Rayner meets businesses and unions on workers' rights, Class actions increase, Criminal defence solicitors urged to unionise
THE HOT STORY
Rayner meets businesses and unions on workers' rights
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds have hosted a meeting with business representatives and trade unions to discuss the government's plan for workers' rights. The Employment Rights Bill aims to ban the "exploitative" use of zero-hours contracts and end "fire and rehire" practices. Ministers hope to introduce changes including parental leave, sick pay, and protection from unfair dismissal from the first day of employment.?While unions have largely welcomed the proposals, some business groups have expressed reservations. Following the meeting, Rayner hailed "a new era of partnership," saying participants had "agreed to wipe the slate clean and begin a new relationship of respect and collaboration." The Institute of Directors stressed the importance of meaningful dialogue to determine the impact on economic growth, while Christina McAnea of Unison highlighted the importance of collaboration in solving Britain's problems and driving economic growth.
LAW
Class actions increase
City AM ?
Class actions are on the rise in the UK legal market, following the introduction of legislation in 2015. The opt-out regime for infringements of competition law has led to a surge in class action lawsuits, with the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) experiencing a high volume of cases. A recent report by CMS revealed that the total claimed value of opt-out cases reached ￡56.32bn by the end of 2023, up 48% from the previous year. The report also highlighted the growing popularity of opt-in cases, with a total claimed value of ￡66.85bn. The rise in competition class actions has created opportunities for lawyers and barristers, while businesses are bracing for the impact of these lawsuits.
Criminal defence solicitors urged to unionise
The London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association has called on solicitors to unionise amid concerns about the lack of investment in the legal aid system by the government. The association said the new government "is yet to publish specific policy detail in relation to legal aid, but the mood-music emanating from that direction is that there is no appetite, indeed no capacity, for any new meaningful public spending." To bring about the necessary change, the association has urged solicitors to join a trade union, specifically recommending Unite's Legal Sector Workers' branch. Law Society president Nick Emmerson said: "It is understandable that members of the profession feel the need to take such drastic action to protect access to justice." The Ministry of Justice said officials are considering the issues raised and will respond in due course.
High-profile lawyers quit X over Musk
A number of high-profile X - formerly Twitter - users from within the legal sector have decided to stop posting on the site in response to the actions of its owner, Elon Musk. Musk has been accused of stoking tensions through his posts on the recent UK riots and failing to prevent certain users from inciting violence and disorder. Lawyers and barristers, including a number with large followings, have announced their departure from the platform. Some have cited Musk's calls for judges to be arrested and his comments about the British legal system needing reform as reasons for their decision.
No refunds in historic miscarriage of justice cases
BBC News ? The Daily Telegraph ? The Guardian ?
Victims of historic miscarriages of justice have been told they must have "bed and board" costs for the time they spent in prison deducted from their compensation payments. Last year, Conservative Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk scrapped the policy of making such deductions from all future payouts but the subject of past cases was left undecided. The government has now said people who have already had payouts cannot claim back money retrospectively.?Matt Foot, co-director of legal charity Appeal, has described the previous compensation deductions as "vindictive." He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the amount of money people are seeking compensation for is "relatively small." The same programme asked Thomas-Symonds, minister for the Cabinet Office,?whether the cut-off point for reimbursement was arbitrary. He said: “You have a standard approach to government policy that changes do not apply retrospectively."?
Magistrate issued formal advice for misconduct
A magistrate has been issued with formal advice for misconduct after using his phone and iPad during court proceedings to read and respond to personal messages. The magistrate, Timothy Nathan, admitted to using his personal devices during the hearing and sending messages related to his self-employment as a professional pilot. Two other magistrates who sat with Nathan on the bench complained about his phone use. The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office found that Nathan's actions risked reputational damage to the magistracy. He has been issued with formal advice and has taken full responsibility for his actions.
LEGAL TECH
Change in sentiment about AI filters through legal industry
The hype around generative AI in law firms is changing as leaders and experts adjust their expectations, writes Roy Strom for Bloomberg Law. While AI tools are better at boosting back-office efficiency, they are not yet capable of redesigning how client work is handled. Law firms are realising that the electronic lawyer they've been waiting for is still a distant reality, Strom writes, adding that they are torn between fear, uncertainty, and doubt, and the fear of missing out when it comes to investing in AI. The challenge is to find a balance and place bets on technologies across functions. The future of AI in law firms remains uncertain, but firms are still preparing for the change and experimenting with AI tools.?
COMMERCIAL LAW
Founder accused of insider dealing raises stake in Big Technologies
Sara Murray, the founder of electronic monitoring device firm Big Technologies,?has increased her stake in the business following the sudden departure of its chairman. She has?seen her holding grow to about 27% after she and other directors exercised options agreed when the business floated in 2021. AIM-listed?Big Technologies emerged from a company called Buddi that Murray founded in 2005. Both firms are being sued in the High Court by five investors who have made allegations of insider dealing.?The claimants allege that a group of offshore companies with undisclosed connections to Murray were used to unlawfully push minority shareholders out of Buddi at a much lower price than Big Technologies?achieved when it floated.
Former Wilko owners: 'No legal obligation' over pension black hole
Daily Mail ?
The former owners of Wilko do not plan to help plug the collapsed retailer’s ￡70m pension hole, saying their lawyers believe they do not have an obligation to do so. Amalgamated Holdings Wilkinson Limited said it has “never been the sponsoring employer” for Wilko pensions. Former Wilko staff are calling on The Pensions Regulator to take action. The retailer went bust in 2023 with the loss of 12,500 jobs and closure of 398 stores.
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FAMILY LAW
Girl to be placed for adoption after council wins appeal
BBC News ?
A one-year-old girl will be placed for adoption after a council won a case at the Court of Appeal. Slough Borough Council appealed a verdict made in the spring that ordered that she stayed in foster care. The toddler's parents have learning disabilities and are unable to look after her but wanted her to stay in foster care, the court heard. But three Court of Appeal judges agreed the girl, referred to in legal papers as C, "needs a lifelong family where she can feel that she belongs." Family Court judge Robin Tolson KC refused the application to put C up for adoption in April but the three judges said he had erred in law. Lord Justice Peter Jackson said he was wrong to say a professional assessment by council staff had "fallen short." He added the Family Court judge did not make an "all-round assessment" of the girl's welfare and that his explanation was "hard to follow."
PROPERTY LAW
Labour to cap landowners' profit from green belt land sales
Daily Mail ?
Labour is planning to cap the amount of profit landowners can make from the sale of green belt land as part of Angela Rayner's building blitz. The Deputy Prime Minister aims to build 1.5m new homes over the next five years and wants to release parts of the protected green belt for development. These areas, known as the 'grey belt', will include low-quality land on the edge of existing housing or roads, as well as disused petrol stations and car parks. Local councils could be given compulsory purchase powers to buy up green belt land at a lower price than the market value. Neighbouring councils will also be encouraged to plan future developments together to limit unnecessary green belt releases. Labour's plans have raised concerns about the potential degradation of greenfield land and the need for significant new development in the green belt to meet housing targets. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has stated that the green belt will be preserved and a brownfield-first approach will be taken.
Property law transactions at historic lows but firms ‘must prepare’ for growth
City AM ?
A study from legal data supplier Search Acumen suggests that total transactions across the residential and commercial real estate markets are down by 22% annually. The data indicates that the number of active law firms has fallen by 130 in the same period - an 11% decline from a decade ago, from 4,317 in 2014 to 3,857 in 2024 - and case loads have plunged by 19% year-on-year. But Andrew Loyd, managing director at Search Acumen, said: "If Labour delivers [on its housebuilding pledges], we could see a very different picture for transactions and caseloads this time next year . . . law firms must prepare."
EMPLOYMENT LAW
Conservatives left ‘legacy of structural racism' in UK jobs market, TUC says
The Guardian ?
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has accused the Conservatives of leaving a "legacy of structural racism" in the UK jobs market. According to the TUC, black and minority ethnic (BME) workers have borne the brunt of the rise in insecure employment, which has increased almost three times faster than secure forms of employment under the Tories. BME workers are overrepresented in insecure jobs such as zero-hours contracts, low-paid self-employment, and casual or seasonal work. The TUC warned of "racism at every stage of the labour market" and highlighted the increase in BME workers in insecure jobs from 360,200 in 2011 to 878,800 in 2023. The TUC called on Labour to legislate within the first 100 days of government to ban zero-hours contracts and ensure key workplace rights from day one on the job. The government's employment rights bill, to be introduced within the first 100 days, aims to modernise workplace rights and make work more secure.
Judge rules white police officers unfairly passed over for promotion
Daily Telegraph ? Daily Mail ? London Evening Standard ?
A judge has ruled that three white police officers were unfairly passed over for promotion because of their race. Detective Inspector Phillip Turner-Robson, Inspector Graham Horton, and Kirsteen Bishop, a custody inspector, brought employment tribunal proceedings against Thames Valley Police claiming to have been disadvantaged because they were 'white British.' The tribunal heard that in an attempt to improve diversity among senior staff, a superintendent at the force was told to 'make it happen' by appointing an 'Asian' sergeant to the rank of detective inspector. The three officers had been working with Thames Valley Police for between 19 and 26 years when they were blocked from applying for the role. Judge Robin Postle concluded that the three white officers were directly discriminated against by reason of the protected characteristic of race.
FIRMS
Firm fined for money laundering failures
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has imposed a fine of ￡21,843 on GD Legal?for failing to comply with anti-money laundering regulations. The firm, which specialises in conveyancing work, was found to have inadequate risk assessment and policies, controls, and procedures. The SRA stated that the breaches lasted longer than reasonable and had the potential to harm the public interest and confidence in the legal profession. GD Legal cooperated with the SRA, took remedial action, and no evidence of actual harm was found. The firm was ordered to pay 2.4% of its annual domestic turnover and costs of ￡1,350.
Pinsent Masons gives staff Friday afternoons off
Law firm Pinsent Masons is allowing all its employees to finish early on Fridays throughout August without taking a pay cut. The scheme is currently being implemented in the firm's UK, Europe, and Middle East offices, and will be trialled in its Johannesburg and Asia Pacific offices in 2025. Pinsent Masons aims to assess the success of the flexible working scheme at the end of the month. The initiative is an extension of the firm's commitment to agile working and supporting its employees. Other law firms, such as Slaughter and May and Stephenson Harwood, have also introduced similar schemes.
Clifford Chance suspends hybrid work policy after anti-immigration protests
Clifford Chance?has temporarily suspended its hybrid working policy after anti-immigration protests sparked violent scenes across several major UK cities, resulting in hundreds of arrests. The Magic Circle firm last week confirmed that UK lawyers and staff who are concerned about their safety could work from home until the end of this week.
CASES
Activists launch appeals against protest sentences
Evening Standard ?
Five Just Stop Oil activists, who were previously handed what are believed to be the longest sentences ever given for peaceful protest, are launching appeals against their convictions. The activists, including Roger Hallam, co-founder of Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion, were sentenced to between four and five years in prison for conspiring to organise protests that blocked the M25 for four consecutive days. The protests resulted in economic costs and vehicle delays, and the Metropolitan Police spent over ￡1.1m on managing the situation. The activists have filed their appeal bids and are seeking to have their sentences overturned.