The government has launched a review on how the family courts protect children and parents in cases of domestic abuse and other serious offences. The three-month project aims to ensure that the family court works first and foremost in the explicit interests of the child, including their safety, health and well-being. The review, chaired by
Five children have been taken from their mother after she allowed the youngest child’s father to live in the house despite him having a history of violence. The mother had four children from a previous relationship, and her youngest with her current partner. The local authority had barred the partner from visiting the house, due
The Court of Appeal has ruled that a landlord was within his rights to end a tenancy agreement without giving his tenant the six-month notice period required under the Housing Act 1988. The tenant, Sarah Bamber, had agreed a seven-year tenancy on the property, which included a 12-month starter period. During this starter period, the
The government has introduced a new set of additions to its ‘Good Work Plan’ which aims to increase the rights of workers. Some of the key elements of the scheme include: workers to be given enhanced rights to tackle unscrupulous employers who do not comply with the law a new body that will enforce holiday
A group of female employees at HMRC have failed to overturn a ruling that they had been discriminated against over pay. The employees provided statistical evidence of the top pay grades. It showed there was a disproportionate number of women at the lower end of the bands, compared to the number of men at the
The government is look for ways to strengthen the law to give employees more protection from sexual harassment. It is launching a consultation and is inviting victims to have their say on what sort of changes would be beneficial. One of the things being considered is how to strengthen and clarify the law to give
An agency worker has lost his claim that he should be entitled to the same number of working hours as a permanent member of staff. Dominik Kocur was employed by recruitment company Angard Staffing Solutions, who provided staff for Royal Mail. Kocur regularly worked alongside permanent members of Royal Mail staff, performing similar duties. However,
New legislation to prevent company bosses misusing Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) for former employees has been announced by the government. Ministers say that while NDAs can be used by businesses for several legitimate reasons, there are occasions where they are being abused and those who sign them not made aware of their rights. There have been cases
The Tenant Fees Act 2019, which came into force on 1st June 2019, bans so-called ‘hidden fees’ that are charged to tenants throughout the course of tenancies. Previously, some tenants found they were being charged costly fees in addition to their rent and deposit such as administrative fees and credit check fees. These additional fees
The law surrounding gas safety certificates has been problematic for landlords, agents and property lawyers for some time now. Property lawyers are hoping that that the recent case of Trecarrell House Ltd v Rouncefield (unreported, 13 February 2019), due to go to the Court of Appeal in the next year, will add some clarity to