In a case which underlined the special regard that planners must have to the setting of heritage buildings, a local authority has succeeded in its High Court challenge to plans for an 86-metre high wind turbine, which it claimed would…
A businessman who accused the scientist inventors of an innovative and potentially highly lucrative ‘energy from waste’ process of reneging on their agreement to exploit it through his company has failed to convince the High Court that they violated their…
Following a recent First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) decision, owner-managed businesses may need to review arrangements for shifting income from higher rate taxpaying shareholders to their lower rate taxpaying spouses if those arrangements involve dividend waivers. The tribunal held that dividend…
The door appears to have finally slammed shut on a family’s attempt to obtain Business Property Relief (BPR) from Inheritance Tax (IHT) in respect of a property which had been operated as a furnished holiday letting by their late mother…
When land has been used by someone who has no legal entitlement to use it for 20 years without interruption, an ‘easement’ can arise under the Prescription Act 1832. In principle, an easement gives the legal right to continue the…
Two civil servants who received lower severance payments than younger colleagues would have been entitled to when leaving their posts on a voluntary basis have achieved a resounding success in their age discrimination claims. The men were employed by the…
In refusing to increase a £6,000 damages pay-out awarded to an Army chef after he was called a ‘dumb black b***ard’ by a sergeant, the Court of Appeal has underlined the importance of public perception and that victims of race…
Under Section 188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, employers have a duty to consult with appropriate representatives of employees concerning forthcoming redundancies if 20 or more employees are to be dismissed at one establishment within…
In a case which succinctly encapsulated the current state of the law on the vicarious liability of employers, an innocent customer who was savagely attacked by a petrol kiosk attendant on a supermarket forecourt has received the Court of Appeal’s…
The English courts are a popular place to bring divorce proceedings because the financial settlements they order are usually much more equal than those made under other jurisdictions. This has led to accusations that ‘divorce tourism’ is the result. However,…