Article Category: Insight & Opinion

The Electronic Communications Code from 2003 has long been criticised for being unfit for purpose and for holding back the roll out of new telecommunications technology. Finally, on 28 December 2017, it was replaced and the new Electronic Communications Code (‘the New Code’) came into force. In this blog, I will look at three areas… Read more »

In family law proceedings involving children, the importance of children’s wishes and feelings including their welfare is the courts paramount consideration. When considering what approach to take, the judge will turn to the welfare checklist set out in the Children Act 1989, section 1 (3). What criteria must the court consider? Key areas of consideration… Read more »

From 1 April 2018 it will be illegal to rent a private property (domestic or non-domestic) below the minimum energy performance rating of E on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The regulations apply from 1 April 2018 to new lets and renewals of tenancies. For all existing tenancies, the date for compliance will be 1… Read more »

For the past five years, teacher recruitment targets have been missed. A number of reasons for this have been raised but one repeatedly identified problem is a teacher’s workload and the stress this causes. Why are targets being missed? You may have seen recent adverts promoting careers in teaching which aim to encourage more individuals… Read more »

Divorce is governed by the provisions of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 and before you can file for divorce you must state that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. You must also prove this statement using one of the following five factors, known as the grounds for divorce: The respondent (the person who has divorce… Read more »

In 2014 the Department for Education provided guidance stating that people working with children under the age of eight in a school environment can be disqualified from doing so if a person living or employed at their household is themselves disqualified. This was an extension of the provisions relating to the disqualification of childcare providers…. Read more »

The data protection developments together with a general increase in awareness of fundamental rights, particularly the right to privacy, have led to legislative changes in the form of the GDPR and the emergence of a new regime of privacy protection. Businesses are increasingly aggregating employee or customer information and collecting and processing data. In addition,… Read more »

Ever since 26 July 2017, when the Supreme Court held that Employment Tribunal (ET) fees were unlawful and therefore scrapped with immediate effect, employers have been anxiously waiting to see if there would be a considerable increase in the number of Employment Tribunal claims being made. The wait is over, and unfortunately the results do… Read more »

Jack Kelly, Legal Apprentice, in our HR team tells us about why he chose a legal apprenticeship and what a typical day is for him. What attracted you to a legal apprenticeship? Many of my friends were going off to university but it just didn’t seem like the right path for me. I didn’t want… Read more »

Darren Smith, Legal Apprentice in our Dispute Resolution team, shares his experience of the legal apprenticeship scheme and his advice for college and school leavers. What attracted you to a legal apprenticeship? One of the main things that attracted me to a legal apprenticeship was the fantastic opportunity for employment. Workplace experience is becoming more… Read more »