Energy Roundup - November 2011
A round up of energy efficiency, renewables and other news items from DECC and Ofgem during November 2011.
Freeth Cartwright LLP
Employment Review - November 2011
In this month’s review we take a look at three interesting cases which deal with the dangers of issuing termination notices by mistake; the cost consequences of claimants’ rejecting reasonable offers of re-employment and the power of the tribunal to find that a reason for a dismissal is different from the one given by an employer. We also remind ourselves of key changes which came into force at the beginning of October and report on the first conviction under the Bribery Act 2010.
Philip Pepper
0845 271 6794
philip.pepper@freethcartwright.co.uk
Government announces ‘The Most Radical Employment Law Reform in Decades’
Vince Cable has announced the Government’s proposals to encourage growth and employment levels in the economy, in what is claimed to be the most radical reform of employment law in decades. The announcement was made just prior to the publication of the Government’s response to the consultation on ‘Resolving Workplace Disputes’, which sought views on how workplace disputes can be resolved at an earlier stage and how the tribunal service can be made as user-friendly and as effective as possible, and the Red Tape Challenge review of employment law, which had the aim of deregulating the bureaucracy that currently entrenches employment legislation.
Some of the Government’s proposals are unsurprising, whether it be because of previous announcements or Government leaks, but there are some proposals which are entirely unexpected.
Streetwise - November 2011
In the last issue of Streetwise this year, I return to my perennial theme of contracts.
Christine Oxenburgh
0845 634 1739
christine.oxenburgh@freethcartwright.co.uk
Franchise Bulletin - November 2011
Welcome to our November franchise bulletin.
We hope autumn has proved to be a busy month for you on the back of the recent franchise exhibition. This exhibition demonstrated the considerable interest in this sector. In this issue we focus on areas that have kept our team busy recently in particular (1) managing disputes and (2) social media and your employees - both key topics at the moment.
Fiona Boswell
0845 070 3812
fiona.boswell@freethcartwright.co.uk
Local Authority Property Update - Autumn 2011
In short….
This quarter, we look at contractual disputes and highlight a couple of cautionary tales for parties wanting to develop land that is subject to restrictive covenants. For landlords and tenants, the AGA/GAGA saga seems to have come to an end (for now) and service charge provisions are still a cause of disagreement. There is a round-up of the latest planning developments and we also include links to information on green issues.
3 year sentence for first Bribery Act conviction and the SFO is keen for more!
The first conviction under the Bribery Act has come only 4 months after the Act came into force in July. Munir Patel, clerk at Redbridge Magistrates’ Court, pleaded guilty in October to “requesting and receiving a bribe”, when he accepted £500 for fixing a speeding offence . He has now been sentenced to 3 years (to run concurrently with a six year sentence for misconduct in a public office).
Retail Update - November 2011
Last month the EU Council finally approved the Consumer Rights Directive. This covers business- to-consumer sales contracts for goods and services both on and off premises and will strengthen consumer rights across all 27 member states and make it easier for businesses to trade across Europe.