Businesses will be given a further extension until 31 December 2024 to start using the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking for goods placed on the GB market. The labelling easement has also been extended until 31 December 2027. Despite the UK Government previously stating that 1 January 2023 would be ‘the final deadline’, it has further extended the date by which businesses must use the UKCA marking ...
In Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police v Homer, Mr Homer argued that he could not obtain a degree in time to benefit from it financially before he retired aged 65, but younger employees would be able to and the policy was therefore indirectly discriminatory on the grounds of age ...
We consider the first post Lloyd v Google decision considering loss of control damages under the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 and its implications for the future of data and privacy litigation. It suddenly became much more difficult to bring collective privacy claims in England in November last year when Google succeeded in the Lloyd v Google litigation before the UK Supreme Court ...
The General Medical Council has issued definitive guidance on doctors' duties when they fear a child in their care is suffering from abuse. The GMC's 2012 Guidance on Child Protection came into effect on 3 September 2012 after a two-year working group - chaired by a senior family court Judge, the Right Honourable Lord Justice Thorpe - listened to evidence given by child protection experts ...
Incorporating climate reporting into new, post-COVID-19, strategies will not only help achieve net zero targets but early adopters will be at the forefront of gaining valuable expertise, market resilience and better returns. There has been much discussion about the economic model for the global effects of COVID-19 and for our transition out the other side ...
The development of online markets continues to pose challenges for legislators, who must balance the protection of IP rights owners with protecting traders against anti-competitive behaviour. Trademarks and copyright are particularly vulnerable to infringement on the Internet ...
The short answer is yes. Each of the parties to a divorce are under a duty to provide full, frank and clear disclosure of their financial circumstances. However, there are some circumstances where parties can, rightly or wrongly, get around this rule ...
PSNI v Agnew & Others: landmark Holiday Pay judgment from the UK Supreme Court. On 4 October 2023, the Supreme Court released its long-awaited judgment in the case of PSNI & Others -v- Agnew & Others, on the issue of holiday pay. We explain the outcome of the case and what it means for employers ...
Whilst divorce rates for younger couples seems to be on a decline, the rate of later life divorce is on the rise with the divorce rates for those 65 years and older having tripled since 1990. There are various reasons for later life divorces such as growing apart, children having left home, retirement or age-related illnesses, but a common factor is because they do not want to start the last chapter of their life unhappy ...
Not for the first time the fashion industry is under fire for its recruitment policies. Could requiring staff to have a certain 'look' be the next form of discrimination? It was reported last week that Abercrombie & Fitch, the US clothing retailer is being investigated by the French human rights watchdog over claims that it hires only good-looking staff ...
Employees have a statutory right not to suffer discrimination in the workplace and it is essential that employers, and those responsible for managing the workforce, fully understand the legal provisions and the potential consequences of failing to comply. Sexual orientation is one of nine characteristics that are protected by discrimination legislation ...
Employees have a statutory right not to suffer discrimination in the workplace; religion and belief is one of nine characteristics that are protected by discrimination legislation. We focus on this characteristic and the key issues employers face. What the law says Direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation are collectively referred to as prohibited conduct under the Equality Act 2010 (the Act) ...
In our second article in the series focusing on discrimination in the workplace, we consider race, one of the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, including what the term covers and what issues commonly arise in the workplace. What is race? Race is defined in the Equality Act 2010 as including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins ...
Shoosmiths - EnglandWhat is disclosure? It is the stage of a dispute when each party is required to disclose to the other party the documents relevant to the issues in dispute. It normally takes place after each party has set out its position in their statement of case ...
How can an employment disciplinary investigation findings determine fitness and propriety? Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SM&CR) firms are under a duty to consider fitness and propriety on an ongoing basis ...
Separated parents sometimes disagree about which school to send their child to. It is difficult enough accepting if you cannot spend as much time as you want with your child, so having to agree schooling can make life even more difficult. Do I have a say in choosing schools? If you have parental responsibility for a child, you are entitled to have a say in which school they attend and generally about their education. Both parents usually have parental responsibility for their child ...
The House of Lords has made it easier for claimants to show that they are "disabled" and thus protected under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 ("DDA"). Employees are only protected under the DDA if they can show that they are "disabled". This word has a specific legal meaning: "a person has a disability .. ...
In Elliot v Dorset County Council, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has recently allowed an appeal against an Employment Tribunal’s finding that a claimant was not disabled. The EAT held that the Tribunal had failed to adopt the correct approach when determining whether the claimant had a disability according to the statutory definition of disability in section 6 of the Equality Act 2010 ...
In the shadow of COVID-19, company directors are having to take decisions at speed across a range of issues. The government is encouraging companies to help re-open the economy by bringing staff back to their work places. This challenge, alongside others that directors face, must be met against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, the end of the furlough scheme and planning for the repayment of government loans ...
The codification of directors' duties under the Companies Act 2006 has brought directors' exposure to liability into sharp focus. This, along with extended rules on corporate governance, recent legislation, and increased shareholder awareness, means directors must evaluate the liability protection that is available to them. A company cannot, of course, indemnify directors against their own wrongdoing ...
The UK government has announced changes to legislation to reduce the risk of fraud, violence or intimidation faced by company directors as a result of having their residential addresses on the public record. For a number of years, directors have been able to keep their residential address details private by making use of a separate service address, often the company's registered office ...
This is largely a codification of duties which already existed under previous legislation or the common law. However, the Act does introduce some new duties. With effect from 1 October 2008, every director of a company now has a statutory duty to avoid a situation in which he has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly may conflict, with the interests of the company (a ‘situational conflict') ...
Energy efficiency is an important element for the location of data centres. A trade agreement with New Zealand could lead to a growth of demand from UK data holders for data centres in New Zealand. Background The data centre market is affected by numerous complex elements. Some support growth in the United Kingdom, such as the need to ensure United Kingdom data is in UK facilities if data privacy measures cannot be put in place for storage of data abroad ...
The European Council of the EU gave formal approval to the Digital Services Act (DSA) on 4 October 2022, which is the most significant update to the legal framework on digital services since the adoption of the E-Commerce Directive in 2000. The focus of the DSA is to improve user safety online by regulating online content, advertising and product sales ...
The recent Autumn Statement contained little support for charities as the sector continues to face increased demand, higher costs and reduced funding ...
