UK Regulators Launch Review into AI Models
The UK Government has asked regulators in the UK, including the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA), to conduct reviews into the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) foundation models. The CMA is now initiating an initial review into competition and consumer protection considerations of AI innovations. The review will look to determine how the implementation […]
Financial Product Cold Calling to be Banned in UK
Under a proposed new law, the UK is set to ban cold calling of financial products. The change comes as part of a clampdown on fraud by prohibiting telemarketing calls for financial products such as insurance and cryptocurrency schemes. The plan to combat fraud includes measures to prevent “spoofing” of phone numbers. This is when con […]
Ombudsman Rules ‘No Kids’ Rental Policy Discriminatory
The Property Ombudsman has ruled that a letting agency’s policy of not renting to families with children is in breach of its code of conduct by discriminating against women. Lexi Levens, an NHS nurse, brought the landmark legal challenge with homeless charity Shelter, after her family was forced to register as homeless. Having been served a […]
UN Refugee Agency Brands UK Asylum Bill “Very Concerning”
New legislation aimed at removing all migrants who illegally cross the English Channel is being proposed by the UK Government. Under the new Illegal Migration Bill, anyone found to have entered the country illegally will be removed from the UK within 28 days and blocked from returning or claiming British citizenship in future. Those who […]
Legal Bid to Protect Tenants from ‘Ghost Landlords’ Fails
A high-profile case seeking to protect tenants from ‘ghost landlords’ has failed. In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court held that a landlord is the party a tenant signs their contract with, and not the property’s owner. The legal challenge was brought in response to a surge in rent-to-rent arrangements. These allow companies to rent […]
UK & Ireland In Talks Over New Post-Brexit Travel Permit
Officials from the UK and Ireland are discussing potential changes to the UK’s new, post-Brexit Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system. Before entering the United Kingdom, non-British and non-Irish citizens must have been granted an ETA permit. According to the Common Travel Area (CTA), a long-standing migratory agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland, Irish people […]
UK Government Blocks Scotland’s Gender Recognition Bill
The UK Government has blocked progress of Scotland’s controversial Gender Recognition Bill. The GRA was designed to make it easier for people in Scotland to change their legal gender. Under the current rules, trans people must meet certain requirements to change their gender legally, including being at least 18 years old, obtaining a medical diagnosis […]
New UK Laws For 2023
What new laws are set to be introduced in the UK in 2023? We summarise the key legislative changes for the year ahead. Removal of EU law When the UK left the EU in 2020 all the EU laws were effectively changed into British law to allow for as smooth a transition as possible. The […]
24/7 Support Line For Rape Victims Launched
Rape victims in England and Wales now have access to 24/7 help, with the launch of a new 24/7 Support Line from 7 December 2022. Specialist operators will be accessible 24/7 through telephone or webchat to give victims critical information and emotional support, including referrals for longer-term, local resources such as Independent Sexual Violence Advisors […]
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill Set For 2023
The UK government is expected to publish the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill imminently. The new law is set to overhaul UK competition and consumer protection laws. The Bill implements the government’s digital markets strategy, introducing reforms to consumer protection and competition law, while giving the Digital Markets Unit (DMU) new powers to enforce a […]
CMA Takes Action Against Barclays for Breaching PPI Order
The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has written publicly to Barclays outlining details of the company’s breach of the Payment Protection Insurance Market Investigation Order 2011 for failing to remind customers about payment protection insurance (PPI) agreements. The total remediation package, consisting of refunds and goodwill payments, may total up to £1 million. PPI providers are […]
Carers Given One Week Unpaid Leave Under New Law
Unpaid caregivers are to be entitled to one week of unpaid leave per year under new legislation. The Carer’s Leave Bill, which was approved in its second reading on 21 October, is set to give employees with care responsibilities the right to take one week of unpaid time off work each year to provide for, […]
Government takes first legal action on building safety against freeholder
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is bringing legal action against a freeholder for neglecting to address building safety flaws. The freeholder of Stevenage’s fifteen-story Vista Tower, Grey GR Limited Partnership, a company owned by RailPen, has been given 21 days to fix the tower’s fire safety issues, or a court application will […]
Chancellor Announces Permanent Stamp Duty Cut
Stamp duty is to be reduced with immediate effect, as announced by the Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, in today’s ‘fiscal event’. The threshold above which property buyers now have to pay in stamp duty has increased from £125,000 to £250,000. A typical family moving into a semi-detached home will save £2,500 in stamp duty, according to […]
New Charter of Player Data Rights for Professional Football Players
New guidelines have been released by the football world players’ union, FIFPRO, outlining football players’ rights to control how their personal data is used. The Charter of Player Data Rights, which was created in collaboration with FIFA, the world players’ association, aims to establish a structure for managing and accessing performance and health-related data for […]
Queen’s Death: From Money to Passports – What Will Change?
The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022 will lead to many changes in the UK. While some have already taken immediate effect, others are expected to be introduced over the coming months and years. British coins & notes New coins and notes will be designed and printed, but are not realistically […]
UK’s Rwanda Asylum Policy Challenged in High Court
UK legislation to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is being challenged today at the High Court. The legal action is being brought by a group of refugees and charities who are arguing that Boris Johnson’s controversial immigration policy is unlawful and breaches human rights conventions. The hearing is expected to last five days. The Nationality […]
Barristers Take Indefinite Strike Action Over Pay in England & Wales
Criminal barristers in England and Wales are taking indefinite, uninterrupted strike action from Monday 5 September in a dispute over Legal Aid rates. The action is an escalation of the staged intermittent walkouts since the end of June, escalating to week-long strikes on alternate weeks throughout August. According to the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), which represents […]
Ofgem Threatened With Legal Action Over Price Cap Rise
The UK energy regulator, Ofgem, is being threatened with legal action over the new energy price cap and its impact on customers. The action is being brought by the not-for-profit Good law Project, campaign group Fuel Poverty Action and Dion Alexander, the Chair of the Highlands & Islands Housing Associations Affordable Warmth Group. The groups are […]
TV Cameras Allowed To Film Criminal Court Proceedings
TV cameras will now be allowed in some criminal courts in England and Wales for the first time from today. Due to a change in the law, broadcasters will be able to video judges when they sentence dangerous offenders during some criminal trials at the Old Bailey and other Crown Courts. Unlike in the US and […]