The National Landlord’s Association (NLA) has criticised government proposals to introduce 3-year minimum tenancies. Ministers say 3-year tenancy terms, with a 6-month break clause, are necessary to help renters put down roots, and to give landlords longer term financial security. The average amount of time tenants stay in a property is four years, according to
Barclays bank has been held liable for sexual assaults committed by a doctor it hired to carry out medical examinations on employees. The bank required its employees to attend a medical assessment as part of its recruitment process. Between 1968 and 1984, the assessments took place unchaperoned at the doctor’s home. The doctor died in
The Supreme Court has “reluctantly” ruled against a woman seeking a divorce to free her from what she describes as a loveless marriage. The five justices said they had misgivings about dismissing her appeal and have asked Parliament to consider reforming the divorce laws. The highly publicised case involved Tini Owens, aged 68, and her
Millions of TV viewers have been gripped by the tragic storyline in Coronation Street involving popular character Aidan Connor, who took his own life after suffering mental health problems. His family were still reeling from his death when they received the news that in his will he had left his factory to one of his
A Poundland store manager has been awarded £21,000 compensation after she was unfairly dismissed for allegedly stealing a drink. The manager, Ms Stokes, had worked at the company for eight years. During the last two she experienced friction with a newly appointed area sales manager. In June 2017, the area sales manager and a senior
House prices in England rose by 3.7% in the year to April – taking the average property value to £243,639. Wales showed an annual price rise of 4.4%, with the average home valued at £156,495. The South West was the fastest growing region with an annual growth rate of 6.1%, up from 5.3% in the
The treatment offered to elderly patients sometimes leads to conflict between their relatives and medical staff. If no agreement can be reached, the Court of Protection can be called on to resolve disputes, as in a recent case involving an elderly man with end stage dementia. The man was 77 years old and had been
A father has failed in his bid to have his son returned to the UK from Spain. In refusing his application, the High Court gave some useful guidance on how to determine a child’s habitual country of residence when parental disputes arise. The case involved a couple who met in the UK but then moved
Health care professionals are to offer patients more advice about reducing the risk of developing dementia. It’s estimated that over 850,000 people are living with the disease in the UK with little public understanding of how to reduce the risk. The NHS Health Check programme already covers a wide range of services designed to detect
The Supreme Court ruling in the Pimlico Plumbers case and the Employment Tribunal decision involving Hermes help to clarify the difference between ‘worker’ and ‘self-employed’ and could have a significant impact on the gig economy. The long running dispute involving London based Pimlico was initiated by one of its plumbers, Gary Smith. Mr Smith had