Tax avoidance enablers to face tough new penalties – HM Revenue and Customs

Posted August 18th, 2016 in accountants, consultations, fines, penalties, press releases, tax avoidance by tracey

‘Accountants, tax planners and advisers who provide advice on how to avoid tax will face tough penalties under new proposals being consulted on by the government, Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jane Ellison announced today.’

Full press release

HM Revenue and Customs, 17th August 2016

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs

Council fined £100,000 after social care files left in empty building – The Guardian

Posted August 17th, 2016 in data protection, fines, local government, news, privacy, social services by sally

‘A county council has been fined £100,000 after files containing highly sensitive personal details of more than 100 people were discovered in a disused building.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th August 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Firms giving advice on aggressive tax avoidance could face large fines – The Guardian

Posted August 17th, 2016 in accountants, consultations, fines, news, tax avoidance by sally

‘Accountants, lawyers and consultants whose multibillion pound industry provides advice on how to aggressively avoid tax could face large financial penalties under government proposals.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th August 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Online retailer hit with six-figure fine for participation in online cartel – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 17th, 2016 in competition, electronic commerce, fines, news by sally

‘An online poster and picture frame seller has been handed a six-figure fine by the UK’s main competition authority over its participation in a cartel.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 16th August 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Coffee chain fined £160k for leaving rubbish bags on London streets – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 15th, 2016 in costs, environmental protection, fines, litter, news, waste by sally

‘Starbucks has been fined more than £160,000 after two stores in central London repeatedly left rubbish bags on a busy pavement outside of normal collection times.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 12th August 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Landlords behaving badly – Nearly Legal

‘While the Magistrates Courts continue to hand out paltry fines to landlords on conviction for illegal eviction, despite the removal of the upper £5000 limit, it is good to see that the civil courts are capable of taking a more reasonable approach to quantum.’

Full story

Nearly Legal, 13th August 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

New BSB report shows more targeted use of enforcement powers – Bar Standards Board

‘The Bar Standards Board has, today, published its Enforcement Annual Report for 2015-16.’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 8th August 2016

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Ancient grazing rights threatened as controversial baaaaaaad behaviour orders used to criminalise sheep – Daily Telegraph

Posted August 4th, 2016 in animals, anti-social behaviour, commons, crime, fines, local government, news by Mark L

‘it is one of the most ancient surviving commoners’ rights in England, thought to date at least to the Norman conquest if not before. But the custom of allowing sheep to roam freely in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire is set to be criminalised in one village, in the latest manifestation of controversial new antisocial behaviour laws nicknamed the “busybodies’ charter”.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 4th August 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Reprimand for barrister who encouraged client to seek out damaging information about fellow counsel – Legal Futures

‘A barrister who encouraged a client to search online for damaging information about another member of the Bar, and then told her to deny that he had done so, has been reprimanded by a Bar disciplinary tribunal.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 27th July 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Financial Conduct Authority orders banks to shine light on dark pool stock exchanges and clean up operations – The Independent

Posted July 22nd, 2016 in banking, financial regulation, fines, news by sally

‘Barclays and Credit Suisse paid huge fines in the US to settle misconduct allegations over the operation of their dark pool share trading exchanges. The City watchdog says the UK market is different, but it still wants banks to do better.’

Full story

The Independent, 21st July 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Company fined £550,000 in first corporate manslaughter sentencing under new guideline – OUT-LAW.com

‘A construction firm based in north London has been fined £550,000 for corporate manslaughter offences, in the first sentencing since new guidelines were introduced in February.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 20th July 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Telford trucker wins appeals against illegal immigrant fine – BBC News

Posted July 19th, 2016 in appeals, fines, immigration, news, transport by sally

‘A lorry driver accused of bringing illegal immigrants into the UK in his trailer has had a £10,000 fine overturned by the Home Office.’

Full story

BBC News, 19th July 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

City regulator’s fines drop from £819m to £7m in a year – The Guardian

Posted July 4th, 2016 in banking, financial regulation, fines, interest, news, statistics by michael

‘Fines imposed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the first half of 2016 have fallen to £7.2m – less than 1% of the figure of a year before.’

Full story

The Guardian, 3rd July 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Isle of Wight Council can fight school holiday ruling – BBC News

Posted June 30th, 2016 in appeals, fines, holidays, local government, news, school children by tracey

‘A council has been told it can apply to challenge a High Court decision which ruled in favour of a father who took his daughter on holiday in term time.’

Full story

BBC News, 30th June 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Senior judge: bigger fine discounts needed for companies agreeing deferred prosecution agreements – OUT-LAW.com

‘Companies should receive substantial discounts on fines if they enter into deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) after uncovering and self-reporting corruption offences, according to one of the UK’s most senior judges.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 30th June 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Chatbot lawyer overturns 160,000 parking tickets in London and New York – The Guardian

Posted June 29th, 2016 in appeals, artificial intelligence, computer programs, fines, London, news, parking by sally

‘An artificial-intelligence lawyer chatbot has successfully contested 160,000 parking tickets across London and New York for free, showing that chatbots can actually be useful.’

Full story

The Guardian, 28th June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

No fines issued for smoking in cars with children – BBC News

Posted June 29th, 2016 in children, fines, news, smoking by sally

‘Police are choosing not to enforce a new law protecting children from people smoking in cars, figures suggest.’

Full story

BBC News, 29th June 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Retired company director fined and reprimanded for destroying his own mother’s grave – Daily Telegraph

‘A retired company director has paid £4,500 in costs after being reprimanded by a judge for vandalising his own mother’s gravestone with a hammer.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 26th June 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Watchdog demands more powers to stop cold-calling kingpins from dodging fines – Daily Telegraph

‘Cold call kings behind millions of nuisance calls are getting away with it because the Government has refused to hold them personally liable, the departing Information Commissioner has told The Telegraph. Christopher Graham, in his final interview before stepping down, said he had repeatedly pressed ministers to give him the power to pursue the directors of cold-calling companies – but his pleas had been ignored.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 18th June 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Prosecution by watchdog sees adult care provider fined £190k – Local Government Lawyer

Posted June 17th, 2016 in care homes, fines, health & safety, news, prosecutions by tracey

‘An adult social care provider has been fined £190,000 after being prosecuted by the Care Quality Commission for failing in its duty to provide safe care and treatment.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 16th June 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk