday and was particularly glad to read the employment law report detailing the Court of Appeal decision in Blackburn and anor v Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police. I must say at this point that I may be a bit biased as I have a partner in the police and have the [...]
Times Online (Free subscription) | yesterday
Commercial lawyers already under pressure to reduce fees as the market worsens are facing a new challenge with the introduction of new accounting rules governing M&A transactions.
PJH Law - Employment Law Blog (Free subscription) | yesterday
It’s not often that immigration law and employment law meet but the case reported here illustrates the possible synergies. A foreign student was in the UK on a student visa which allowed him to work for up to 20 hours a week. Could he enforce his statutory rights where he in fact worked more than 20 hours in [...]
PJH Law - Employment Law Blog (Free subscription) | yesterday
In the current gloomy economic climate it might surprise you that there are any skill shortages remaining but there are. Last week the UK Border Agency published the final list of shortage occupations for Tier 2 of the Points Based System (PBS). The list and background guidance can be found here. We reported previously on the recommendations [...]
The ARCH Blog (Free subscription) | yesterday
Almost missed this one: The government has a near complete contempt for children’s rights and privacy. How else are we to explain the access to be granted to a million people to the children’s database ContactPoint, which launches in January, or the 1 million children now on the Police National DNA database. [...]
Times Online (Free subscription) | yesterday
Marco Pierre White lost his privacy action yesterday against lawyers acting for his wife who obtained his private documents.
Times Online (Free subscription) | yesterday
Britain’s most senior woman judge gave warning last night that the Government’s proposed overhaul of equality laws would not close the pay or gender gap.
PJH Law - Employment Law Blog (Free subscription) | yesterday
Job losses in retail and financial services have not come as too much of a surprise. The housing market is shot to pieces and you would expect a knock on effect on consumer spending and housing related sectors. However Rolls Royce announcing 2000 job losses suggests that the downturn (as the BBC euphemistically call it) is [...]
PJH Law - Employment Law Blog (Free subscription) | yesterday
On termination of employment an employee is entitled to a tax free allowance of up to £30,000.00 on any severance or termination payment. Any payment referable to the contract is taxable. A payment in lieu of notice is usually treated as falling within the tax free allowance, provided there is not a clause in the contract reserving the [...]
PJH Law - Employment Law Blog (Free subscription) | yesterday
There are two types of tax an employee could be subject to whilst in employment: Income Tax - deducted at source on his salary (wages) and benefits (BUPA, Car) Capital Gains Tax (CGT) - If the employee has a share in the business, he can be subject to CGT if the disposal proceeds of the share exceed [...]
Times Online (Free subscription) | yesterday
There are just eight days left to apply for what must be the hottest jobs in the judiciary — the first specifically appointed posts in the new supreme court. There are three vacancies, as three law lords will retire between now and the start of the court next autumn (Lord Hoffmann, Lord Carswell and Lord Scott of Foscote). For the first time candidates for the highest court in the land must apply....
Times Online (Free subscription) | yesterday
“Hypocrite!” cry the lawyers and privacy claimants. Well they might. The outrageous claim by Paul Dacre, Editor of the Daily Mail, that Mr Justice Eady is condoning “depraved” practices by applying the law is rich, coming from him.
Times Online (Free subscription) | yesterday
Nick Trenticosta runs the Centre for Equal Justice in the US, a non-profit, post-conviction law firm representing people on death row. He has been giving talks in London, Brighton and Cambridge for Pro Bono Week, and encouraging people to join Amicus, which sends interns to the US to assist capital defence attorneys. He is presently acting for Manuel Ortiz, whose spiritual adviser is Sister Helen Prejean;...
Times Online (Free subscription) | yesterday
With unemployment predicted to rise above three million, many employers are starting to plan on how to cut their wage bills. While BT and Citibank have announced that thousands of their jobs will go, City law firms report that surprisingly few employers have yet decided on large-scale redundancies. “While some clients have started redundancy programmes,” says Roland Doughty, of Slaughter and May, “the...
