General News

Welcome to March's newsletter In our latest edition we bring you employment law news on unwarranted media criticism of the ET system and revocation of the Public Sector Exit Payment Cap together with our latest webinar. Our team has analysed key employment law cases in written form, including the Uber case. Finally, we invite you to register for our employment law webinar of 21 April. Sign up for employment news Media criticism of the ET system receives...

Tonia Clark reviews Practice Direction 27A and its application in family proceedings

26th February 2021

3PB’s specialist family law barrister Tonia Clark (pictured here) has reviewed Practice Direction 27A (PD27A), which Family Court judges are increasingly exasperated is being ignored. In this article Tonia covers the importance of Practice Direction 27A, noting that non-compliance will likely mean that the Courts will consider making costs orders. Tonia also highlights the most important points to bear in mind when applying PD27A and states that the case AG v VD [2021] EWFC 9 paras...

Public Sector Exit Payment Cap Revoked

25th February 2021

On 12 February 2021 the Government announced that the Public Sector Exit Payments Regulations 2020 are to be revoked.  The Regulations imposed a £95,000 cap on public sector exit payments and had been introduced just a few months earlier in November 2020 before now being abandoned. The Regulations had faced widespread criticism when introduced and their revocation is seen as a belated acceptance of the problems initially highlighted by the employment law community. A Treasury...

Media criticism of the Employment Tribunal system receives backlash from employment law community

25th February 2021

The start of the month was greeted by an article from The Times entitled “Tribunal system chaos: No experience necessary to be a judge in hearings free-for-all”. This provocative title aptly summarises the wide-ranging criticism made within of the Employment Tribunal system, extending to attacks on Judges as being insufficient qualified and experienced. There followed a similar article on 18 February from the politically aligned Daily Mail entitled “'You can't sack me - I'll sue':...

Craig Ludlow analyses the Supreme Court’s judgment in Uber and examines its likely potential scope and impact on the issue of employment status in the future

25th February 2021

Craig Ludlow, who heads 3PB’s Employment & Discrimination Law Group, analyses the Supreme Court’s judgment in Uber and examines its likely potential scope and impact on the issue of employment status in the future. To read his full briefing on the Uber employment status case, click here. View Craig Ludlow's profile here. The article will feature in this month's newsletter produced by 3PB's Employment and Discrimination Group. If you would like to discuss this article...

Attorney General’s Panel appointments: Matthew Wyard appointed to C Panel

16th February 2021

3PB’s public and education law specialist Matthew Wyard joins seven other 3PB barristers on the Attorney General’s (AG’s) panel of counsel including A panel members of soon-to-be QC Mathew Gullick and fellow public and regulatory barrister William Hansen. In total, 3PB has 13 barristers across the AG’s London, Regional, Public International Law and Junior Junior panels. The Attorney General’s panel of counsel consists of counsel who undertake civil and EU work for all government departments....

Matthew Wyard speaks at the joint-event of the Equality & Human Rights Commission and the Wales Observatory on Children and Young People’s Rights

11th February 2021

3PB’s Matthew Wyard has today given a presentation to a variety of legal practitioners, NGO’s, charities and public bodies on how the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is incorporated into Welsh specific legislation. The talk was given at the invitation of the Equality & Human Rights Commission and the Wales Observatory on Children and Young People’s Rights as part of the inaugural ‘Strategic Litigation’ workshop held by the organisations designed...

3PB supports free cab rides to vaccination centres in Winchester

11th February 2021

3PB Barristers (3 Paper Buildings) is supporting the ‘Winchester Cabs for Jabs’ initiative which has been organised by a group of local friends to enable eligible people to travel to vaccination centres without incurring fees for taxis, or having to navigate public transport. With the help of local Winchester taxi firms, the scheme is giving old and vulnerable people the option of being picked up from home and returned safely after their vaccination. Organisers are...

February employment case law update now available

11th February 2021

In case you missed it in this month's newsletter; 3PB barristers Mark Green and Sarah Bowen bring you the latest in employment law in this month's recorded briefing covering: · University College London v Mr T Brown UKEAT/0084/19/VP · Sarnoff v YZ [2021] EWCA Civ 26 · Santander UK plc and ors v Bharaj EAT 0075/20 · Crew Employment Services Camelot v Mr W Gould [2021] UKEAT/0330/19/VP · Weber v Universal Ogden Services 2002 ·...

Joseph England takes a closer look at s.109(4) EA 2010 as a statutory defence for discrimination

10th February 2021

3PB’s specialist employment law barrister Joseph England (pictured here) has reviewed the case of Allay (UK) Limited v Gehlen in which the employer used s.109(4) Equality Act 2010 as a statutory defence. s.109(4) EA 2010 provides a defence for an employer when discrimination has been found if they took “all reasonable steps” to prevent that or similar discrimination. The case is especially prominent because s.109(4) EA 2010 is rarely used and Gehlen provides important guidance...

Success in A-G’s Reference against sentence imposed on Shane Mays for the murder of Louise Smith

8th February 2021

3PB’s Tom Horder, led by Andrew Langdon QC, defended Shane Mays both at trial and in the Court of Appeal. Mr Mays was convicted of the murder of 15-year-old Louise Smith who went missing from her home in Havant on VE day last year. His sentence of life with a minimum term of 25 years was appealed by the Attorney-General on the grounds that it was ‘unduly lenient’. On 5 February 2021 the Court of Appeal...

3PB joins forces with Mackrell to give counsel on the legal cannabis products trade post-Brexit

5th February 2021

3PB’s Matthew Wyard, a specialist regulatory barrister has issued a briefing, in tandem with Ricardo Geada, head of the cannabis and regulatory team at law firm Mackrell Solicitors aimed at companies working within the CBD industry post-Brexit. As of the 1st January 2021, the UK officially left the EU after a deal was agreed on 24 December. The deal will bring complex changes to the import and export of products for UK businesses, especially those...