Increased awards for pupil barristers – but also debts – Legal Futures

Posted March 14th, 2024 in barristers, debts, news, pupillage, remuneration by sally

‘Pupil barristers are receiving increased awards for their work but debt levels are also rising, a survey by the Bar Council has found.’

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Legal Futures, 14th March 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Black women at the Bar: challenges faced and a fairer future – Counsel

‘Bibi Badejo reports from a packed Inns of Court Women’s Alliance event examining the experiences of Black women barristers and imparting crucial advice for Black women navigating the legal profession.’

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Counsel, 19th February 2024

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Royal Parks workers bring landmark case over race and equal pay – The Guardian

Posted February 20th, 2024 in contracting out, London, minimum wage, news, parks, race discrimination, remuneration by tracey

‘A group of toilet cleaners and attendants for London’s most famous parks could be about to make legal history in the court of appeal by arguing that their outsourced contracts amounted to indirect race discrimination.’

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The Guardian, 20th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

CA holds incentives to agree changes to scheme taxable – Pensions Barrister

Posted February 15th, 2024 in income tax, national insurance, news, pensions, remuneration by sally

‘Paul Newman KC considers the decision of the CA in HMRC v E.ON UK Plc (28 November 2023), in which the CA overturned a somewhat surprising decision of the UT that a one-off cash payment from an employer to scheme members, in return for them giving up future pension benefits, was not taxable.’

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Pensions Barrister, 15th February 2024

Source: www.pensionsbarrister.com

Water bosses in England and Wales face bonus bans for illegal sewage discharges – The Guardian

‘Ministers are to ban bonuses for water company bosses in England and Wales who fail to prevent illegal sewage spills that pollute rivers, lakes and seas.’

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The Guardian, 11th February 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

The legality of the new minimum income requirement – EIN Blog

Posted February 1st, 2024 in families, human rights, news, remuneration, social security by sally

‘The recently announced plan to increase the minimum income requirement (MIR) to £38,700 led to widespread criticism, with the government appearing to exclude all but the affluent from establishing family life in the UK. This has led to a partial policy shift, with it now announced that the threshold to sponsor a spouse will not rise to this amount until 2025, with an interim rise to £29,000 taking place in the Spring. Nonetheless, even this lower amount will be unaffordable to many families, raising questions about the compatibility of the rise with Convention rights. In R (MM) Lebanon v SSHD [2017] UKSC 10 the Supreme Court found that the initial MIR, set at £18,600, was lawful. In this post, I will highlight two key problems with the judgment, along with the failure of the MIR to restrict the social security entitlement of many affected families: the MIR’s primary justification.’

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EIN Blog, 31st January 2024

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Criminal legal aid “coming apart at the seams”, High Court says – Legal Futures

‘Two High Court judges have described the system of criminal legal aid as “slowly coming apart at the seams” and reliant on solicitors’ goodwill and sense of public duty.’

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Legal Futures, 1st February 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

The legality of the new minimum income requirement – EIN Blog

‘The recently announced plan to increase the minimum income requirement (MIR) to £38,700 led to widespread criticism, with the government appearing to exclude all but the affluent from establishing family life in the UK. This has led to a partial policy shift, with it now announced that the threshold to sponsor a spouse will not rise to this amount until 2025, with an interim rise to £29,000 taking place in the Spring. Nonetheless, even this lower amount will be unaffordable to many families, raising questions about the compatibility of the rise with Convention rights. In R (MM) Lebanon v SSHD [2017] UKSC 10 the Supreme Court found that the initial MIR, set at £18,600, was lawful. In this post, I will highlight two key problems with the judgment, along with the failure of the MIR to restrict the social security entitlement of many affected families: the MIR’s primary justification.’

Full Story

EIN Blog, 31st January 2024

Source: www.ein.org.uk

New year, same ethnicity pay gap concerns – still no mandatory reporting – Kingsley Napley Employment Law Blog

‘After five years of consultation, last year the government confirmed there are no plans to make ethnicity pay gap reporting mandatory for employers. The ethnicity pay gap being the difference between the average earnings of white employees and those of other ethnic groups.’

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Kingsley Napley Employment Law Blog, 23rd January 2024

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

Court of Appeal to rule on first post-PACCAR funding agreement – Legal Futures

‘The Court of Appeal is set to rule on whether a litigation funding agreement (LFA) that was amended to take account of the Supreme Court ruling in PACCAR is valid.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd January 2024

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Fitter working for Sharps takes legal action over employment rights – The Guardian

Posted January 2nd, 2024 in holiday pay, minimum wage, news, penalties, remuneration, self-employment, sick leave by tracey

‘A fitter working for the furniture chain Sharps Bedrooms is taking legal action for better employment rights in a case that could open the door to improving conditions and pay for thousands of gig economy workers fitting kitchens, bathrooms and cupboards for big chains.’

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The Guardian, 2nd January 2024

Source: www.theguardian.com

Legal action planned over UK’s ‘cruel’ income threshold visa rules – The Guardian

‘Multinational families threatened with division or exile by tough new income thresholds for living together in the UK are planning legal action to overturn the “cruel and inhumane” policy.’

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The Guardian, 17th December 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Equality Act to get EU upgrade – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 triggered concerns about the future of domestic employment law, which originated in the EU. New draft regulations, The Equality Act 2010 (Amendment) Regulations 2023 which are planned to come into force on 1 January 2024 provide welcomed clarity on the issue in respect of the Equality Act 2010, writes David Leach.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 15th December 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

SRA admits it has “a long way to go” on diversity – Legal Futures

‘The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) still has “a long way to go” on diversity, its chief executive has said – although its gender and ethnicity pay gaps are shrinking.’

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Legal Futures, 13th December 2023

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal Implications of Doubling the Family Visa Income Requirement – EIN Blog

‘As many readers will be aware, part of the Home Secretary’s recently announced “five-point plan” on immigration included a significant increase to the minimum income threshold for family visas under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules.’

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EIN Blog, 12th December 2023

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Part-time and shift workers to lose up to £248m holiday pay in UK rule change – The Guardian

‘The government is changing how holiday days and pay are calculated for people who do not work full-time throughout the year, such as shift-workers, school employees and those on zero-hours contracts.’

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The Guardian, 8th December 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Everything is in jeopardy’: how new UK visa rules are tearing families apart – The Guardian

Posted December 7th, 2023 in families, immigration, news, regulations, remuneration, visas by michael

‘Rebecca, 28, a full-time PhD student in biosciences from Liverpool, and her partner, an Australian national working in higher education, are among thousands of couples facing separation and financial uncertainty because of the government’s decision to overhaul immigration rules. Among those affected will be skilled workers, international students, health and care workers from overseas and their family members.’

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The Guardian, 7th December 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Migrant fruit picker who ‘struggled to buy food after being underpaid by British farm’ sues employers – The Independent

‘A migrant fruit picker is suing a British farm in a landmark employment tribunal over claims she was underpaid, worked six-day weeks and had to buy her own protective equipment.’

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The Independent, 3rd December 2023

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Severance Denied: Diag Human v Volterra Fietta [; A Potential Public Policy Warning for Litigation Funders – Gatehouse Chambers

Posted November 21st, 2023 in agreements, chambers articles, champerty, enforcement, fees, news, remuneration, solicitors by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has held that the severance of terms rendering a CFA unenforceable was not available to solicitors on public policy grounds and that consequently their clients were entitled to the return of sums paid on account. The decision in Diag Human v Volterra Fietta will ring alarm bells for litigation funders who might be contemplating launching similar arguments as a consequence of the Supreme Court’s decision in R (on the application of PACCAR) v Competition Appeal Tribunal.’

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Gatehouse Chambers, 10th October 2023

Source: gatehouselaw.co.uk

NHS pay: Health staff win Covid bonus after legal action threat – BBC News

Posted November 6th, 2023 in coronavirus, doctors, hospitals, news, nurses, remuneration by tracey

‘The government has agreed to fund a one-off bonus for health workers who missed out previously because they worked for non-NHS organisations. A payment of at least £1,655 was agreed as part of the NHS pay deal in England this year, to recognise the pressure of the Covid pandemic on staff. But the BBC recently reported thousands of outsourced staff did not qualify and employers had launched legal action.’

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BBC News, 6th November 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk