Legal Updates

In its autumn 2012 budget statement, the Government announced a 1% increase per annum in the rate of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for the next three years. SSP is meant to “provide a measure of earnings replacement for employees who are off work through illness.” From 6 April 2013, the SSP is due to rise by 85p, from £85.75 to £86.80 per week. The length of time that SSP will be paid to sick employees has remained at 28 weeks, and in order to qualify for SSP, the employee will need to have been off work for four or more working days. However, the weekly earnings threshold has risen from £107 to £109, meaning that any person earning less than this figure will not be entitled to SSP. 

Buying and selling a property has long been regarded as one of the most stressful things you will ever do in life. After all, you are dealing with the most important and costly financial asset you are ever likely to own, and you want any such conveyancing transaction to go as smoothly as possible. Of course one hopes the instructed conveyance firm will be able to deal with the transaction as professionally and expeditiously as you deserve; however, according to the Legal Ombudsman, in an increasing number of cases this is not proving to be the reality.

‘Gazumping’ may sound like something big, fluffy bunny rabbits in a fairy-tale land do – perhaps a term used in the place of ‘jumping for joy’. But in reality it is a deeply unscrupulous and alarmingly common malpractice in real estate. Gazumping is shockingly common in England and Wales, and the fact that it happens is not nearly as shocking as the fact that it is legally allowed to happen. Let’s find out more about what gazumping actually is and why it continues to occur in England and Wales.

During the Queen’s Speech of May 2012, an announcement was made regarding a new bill of law that is aimed at improving the lives of children and families. The bill seeks to implement plans that will permit parents to share parental leave, enabling the father to also take time off during a maternity leave, for example. The bill also proposes to make the process of adoption easier for international families. Along with these changes more options are to be made available for children who have special educational needs. And finally the bill seeks to improve the level of access fathers have to their children after a divorce.

A topic that has been in the news a lot recently is the question of whether prisoners should be allowed to vote in the UK. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that preventing prisoners from voting essentially denies them their human rights and is therefore against the law. In our society, there is a variety of opinions on this matter, and while Prime Minister David Cameron is vehemently opposed to the idea, Parliament is set to debate this question and make a ruling. 

So, what is the answer to this question? Should all prisoners have a blanket right to vote, or should everyone in prison be equally denied the opportunity to vote? Or is there another solution, whereby the right to vote is dependent on the nature of the prison sentence, with certain prisoners – depending on their crime and sentence – given the right to vote? 

 “Making a will is something everyone should do. It is one of the most important actions that individuals take. We should be able to have confidence in those who advise and draft documents for us.” This advice came earlier this year from Mr David Edmonds, Chairman of the Legal Services Board (LSB). The LSB is the new ‘super regulator’ for all lawyers in England and Wales, including Solicitors,  so when its Chairman speaks, those in legal practice should listen. 

At long last, the Government has recognised the fact that the vast majority of the population are looking for a much higher level of protection when it comes to confronting intruders during a burglary. Perhaps now we will be less likely to be identified as criminals simply for protecting our loved ones and belongings.

The new Justice Secretary, Chris Grayling, outlined his plans to provide homeowners who are the victims of burglary with more protection under the law if they injure the intruders in the heat of the moment. He stressed that the current law and test on ‘proportionality’ do not go far enough, leaving most homeowners afraid to use any level of force to protect what is dear to them. In short, most of the population of this country would agree that the law appears to be firmly stacked on the side of the criminal rather than the victim.

Last month we looked at the Green Deal. Another trend for renewable energy in homes is the installation of solar PV (photovoltaic) technology. 

The Feed-In Tariff was launched in April 2010 and aimed to encourage Britons to install renewable energy systems. The tariff rewards the owners of green energy systems by paying them for the power they create. From 1 April 2012, the Feed-In Tariff available from the installation of solar panel arrays has been linked to energy efficiency ratings, and therefore homeowners are no longer automatically entitled to the highest tariff rates available. Although this may have had a negative impact on the number of people signing up for the program, PV technology has been included in the Government's list of approved energy-efficient measures for Green Deal qualification, and therefore it is forecast to deliver a welcome boost to the solar industry.

Following the Energy Act 2011, a new government initiative known as the Green Deal is due to become active on 1 October 2012. This is designed to install new green technology into homes without the owner having to pay an upfront cost. Instead, the costs are paid back through your energy bill over a period of time. There are a whole range of improvements that can be claimed, including double glazing; cavity wall and loft insulation; gas and oil boilers; and renewable technologies such as solar PV, solar thermal and heat pumps. 

Following the tragic and shocking murders of two policewomen in Greater Manchester – Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes – that old debate of whether capital punishment should be brought back has been reignited for the murder of police personnel. Aside from a small number of sick people who decided to pay tribute to the killer through social media sites, the vast majority of the population of the country were shocked to the core when this terrible news reached their ears.