On 8th November 2024, the London Central Employment Tribunal published the Reserved Judgement of the Preliminary Hearing on Worker Status in drivers’ long-running litigation against Bolt. The full judgement can be read here. These claims were first brought to the Employment Tribunal by Dallas McMillan in 2021.
Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), also known as Vibration White Finger, is an industrial disease caused by prolonged exposure to vibration, typically through the use of vibrating hand tools and equipment. This can cause debilitating, long-term symptoms for which there is no cure.
There are many reasons why a parent may choose not to include their children in their Will. This could be due to estrangement, broken relationships, or for inheritance tax purposes.
The Labour Party formed the new government of the United Kingdom after their General Election win on 4th July 2024. The party has proposed to make expansive legislative changes to Employment Law within the UK which can be viewed in full here.
Personal injury claims commonly arise from either road traffic accidents, workplace injuries or accidents in public places. A common and understandable question we are asked by most clients is “how long will my claim take?”
When buying and selling a home, one of the first things you will do is obtain a fee quote from your solicitor. This fee quote should contain details of the Solicitor’s fees and any outlays that they have to pay to third parties as part of your sale and or purchase process.
In any claim for personal injury, proving that a duty of care was owed is essential. This principle was established in the well-known case of Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562:
Following my previous blog which touched on the importance of having a Will prepared (a legal document that deals with your affairs on your death), I am now going to explain why having a Power of Attorney (a legal document that deals with your affairs while you are still alive) is just as essential.
A settlement agreement is a legally binding agreement between an employer and an employee. Settlement agreements are used to resolve ongoing disputes or to terminate the working relationship between the two parties in a mutually agreed manner.
Buying and selling property can be a stressful experience, especially for first-time buyers or those unfamiliar with the Scottish legal system. A large part of this may be due to confusing terminology, and a lack of understanding of the process.
It would be reasonable to argue that 2023 was not a good year to buy property; mortgage rates were typically ranging between 5% and 7% depending on the product - a significant increase on previous years where mortgage rates were averaging between 1 and 3%. There was also a growing concern that a crash in house prices was looming. A combination of these issues resulted in a highly unstable market, with buyers finding it increasingly more difficult to secure a mortgage.
Whether you are both first-time buyers or purchasing your first property together as a couple or with a friend or family member it is undoubtedly an exciting but daunting time. You may get caught up in picking the furniture and counting down the days until you pick up the keys, however, it is important to not just think about the exciting parts but to also think practically about the consequences of buying property jointly with another person.
Leading independent law firm Dallas McMillan is to mark its 150th anniversary with a £150,000 charity fundraising campaign. The firm will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2025 and is marking the milestone by attempting to raise £150,000 for its four chosen charities: Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS), The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice, Good Morning Service and The Simon Community.
All personal injury actions raised after 30th June 2021 are subject to Qualified One-Way Cost Shifting or QOCS. What are the implications of this for a Pursuer’s case?
We understand that dying, death and bereavement can often be a difficult conversation to have. It may be hard to know where to begin with such a conversation and what should be discussed to prepare for death. Generally, the way in which our society deals with these uncomfortable conversations is to not have them at all. Having, and encouraging, these discussions allow us to plan for life and makes it more likely that you, and your loved ones, will cope better practically and emotionally when dealing with it.
The UK Government launched a consultation on a proposal to introduce fees for Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal claims on 29th January 2024. This consultation is currently ongoing and will run until 25th March 2024. This comes after the Coalition Government previously introduced fees between 2013 and 2017 which were ruled as unlawful by the Supreme Court. The intention on this occasion, as stated by Justice Minister Mike Freer MP is to, “Ensure users are paying towards the running costs of the tribunals and put its users on broadly the same footing as users of other courts and tribunals who already pay fees, thereby ensuring cross-jurisdictional consistency.”
In 2021, Alexander and Diana Darwall, Dartmoor’s sixth-largest landowners, brought a legal challenge against the Dartmoor National Park Authority over the right to wild camp on the moors. In 2023, the Dartmoor National Park Authority were successful in their appeal against the decision to ban wild camping on Dartmoor. However, in January 2024, the Darwalls further appealed to the Supreme Court.
The condition of Scotland’s roads and pavements has been widely discussed in the media in recent times. Early last year, the AA published a report referring to a ‘pandemic of potholes’, reflecting large increases in pothole related breakdowns. Glasgow City Council reacted to this by doubling their budget for pothole repairs from £6 million to a huge £12 million in 2023. While this might go some way to convincing the public that this problem is on its way to being fixed – although perhaps not the 13,000-strong ‘Potholes Make Glasgow’ Facebook group – even this huge increase will not eliminate potholes overnight.
In an age where almost everything we do can be shared online; the prominence of social media, ‘selfies’, and the content creators behind it all have undoubtedly created a new Internet Age. At the turn of the last decade, a new type of celebrity was emerging: the ‘Influencer’. Average men and women were taking to YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms to share reviews and tutorials of beauty related products. This quickly flourished into a billion-dollar industry, with social media propelling normal people into stardom and notoriety. The appeal of these figures appeared to stem from their relatability, compared to traditional celebrities like actors or musicians. Nonetheless, the influence these online figures have had on society at a cultural level is undeniable. With the evolution of this type of media, the expected beauty standards have also changed.
