In the week of the Wimbledon tennis finals, a homeowner has failed to convince the High Court that he was irrationally refused planning permission to lay down a hard-surfaced tennis court in his rural back garden. In a decision which was later upheld by a
In a case with important implications for public procurement, a local authority which failed to publicly advertise contracts for a regeneration project will have to pay back almost £160,000 in European grants it received in respect of the development. The Council had received grant aid
The Low Pay Commission (LPC) has published a consultation seeking views from interested parties on its remit with regard to recommending the National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates that should apply from October 2015. The LPC’s remit from the Government includes considering whether, as was concluded
In a bitterly fought case that revealed seething workplace tensions within the Charity Commission, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has delivered a serious blow to the compensation hopes of an anxious and depressed worker who claimed that he was humiliated, undermined and victimised by his
In an important victory for tourists and business travellers alike, a group of more than 100 air passengers whose flight home from Florida was delayed by 26 hours have each won Euros 600 compensation for the stress and inconvenience they endured. Lawyers had launched proceedings
A contract dispute triggered by a decision of the Ukrainian authorities to restrict grain exports resulted in lengthy arbitration procedures and a High Court hearing, and culminated in a ruling that a shipping deal was prematurely terminated. The sellers had agreed to supply the buyers
A businessman who was hit with a record £250,000 fine for his repeated defiance of planning laws in making unauthorised use of farmland for non-agricultural purposes has had his ‘too severe’ penalty more than halved by the Court of Appeal. The man had laid hard
In a warning to developers who flout planning laws that they will be stripped of their ill-gotten gains, a man who converted a single home into flats without permission has been ordered to pay more than £100,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. The
A couple who endured untold heartbreak when their £4 million eco-home burnt to the ground when it was close to completion have won the right to full compensation for their loss from a construction company involved in the project. The couple sued the company for
In giving crucial guidance on the tax implications of directors making use of company assets, the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) considered in depth an entrepreneur’s glittering world of ocean-going yachts, fabulous jewels and contacts with the elite of Formula 1 racing. The man and his wife
