Primeview Developments Ltd v Ahmed – Arden Chambers

‘The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has held that it is was not unreasonable conduct for the purposes of r.13(1)(b), Tribunal Procedure Rules, for a landlord to seek to rely on an agreement that service charges were payable, even if that agreement was subsequently determined to be void. Nor did the landlord’s failure to mediate amount to unreasonable conduct in circumstances where the prospects of a reaching an agreement were slight and the costs of mediation likely to be disproportionate. It also held that orders pursuant to s.20C, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, should not treat participating leaseholders differently from one another on the basis of their involvement in proceedings. The focus should be on the landlord’s degree of success regardless of each individual leaseholder’s involvement.’

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Arden Chambers, 3rd March 2017

Source: www.ardenchambers.com

Undercover policing inquiry ‘not sabotaged’ by Met Police – BBC News

Posted April 6th, 2017 in anonymity, disclosure, inquiries, investigatory powers, London, news, police by tracey

‘The judge chairing a public inquiry into undercover policing has dismissed claims by campaigners that the Met Police have tried to sabotage it.’

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BBC News, 5th April 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Islington LBC v Dyer – Arden Chambers

Posted April 6th, 2017 in appeals, documents, local government, news, notification, repossession by sally

‘The Court of Appeal has held that a local authority had served a valid notice of possession proceedings under s.128, Housing Act 1996, notwithstanding that the information required by s.128(7) was included in a leaflet accompanying the notice rather than in the body of the notice itself.’

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Arden Chambers, 22nd March 2017

Source: www.ardenchambers.com

The Supreme Court makes Indirect Discrimination simple again – 11 KBW

‘In the joined cases of Essop and Naeem ([2017] UKSC 27) the Supreme Court has taken on a daunting task: the simplification of indirect discrimination law. This is not a case note in the usual sense. We have not set out the facts, the law and then a statement of what is novel. At the hearing we tried to give the Supreme Court a new vocabulary to use as a tool for its analysis. The aim of this note is to explain that language as simply as we can. If we succeed, what we have to say will seem obvious. Those reading Lady Hale’s judgment (with which all of their Lordships agreed) will have had that experience. She has distilled, from an area of law that was submerging into great complexity, a handful of principles that dispel confusion and whch make intractable issues straightforward.’

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11 KBW, 5th April 2017

Source: www.11kbw.com

University lecturer jailed after using bitcoins to buy drugs over ‘dark web’ that led to friend’s death – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 6th, 2017 in cryptocurrencies, drug offences, internet, news, sentencing, teachers, universities by tracey

‘A university lecturer has been jailed after buying a cocktail of drugs over the “dark web” that led to the death of his friend.’

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Daily Telegraph, 5th April 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Cricketer Mustafa Bashir attack sentence to be reviewed – BBC News

Posted April 6th, 2017 in complaints, domestic violence, news, sentencing by tracey

‘A cricketer’s sentence for domestic abuse is to be reviewed amid an outcry over the judge’s “leniency”.’

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BBC News, 5th April 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Truss’s plan to increase probate fees may not be legally enforceable – The Guardian

Posted April 6th, 2017 in enforcement, fees, news, probate, reports, select committees by tracey

‘Government plans to raise £300m by increasing probate fees – payable when claiming inheritances – may not be legally enforceable, a parliamentary committee has said. A report by the joint committee on statutory instruments has suggested that the Ministry of Justice may not have the authority to introduce the charges of up to £20,000 per estate.’

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The Guardian, 6th April 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Rape victims with records of minor offences regularly denied compensation – The Independent

Posted April 6th, 2017 in compensation, criminal records, news, rape, victims by tracey

‘Rape victims are routinely denied compensation because they have convictions for minor offences such as failing to pay a TV licence, according to a new study.’

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The Independent, 5th April 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Rule 16.3(7) – Statement of under value to be included in the claim form? – 4 KBW

‘Sir David Eady J delivered a judgment on 30 March in the case of Mohamed Ali Harrath v Stand for Peace Limited and Samuel Westrop [2017] EWHC 653 (QB) (available here) in which he held that a claimant is entitled to recover damages that exceed the statement of value included in the claim form.’

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4 KBW, 30th March 2017

Source: www.4kbw.net

Immigration officers who claim promotion tests are discriminatory set to sue Home Office – Daily Telegraph

‘Black immigration officers struggled to pass promotion exams because the tests were racist, a court has heard. A group of 49 Home Office employees is now set to sue the Government over claims that the exams are discriminatory.’

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Daily Telegraph, 5th April 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Gender pay gap reporting: Government’s new rules will not tackle financial inequality, critics warn – The Independent

Posted April 6th, 2017 in disclosure, employment, equal pay, news, reports, women by tracey

‘Experts, including employment lawyers, HR professionals and campaigners, are warning that the Government’s new rules on gender pay reporting won’t do enough to tackle considerable financial inequality still overshadowing a multitude of industries.’

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The Independent, 5th April 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Global v Aabar: The Court of Appeal state that contractual negotiations should be clear and unequivocal – 4 KBW

Posted April 6th, 2017 in agreements, appeals, contracts, news, telecommunications by sally

‘In the recent case of Global Asset Capital Inc and another v Aabar Block S.A.R.L and others [2017] EWCA Civ 37, the Court of Appeal held that the High Court was wrong to find that following a ‘subject to contract’ offer letter, a contract was concluded during a telephone call which was inconsistent with subsequent communications.’

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4 KBW, 31st March 2017

Source: www.4kbw.net

Video Link Evidence in the Commercial Court: Potential Pitfalls – Hardwicke Chambers

‘In the 21st century commercial practitioners often approach the question of whether the court will hear evidence by video link as one of practicality. Questions they will commonly ask themselves include the following: will the witness be in London during the trial timetable? Will the witness be able to find time (and obtain consent from a current employer) to fly to London? Where physically could the video evidence be given and is that a suitable location? How sure can the court be that the witness is not receiving clandestine assistance “off-camera”? How secure is the video link and what is the sound and picture quality? Indeed in preparing a case that involves a number of witnesses who live and work overseas the possibility of live video evidence may well feature in trial preparation as a necessity rather than an option.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 27th March 2017

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

The more things change, the more they stay the same – Hardwicke Chambers

‘Every time we think the courts might have given defendants in adjudication enforcement proceedings slightly more latitude in raising their dissatisfaction with an adjudicator’s decision, the court brings us back down to earth with a bump and reminds us that, in fact, no matter how hard done by our clients feel, they will have to “pay now and argue later”, save in the rarest of cases.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 27th March 2017

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Freedom of speech, the Prevent duty and higher education – Law & Religion UK

‘S 43 Education (No. 2) Act 1986 (Freedom of speech in universities, polytechnics and colleges) requires “Every individual and body of persons concerned in the government” of further and higher education institutions to “take such steps as are reasonably practicable to ensure that freedom of speech within the law is secured” for staff, students and visiting speakers. The institutions must ensure, “so far as is reasonably practicable”, that use of the premises is not denied to anyone on any ground connected with their beliefs, views, policy or objectives. On the other hand, the Prevent duty in s 26 Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 requires specified authorities – including relevant higher education bodies – to have due regard in the exercise of their functions to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.’

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Law & Religion UK, 5th April 2017

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

UK charities fined for data law breaches – BBC News

‘Eleven charities have been fined by the UK’s data watchdog for misusing information about millions of past donors to seek further funds.’

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BBC News, 5th April 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

BSB to launch plans for ‘barrister apprenticeships’ – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is to launch a consultation this summer setting out the rule changes it needs to implement its fiercely contested training reforms, and among them will be a new route to qualification similar to solicitor apprenticeships.’

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Legal Futures, 4th April 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Crackdown on ‘disguised self-employment’ behind increased HMRC payroll tax take, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

‘HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) collected an additional £705 million in tax from investigations into companies’ payroll taxes last year, almost half of which was collected from small or medium-sized businesses (SMEs), according to new figures.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 4th April 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Assisted dying again: R (Conway) – Law & Religion UK

‘By 2:1, the Administrative Court has dismissed the application of Mr Noel Conway for a declaration that s 2(1) of the Suicide Act 1961 breached his human rights under Articles 8(1) and 14 ECHR.’

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Law & Religion UK, 3rd April 2017

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com

Competition tribunal rejects bid to throw out first opt-out class action application – Litigation Futures

‘The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has rejected strenuous attempts to dismiss the first application to certify an opt-out class action under the new collective proceedings procedure.’

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Litigation Futures, 5th April 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com