Many companies that deal with the public like their operatives to appear to clients as their representatives whilst maintaining that they are self-employed. However, such business models will be much harder to maintain after a Court of Appeal ruling. The case concerned a plumbing company
Agency workers are entitled to the same basic working and employment conditions as their directly employed colleagues. Where that does not happen, however, the assessment of compensation can be a tricky matter, as one Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decision revealed. The case concerned a group
Tax tribunals deal with some very unusual cases, but few can have been stranger than that concerning VAT liabilities in respect of a ‘pirate island’, built on a former gravel pit in rural England for the private enjoyment of a wealthy family. The artificial island
Drug dealers and other criminals have a tendency to launder their profits through the property market, often using family members as go-betweens. As one High Court case showed, however, the authorities are well equipped to deal with such tactics. The case concerned four residential properties
The hazards involved in dispensing with legal formality and making oral contracts are well known – but it is surprising how often caution is thrown to the wind. In one case, the High Court rejected claims that a binding Euros 13.5 million business deal had
The global fight against corporate corruption is gathering pace and English judges are leading the way. In one case that proved the point, the Court of Appeal ruled that £4.4 million held in a UK bank account had rightly been frozen as the suspected proceeds
Lawyers don’t use much Latin nowadays but ‘caveat emptor!’ – roughly translated as ‘buyer beware!’ – is still a fundamental principle that applies to property sales. In one case exactly on point, a builder defeated a breach of contract claim brought by a woman who
The Ministry of Justice has published its long-awaited review of the impact of Employment Tribunal (ET) fees, which were introduced in July 2013. Whilst the review does identify some areas for concern, it concludes that, on the whole, the objectives for the introduction of fees
The Government has published the draft National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2017, which are due to come into force on 1 April 2017. The revised rates are as follows: The National Living Wage for those aged 25 and over will increase from £7.20 per hour
Employing an impartial contract administrator to oversee major construction projects is vital. In one High Court case where that did not happen, a company was left with an incomplete housing development and an adjudication bill for almost £870,000. The company had engaged a contractor to
