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Last year we reported on two conflicting decisions by the Employment Appeal Tribunal concerning post-employment victimisation and whether it is prohibited by the Equality Act 2010. In Rowstock Ltd and another v Jessemey (where a victimisation claim was brought by an ex-employee against his former employers for giving a bad reference), the EAT upheld a … Read more
Anti-caste campaigners have welcomed an Employment Tribunal ruling that caste discrimination is protected under the Equality Act 2010. The caste system is a historical concept that is traditionally rooted in the Hindu community in India, but is also found in other parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The caste system divides people into … Read more
The Supreme Court has held that Christian hotel owners discriminated against a homosexual couple in a civil partnership by refusing to let them stay in a double room. Background Mr Hall and Mr Preddy are civil partners who booked a double room in Mr and Mrs Bull’s hotel by telephone for a two-night stay in … Read more
The last two years have brought an unprecedented level of changes to employment law including some that have provoked extensive discussion such as the increase of the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims in 2012 and the introduction of employee shareholder status in 2013. 2014 is going to be another year which will bring a … Read more
The term of copyright protection in songs with lyrics, where the music and words are written by different people, usually expires at different times, depending on the dates of death of the composer and the lyricist. The copyright in the music would expire 70 years from the death of the composer. The copyright in the … Read more
Under an EU Directive from 2011, the duration of copyright in sound recordings and associated performers’ rights was, in most cases, extended. The directive was implemented in the UK with effect from 1 November 2013 by the Copyright and Duration of Rights in Performances Regulations 2013. If a recording is released within 50 years of … Read more
The Court of Appeal by a 2-1 majority on 19 November dismissed an appeal against the High Court decision in April 2012 dismissing two Christian media companies’ application for judicial review of a decision by the Radio Advertising Clearance Centre (RACC) to refuse clearance of a radio ad which the RACC considered to be in … Read more
In John McCririck v Channel 4 Television Corporation and another, the Employment Tribunal recently considered whether 72 year old horse racing pundit John McCririck had suffered direct discrimination on the ground of age. Mr McCririck was a regular television presenter for Channel 4 and had been covering horse racing on television since 1981. He became … Read more
HMRC has published the outcome of its consultation over a change in the National Insurance status of entertainers (persons employed as actors, singers or musicians). At present, entertainers enjoy separate treatment, in that they are all deemed for NI purposes to be “employed”, even if they are taxed as self-employed. The reason for this is to provide access for entertainers to earnings-related contributory … Read more
It has been three years since the Equality Act 2010 came into force and 1 October 2013 will mark the repeal of one of the more controversial provisions of the Act; section 40 relating to third party harassment. The Act consolidated the vast majority of previous discrimination legislation to provide for a consistent set of … Read more
