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Cyclists: The ‘menaces’ that provoke fury amongst road users like no others. Cognitive Scientist Tom Stafford argues that motorists hate cyclists because they believe that they disrupt the ‘moral order’ of the road. Contrary to...
The Government have today (13 November 2020) updated the extended Coronavirus Job retention Scheme (CJRS) in relation to notice pay. As you may be aware, the CJRS has been extended to 31 March 2021 with a review of the scheme in January 2021. Under the...
This week, the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has released a report on Capital Gains Tax (CGT). These follow a request by Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to “identify opportunities relating to administrative and technical issues as well...
Less than 48 hours after it was issued, the latest furlough scheme guidance has been revised to correct some errors: 1. In relation to the expiry of fixed term contracts and rehiring, the correct date is now confirmed as 23 September 2020 (not 23 October...
The Commission has published a range of user-friendly guides for trustees. Launched in Trustees’ Week 2020, the five x 5-minute guides cover a ‘core syllabus’ of basic information that should help trustees run their charities effectively....
Just as we waved a fond farewell to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, so it has returned! The Chancellor has announced this afternoon that the Scheme will remain open until 31 March 2021. All we know at the moment is that for claim periods running to...
Businesses are reminded to ensure their systems and processes are as secure as possible following the Information Commissioner's latest fines against two organisations for data breaches. In October, British Airways was fined £20 million for ...
Despite the horrors of the Pandemic it seems children and their parents may still be blowing blow the cobwebs off their costumes this Halloween ready to threaten unimaginable horrors if not rewarded with chocolate and sweets, so it is time to perhaps think...
The way your business must deal with individual debtors is changing. On 7 October 2020, the Treasury announced new rules for debt letters that are less intimidating and provide more support for people in debt. The law is expected to be officially changed in...
After several months of possession claims being stayed, the stay has now been lifted. The Master of the Rolls has set up a working group to address concerns about the consequences of the current stay on housing possession claims ending. The group...
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) Regulations 2020 have come into effect from midnight last night. Regulation 7 makes it an offence for an employer to knowingly permit a worker (including an agency worker)...
On 28 August 2020, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published an updated version of its "Statement on coronavirus (COVID-19), consumer contracts, cancellation and refunds" which was first published on 30 April 2020. The statement now...
There has been much talk recently within the media and industry of the impact on data protection rules since the announcement of the ‘Schrems II’ judgment, but what is this case and how might it affect us? The Position to Date Data...
With the world in a very strange place and businesses struggling to pay invoices, there is every possibility that even if you have never fallen victim to a bad payer in the past, you may find yourself with a client who will not, or cannot pay you. If you...
COVID-19 and the lockdown brought about some tricky times for the enforcement of judgments. Whilst we have been able to instruct our High Court Enforcement Agents to attend commercial premises , there has been a blanket ban on attending residential...
The Employment Rights Act 1996 (Coronavirus, Calculation of a Week’s Pay) Regulations 2020 have been published today and take effect tomorrow, 31 July 2020. The Regulations set out how a week’s pay is to be calculated for a furloughed employee...
In normal circumstances we strongly recommend a client making a will (“the Testator”) attends the office initially to take will instructions and again to execute their will and have their will witnessed by two members of staff. Given the...
The administration of a trust is becoming increasingly comparable to that of a company, with the Trust Registration Service (TRS) and the responsibilities of trustees in respect of that, comparable to those for Companies House. Trustees are required to...
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is currently reviewing its Privacy Shield and Standard Contractual Clauses guidance following the judgment issued by the ECJ in the case of Data Protection Commissioner v Facebook Ireland and Maximillian...
Julie Robinson, Head of Agriculture flags up some of the legal issues that are likely to matter as we live through the coronavirus aftermath. The coronavirus pandemic has impacted on almost every area of our lives. The legal frameworks within which...
New guidance has been released by the Government on maintaining test-and-trace records of staff, customers and visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance applies to establishments in the hospitality, tourism and leisure sectors, and close-contact...
The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 came into force on 25 th June 2020 , with the aim of “Relieving the burden on businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak.” The Act: Provides companies with temporary easements on Companies...
Are you keeping up with the ever-changing CJRS? If not, here’s a handy checklist of relevant dates. You can download our infographic listing the dates here . 1 July 2020: This was the start date of the new Flexible Furlough scheme...
As you will be aware, this month the Government eased the lockdown measures in England. As from 15 June 2020, non-essential retail premises were permitted to open, as were drive-in cinemas, retail art galleries, betting shops, auction houses,...
Why appoint a new manager? Leaseholders are very often unhappy with the management of their block. Disputes over reasonableness of service charge is one of the main reasons for looking for a change, as they see their service charges increasing without...
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses remain unable to operate at all. Others are starting to operate, albeit on a reduced basis. From 1 July 2020, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has been modified so that employers can start to...
One of the things we are often asked is ‘ Why should I use a lawyer to handle my personal injury claim? ’. It’s a fair question and it is indeed possible to handle a claim yourself, but there are a number of benefits to taking the...
Extensions to Existing Reliefs Section 82 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 provides that a right of re-entry or forfeiture under a relevant business tenancy for non-payment of rent may not be enforced, by action or otherwise during the relevant period. ...
Can we still pursue debts in the COVID-19 pandemic? Yes! Whilst we are asking our clients to take a ‘common-sense approach’ with their debtors at this time, we appreciate that cashflow is even more important now and in most situations, debt...
The Electrical Safety Standards in Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 From 1 July 2020, private landlords will be required to ensure that the electrical safety standards are met during any period that the residential property is...
Most of us live happily in our houses for years and we assume we own our home and the land on which it sits. In almost all cases this is correct, and the vast majority of property transactions go smoothly. However, there are cases when things don’t...
The Government has announced they are extending the stay on eviction proceedings for social or private rental accommodation by a further two months (to 23 August 2020), bringing the moratorium on evictions to a total of five months. The Government has...
A review of new legislation by Catherine Rickett and Alex Forster . On Wednesday 20 May the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy introduced the new Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill 2020, the measures are intended to...
In this Q&A (published 05 June 2020) we look at the new self-isolation rules for seasonal workers travelling to farms in England. For farms with seasonal workers due to arrive from abroad on or after 8 June 2020, there is an extremely useful...
Multiple Dwellings Relief (MDR) is an important relief for Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), where a purchaser acquires more than one dwelling as part of a transaction, or where there is a single dwelling purchase, but it is linked to at least one other...
On Friday 29 May 2020, the Chancellor released details of how the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will change in the coming months to try to get people back to work as lockdown restrictions are starting to be lifted. Everyone knew that the proposal...
The Government has announced the use of electric scooters could be trialled on our streets as early as June 2020. This was something that was always in the offing, but the fact this was announced as part of a Coronavirus update, and trials are taking placer...
At 9am on 28 May 2020, the Government launched the NHS Test and Trace Service in England: those who have been in close contact with someone who tests positive for Covid-19 “must” isolate for 14 days, even if they have no symptoms, to avoid...
It was certainly a welcomed step taken by Government to reopen the housing market on 13 May 2020. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick set out guidance for those wishing to move home safely in line with social distancing advice. It was reported that 450,000...
In my previous blog Highways Claims: The essentials , I discussed the process of making a personal injury claim against a local authority as a result of an accident caused by a defect on the highway. Since then, a recent press release from the RAC...
Whilst the requirement for execution of wills remains archaic and unchanged, the pandemic has led to various modernisations of the process surrounding the application for Grants of Probate (along with Grants of Letters of Administration and Grants of Letters...
With Mental Health Awareness Week falling in the midst of the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic, it is appropriate consideration is given to the mental well-being of employees working through the pandemic, and the responsibilities of employers. If an...
It is anticipated that the dire economic consequences of the current lockdown will require there to be a partial easing of the lockdown restrictions in the coming days and weeks, allowing some additional businesses to re-open in a phased manner, and allowing...
In the early days after the launch of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which introduced the concept of furloughing for employees, the self-employed were demanding: “What about us, we need help too!” The self-employed/contractors have been...
In these strange and unprecedented circumstances Ministers have been urged to use their emergency powers to relax the laws governing the execution of wills during the coronavirus pandemic. Some campaigners argue those suffering from coronavirus should...
In this article we look at best practice for farmer and grower employers taking on new workers for picking and packing fruit and field crops. With scores of workers due to arrive on farms over the next few weeks, the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic...
The Charity Commission has published guidance for trustees, especially those acting for smaller charities, who may need help facing difficult situations or decisions. We have summarised the Charity Commission’s key considerations and some...
The Government has issued guidance to confirm that workers who have been furloughed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme but who are eligible for and wish to take paid parental or adoption leave on or after 25 April 2020 will not be penalised by...
In this article we give some pointers to producers whose scheduled deliveries have been cancelled or curtailed by their customers due to the coronavirus crisis. For the most part, producers’ relationships with their suppliers and customers are long...
Within the last 24 hours the Government has announced further measures to assist commercial tenants during the coronavirus pandemic. The Government has already placed a moratorium on a landlord’s ability to forfeit a commercial lease for...
