In these sessions Legal Director Elizabeth Wallace unpacks the full proceedings of an inquest following a death in prison custody. From detailing the state’s responsibility and accountability for the welfare of detainees, to how and by whom the investigative report is carried out. Each video focuses on a specific stage of the inquest responding to frequently asked questions and common themes...

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has recently confirmed that mediation will become compulsory for civil claims valued at up to £10,000 – with parties facing costs sanctions or a strike-out if they fail to engage in the mediation process. The announcement follows on from a Consultation that the Ministry of Justice commenced in 2022. The reform will see mediation become a standard step in the vast majority of small claims proceedings. The success of 'remote' mediations during the Covid crisis appears to accelerated the proposals..

We're pleased to have advised a newly formed buy-and-build venture on the acquisition of cloud-service provider, RISC IT Solutions.

In our last article, we discussed the circumstances of M/Y Phi’s detention on 28 March 2022 while lying in port at Canary Wharf, London. We also outlined the legal bases under which the owners of superyacht M/Y Phi could challenge and seek to have set aside, the government’s decision to detain the yacht, through their claim issued in the High Court of London. 

In anticipation of forthcoming changes to the flexible working legislation, Acas have launched a consultation on proposed revisions to its Code of Practice for employers on how to handle flexible working requests in a reasonable manner...

As a result of government concessions during the parliamentary passage of the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill, commonly referred to as the ‘Harassment Bill’, it seems that its proposals to reintroduce third-party harassment have been abandoned, and the new duty to prevent sexual harassment has also been watered down...

The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 has received royal assent. When it comes into force (on a date yet to be decided), the Act will make significant changes to the right to make a flexible working request...

A disability discrimination claim brought by a neurodiverse candidate, whose suggested adjustments to a recruitment and selection process were partially rejected, failed. The selection process was objectively justified and the adjustments he had requested were not reasonable.

An employee, who had been dismissed for ‘offensive, inflammatory, and racially divisive’ social media posts, had no expectation of privacy in her Facebook posts. The employer’s interference with her freedom of speech was justified, although her dismissal was procedurally unfair (Employment Tribunal).

The EAT upheld an employment tribunal’s decision that an employee’s dismissal was fair, despite the fact the decision maker had not conducted the disciplinary hearings himself or met with the employee before reaching the decision to dismiss. The tribunal had been entitled to look at the disciplinary procedure followed as a whole, and to find that any procedural unfairness had been remedied by the internal appeal.

The Scottish Court of Session (Inner House) has upheld an order for disclosure of an original investigation report, rejecting the employer’s arguments that it was protected by legal professional privilege. Those carrying out independent investigations should be mindful as to what is included in any investigation outcome or associated documents and appreciate the limits of relying on the protection of privilege...

In a curious trend, many listed companies are experiencing a significant disparity between their share price and underlying value. This intriguing phenomenon sees share prices lagging behind the true potential of companies, which subsequently opt for delisting as a strategic move.