Google Sued for ‘Unlawful’ Use of 1.6 Million Britons’ NHS Data
Google is being sued in the United Kingdom for unlawful use of 1.6 million people’s private medical records. The data was obtained in 2015 from the Royal Free NHS Trust in London with the aim of testing a smartphone app known as ‘Streams’ by the company’s artificial intelligence arm, DeepMind. The app was aimed at addressing […]
How to Buy a Business (Brief Guide!)
Buying a private, limited company can bring many challenges. This makes it important to understand the process of how to buy a business to help navigate each of the stages. In this guide, we outline the key points to consider when deciding if buying a business is right for you, and the stages of the […]
Prince Charles Delivers Queens Speech Outlining Government Priorities
Prince Charles has outlined the government’s priorities for the next year, delivering the Queen’s Speech for 2022. The Queen did not attend the ceremony to officially reopen Parliament due to ill health. The main points are summarised below. General changes A proposed Mental Health Bill to restructure the mental health system in England and Wales […]
New UK Work Visa Routes Announced For 2022
The UK Home Office has announced a number of changes to the UK Immigration Rules impacting work visa options and routes for employers to recruit and employ overseas workers. As a headline for businesses, the UK ICT visa and Sole Representative visa are closing and are being replaced by a number of new work visas. […]
UK Home Secretary Faces Legal Action Over Ukraine Scheme Visa Delays
Priti Patel, the UK Home Secretary, is facing legal action over delays that have exposed thousands of Ukrainians to trauma and Russian bombing or left them stranded in eastern Europe. UK sponsors under the Homes for Ukraine visa scheme are threatening to take legal action against the Government on behalf of hundreds of Ukrainians who […]
Minimum Age to Get Married Rising to 18
The minimum age to marry in England and Wales is to be raised from 16 to 18. The Bill proposing the change was put forward by Conservative MP Pauline Latham last year and has now been passed by the House of Lords with support from both the government and opposition parties. It is expected to […]
How to Deal With Flexible Working Requests
Flexible working practices can be beneficial not only to your workforce but also to your business. For employees, making a flexible working request, flexible working can offer a better work-life balance. Employers may benefit from improved performance and productivity, as well as a reduction in absenteeism and staff turnover. Flexible working may also facilitate the […]
Consumer Watchdog Given Enhanced Powers to Tackle Rogue Trading
Enforcement of consumer law is being strengthened under new government plans announced today. A statement from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy issued today outlines new enhanced powers for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to be able to directly enforce consumer law, including the ability to fine firms up to 10% of […]
“Apocalyptic” Legal Bill Leads Judge to Call for Limits to Divorce Legal Costs
Divorce legal costs have come under the spotlight as a Hight Court Judge expressed concern at the “apocalyptic” legal bill facing a divorcing couple. Mr Justice Mostyn is ruling on divorce proceedings between Russian businesswoman Alla Rakshina and her Greek ex-husband, Lazaros Xanthopoulos. The case, being heard in London, began on 21 September 2020 and […]
Digital Service Launched for Subject Access Requests to Ministry of Justice & Legal Aid Agency
A new digital service allowing individuals to request personal information held by the Legal Aid Agency and other parts of the Ministry of Justice is now available. In a statement on the UK government website, the Legal Aid Agency said the new online service had been designed to “improve user experience” for individuals making Subject […]
No Fault Divorce Now Allowed in England & Wales
From today, separating couples in England and Wales will no longer need to apportion blame as part of the legal divorce process. The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act (2020) brings in the most far-reaching change in divorce laws in more than 50 years. Under the new no-fault divorce rules, either one or both of the […]
Redundancy Pay (How Much Are You Entitled To?)
If you are made redundant from your job, you may be eligible to receive redundancy pay. There are two types of redundancy payments: statutory and contractual. Statutory redundancy payments must be paid by employers to qualifying employees who are being made redundant. Contractual redundancy pay refers to any payment stated as a term within your […]
Increases to Statutory Employment Payments from April 2022
National minimum wage and other statutory rates of pay are set to change for the year April 2022-2023. Employers must ensure they adjust employee pay levels to comply with the new statutory rates. National minimum wage 2022-2023 From 1 April 2022, the following increases will apply: For workers aged 23 and over, the national living […]
Disqualification of Directors Explained
Directors of limited companies have to meet a number of legal duties. You can face disqualification from acting as a director if you have failed to meet these legal responsibilities by participating in unfit conduct, or wrongful or fraudulent trading. What are a director’s legal responsibilities? The Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 is the primary legislation […]
UK Removes All COVID Travel Restrictions
From 4am Friday 18 March 2022, travel into the UK will no be longer subject to COVID-19 restrictions. The UK Government has removed the requirement on passengers arriving into the UK to take a COVID test or to complete a passenger locator form. In addition, unvaccinated passengers no longer need to take a pre-departure test […]
UK Launches Ukraine Visa Schemes
The UK Government has launched a number of visa schemes in response to the humanitarian crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. ‘Homes for Ukraine’ local sponsorship scheme A new local sponsorship scheme has been launched for Ukrainians without any family ties to the UK. Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, sponsors such as communities, private […]
Divorce Portal to Close on 31 March as New System is Rolled Out
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) will be closing the MyHMCTS portal from 31 March 2022 as new no-fault divorce rules take effect in England and Wales. A new system for applications is expected to be available on 6 April. In practical terms, the closure means that from 31 March to 5 April, the digital […]
Ending a Fixed Term Tenancy Early
What happens if you are a tenant living in a privately rented property that has a fixed term tenancy and you have to leave it early? Perhaps your job has changed and you need to move out of the area or a family member has become ill and you are leaving to care for them. […]
Journalist Wins in ‘Kleptocrat’ Book Libel Case
The High Court has dimissed a libel case brought by a post-Soviet mining company against a UK journalist. Kazakhstan-based Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC), a mining company with interests around the world, brought the lawsuit against journalist Tom Burgis for his book ‘Kleptopia’. The book is about how dirty money and corruption are now “flooding […]
Home Office Announces Visa Extensions for Ukrainian Nationals in UK
The UK Home Office has announced temporary measures for Ukrainian nationals in the UK who need to need to extend their visa but who cannot return to Ukraine. Under the UK Immigration Rules, for most visa categories, visa holders are generally required to leave the country in order to apply to extend or switch their […]