In an important test case, part-time medical members of tribunals have failed to convince the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) that they should be entitled to pensions like their full-time, salaried, brethren. The part-time members, who are paid fees rather than salaries, argued that their treatment violated the provisions of the Part-time Workers (Prevention of...

A reminder of the strictness of the money laundering regulations was issued recently when HM Revenue and Customs reported that the owner of a money transfer business in the West Midlands had been jailed for 12 months for failing to comply with the rules with regard to a transfer of £400,000 to India. If you are involved in a regulated activity (which includes...

In a case which raised planning issues of general importance, the owner of a trout farm – who for years concealed from his local council that he had converted the first floor of a barn to provide a home for his son – has failed to overturn an enforcement notice which required him to return the building to solely agricultural use. The farmer had established...

Celebrities have never had a monopoly over the commercial use of their photographic images – but allowing a retailer to sell a T-shirt emblazoned with a pop star’s iconic photo would amount to deception of the public, the Court of Appeal has ruled. The case concerned a world-famous singer who objected to the sale of the garment. The copyright in the image...

In the context of compensation claims brought by members of the armed forces who are injured at work, the High Court has emphasised that services personnel are not employed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), nor do they work under contracts of service. Three servicemen had successfully sued the MoD after being injured on duty. An issue arose, however, as to...