Latest Home Office Changes to Immigration Rules
The Home Office has published a new Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules, HC 1780, 7 September 2023. The new rules cover a broad range of areas, most of which are technical in nature. The vast majority of changes take effect on 5 October 2023. The key changes are as follows: Prison workers […]
UK ETA Travel Permit Guide
The UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme is opening in 2023, as part of the government’s new universal “permission to travel” requirement. Under the new scheme, certain travellers, including non-visa nationals and Creative Worker visa holders, travelling to the UK will have to secure authorisation in advance of travel by completing an online form and paying […]
Visiting Rights to Legally Become Part of Health & Care Settings
New secondary legislation is set to be introduced giving the legal right for visits in health and care settings. Under plans announced by the Department of Health and Social Care, visiting is to become a legal requirement for hospitals, care homes, mental health units and other health and care settings. The move follows Labour MP […]
New Economic Crime Bill Amendment Tackles SLAPPs
The UK government has announced new legislation to prevent large corporations and wealthy individuals from hindering investigative journalism and free speech using so-called SLAPP (strategic litigation against public participation) claims. Under the proposed amendments to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, judges will be given new powers to dismiss claims deemed to have been brought […]
CMA Increases Reward for Cartel Informants to up to £250,000
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is enhancing its enforcement efforts against illegal cartels by offering a reward of up to £250,000, up from £100,000, to individuals who report illegal cartel activity. Illegal cartels, which consist of businesses agreeing not to compete in order to keep their prices high, prevent consumers and other businesses from […]
Government set to stop student visa holders bringing family members to UK
The UK Government has announced visa changes that will prevent most international students from being able to bring family members with them to the UK as dependants. A joint statement issued by the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, and Education Secretary, Michelle Keegan, on 23 May 2023 stated that the UK’s student dependent visa is to […]
No-Fault Evictions to be Abolished
So-called ‘no fault evictions’ are set to be abolished under new government plans aimed at tackling rogue landlords. The new Renters’ (Reform) Bill will eliminate the right to evict tenants without having to prove fault. Communities Secretary Michael Gove said the measure is aimed at a “minority” of landlords who mistreat their tenants, as he […]
UK Won’t Replace Retained EU Laws By End Of 2023
The UK Government has announced it will not be proceeding with plans to ‘sunset’ provisions in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) (REUL) Bill. The REUL Bill was introduced under Liz Truss and Jacob Rees-Mogg with the intention of removing all EU legislation from the UK by the end of 2023. If enacted, the […]
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 […]
New Duty on Sponsors to Report Hybrid Working
Under a new Home Office requirement, UK sponsor licence holders must now notify when a sponsored worker is being, or will be, engaged under a hybrid working pattern on a more permanent basis. During COVID, the Home Office placed no obligation on sponsors to inform the Home Office when a sponsored worker was working remotely […]
Minimum Wage Increase from 1st April
The UK’s minimum wage has increased today, 1 April 2023. The minimum wage levels are as follows: NMW rate NMW rate National Living Wage (23+) £10.42 21-22 Year Old Rate £10.18 18-20 Year Old Rate £7.49 16-17 Year Old Rate £5.28 Apprentice Rate £5.28 Accommodation Offset £9.10 […]
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 […]
New UK Minimum Wage for International Seafarers
New legislation is now in force from today imposing a minimum wage for international seafarers working in the UK. Under the Seafarers’ Wages Act, shipping lines operating at UK ports must now pay seafarers at least the UK’s prevailaing minimum wage, regardless of the nationality of the crew or operator. As of 1 July 2022, […]
New Data Protection and Digital Information Bill Set to Replace GDPR
New data protection legislation for the UK that will replace the EU’s GDPR has been put before Parliament by Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan. The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill aims to reduce the financial and administrative burdens of the current regulations on British businesses, remove barriers to international trade and cut the number of […]
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 Should Not Allow Remote Driving from Overseas: Law Commission
The remote operation of a car within the United Kingdom from outside the country should be prohibited, according to a report by government advisory group, the Law Commission. The report also states that remote-controlled cars are now a “legal grey area”, and draws attention to there being no specific requirement by law in the UK for the […]
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 […]
Law Proposed for Mandatory Workplace Mental Health First Aid Training
Parliament has been presented with a new Bill that would make it compulsory for employers to provide training in mental health first aid. The Bill was presented by Tory MP Dean Russell, who said the change would enable more individuals to recognise the early warning signals of mental health problems in the workplace. He said mandating […]