dentity theft is very real in today’s digital world. Many of us now bank and shop online and these online transactions provide the perfect stage for criminals to assume your identity and defraud you, your bank or the business you are buying goods or services from. The ‘good’ ones rip off all three. Here are five ways you can protect yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft. more
Many people are surprised by the amount of power that police have when it comes to investigating suspected traffic offences such as driving under the influence of drink and/or drugs. However, it is important that the police exercise their rights within the boundaries of the law and ensure the person they are investigating understands their rights. more
The world was shocked by two major events in 2016, the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States and Brexit. Many predictions were made about how Brexit would cause the British and EU economy to collapse. The pound did fall dramatically, in fact, in October 2016, it fell to its lowest level in 31 years. However, foreign companies such as Facebook and Google continued to invest in their London operations, consumers continued to spend, the economy grew by 0.6 percent in the three months to September 2016, interest rates remained low and employment high. more
Is someone who commits a criminal act mad or evil? If a jury decide the accused in a criminal trial is the former, they can return a verdict of ‘not guilty by reason of insanity’ under Trial of Lunatics Act 1883. more
When it comes to commercial property, there are three ways that a landlord can grant rights; a lease, a licence or a tenancy at will. Landlords who wish to have their premises occupied for a short term will have to decide the best option to suit their immediate needs. more
What is a distribution agreement? A distributor buys goods or services from a manufacturer or wholesaler and resells them on its own behalf. more
In October 2016, Mr Justice Peter Jackson granted the request of a 14-year-old girl, JS, that after her imminent death from cancer her mother could arrange for her body to be cryonically frozen. This case has brought many ethical questions to the foreground. As science progresses, do we need regulations around the process of cryonical freezing to protect vulnerable people from being exploited, both financially and emotionally? more
If you live in a terraced or semi-detached property (as a majority of people in England do), then you will have a party wall between you and your neighbour. However, like all boundaries between properties, party walls have the potential to cause disputes between neighbours. The law surrounding party walls in the UK is governed by the Party Wall Act 1996. more
IT outsourcing is the transfer of information technology processes or services by a customer to a third party supplier, instead of the customer performing the IT functions itself. The term encompasses a wide range of specific types of transaction, each with their own distinct set of challenges and issues. The contracting for each type of IT outsourcing must be carefully considered by customers, suppliers and their respective advisers in order to reach a good deal for all, both at the commencement of the transaction and as the technology matures and evolves over the transaction’s term. more
The legal relationship between landlords and tenants is one of the most important in history. If the owners of land refused to let people live and work on their land, food could not be grown, stock could not be kept and many people would be homeless. But how did it all begin? When and where did the concept of English landlord and tenant law begin and how has it developed into the system we know today? more
When you enter a business tenancy you will quickly have to decide whether or not you want to contract out of the security of tenure provisions in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (the Act). more
The Bribery Act 2010 (the Act) was passed to ensure the UK’s compliance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and came into force on 1 July 2011. It is designed to provide an effective legal framework to tackle corruption in both the public and private sectors. more
If you are in immediate danger, please call 999. The Welsh Assembly has been devolved powers under the Wales Bill to make changes to the country’s parental law. One of its first acts is to pass legislation banning the right of parents to use force to discipline their child. more
There are eight key principles under the Data Protection Act 1998 that any person or organisation handling data must comply with. These are: more