On 24th January 2016, the Supreme Court passed its ruling on an appeal by the UK Government on whether the Secretary of State could trigger Brexit without obtaining permission from Parliament by exercising Royal Prerogative powers. The 11 learned judge ruled that a Bill must be put before Parliament. Only then could Article 50 be triggered, beginning the formal process of the UK leaving the EU. more
It is becoming more and more common for those who believe they are entitled to benefit under a Will to contest it if they find they have been left out. Rising property prices means that more estates are worth a great deal of money, which is cited as one of the primary reasons that more cases are occurring. more
A number of businesses have to deal with the supply, storage and management of hazardous substances. These include: more
Most of us have heard of the crime of ‘contempt of court’ but few know exactly what it entails. Formerly known as contempt ‘in the face of the court’, contempt of court means contempt which occurs directly in the court’s presence. This might range from a witness’ mobile phone ringing in court to verbal abuse or interruption of witnesses, judge, counsel etc. more
Industrial deafness affects thousands of people in the UK. If your hearing has diminished or you are suffering from tinnitus and you believe your condition resulted from exposure to loud noises at work, you may be able to claim compensation. According to Health & Safety Executive statistics, 20,000 people suffered from noise-induced hearing loss in 2015, equating to a rate of 62 cases per 100,000 workers. more
Being appointed the director of a company is a big responsibility. It is imperative that you are aware what the duties of a director are and how to ensure you are complying with the relevant regulations. more
Adjudication is a fast mechanism for settling disputes relating to construction contracts on a provisional interim basis. Adjudication provides for a tight timetable and requires the impartiality of an adjudicator. There is a right to refer a dispute to the Technology and Construction Court at 'any time'. more
One 3rd November 2016, three of Britain’s top judges in the High Court ruled that Theresa May cannot exercise royal prerogative to trigger Article 50; Parliament must make the decision. more
As a business owner, one of the most stressful things to deal with is a customer complaint. The trick is to never ignore a complaint, listen to the customer and try and turn what they perceive as a negative experience into a positive one. more
If you want to sell your product and/or service into a sector where you have few contacts, or perhaps you wish to enter an oversea market, you may wish to consider appointing an agent who can negotiate sales agreements on your behalf. more
The decision in Aslam (and others) v Uber, decided last month has the potential to change much of the landscape surrounding employment law, bringing it up to date with the economic reality of the so-called ‘gig’ economy, that has been steadily growing since the 2008 financial crash. more
Disclosure where each party to a dispute is required to show the other side documents which are related to the case. Disclosure is one of the most time and cost heavy aspects of any civil claim, especially in complex cases. The court will generally try to take steps to ensure the scope of any disclosure exercised is reasonable and proportionate. more
Last week the President of the EU Council, Donald Tusk said there was no ‘soft Brexit’. Speaking at a conference in Brussels, Mr Tusk dashed the hopes of those hoping Britain could remain inside the EU’s single market or negotiate some special form of association. The tenor of the UK’s referendum campaign had been to, “radically loosen relations with the EU, something that goes by the name of ‘hard Brexit’” he said. more
Choosing to adopt a child is one of the most important decisions you could ever make. The adoption process is strictly monitored and there are a number of interviews and observations made on perspective adopters before a child is given to them. more