Conversations with solicitors that are designed to achieve a compromise of legal proceedings are generally ‘without prejudice’ and admissions made cannot be relied upon in court. In an important decision, the Court of Appeal has analysed the extent of that rule in the context of
The enduring popularity of the English courts with litigants from every corner of the globe was strikingly underlined by a case in which the High Court came to the aid of a heavily indebted, Spanish-owned, group of companies, saving its creditors from what would otherwise
In May 2015, the Government acted to ban exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts. However, recognising that further measures were necessary to prevent employers sidestepping the ban, further legislation has now been introduced to afford further protection to those working under such contracts. Under the
In a case which served as a salutary warning to property developers, a company’s plans for a prime plot of urban land were hamstrung by restrictions on the use of the site which had been in place for almost 60 years. The original owner of
Most employers ban staff from using office computers for personal communication purposes during working hours and, in an important decision, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that reasonable monitoring of emails is an acceptable means of ensuring that such strictures are complied with.
A company which was caught making bribes to secure contracts in Africa has been ordered to pay more than £2 million in fines and legal costs.. It is the first case in which a UK company has been convicted for overseas bribery contrary to UK
Businesses often feel under commercial pressure to grant credit to important clients but one High Court case showed how easy it is for such debts to get out of control. A commodities trading company had agreed to defer payment of part of a favoured customer’s
If you fail to lodge your 2014/5 Tax return with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) by 31 January, you will be subject to an automatic fine. No paper reminders that there is a return due or tax payable will be sent by HMRC, unless your
In any workplace, situations will arise where it is necessary for the employer to carry out an investigation before deciding what to do next. Common situations that require an investigation include: receiving a grievance from an employee; allegations of bullying and harassment; potential
In a striking example of the heat which planning disputes can generate, residential developers who viewed themselves as ‘luckless victims’ of an over-zealous local authority managed to fight off a High Court bid for an injunction against them. The developers’ plans to build 85 new
