Articles

3PB’s Jakob Reckhenrich has analysed the case of Readie Construction Limited v Geo Quarries Limited [2021] EWHC 3030 (QB) and identifies that the judgment of this case will now make it easier for a party to bring itself within section 49(2) of the Act, showing that the time for payment is other than the day of delivery may well be sufficient to show that “the price is payable on a day certain irrespective of delivery”. Secondly, the courts may be more willing than they once were, to construe a no set-off clause as extending to abatement (particularly where the word “reduction” is used).

Daniel Brown reviews P2CG Limited v Davis (Appeal No. EA-2019-000762-AT), a judgment that provides useful guidance as to the matters to be considered when an allegation is not put to a witness in court.

Grace Nicholls on Rooney v Leicester City Council UKEAT/0064/20/DA and UKEAT/0104/21/DA, a case which reminds us that fact sensitive cases be dealt with with extra care and caution to prevent unnecessary delay and ensure effective, efficient conduct of litigation.

Grace Boorer analyses Agbeze v Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust EA-2020-000413-VP, in which the EAT found that where a worker’s contract requires something more than being ready, willing and able to work in order to receive wages, a term is not implied that the worker is entitled to be paid on suspension in absence of a contractual provision on the point.

Alex Leonhardt reviews A v Burke & Hare (EA-2020-SCO-0000067-DT), a case in which the EAT concludes that applications for anonymity orders need to be supported by robust evidence on harm that will arise to the party, going beyond mere embarrassment or social opprobrium, with evidence of impact on labour market outcomes potentially considered relevant and sufficient.

Naomi Webber reviews R (Cornerstone) v Ofsted [2021] EWCA Civ 1390, a case considering whether a requirement for foster parents to be in heterosexual marriages on religious grounds was discriminatory.

Data protection for schools and higher education institutions

Matthew Wyard highlights the rights of access to data from schools and colleges and specifically what constitutes ‘education data’. The new Data Sharing Code of Practice from the ICO is also scrutinised for how it assists the higher education sector in situations of crisis on campus.

Elliott Stenson on Stuart Delivery Ltd v Warren Augustine [2021] EWCA Civ 1514, a case in which the Court of Appeal distances itself from the Pimlico Plumbers categories approach when considering substitution clauses in employment status cases, recommending instead to start with the statutory framework and to look at the entire factual matrix.

Zymurgorium Ltd v Hammonds of Knutsford plc

Mariya Peykova has analysed the case of Zymurgorium Ltd v Hammonds of Knutsford plc for Lexis®PSL.

Colin McDevitt analyses Kong v Gulf International Bank (UK) Limited EA-2020-000357-JOJ, a case which emphasises the rare nature of the Jhuti exception when considering an invented reason for an automatically unfair dismissal following the making of a protected disclosure.

Stephen Wyeth reviews Abbeyfield (Maidenhead) Society v Hart UKEAT/0016/21, a case which provides a useful indication of the high threshold that must be overcome to set aside the important and cherished principle that communications between advisers about contemplated litigation should remain confidential.

Katherine Anderson analyses The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of The University of Oxford v Professor Paul Ewart EA-2020-000128-RN, which highlights that proportionality assessment means it is possible for different ETs to reach different conclusions when considering the same measure adopted by the same employer in respect of the same aims.