Williamsons Solicitors News Stories
Asset confiscation no breach of Human Rights
The Supreme Court has ruled that the UK law which makes the burden of proof for confiscation of ‘criminal assets’ the civil burden (‘on the balance of probabilities’) rather then the criminal… Read More
Pensioners face tax blow
The High Court will rule soon on whether pensioners who have taken early withdrawals from their pension funds will face tax charges of up to 70 per cent. The case has arisen because some pension… Read More
Pension age rise review
In his Pre-Budget Report, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, has announced plans to bring forward the increase in the State Pension Age (SPA) to 67. For men, the SPA is currently… Read More
Sick leave - independent assessments
Each year, sickness absence costs the tax payer £13 billion and £15 billion in economic output is lost. As the population of Great Britain is both growing and ageing, the Government is looking for… Read More
Employment law reforms announced
Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced the Government’s proposals for reform of employment law, which aim to cut unnecessary demands on business whilst safeguarding workers’ rights. The… Read More
Detention of vulnerable people
In June this year, a father won his battle against Hillingdon Council to be allowed to care for his autistic son at home. The Council had sought authorisation to deprive 21-year-old Steven Neary of… Read More
Home care inspections
Following a series of well-publicised incidents of appalling treatment of elderly residents in care homes, the Care Quality Commission has announced that it intends to begin a programme of inspection… Read More
Tighter control over bank bundles
Many people regret the day that banks started to push insurance policies as well as provide banking services. This recently led to the payment protection insurance scandal, which is now costing the… Read More
Mind what you say on the Web!
The European Court of Justice has upheld a claim by a French actor that information put on an English website (in this case the website of the Sunday Mirror) negatively affected his reputation in… Read More
Marriage visas ruling
Following the decision of the Supreme Court in Quila and Bibi v Secretary of State for the Home Department, the UK Border Agency has issued revised policy guidance for those making an application for… Read More
Do the paperwork !
Informal arrangements within families are often a recipe for legal problems later on, as a recent case shows. The circumstances that gave rise to the problem were a variant of the usual case in… Read More
EPC Changes
A heads-up for those in the property industry that from 6 April 2012 it will be necessary to commission an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) before a property is put up for sale or offered for… Read More
Festive Family Friday!
25 November is a Festive Family Friday evening in Crewkerne with the annual tree lighting-up ceremony. We're delighted to be sponsoring Mid-West Radio's coverage of the event at the end of this week… Read More
Know your limitations
The Court of Appeal recently had to consider a claim in which a surveyor’s delay in rendering a bill proved fatal to its collection. The surveyor had done work for a client in 1998 and the cost was… Read More
Just desserts for HMRC!
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have announced that following their much-publicised purge on tax evasion in the hospitality sector last spring, they have launched more than 500 investigations into… Read More
Now foot the bill...
A man who suffered a ripped calf muscle, broken bones and nearly had a toe severed when a waste handling machine reversed into him is in line for compensation, following the conviction of a company… Read More
No deal !
TV presenter Noel Edmonds’ argument that a friend had agreed to supervise major renovations to his house in Exeter – later sold for £2 million – without charge, was rejected by a judge this… Read More
Supreme Court rules on cohabitation case
The Supreme Court has now ruled in the 2010 case of Kernott v Jones in which the respective shares of a property bought by a couple who cohabited and then split up had to be decided. The Court of… Read More
Whistleblowing - causation and vicarious liability
In NHS Manchester v Fecitt and others, the Court of Appeal has provided useful guidance on the correct approach to causation in claims of victimisation in whistleblowing cases and has also clarified… Read More
Civil Partnership update
The status of a civil partner is comparable with that of a spouse, so employers must treat married employees and civil partner employees in the same way. For example, an employer who makes a benefit… Read More
Crackdown on foreign property tax avoidance
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have established a new team of investigators and specialists in order to identify wealthy tax avoiders. One of the first targets of the 200-strong ‘Affluent Team’… Read More
Boiler room fraudster jailed
An estate agent who acted as a ‘front man’ for a dubious investment company and persuaded wealthy people to buy into what appeared to be a respectable investment company in Switzerland, but which… Read More
Dismissal for Facebook comments unfair
An Employment Tribunal (ET) has ruled that the dismissal of an employee who made derogatory remarks about work colleagues on her Facebook page was unfair. After a particularly gruelling day, the… Read More
Spike in corporate insolvencies predicted
Accountants RSM Tenon are predicting that corporate insolvencies will show an 11 per cent rise in the third quarter of 2011 compared with 2010. The firm predicts that 5,000 businesses will have… Read More
Rugby injury award overturned
In March this year, a 20-year-old student was awarded compensation of £54,000 for injuries he sustained playing rugby when he was 16 years old. Jack Sutton fractured his right kneecap during a… Read More
Money-laundering report delays
The money-laundering regulations that apply to banks compel them to notify the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) if there is a suspicion that a transaction they are being asked to complete is… Read More
Unilateral retraction of dismissal invalid
The employer in this case was contemplating future redundancies. Against that background the parties discussed the possibility of the employee continuing to work for the employer but on a… Read More
Occupational deafness
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 introduced tighter controls on exposure to noise levels in the workplace, to protect workers from damage to their hearing. The noise level at which… Read More