Bankruptcy laws strike a delicate balance between satisfying creditors and enabling debtors to make a clean break so that they can get on with their lives. In one ruling that clarified the law, the Court of Appeal decided that the…
The law is no toothless tiger and, as any good lawyer will tell you, turning your back on court orders is simply not an option. In one commercial contract case that proves the point, 18-month jail terms were imposed by…
When the landlord of a residential building wishes to sell it (make a 'relevant disposal') with the associated tenancies left intact, it has a legal duty under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 to offer it to the tenants first…
In Donovan v Greggs plc, the Employment Tribunal (ET) ruled that the employer's decision to dismiss an experienced baker for failing to comply with its strict hygiene rules was fair. Bakery chain Greggs plc operated a strict policy on hand…
A woman who injured her back whilst working at a hospital in Tunbridge Wells has failed in her attempt to prevent covert video surveillance evidence being used by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in defence of her claim for…
When a company received a claim for compensation from an employee who suffered an injury whilst using a circular saw, it became clear that the employer's liability insurance policy did not cover the risk of the injury: it specifically excluded…
When entering into a business partnership with someone you also consider to be a soulmate, putting in place formal agreements with them can seem inappropriate. However, personal relationships can turn sour and, in one case, the equity in a buy-to-let…
Workplace whistleblowers are protected by law and employers have to be extremely careful not to persecute them for their activities. In one case that proved the point, two police detectives who were removed from undercover duties after making complaints about…
As any property professional will know, negotiations can be tense and it is common for various draft agreements to fly between parties without any final deal in fact having been reached. Exactly that happened in one case involving the proposed…
Letters of intent are widely used in the building trade, because it is normal for both developer and contractor to wish to make progress on a building project without having to wait until the formal contractual arrangements have been fully…
