Recent Posts
/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-08-07-13-08-42-332-6894a55ac43c76560d4b0ee1.jpg)
The FCA announcement on a motor finance compensation scheme
On 3 August 2024, following the Supreme Court judgment in relation to motor finance claims which was handed down on 1 August 2025 and can...
07/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-08-07-11-30-34-615-68948e5afe10830aa34629d5.jpg)
Supreme Court Clarifies Secret Commission Claims and Unfair Relationships in Car Finance
On 1 August 2025 the Supreme Court delivered one of the most eagerly awaited commercial judgments of recent years. The cases of Hopcraft...
07/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-08-07-10-36-42-463-689481bafe10830aa3460897.jpg)
NMW rates likely to be between £12.55 to £12.86 from April 2026
Employers face another significant rise in the rates of the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) next year. The Low...
07/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-08-05-14-34-32-824-68921678ae48ea3a1765f978.jpg)
Race discrimination: who is the correct comparator?
A key component of the direct discrimination test involves assessing whether an employee has been treated less favourably than a...
07/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-29-09-28-24-127-68889438cf4d0d3dfd2829ef.jpg)
Sleeping at work: fair or unfair dismissal?
When a security guard was dismissed for sleeping at work, the tribunal in Okoro v Bidvest Noonan (UK) Ltd had to determine if his...
07/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-30-08-45-10-016-6889db960e6537db4b3435a8.jpg)
New RSHE guidance: what schools and colleges need to know
The Department for Education has published updated statutory guidance on Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE). It comes into...
06/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-08-05-15-17-03-673-6892206f3210cc2ec3c8ea57.jpg)
Why are so many schools and colleges suspending pupils?
Figures published by the Department for Education on 10 July 2025 show another year-on-year increase in the number of suspensions and...
06/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-08-05-10-16-50-069-6891da123210cc2ec3c7fe54.jpg)
What can the government do to reduce the 'tsunami' of trivial complaints schools and colleges receive?
Last year, schools and colleges had to deal with more than five million complaints from disgruntled parents and carers. Recent research...
06/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-08-05-13-24-32-383-689206103210cc2ec3c8908d.jpg)
New Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules: Key points
There have been several significant changes, updates and amendments to the Immigration Rules, affecting sponsorship and a number of other...
05/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-08-01-10-03-02-221-688c90d6a30fdcdf551d382a.jpg)
FE colleges: changes to senior pay approval thresholds
The threshold at which a college must obtain senior pay approval from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has changed. In this article,...
05/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-24-15-40-33-854-688253f1165d6fd570020b0d.jpg)
Discrimination: are your staff forums and networks putting your organisation at risk?
Last month I examined the legal risks for employers that allow staff networks to invite unvetted external speakers into the workplace to...
04/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-08-01-09-23-58-867-688c87ae386b2278930f98f3.jpg)
ECCTA Incoming.....
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (“ECCTA”) is a major UK legislative initiative aimed at reducing financial crime...
04/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-08-01-14-03-05-208-688cc919a30fdcdf551ddb68.jpg)
Irwin Mitchell's Planning & Environment Blog
Welcome to our monthly blog series from the Planning & Environment team at Irwin Mitchell. Each month, we will be bringing together the...
01/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-08-01-13-57-58-173-688cc7e6386b227893105143.jpg)
UK ETS to include waste incineration: Government outlines its interim response
The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (“UK ETS”) Authority has published its interim response outlining the Monitoring, Reporting and...
01/08/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-31-15-40-31-329-688b8e6f804eb3079ef6e7c6.jpg)
Court of Appeal clarifies powers of local planning authorities on Energy Efficiency Standards
In a judgment handed down this week, the Court of Appeal has clarified the powers of local planning authorities on Energy Efficiency...
31/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-29-14-37-31-773-6888dcab0035b54e65ddface.jpg)
WhatsApp messages can be valid contracts
The High Court has delivered a pivotal ruling recently in Jaevee Homes Ltd v Fincham (t/a Fincham Demolition) [2025] EWHC 1134 (TCC) that...
29/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-29-12-00-28-252-6888b7dc41662ecff58f9a5a.jpg)
Reforming the National Security and Investment Act: A lighter touch for UK M&A?
The UK government has announced its intention to reform the National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSIA), aiming to ease regulatory...
29/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-23-11-38-12-043-6880c9a4896cd4b0427187c6.jpg)
Managing sickness absence: can you spy on an employee who is off sick?
That is what happened in Mr M Kerita v BMW (UK) Manufacturing Limited when concerns were raised about alleged inconsistencies in the...
25/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-25-08-05-39-850-68833ad39634d2b4ba9ed5c8.jpg)
Deal or No Deal: When Share Buybacks Go Wrong
In the context of M&A, a defective share buyback is like opening a mysterious red box— what you find inside could sink your deal before...
25/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-24-11-08-25-051-68821429d130e3d14bb17821.jpg)
Settlement agreements: government confirms that workers will be able to request NDAs
Last week, I wrote about the government's surprise decision to legislate to ban NDAs which prevent workers from speaking out about...
24/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-22-15-57-00-399-687fb4ccf679ba75e819ab0e.jpg)
Land-based Casino regulations come into force
The long-awaited reforms for land-based casinos (“2025 Regulations”) came into force on the 22 July. The 2025 Regulations cross-reference...
24/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-23-14-33-19-392-6880f2af60219a8ef0a364bd.jpg)
The JCT Target Cost Contract 2024 – what is it?
The JCT Target Cost Contract 2024 (TCC 2024) is a new addition to the JCT 2024 contract suite, comprising a Main Contract, Sub-Contract,...
23/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-23-13-25-13-982-6880e2b9d130e3d14bae4ae6.jpg)
Strengthening UK-Germany Relations: A Pragmatic Step Forward
The announcement of the new UK-Germany Treaty marks a significant and welcome development in the evolving relationship between two of...
23/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-22-15-17-45-324-687fab99406a27ba06a78cfd.jpg)
Navigating the New Norm: Why Sponsors Must Prioritise Compliance Amid Skilled Worker Changes
As of today, 22 July 2025, significant changes to the Immigration Rules have come into effect for the Skilled Worker route, as outlined...
22/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-18-14-21-26-234-687a5866e7763890db1f3900.jpg)
Banter in the classroom: was it fair to dismiss a teacher for calling pupils' 'hideous' and 'jaws'
When a teacher was dismissed for inappropriate comments to pupils, the employment tribunal in Mr M J Holland v Great Academies Education...
22/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-21-10-01-46-307-687e100a67400eaaa84c4f6d.jpg)
It’s all going down with rent review
In an unexpected move, the government has unveiled draft legislation which would ban upwards-only rent reviews in commercial leases in...
22/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-17-14-10-42-761-687904623f035ba76e3904a3.jpg)
Staff networks and external speakers: are you liable if what they say harasses an employee?
That was what the tribunal had to determine in the case of Newman v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. Facts Ms Newman joined the...
22/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-17-11-51-04-612-6878e3a82d1780b8749b7950.jpg)
Unpaid internships: government launches call for evidence
The government has launched a call for evidence - ‘Make Work Pay: Call for evidence on unpaid internships’ - inviting views on the use of...
22/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-21-15-50-25-417-687e61c1f23b2161f3995365.jpg)
Have the floodgates opened for tenants to reclaim overpayments of insurance rent?
A recent High Court decision (London Trocadero (2015) LLP v Picturehouse Cinemas Ltd and other companies [2025] EWHC 1247 (Ch)) resulted...
22/07/25/Passle/55fad6bcb00e7e097cd579a6/SearchServiceImages/2025-07-17-14-28-52-699-687908a43f035ba76e3912cd.jpg)
AI and Professional Negligence: Lessons from Ayinde
In 2025, the integration of artificial intelligence (“AI”) into legal practice has not only become commonplace but is actively being...
17/07/25