Small businesses are often like families and directors feel a very personal obligation towards their employees. However, in one striking case, a woman’s battle to keep her IT company afloat and her staff in work led to her imprisonment for tax fraud. The middle-aged woman
Fringe benefits provided to employees are usually taxable – but there are exceptions, and one of them came under detailed scrutiny in a case involving a free bus pass issued to a local authority worker. The council had in the past operated a scheme whereby
The English commercial courts are truly multinational and are often seen as the oil on the wheels of world trade. In one case, the High Court in London was considered the right venue in which to resolve a $6 million contract dispute between Liberian ship
When companies fall into insolvency the courts are often heavily involved in ensuring that creditors’ interests are properly protected. That was certainly so in one case in which the High Court sanctioned the appointment of two additional administrators to assist in the immense task of
Where the rights and wrongs of a contract dispute are in no real doubt, the courts can swiftly deliver justice – however, where matters are less clear, fairness will usually demand a full trial. One case that illustrated the point involved a training company that
In a ground-breaking decision of interest to property professionals and homeowners, a couple whose conservatory was catastrophically undermined by the roots of a protected oak tree have won £25,000 in compensation from their local council. The tree, which was protected by a tree preservation order
In a guideline decision which reinforced the rights of agency workers, a tribunal has underlined in the context of an NHS whistleblowing case that it is legally possible to have one job but more than one employer. A forensic nurse was employed by an agency
Company directors are under a personal duty to ensure that National Insurance (NI) and Income Tax (IT) liabilities are met and the corporate veil will not protect them in the event of wilful default. In one case, two businessmen were hit hard in the pocket
Contractual deadlines can be very tight and the financial consequences of breaching them are often severe. In one case which underlined the point, a cruise ship operator won Euros 770,000 in damages from a shipyard after a major refurbishment of its flagship was held up
Those who hold long leases over their homes often think that their position is almost exactly the same as a freeholder. However, one case in which a tenant with a 999-year lease was accused of making unauthorised alterations to his property showed how very wrong
