Domestic gardens, which many people view as the glory of British suburbia, present a tempting prospect to builders amidst burgeoning housing demand. As one case showed, however, objectors to such developments are by no means powerless. The owners of a semi-detached house obtained planning permission to build a new four-bedroom…
Radio Presenter an Independent Contractor, Tax Tribunal Rules
The vexed distinction between employees and independent contractors is a constant source of dispute, not least in the realm of tax. Each case has to be decided on its own unique facts and, in one case, the Upper Tribunal (UT) ruled that a radio presenter was genuinely freelance and was…
Child Maintenance – Court Weighs Up Lifestyle Expectations and Resources
Sensible people accept that they have a moral responsibility financially to maintain their children, whether or not they are born in wedlock. As a High Court case showed, the extent of such responsibilities largely depends on needs, reasonable lifestyle expectations and the availability of resources to meet them. The case…
Air Quality Issues Prove Decisive as Car Park Planning Permission Quashed
With environmental protection very much on the public mind, ever-increasing weight is being given by planning decision-makers to combating pollution and maintaining air quality. In a case on point, the High Court overturned planning permission for a temporary car park on a plot adjoining an urban primary school. The disused…
Company Director Pays Price for Accepting Luxury Car Bribe
The vast majority of directors put their self-interest to one side and meet their legal obligations faithfully to serve the companies they lead. As a High Court case showed, however, positions of such power can sadly give rise to a risk of bribery. The case concerned the CEO of a…
Control Room Operator’s Angry Comment Lands Employer in Legal Hot Water
Angry comments uttered in a moment of workplace stress can very easily amount to harassment and land employers in legal hot water. That was certainly so in the case of a frustrated control room operator’s response to a Muslim worker’s reluctance to cover a shift during the Islamic festival of…
Online Seller of Toxic ‘Food Supplement’ Responsible for Student’s Death
Selling dangerous chemicals to potentially vulnerable shoppers online, under the guise of alleged health or other benefits, is a common source of profit for amoral traders. As a Court of Appeal ruling showed, however, judges are tackling the issue and coming down hard on those responsible for such abuses. The…
Court Detects No Reason to Doubt Distinguished Arbitrator’s Impartiality
The credibility of any judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings is obviously undermined if there is room for justifiable doubt as to a decision-maker’s impartiality. The High Court made that point in considering – and rejecting – claims that a distinguished lawyer should relinquish his chairmanship of an arbitration panel. After a…
Family Judge Deeply Regrets Wealthy Ex-Couple’s Inability to Compromise
Judges often plead with divorcing couples to bury the hatchet rather than subject themselves to the financial and emotional self-harm of litigation. As a High Court case showed, however, such good advice is sadly not always heeded. The case concerned a couple who worked together in their construction business and,…
Good Quality Conveyancing is Vital to the Avoidance of Neighbour Disputes
Poor quality property conveyancing is a sadly common source of neighbour disputes and that is why it is so crucial to engage specialist solicitors to do the job. A case on point concerned a poorly demarcated boundary which went unnoticed for years before it became the focus of conflict between…