Call for employment tribunals to have more power to protect workers – The Guardian

‘Employment tribunals should be given powers to make awards of up to £100,000 for breach of contract and to deal with disputes where staff are still in work, the Law Commission has recommended.’

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The Guardian, 29th April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Expert Evidence: A Cautionary Tale – Exchange Chambers

‘On 3rd March 2020, Robert Buckland, the incumbent Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, confirmed that electronic signatures are permissible and legally valid if used in commercial and consumer documents. This declaration followed a Law Commission report, published in September last year, that looked at the electronic execution of documents, including deeds.’

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Exchange Chambers, 25th March 2020

Source: www.exchangechambers.co.uk

Check your Email Signatures! – Falcon Chambers

‘As every property practitioner knows, s 2(3) of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 (the 1989 Act) requires a contract for the sale or other disposition of land to be ‘signed by or on behalf of each party’. Neocleous v Rees [2019] EWHC 2462 (Ch), [2019] All ER (D) 25 (Oct) was the first occasion on which the court was asked to determine whether an email footer satisfied the requirement for a signature in s 2(3). The issue arose in the context of an alleged compromise agreement between the parties to a property dispute, which was contained in an exchange of emails between their solicitors. Viewed in the wider context of the earlier authorities, and a recent Law Commission report, the decision encourages practitioners to consider how formality requirements in property transactions—and more generally—are now operating in an increasingly digital world.’

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Falcon Chambers, 13th March 2020

Source: www.falcon-chambers.com

Law Commissions call for single, consistent legislative framework for elections – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 18th, 2020 in elections, Law Commission, news, statute law revision by sally

‘Electoral legislation that originates from the Victorian era is “out-dated, confusing and no longer fit for purpose”, the Law Commissions of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission have said in a report calling for the adoption of a single, consistent legislative framework.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Online political ads should be labelled, says Law Commission – The Guardian

Posted March 17th, 2020 in advertising, internet, Law Commission, news, political parties by sally

‘Online political adverts should be labelled or “imprinted” to show who is paying for them, according to the Law Commission, which warns that there is a “very real risk of the electoral process losing credibility”.’

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The Guardian, 17th March 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Surrogacy: Social media advertising plans prompt regulator warning – BBC News

Posted January 29th, 2020 in advertising, families, internet, Law Commission, news, pregnancy, surrogacy by sally

‘Social media adverts urging young women to become surrogate mothers could be allowed under Law Commission proposals.’

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BBC News, 29th January 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Improved drafting of Immigration Rules to save Government £70 million – Law Commission

Posted January 23rd, 2020 in immigration, Law Commission, legislative drafting, press releases by tracey

‘Improvements to the way that Immigration Rules are written and presented would make them easier to follow for applicants and save the Government almost £70 million over ten years. This is according to the Law Commission, the independent law reform agency, that published its report on the Simplification of the Immigration Rules today.’

Full press release

Law Commission, 14th January 2020

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk

UK immigration rules are unworkable, says Law Commission – The Guardian

Posted January 14th, 2020 in immigration, Law Commission, legislative drafting, news, regulations by sally

‘Immigration rules are “overly complex and unworkable” according to the Law Commission, which recommends simplifying them in order to save the government £70m over the next decade.’

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The Guardian, 14th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Leasehold reform plans branded ‘nothing more than tinkering’ – The Guardian

Posted January 10th, 2020 in consultations, housing, human rights, Law Commission, leases, news, statute law revision by tracey

‘The Law Commission has set out a range of proposals which it said will make it cheaper for Britain’s 4 million leaseholders to buy their freehold or extend their lease. However, the reforms were immediately branded by campaigners as “nothing more than tinkering”.’

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The Guardian, 9th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

The law on email signatures moves forward – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 14th, 2019 in electronic mail, Law Commission, news by tracey

‘Electronic signatures automatically generated at the bottom of emails can bind businesses to contracts. Though the law remains subject to change, a recent court ruling and separate report by the Law Commission in England and Wales highlight how emails are no longer as informal as they used to be.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 14th November 2019

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Law Commissions looks to future with self-driving vehicles – Law Commission

Posted October 18th, 2019 in artificial intelligence, Law Commission, press releases, reports, road traffic by tracey

‘Law Commissions publish proposals on the regulation of highly automated vehicles that operate without a driver (or “user-in-charge”).’

Full press release

Law Commission, 16th October 2019

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk

Hate crimes double in five years in England and Wales – The Guardian

‘The number of hate crimes reported to police has more than doubled since 2013, according to government figures, which also showed a large increase last year in offences against people based on sexual orientation.’

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The Guardian, 15th October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Driverless cars could be halted by leaves and seagulls, warns Law Commission – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 16th, 2019 in artificial intelligence, Law Commission, licensing, news, road traffic by sally

‘Driverless cars could be halted by leaves, seagulls or the “wrong sort of snow”, causing gridlock in cities, the Law Commission has warned.’

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Daily Telegraph, 15th October 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Can parents agree to a 16 year old being detained? – Transparency Project

‘As a result of a new Supreme Court judgment, local authorities will no longer be able to offer residential care, with parents’ agreement, to 16 and 17 year olds where they are supervised and not free to leave – unless there is a court order. This decision potentially affects many thousands of teenagers who are in supportive placements.’

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Transparency Project, 28th September 2019

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Stephen Cretney: a tribute – Family Law

Posted September 17th, 2019 in families, family courts, Law Commission, legal education, news by tracey

‘Rebecca Probert pays tribute to Stephen Cretney.’

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Family Law, 16th September 2019

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Electronic signatures are valid, confirms Law Commission – Law Commission

‘Electronic signatures can be used to execute documents, including where there is a statutory requirement for a signature, the Law Commission has today confirmed. This means that, in most cases, electronic signatures can be used as a viable alternative to handwritten ones.’

Full press release

Law Commission, 4th September 2019

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk

Written signatures under threat as law commission backs electronic versions – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 4th, 2019 in electronic commerce, electronic filing, Law Commission, news by sally

‘A 20-month investigation by the Commission into electronic signatures has ruled they are a legally viable alternative to handwritten ones including on deeds from trust documents to powers of attorney, commercial deals, personal financial transactions and across Government.’

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Daily Telegraph, 3rd September 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Law Commission to undertake phase 2 of the Abusive and Offensive Online Communications project – Law Commission

‘The Government has announced that it is asking the Law Commission to undertake phase 2 of the Abusive and Offensive Online Communications project.’

Full press release

Law Commission, 26th June 2019

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk/

New guidance needed to improve anti-money laundering regime – Law Commission

‘A new advisory board and statutory guidance would reduce wasted time and improve the UK’s ability to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing, the Law Commission has announced.’

Full press release

Law Commission, 18th June 2019

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk

Law Commission begins review of intermediated securities system – Law Commission

Posted June 12th, 2019 in Law Commission, press releases, shareholders by tracey

‘The Law Commission has begun reviewing the system of intermediated securities in order to identify potential issues for both investors and companies.’

Full press release

Law Commission, 11th June 2019

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk