Whose Rights are they anyway? Supreme Court gives judgment in FCA v Macris – Blackstone Chambers

‘Criticism can hurt. Public criticism by a regulator taking enforcement action can hurt more. The law has long sought to ensure that those potentially subject to criticism have an opportunity to answer what is said against them.’

Full story

Blackstone Chambers, 5th April 2017

Source: www.blackstonechambers.com

No “reason why”: Essop and Naeem in the Supreme Court – Cloisters

‘Robin Allen QC and Anna Beale consider the latest case on indirect discrimination and ask the pressing question: are equal pay cases suddenly significantly easier for Claimants?’

Full story

Cloisters, 5th April 2017

Source: www.cloisters.com

A Brave New World: Partly Contesting FCA Enforcement Proceedings – Blackstone Chambers

Posted April 6th, 2017 in dispute resolution, enforcement, financial regulation, news by sally

‘Until 1 March 2017, people subject to FCA enforcement proceedings faced a binary choice: either settle or contest. That is no longer so. A key change to the FCA’s enforcement process in a recent policy statement has now taken effect: the introduction of partly contested cases. This new option will no doubt be of considerable interest to the regulated community and their legal advisers.’

Full story

Blackstone Chambers, 5th April 2017

Source: www.blackstonechambers.com

Safeguarding in Sport – Blackstone Chambers

Posted April 6th, 2017 in child abuse, children, criminal records, news, sport, vetting by sally

‘This paper is the first in a series to be published on the Sports Law Bulletin following presentations made at Blackstone Chambers’ Integrity in Sport – the Battleground seminar on 30th March 2017.’

Full story

Blackstone Chambers, 5th April

Source: www.sportslawbulletin.org

Turley v Wandsworth LBC (Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government intervening) – Arden Chambers

‘The Court of Appeal has held that the difference in the residence requirements for statutory succession to secure tenancies between married couples (or civil partners) and unmarried couples living together as man and wife (or as civil partners) under the former s.87, Housing Act 1985, was not a breach of Art.14, European Convention of Human Rights, read with Art.8.’

Full story

Arden Chambers, 24th March 2017

Source: www.ardenchambers.com

Sheffield CC v Oliver – Arden Chambers

‘The Court of Appeal has held that the words “costs … incurred” in the service charge provisions in a right to buy lease were to be given a natural and not a special meaning; accordingly, the Upper Tribunal had been wrong to hold that such costs were reduced by third-party energy-saving funding received by the landlord from an energy provider in relation to a major works programme; but the Court was required to determine for itself the “fair proportion” of the costs to which the leaseholder was required to contribute, and a deduction was to be made in relation to part of the funding received which was attributable to the leaseholder’s flat.’

Full story

Arden Chambers, 4th April 2017

Source: www.ardenchambers.com

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.’

Full story

Arden Chambers, 3rd March 2017

Source: www.ardenchambers.com

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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story (PDF)

11 KBW, 5th April 2017

Source: www.11kbw.com

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.’

Full story

4 KBW, 30th March 2017

Source: www.4kbw.net

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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 5th April 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Parking fine appeal success varies between council areas – BBC News

‘The likelihood of successfully challenging parking fines varies widely depending on where drivers get a ticket, research has shown.’

Full story

BBC News, 5th April 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk