Government committed to updating and strengthening existing data protection laws
In a statement of intent the Government has committed to updating and strengthening existing data protection laws via the introduction of a new Data Protection Bill. The Bill will implement the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) a …
Recruitment Manager fined for illegally sharing applicant’s personal information
The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) applies to the “processing” of “personal data”. Pursuant to section 1(1) of the DPA “processing” includes obtaining, recording, holding, using, disclosing or erasing data and “personal data” is data relating to living …
Plant Variety Rights and Brexit – what happens now?
When we think of Brexit and the potential implications it will have on the UK we often consider the effects upon the economy and immigration, what we tend to think less about is the effect it will have upon our access to plant varieties and the agricul …
Trade Marks: The potential impact of Brexit
What is a trade mark? A trade mark or “brand” is a sign used by a trader to differentiate their goods from those of other traders and may come in the form of a name, slogan or simply the distinctive style of packaging of a product. A trade mark provide …
Tribunal order HMRC to reduce Penalty
In 2013, Jackson Grundy Ltd, an estate agency across Northamptonshire, was fined £200,000.00 for breaches of Customer Due Diligence under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 (as amended). There was never any suggestion of money laundering. However, …
Morrisons supermarket chain found to be in breach of the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations (PECR)
What are the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations? The Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations (PECR) set out specific rules which govern the use of marketing by electronic communications such as; e-mail, telephone, text message an …
Swiss banks secrecy to end
Private banks in Switzerland are known for being used by the wealthy people of the world in essence to evade tax. However, since the global financial crisis, tens of billions of dollars have been removed from these accounts in a flurry to protect thems …
Is it time to review your Will to maximise tax-saving?
We always recommend that you review your Will every 3-6 years to ensure that it does exactly what you want it to do, especially with the changing of laws surrounding Wills and Probate. On 6th April 2017, the Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB) came into eff …
Construction Disputes: Is your Pay Less Notice valid?
Construction Disputes: Is your Pay Less Notice valid? The Technology and Construction Court considered the validity of an Interim Payment Notice and Pay Less Notice in the case of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust v Logan Construction [2017] [EWHC …
ICO fines Gloucester City Council for failing to suitably keep safe vulnerable information
Gloucester City Council has received a fine from the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) in the sum of £100,000 further to its employees’ personal sensitive information being unlawfully accessed in a cyber-attack. In July 2014, a cyber-attacker e …
