Blog
Senior Traffic Commissioner clarifies the relationship between the number of vehicles specified on an Operator’s Licence and the number of vehicles held and used
On 12 December 2022, The Senior Traffic Commissioner published important proposed changes to the Statutory Guidance. The changes are currently out for consultation, and the consultation itself closes on 16 January 2023. Of significance are the proposals to amend Statutory Document No. 0, ‘Introduction to Operating Licensing’ and Statutory Document No. 4, which covers Operating […]
Inflation and the Gender Pension Gap
Albert Einstein once said “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it”. Whether the above quote can be attributed to Einstein is questionable, but there can be no disputing the power of compound interest. The June 2022 Office of National Statistics, Consumer Prices Index […]
Loneliness and the Bar
A barrister’s working style can create prime field conditions for the fog of loneliness to descend, so here’s a look ahead to Loneliness Awareness Week (with the apt acronym LAW!) and how we can better support ourselves and each other. Loneliness at the Bar by Tim Akers was first featured in the June edition of […]
The Whole Life Order: Have the Floodgates been Opened?
Events that occurred in March 2021 instituted a widespread heated debate both domestically and internationally as a consequence of the murder of Sarah Everard at the hands of police officer Wayne Couzens. It sparked a global women’s safety movement and erosion of public confidence in police protection, alongside sparking conversations around inequality, misogyny and victim-blaming. […]
‘Controlling or coercive behaviour’: Is the law fit for purpose?
About seven years ago, section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 created an offence of ‘controlling or coercive behaviour’. The purpose of the legislation was to offer a further layer of protection for victims of domestic abuse by criminalising conduct that causes harm. As per the Statutory Guidance, the offence “closes a gap in […]
Can you sack someone in order to avoid paying them the National Minimum Wage?
Can you sack someone in order to avoid paying them the National Minimum Wage? Perhaps unsurprisingly, the answer is a straightforward “no”. Suppose that I employ a number of individuals, all of whom are entitled to receive the National Minimum Wage. Business has been hard during the pandemic, and so I want to make costs savings. Staff […]
Jurisdiction & Divorce: Timing and Staying to secure a UK Divorce
So if there was any doubt, a stayed application is still alive, and for the purposes of jurisdiction, such an application can be deemed the 1st in time, if so issued before a competing foreign application, or can become 1st in time and so obtain priority status, if the 1st in time (non-UK) application later […]
Greater Sentencing Power for Magistrates – A Solution to the Backlog?
It was confirmed on 18 January 2020 that Magistrates are to have their sentencing powers increased in the coming months, granting them broader power than ever before. The most significant change is that Magistrates’ will be able to impose a sentence of up to 12 months in custody which is double the previous maximum sentence. […]
Decoding EncroChat: Admissibility
In the midst of the pandemic last year, unbeknownst to its users at the time, the EncroChat service was infiltrated by malware which installed an identical application on their EncroChat devices. This application, as well as functioning as it normally would, now also sent all message data to intelligence teams across Europe. The National Crime […]
Manslaughter: Having your Cake and Eating It
In June 2021 Salisbury Crown Court heard an interesting case of manslaughter (in which I acted for the Defendant along with Tessa Shroff) that came about by reason of the family of the victim’s right to review. It gave rise to considerations of the propriety of the Crown trying to run a prosecution on two […]
Covid-19 Inquiry – Devolved Administrations and Article 2 Considerations
From very early on in the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been calls for a public inquiry into the UK Government’s response to it. These calls have come from a wide range of individuals and bodies and the questions they put forward for an inquiry’s consideration are manifold. Whilst there has already been considerable scrutiny into […]
Breakingbury v Croad “Why be a professional – be a footballer”
The adoration bestowed upon footballers far outweighs the gratitude bestowed upon members of the professions for the work they undertake. The consequences for an unsuccessful professional are far greater than for an unsuccessful footballer. Take for example the case of the former dentist Dr Croad (Breakingbury v Croad judgment 19th April 2021). The legal […]
