Holding companies to account: criticism of the current criminal framework Over time and bit by bit the UK’s approach to corporate criminal liability is being narrowed. The issue has long been debated with many commentators agreeing that the current criminal legal framework is far from satisfactory at holding corporate organisations to account for instances of criminality when those crimes are committed on behalf of, or in the name of, the company ...
Lauren Bowkett is a principal associate in the financial crime team at Shoosmiths. She has experience in providing financial crime compliance advice, including advice in relation to the Modern Slavery Act (“MSA 2015”). In this article Lauren takes us through the key features of the Modern Slavery Bill and gives her comment on the potential amendments. The new Modern Slavery Bill will seek to strengthen the Modern Slavery Act 2015 ...
Bigger fines predicted for organisations guilty of corporate manslaughter The long awaited definitive guidelines for sentencing organisations guilty of either corporate manslaughter or a health and safety breach which causes death have been published ...
Craig Thomas and Sarah Buxton take a look at the recent changes to corporation tax. Policy changes It is fair to say that the UK’s corporation tax rate has been on something of a policy rollercoaster of late. As far back as 2016, when the rate was 20%, George Osbourne announced that he would reduce corporation tax to 17% with effect from 2020 (and even expressed his fervent desire to get the rate as low as 15% thereafter) ...
Parties in financial remedy proceedings on divorce need to be alive to the implications that their behaviour may have on their final settlement by way of costs orders. Both parties in the recent case of E v L (No 2 Costs) [2021] EWFC 63 were penalised in costs; the husband for failing to negotiate reasonably and pursuing ‘conduct’ against the wife, and the wife for her litigation misconduct ...
That’s the question Shoosmiths and Cornwall Insight’s recent report sought to answer, investigating the role the Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) model could play as part of the UK’s electric vehicle charging network. In a new video, Jonathan Smart, partner and head of mobility at Shoosmiths, discusses the BaaS model, which enables electric vehicle owners and business fleets to swap out depleted batteries for fully charged ones at a service station via a subscription service ...
Companies found guilty of manslaughter under new law could have their finances and reputations ruined. The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 comes into force on 6 April 2008. After much controversy and delay the legislation is almost with us. In a nutshell: The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 (the “Act”) comes into force in the UK on 6 April 2008 ...
New biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements are set to be enforced in November 2023, giving developers and the wider real estate industry less than 12 months to prepare. The legislation will require all new developments in England, bar a few exceptions, to deliver at least 10 per cent BNG – impacting commercial and residential developers. The requirements form part of the Environment Act 2021, which received Royal Assent in November 2021 ...
The court has considered the discretionary grounds of opposition under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (“the 1954 Act”) in the recent case of Gill v Lees News Ltd [2023] EWCA Civ 1178. In the case, the landlord - Mr Gill - served counter notices in response to section 26 requests for renewal tenancies pursuant to the 1954 Act served by the tenant, Lees News Ltd ...
The Court of Appeal's judgment in Tesco v USDAW and others, handed down a few weeks ago, has confirmed that 'fire and rehire' is still an option available to employers, which will come as a relief to many organisations ...
The Court of Appeal has overturned a decision by the Upper Tribunal and confirmed that a property guardianship scheme did not mitigate liability for business rates. Background Property guardians are individuals who temporarily live in empty property at reduced rents, ostensibly to protect it from damage and squatters. Typically, they are students, key workers or young professionals looking for cheap living space ...
The Court of Appeal (CoA) has allowed a SIPP investor’s appeal in Adams v Options UK Personal Pensions LLP (2021) EWCA Civ 474 and provided important guidance on the interpretation of Article 25 and 53 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 Regulated Activities Order 2001 ...
The Court of Appeal has overturned an earlier decision of the High Court in which guidance was given on the circumstances where a child might be able to give consent to the administration of puberty blockers ...
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by commercial tenants against the High Court’s summary judgment rulings ordering them to pay rent arrears notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic ...
The Court of Protection and Serious Injury Teams at Shoosmiths held a joint seminar ‘From Litigation to Deputyship’ on 11 March 2021. A recording of the webinar can be found below. The day comprised sessions on the litigation process, how to maximise settlement then looked in detail at the Case Manager’s role before moving on to sessions around how the deputyship team support clients and key areas of consideration when acting as a professional deputy ...
The Court of Appeal has considered the question of whether it is fair and appropriate for a Court of Protection Judge to visit the person who lacks mental capacity and about whom the Judge is being asked to make a best interest’s decision. In the case of Re AH (2021) Mr Justice Hayden, who is a High Court Judge and the Vice President of the Court of Protection, visited AH in hospital after the hearing had concluded and before giving judgment ...
Following a wave of recent prosecutions in relation to cash fraudulently obtained through the various Covid-19 support schemes, we consider the criminal and civil ramifications on a legitimate business which has received cash from someone who has been prosecuted and offer some helpful tips to reduce the risk of your business inadvertently laundering the proceeds of crime ...
COVID-19 has undoubtedly had a significant impact on workplaces across the UK. However, what is becoming increasingly clear is the impact which it has had and continues to have on women in work. We consider the statistics and how employers should respond. What do the statistics show? 1. Sectors During lockdown, women were more likely to work in the sectors that had to completely shut-down such as hospitality (23% of women vs 16% men in these industries) ...
In this article we look at Prevention of Future Death reports (“PFDs”) issued by Coroners in England and Wales – specifically those which have been made in relation to deaths arising from or connected with the COVID-19 pandemic. We assess the significance of the reports and how they may relate to the COVID-19 public inquiry examining the government’s response to the pandemic ...
The impact of the pandemic can be seen across all sectors of society but those who are disabled have been particularly affected, not least because employees with an underlying disability are likely to have been identified as clinically extremely vulnerable and told to shield for considerable parts of the last year. Being away from the workplace and separated from colleagues has left many feeling insecure ...
In this article we look at the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the social and health care sector in the build up to the upcoming Public Inquiry, due to commence in Spring 2022. Upsetting scenes arising from the COVID-19 pandemic included photographs of bereaved families with only six people in attendance at family funerals ...
COVID-19 is having a significant impact on businesses and the economy. Responding to this, the UK Government has unveiled new measures, alongside existing funding initiatives, to help businesses navigate this challenging time. We are regularly updating our COVID-19 business support measures guide as new guidance is published. This guide is designed to summarise these support measures and help you identify which are applicable to your business ...
The Prime Minister has approved, and government has published the long-awaited final terms of reference for the COVID-19 Inquiry. The inquiry, chaired by the Rt Hon Baroness Heather Hallett DBE, is two-fold and will: 1. Examine the COVID-19 response and the impact of the pandemic in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and produce a factual narrative. 2. Identify the lessons to be learned from the above, to inform preparations for future pandemics across the UK ...
Welcome to the COVID-19 Inquiry Spotlight Sessions. Brought to you by the Regulation, Business Crime and Compliance team at UK law firm Shoosmiths, this podcast series will explore the key topics associated with a Public Inquiry. We will help you to understand how the COVID-19 Inquiry might affect you and your business, and we will be joined by special guests who will deliver a specialist viewpoint on some of the topics ...
The public hearings for Module 1 of the UK’s Covid-19 Inquiry have now concluded and the evidence about the UK’s preparedness for the pandemic is in. We look at what was said and consider what lessons can be learnt. The hearings, which commenced on 13 June 2023 and concluded on 19 July 2023, assessed whether the pandemic was properly planned for by the Government and if the UK was adequately prepared for Covid ...
