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Judge criticises brothers for initiating Will dispute

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The sons of a retired farmer, who died five years ago, have lost a legal battle over their late father’s Will. Richard and Jonathan Powell had argued that their dad, David, had not understood what he was doing when he changed his Will to give a...

Tribunal awards courier holiday pay in "gig economy" judgment

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In yet another “gig economy” judgment, an Employment Tribunal has ruled that a cycle courier contracted by Excel was in fact a “worker”. The decision means that the courier is now entitled to workers’ rights, such as holiday...

Government forced on the defensive following probate backlash

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The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has sought to quell the anger which has arisen in the wake of controversial plans to overhaul probate fees The department this week issued a Q&A-type paper which aimed to provide “further guidance” on how the...

Long Term Sickness Absence Dismissal

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Ms O’Brien was a teacher at Bolton St Catherine’s Academy since 2005. In March 2011, she was assaulted by a pupil. This left Ms O’Brien shaken and felt unsafe in parts of the schools. She was subsequently diagnosed for stress at work,...

1.2 million owed child maintenance payments, research shows

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Unpaid child maintenance payments have reached a staggering £3.8 billion, a new study has revealed. The figures, published by BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme, show that around 1.2 million parents are owed money from their former partners. ...

Employee fairly dismissed for failing to return to work after long-term sick leave

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An employee on long-term sick leave has been fairly dismissed for failing to return to work after a reasonable period of time. The judgment will provide guidance on when employers can fairly dismiss an employee on long-term sick leave. The case centres on...

Figures from renewable energy sector disappointed with Chancellor's approach

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Britain’s renewable energy industry was left largely dissatisfied with measures set out in this month’s Budget speech. The sector had been pressing the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, to do more to support businesses and, indeed, address their...

Supreme Court rules in favour of charities in high-profile Will dispute

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A trio of animal charities this week won a landmark inheritance case at the Supreme Court. The organisations had been left an estate worth hundreds of thousands of pounds by Melita Jackson, who passed away in 2004. But Ms Jackson’s decision not to...

Headscarves and Religious Discrimination

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Does the banning of a headscarf at work constitute religious discrimination? No, at least not direct discrimination, held the Court of Justice of the European Union in Achbita v G4S The ruling comes after courts in Belgium and France referred controversial...

More over 65s tying the knot, reveals ONS research

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New figures published this week by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that marriage among over-65s has increased by nearly 50 per cent. The research indicates that the importance of marriage is being increasingly recognised, perhaps due to...

Fresh row erupts over employment status

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Couriers responsible for delivering life-saving blood supplies have become the latest group to have started a legal battle to be recognised as workers. A total of five cyclists, motorcyclists and van drivers who make emergency delivers to hospitals and...

Estranged couple locked in legal battle over £500,000 holiday home

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An estranged couple currently caught up in divorce proceedings are battling over a £500,000 shared holiday home. At a public hearing in the Family Division of the High Court, Michael Hanley, 60 and wife Margie, 56, have staked rival claims to a Judge...

Backlash as the Government presses forward with probate changes

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Ministers have confirmed that they intend to press ahead with controversial changes to probate fees. The new regime – scheduled to take effect from May this year – has faced strong opposition from both within the legal profession and the public...

£210m funding secured for three UK onshore wind farms

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A prominent UK renewable energy developer has secured £210million in funding to go towards constructing three new wind farms across the UK. Banks Renewables, Durham, has said that its planned projects will produce 151MW of power and create as many as...