Many thousands of people volunteer their services to charities and other bodies that benefit the public – but do they have any contractual rights? The High Court tackled that issue in the case of a water polo coach who claimed that he had been banned
Family judges recognise that children thrive best if they are able to form relationships with their natural parents. However, in an exceptional case, the High Court came to the aid of a domestic abuse victim in ruling that the welfare of her young children demanded
The Internet is proverbially shark-infested and there are many who use it to prey on goodwill that others have painstakingly built up. However, as a High Court case showed, judges are alert to the problem and, with the right legal advice, victims can achieve full
Ground rents payable by long leaseholders often amount to apparently trifling sums, but allowing them to fall into arrears can have severe consequences. The point was made by a Court of Appeal case in which a tenant came perilously close to having his lease forfeited
Making reasonable adjustments to cater for employees’ disabilities can be tricky and few employers can have experienced more of a challenge than an NHS trust faced with a hospital worker’s severe phobia of blood and needles. The occupational therapist, who taught patients carpentry skills in
Those who take the wise step of signing lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) are entitled to give instructions concerning their future medical treatment. But, as a guideline High Court ruling made plain, that right does not extend to requiring attorneys to break the law by
In a landmark decision that should make every employer sit up and take notice, the Court of Appeal has ruled a supermarket chain indirectly liable for the misdeeds of an errant employee who leaked its payroll data onto the Internet. The IT worker bore a
The ability of litigants to settle their differences on confidential terms respects the privacy of all sides and is essential to effective dispute resolution – but what if such non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) collide with the rights of journalists to publish information in the public interest?
Any good lawyer will tell you that, when purchasing property, it is absolutely vital that you have the required funds in place before contracts are exchanged. In a case on point, a property investor paid heavily for failing to follow that fundamental rule. The freeholder
Worldwide freezing orders (WFOs) impinge heavily on the freedoms of those against whom they are made, and that is why judges will only grant them if there is a real risk of wrongdoers dissipating their assets. That stringent test was, however, met in the case
